Corns are not nocturnal - *pedantry alert!*

[bitsy]

First off - I apologise in advance for nitpicking!

I've read a few posts recently stating that Corns are nocturnal.

Corns are actually crepuscular, which means that they're active at dawn and dusk. In reality, this means that we mainly see them out and about in the evenings.

Being nocturnal, means that an animal is most active at night. Although Corns may be active to some extent both during daylight and night time, they are not nocturnal.

It's quite important to understand the difference, as it can dictate how we light and feed them, as well as allow us to notice any departures from normal behaviour.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and rinse my trainspotter's anorak....! :sidestep:

 

[desertanimal]

No worries for nitpicking here. You can be in my club. Plus, I love that word, so I enjoy when it is brought up. Is it really true that they are crepuscular, though? I usually find mine out in the middle of the night if I go in the study. I haven't read up on the subject, just wondering if you are, in fact, correct.

 

[BeckyG]

Would you cite your sources? Here are three of the reasons I tend to state that corns are nocturnal:

"Primarily nocturnal"--A Field Guide to Texas Snakes by Alan Tennant

"Powerful nocturnal constrictor"--The Guide To Owning a Corn Snake by Jerry G. Walls

"Primarily Nocturnal"--e-nature America's Wildlife Resource

 

[attackturtle]

Many animals that are casually described as nocturnal are in fact crepuscular.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepuscular

I think this statement says a lot about corns. When I think nocturnal, I think owl.

Other Crepuscular animals as described by the above include the cat, dog, deer, rabbit, chinchilla, ferret, guinea pig, hamster, common mouse, rat,

Mice and rats, in general, being a major prey item of corns.
Small lizards are more diurnal so perhaps their habits change with time.

 

[Joejr14]

It's quite important to understand the difference, as it can dictate how we light and feed them, as well as allow us to notice any departures from normal behaviour.

Hmm, I've always fed my snakes whenever I feel like it. I've never purposely fed them at 'dusk' because they're most active then---or in the early morning. I feed them whenever--middle of the day, middle of the night, etc, and it never seems to matter.

I think many people are far too caught up in little issues like when they're most active, giving enough light, proper hides, etc. As a whole, we are way too overconcerned about what we're doing. Just let em be.

 

[Jay@PJCReptiles]

I think many people are far too caught up in little issues like when they're most active, giving enough light, proper hides, etc. As a whole, we are way too overconcerned about what we're doing. Just let em be.

:cheers:

Jay & PJ

 

[bill38112]

Do we have any professional research people on forum? I was brought up in the hard sciences of math, physics, and chemistry. In my early years I tended to take any validly executed research as gospel on which one could rely. However, after being exposed to biology, zoology, and anthropology and living long enough to learn I don't know much, I have come to the belief that the lowest of animal species are extremely adaptable. I promise you that if you put a corn snake in an environment where food was only available in the day time, that individual would soon become diurnal (opposite of nocturnal.I looked it up. lol).

My problem with the resources that say corn snakes are nocturnal is they do not specify on what number of observances that conclusion is based or at what hours of darkness the snakes were observed being active, or in what environment they were observed. I want to see thousands of instances graphed and charted before I believe it. But I'm anal that way.

I am a chronic insomniac and whenever I am bumping about in the night I check on my snakes. I have never seen them out and about between the hours of midnight and 3:00 PM. I find that kinda odd because the hours of 3:00 PM to midnight are the noisiest in my house. But hey that's just the six snake population here in my household.

 

[gwb8568]

Do we have any professional research people on forum? I was brought up in the hard sciences of math, physics, and chemistry. In my early years I tended to take any validly executed research as gospel on which one could rely. However, after being exposed to biology, zoology, and anthropology and living long enough to learn I don't know much, I have come to the belief that the lowest of animal species are extremely adaptable. I promise you that if you put a corn snake in an environment where food was only available in the day time, that individual would soon become diurnal (opposite of nocturnal.I looked it up. lol).

My problem with the resources that say corn snakes are nocturnal is they do not specify on what number of observances that conclusion is based or at what hours of darkness the snakes were observed being active, or in what environment they were observed. I want to see thousands of instances graphed and charted before I believe it. But I'm anal that way.

I am a chronic insomniac and whenever I am bumping about in the night I check on my snakes. I have never seen them out and about between the hours of midnight and 3:00 PM. I find that kinda odd because the hours of 3:00 PM to midnight are the noisiest in my house. But hey that's just the six snake population here in my household.

:shrugs: whatever you just said...........i am agreeing with it. and joe also. i am not a professional and know allot less than most people on here, but to me i would think that we are taking the WC living ways into the CB raising's too seriously. i look at it as a bug, fly, mustang.........whatever you want to own. i have no experience in biology, zoology, anthro, chemo, homo, joe blow.............whatever. but what i do know is common sense, and if you do something long enough then you and your siblings will do it also. speak spanish in an "only spanish" household and you will grow up with not knowing ANY english. 3-4 generations later while being influenced and taught the "english language" then some might not even know how to speak spanish. correct me if i am wrong............but i could bring up examples for days.

if a snake is hungry, it will eat. if it is not hungry, then it won't. i don't think that they know "day-um, it's close to 12:00, i had better have some lunch." whether it be day or night, april or august.........if they are hungry and you feed them, then they will eat. maybe i am taking it in the wrong context, but they are reacting on what instincts and normal daily operations that they have learned are telling them what/when/how/why/where that they need to do it. :shrugs:

 

[Rorryy]

:shrugs: whatever you just said...........i am agreeing with it. and joe also. i am not a professional and know allot less than most people on here, but to me i would think that we are taking the WC living ways into the CB raising's too seriously. i look at it as a bug, fly, mustang.........whatever you want to own. i have no experience in biology, zoology, anthro, chemo, homo, joe blow.............whatever. but what i do know is common sense, and if you do something long enough then you and your siblings will do it also. speak spanish in an "only spanish" household and you will grow up with not knowing ANY english. 3-4 generations later while being influenced and taught the "english language" then some might not even know how to speak spanish. correct me if i am wrong............but i could bring up examples for days.

if a snake is hungry, it will eat. if it is not hungry, then it won't. i don't think that they know "day-um, it's close to 12:00, i had better have some lunch." whether it be day or night, april or august.........if they are hungry and you feed them, then they will eat. maybe i am taking it in the wrong context, but they are reacting on what instincts and normal daily operations that they have learned are telling them what/when/how/why/where that they need to do it. :shrugs:

What I have found is that 'common sense is not so common' if that makes sense :sidestep:

 

[CaptBogart]

I start work at 4AM so I get up at about 1:30AM to get ready and prepare or the hour drive, (quadruple espresso and email). I noticed out of the forty snakes, more than half are up at that hour cruising their tubs, (nocturnal). At 7:30, when I go to bed, there are around ten or so cruising their tubs (crepuscular). The other handful only seem to be out when I pull them out of their hides, so they must be day walkers... erm... slither-ers, (diurnal). :grin01: These are captive snakes with a twelve hour full spectrum and 12 hour red/black light cycle as room lighting.... I also live in Florida so there isn't much of a temperature drop at night either...

 

[Cully]

I've been trying to "train" my corn to get up at certain times of the day... it's failed so far as she seems to get up either at dawn or dusk kinda times... which would explain the above.

It seems not everyone agrees though....

 

[Hypancistrus]

I noticed out of the forty snakes, more than half are up at that hour cruising their tubs, (nocturnal). At 7:30, when I go to bed, there are around ten or so cruising their tubs (crepuscular). The other handful only seem to be out when I pull them out of their hides, so they must be day walkers... erm... slither-ers, (diurnal). :grin01:

So it would appear then that captivity allows corn snakes the option to "chose" which time to be active. In nature, they will be active when their prey is active, and when, hopefully, their predators are NOT. In the confines of our warm, regulated homes, with regular meals always accounted for, the individual "preferences" of the snakes can be seen.

With my limited experience, I noticed that Cate, my previous hatchling, was "crepuscular." She would come out during early evening, around 6. I think Hokie must be nocturnal though, because he is never out when I leave work (at latest 6 PM) and yet the bedding and water dish will typically show signs of nighttime activity each morning.

Intersting topic.

 

[chibitamalove]

"Corn snakes are medium-sized, non-venomous constrictors that prefer to be active around dusk and and early evening in habitats ranging from fields to woodlands across the southeastern and east central United States." The Corn Snake Manual by Bill and Kathy Love

I trust that book with all the heart and reference to it all the time. So I'm going to go with crepuscular.

 

[chibitamalove]

all MY heart, sorry. Typo that I didn't realized until I clicked "Post Quick Reply".

 

[chibitamalove]

Typo that I hadn't realized. Something is wrong with me today. I have issues with my keyboard.

 

[gwb8568]

after that little episode.........i think it might be a "brain to fingers" episode.

 

[mbdorfer]

Captivity changes everything, as we control the light cycle.
Most of my snakes, both corns and kings are quite active in the middle of the night.

 

[disturbedstn]

I have a hatchling corn and it seems to be active whenever....it could be during the day or in the evening he doesn't seem to have a preferance.

 

[TandJ]

I think many people are far too caught up in little issues like when they're most active, giving enough light, proper hides, etc. As a whole, we are way too overconcerned about what we're doing. Just let em be.

I try not to micromanage my critters.. Seems to cause me mre stresst trying to get the "natrual" thing happening.. When in fact, if I just paid attention to me my animals like they do for my feeding schedule, things work just fine..

I've been trying to "train" my corn to get up at certain times of the day... it's failed so far as she seems to get up either at dawn or dusk kinda times... which would explain the above

Your training failed... The snakes don't give a crap about what we want.. They are going to do thier things with or without our influences.. Unless of course we are trying to brumate ( not hybernate .. sp? )

Regards.. Tim of T and J

 

[Velvet]

My snakes both seem to do their thing whenever the feel like it but this is what I have noticed specifically...

Battle (2006): I have only ever seen him active at night, never at dawn or during the day at all (unless its saturday and I am feeding him)

Cornflake (2004/2005): He seems to be active whenever he likes, I have seen him super active both day and night. Although he does tend to be more active at night.