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Advice on if I should get a bigger terrarium

J

JjSnake

New member
I got my cornsnake as a hatchling this January. I didn't expect him to grow so quickly, but now he's over 2.5 feet long! I thought he was going to last a long time in his current cage, which is an Exo Terra that is 1' x 1' x 1'. But I've read that if they are longer than 2 sides of the cage, that a larger cage should be used.

Do you think I should get a bigger cage for the guy now? What size do you think I should get?

Also, is it normal for a cornsnake to get so long so quickly? Is that any indication that he might be huge when he reaches his final size?

Thanks for helping me with the questions! :)
 
I would upgrade. A good idea would be to go with a 20 gallon long tank. You'll probably have to upgrade your UTH also. A 20 gallon long will fit him for the rest of his life. All corns grow at different rates, as long as he's healthy thats all that matters :)
 
Thanks for the response! :)

What do you think about a tank that is 24 x 18 x 18? I'm not sure how many "gallons" it is, because it only lists the dimensions:
http://www.amazon.com/Terra-Glass-T...QYLK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337435025&sr=8-2

Also, I have a question about feeding the snake when he "looks" hungry. For the first few months, he was pretty cautious of me, and when I would go near the tank he would run to hide (or stay hidden if he was already in his cave). But now, sometimes, he runs to great me at the door. Even when he's in the cave, he'll leave it to great me if he sees me near the door. I always assumed this was because he wanted to eat, so usually I gave him some mice the following evening, and he ate them quickly (as if he was hungry).

Is it okay to use a "sign" like that to "guess" that they're hungry? Is there a possibility that I might be over-feeding him like that? I'm probably feeding him about once every 4-5 days now.

Thanks.
 
I have a smaller snake in the larger version of this same tank and it works out great. I love these vivs, I have two of them and really like the glass doors.
 
That would work. You might need to get a bigger one when he is older, but only time will tell. I wouldn't say you need to feed him every time he greets you. Some corns are friendly like that, and aren't afraid to meet their owner to come out. Corns will keep eating even if they're not hungry, because in the wild they don't know when their next meal is going to be, so it's instinct. 4-5 days sounds like a bit much, how many grams is he?
 
I've never weighed him before... Maybe I'll do that next time I take him out. I was thinking of holding him a little today anyway.

Another reason why I was feeding him often is because when I was feeding him strictly once every 7 days, I started noticing that his spine was protruding. It looked like he might've been getting a little skinny. So I searched for info about snakes with protruding spines, and I got a bunch of scary info about how that could mean they're starving, and how it's a serious condition. Now his spine isn't protruding so much. I think his back looks healthy, and his spine is just slightly visible. But I'm a beginner, so I could be wrong on lots of stuff. I think I started a thread here about protruding spines, and most people were saying I should feed him more frequently.

I'll try to find his weight today (if I get to it), and then I'll post it here. I hope he's not fat! :)
 
A couple of good pics would help us to guess if he's thin.... If that would help you and put your mind to rest....
On another note.... Snakes do not get hungry in the same way we do... They can go months with out eating, and even starve themselves to death.... So it's more a feeding response you are triggering and not actual tummy rumbling hunger....
Plus they are intelligent enough to know your smell and the vibration from the door = food....
 
I've been feeding him only pinkies so far. About 2 months ago I started feeding him 2 at a time. Then about 1 month ago I started feeding him 3 at a time. Even after he ate all 3 pinkies, sometimes he would stay outside of his cage and look through the glass door of the terrarium, as if he was waiting for me to feed him more. That's another reason why I wondered if maybe I wasn't feeding him enough. The last time I fed him, I did an "experiment" and put 5 pinkies on a plate, to see how many he would eat. He ate 3 of them and went back to his cave.
 
Wow that is way to many pinkies. Feeding more than two can cause regurges which are harmful to your snake. Instead of 3 pinkies I would move him up in prey size to a peach fuzz or a small fuzzy mouse. Make sure it is not bigger than 1 1/2 x bigger than the biggest part of your snake.

It is easier for a snake to gain weight than to lose weight. You dont want an overweight snake.
 
Oh, I'm glad you told me that. Thanks. I have frozen mice that are 1 bigger size, but I was trying to get rid of the pinkies first. I only have 4 pinkies left, I think. Maybe I could just give them to my cat.

The next size up from the pinkie isn't 1.5x bigger than my snake's belly. I'll have to show you guys pictures soon. Maybe I'll pull him out soon.

My snake has never had a regurge even once since I've had him.

My snake has been peeking out at me from inside the cave all day. Does it mean anything when they are peeking out like that? I keep thinking that maybe he wants food, but I'm probably wrong! :) I'm surprised he hasn't been sleeping all day.
 
Okay, I finally got his weight. He weighs 60 grams. How is that?

I also took some pictures of him. I'll post them later.

Thanks :)
 
You're definitly ready to move up in size. Once he gets off pinks, he might start growing more because of the calcium. Pinks' bones aren't fully developed, so once the snake gets to bigger food items with more calcium rich bones, they usually start growing faster.
 
Oh, wow! This is great info! Thanks a lot for the help. I've never heard about the calcium thing. But once a month I've been giving him calcium and vitamin D supplements on his pinkies. He doesn't attack the pinkies as quickly when they're covered in powder, but he still eats them. :)

So 60 grams isn't too much for a young snake? I hope I'm not making him fat. I'll try to share the pictures soon. I think he looks "normal" to me, but of course I'm just a beginner.
 
Here's some pics:
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He doesn't need any additional supplements. The mice alone will do just fine :)

I'd say he looks fine. Maybe a little big, but nothing to worry about.
 
How many hoppers do you think I should give him? Should I offer them about once per week?

Thanks!

I have to order some hoppers now. I have the one that's 1 step bigger than pinkies, but those are still tiny.
 
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