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Found Corn Snake in AZ

CichlidAZ

CichlidAZ

New member
I'm irritated, sorry, but I just wrote this huge post and I lost it. Short Version: I found this young corn snake in my yard. I couldn't figure out what he was until I took him to a reptile pet store. The guy said he was an escaped or dumped fugitive because we're in AZ and they're non-native. Also, he's not a normal color, he would have had to have been bred this way. So now that I have some basic info, I feel better. I was able to handle him a little at the store after the guy assured me I wouldn't die. I bought some frozen pinkies and he just ate one...thawed of course. I have him in a plastic shoebox with aspen bedding, water bowl, hide, and a super tight locking lid. I keep my house at 80, is that ok or do I need to supplement heat? If so, how? I forgot to ask the guy how old he might be. He's pretty small, the plastic tub where I took the pic of him is only 3"x6". I put an ad on Craigslist under lost/found and put up some flyers, but no luck. I've had him for 24hrs now, any suggestions? I want him to be ok until he's claimed, but I'm worried that he was dumped. How likely is that he got out of his cage/house/yard, and into my yard? My wife is even more worried about it, she doesn't think he's as cute as I do if you catch my drift. Any help is appreciated. Right now he's in his shoebox hide being left alone, he's had it ruff. Thanks!
 

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The little ones are good at escaping, so you may yet find the owner though it's also possible he was dumped. Have you asked your neighbors? They usually will not travel that far. It looks like a ghost corn. 80 is a bit low - most people give them a heat gradient of 75 on the cool side and 85 on the warm side so the corn can go where it feels most comfortable. If he has trouble digesting you may need to bump temps a little. If you have a local herp society they may be able to help you rehome it if the owner isn't found... Though it kinda sounds like you wish you could just keep him? Maybe he will grow on the wife LOL
 
80 is fine. We keep our house at 82-84 right now, but I don't use any heat at all in the summer for my snakes. If you're going to keep him, then you might as well invest in a heat source. But if you're just going to keep him until you find a place for him, I personally wouldn't worry about it.
 
I would say he is definitely an escaped anery or ghost corn snake... If your house is at 80 then it should be ok. If you want to keep it, though (as in no one claims it) you will need to get digital thermometers and a couple other things.
How big do you think the snake is? And what is the size of the tub (as in how many quarts)? Seems a bit small to me.. I think.
 
He doesn't look so small--it depends on the size of the enclosure I suppose. What a surprise find! I usually just find broken bottles in my front yard.
 
Thanks for the replys . I don't want to get too attached yet, but I'm not opposed to keeping him. We'll see...so my wife says. Anyway, the shoebox is 12x6. I haven't measured him. He won't stretch out and lay still! J/k If I had to guess I'd say he's close to the size of the shoebox. Maybe 11/12/13 inches? I don't want to bug him to measure him now. The pic is of him in a 3x6 container if that helps.
 
Thanks SnakesRule1234 and shed'n , I just did a search for ghost and anery corns. I think he's a ghost. The anery version seems too dark for him. Also, how can I tell if he's having digestion trouble since he just ate about 2 hrs ago. How would I safely bump up the heat to his container?
 
If he regurged (puked) the mouse in the next day or so. If he doesn't he's probably OK. As far as heating a tub, most people use tubs in a rack system and run flexwatt heat tape under the tubs with a thermostat to regulate the heat, but that's a lot of work for just one tub. You could always get one of those stick - on under tank heaters and a dimmer to regulate it, but those are really made more for glass tanks so if you do this you don't want the plastic to be touching it directly. Maybe elevate the tub or something?
 
I just used a snake measuring program (Serpentine Widgets' Snake Measurer) to figure out his length from the picture. Pretty cool program. He's about 14.5" from what I got. Any idea how old he might be?
 
I see that this hasn't been brought up yet, so I figured I'd throw it out there.
Especially if you decide to keep him, he needs to be checked for parasites (both internal and external). Reptiles that have been exposed to the "wild" can easily pick-up all sorts of parasites that can cause them great harm and discomfort. Mites are usually not too difficult to spot (they look like little black spots that move around, usually seen best under the ventral scales). But internal parasites are usually only detectable through stool samples or blood tests (so something you need a vet to do for you). I would try to find out if there are any vets in your area that work with herps, as those will be the ones most able to help you out. Though even a regular vet should know how to spot parasites, as they are an all too common occurrence in all species.
This little guy was already lucky enough to find someone willing to take him in, if even temporarily. But he'd almost be too lucky to not have picked up anything on his "trip".
As for his housing, you should probably decide whether you want to commit to having him as a pet first. If you decide you do, then invest in a tank (you can get a smaller one now, but I usually recommend a 20L), a heat source, bedding, UVB, and a thermometer or thermostat.
There's all sorts of helpful information on husbandry and care for corns all over this site, not to mention plenty of people willing to help. So don't be shy about looking around and asking questions.
Best of luck!
 
Very cool find! I've yet to even find a wild one here, lol...
First, let him digest by leaving him alone for 72 hours. 80* is fine as that is the temp I, and most others keep the snake room, with a drop to about 75* at night, with no problems. I have a lot of my snakes in Sterilite shoe boxes, sweater boxes, and even the largest ones for the big adults. I just use a soldering iron to melt air holes into them. For a hide, I use a plastic dog bowl that has the cut out handles so they can get underneath, (a couple bucks at Walmart/Target in the dog food isle). You can line the bottom with paper, but Aspen shavings are more aesthetic, cleaner, and smell better and they can burrow in it, (don't use any other kind of wood chips as they can be poisonous to snakes). If you decide to go with a tank, I suggest a 20 gallon long Critter Cage, as it has a slide on lid that locks, which should make your wife feel better about it not being able to escape. When you buy mice for it, you'll want them 1 1/2 times bigger than the widest part of your snake, and feed him once a week. You'll also want to give him bottled or filtered water to avoid the chlorine and other harmful things in tap water.

Well that's the basics, the rest you can learn just by using the search function... Oh, and most important.... Warning! Warning! the longer you have this snake, the more you'll want to keep it... and then want another, and another, and... you get the idea... welcome to the addiction known as Corn Snakes!
 
Chiclid,
Congratulations on the great find! You may want to buy a lottery ticket while your luck is so amazing... :)
I live in New Mexico near the Texas border and have been using a Sterilite container for my corn (just bought a 40 gallon breeder tank, Yay!). I'm including pics so you can see an example of a cage that doesn't cost much and uses mostly found/recycled accessories including an Applebee's to-go container and a cookie dough tub (both scrubbed, bleached twice, and rinsed well). The dried cholla branch I bought at the local reptile store and baked but you can use similar items found in nature provided they get bleached, baked, and dried first. There are posts in the Husbandry/Care forum on how to properly do this, I'll try to find a link. The Sterilite container does an excellent job of maintaining proper humidity but I've found I've had to use an external heat source to properly provide a warm side and keep ideal temps. If you use an UTH (heating pad) you can put a piece of tile in between the cage and the UTH to stop the plastic from melting and to diffuse the heat. Make sure you use a rheostat or thermostat so it doesn't get too hot for your snake though and a digital thermometer with probe.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Also, cruising old posts on this site will yield a wealth of information. Good luck and again, congratulations! :)
 
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P.S. The binder clips are essential to making sure there are no gaps between the cage and lid.
I definitely learned that lesson after my snake escaped and was missing for six nights. :eek1:
 
Cichlid--I just noticed the name--if you keep fish and have friends who also keep fish, a cracked tank can work for keeping a snake in and can be VERY cheep or even free. You'd just need to slap some silicone or even tape on the outside to keep a snake from pressing on it.
I'd just like to re-iterate not to handle the snake until he has fully digested the mouse. The snake probably doesn't need to be feed as often as you might suppose--it is probably better to wait several days.

If your wife is opposed to snakes, you might want her to look at some of the vivariums people have. Since at least with my corn snake, I can hardly ever see him in the plants and hides or burrowed under the substrate.
 
Thanks guys for all the info! You all are awesome! I have been gorging myself with info ever since I found him. I even had snake dreams last night! Anyway, no news as far as an owner coming forward. I went to talk to a neighbor to see if she was missing him. I said, "Hey, I was in my yard and I found a corn snake..." I was interupted with, "OMG did you kill it?!?!?!" I gave her a weird look, "Um, no it's someones pet, I guess it's not yours then?" It was then I knew I wanted to keep him for sure. So if no one calls me by Wed afternoon, the posters are coming down. Do you think that's enough time? I mean I doubt he got out of the house the same day I found him. Plus, how many days do you go without checking on your snakes? Anyway, I can't tell you guys enough how great you are. From what I've read on this thread and the many other threads I sifted through, you all provide great advice and are very caring. Thank you! As far as the snake though...ssshhhhhh, I named him...but don't tell. I named him Kimble, after Dr. Richard Kimble from the movie The Fugitive. I think it fits him. Well, I checked on Kimble's temps last night. I forgot I had a digital probe meat thermometer! It said it was 82.5 last evening and 80.6 this morning...very rare. There wasn't any regurge from his pinkie and I have left him alone since he ate...very hard to do! Damn it, I'm hooked, I tried really hard not to get attached! After talking to my neighbor though, you have to think he found his way into my yard for a reason!
 
You have the snake bug. Next thing you know you'll be buying another.
 
CichlidAZ said:
Thanks guys for all the info! You all are awesome! I have been gorging myself with info ever since I found him. I even had snake dreams last night! Anyway, no news as far as an owner coming forward. I went to talk to a neighbor to see if she was missing him. I said, "Hey, I was in my yard and I found a corn snake..." I was interupted with, "OMG did you kill it?!?!?!" I gave her a weird look, "Um, no it's someones pet, I guess it's not yours then?" It was then I knew I wanted to keep him for sure. So if no one calls me by Wed afternoon, the posters are coming down. Do you think that's enough time? I mean I doubt he got out of the house the same day I found him. Plus, how many days do you go without checking on your snakes? Anyway, I can't tell you guys enough how great you are. From what I've read on this thread and the many other threads I sifted through, you all provide great advice and are very caring. Thank you! As far as the snake though...ssshhhhhh, I named him...but don't tell. I named him Kimble, after Dr. Richard Kimble from the movie The Fugitive. I think it fits him. Well, I checked on Kimble's temps last night. I forgot I had a digital probe meat thermometer! It said it was 82.5 last evening and 80.6 this morning...very rare. There wasn't any regurge from his pinkie and I have left him alone since he ate...very hard to do! Damn it, I'm hooked, I tried really hard not to get attached! After talking to my neighbor though, you have to think he found his way into my yard for a reason!
Click to expand...

I think you are right, he was a very lucky corn :) I like the name Kimble for him... as for the wife... don't push, but let the guy grow on her. I think it took less than a month for my daughter's snake to grow on me :) And about two months until I had to have one of my own since it's really hard to share one :)

Welcome to the forum... greatest group of people on here always quick with an few ideas as you've found out already :)
 
CichlidAZ said:
Thanks guys for all the info! You all are awesome! I have been gorging myself with info ever since I found him. I even had snake dreams last night! Anyway, no news as far as an owner coming forward. I went to talk to a neighbor to see if she was missing him. I said, "Hey, I was in my yard and I found a corn snake..." I was interupted with, "OMG did you kill it?!?!?!" I gave her a weird look, "Um, no it's someones pet, I guess it's not yours then?" It was then I knew I wanted to keep him for sure. So if no one calls me by Wed afternoon, the posters are coming down. Do you think that's enough time? I mean I doubt he got out of the house the same day I found him. Plus, how many days do you go without checking on your snakes? Anyway, I can't tell you guys enough how great you are. From what I've read on this thread and the many other threads I sifted through, you all provide great advice and are very caring. Thank you! As far as the snake though...ssshhhhhh, I named him...but don't tell. I named him Kimble, after Dr. Richard Kimble from the movie The Fugitive. I think it fits him. Well, I checked on Kimble's temps last night. I forgot I had a digital probe meat thermometer! It said it was 82.5 last evening and 80.6 this morning...very rare. There wasn't any regurge from his pinkie and I have left him alone since he ate...very hard to do! Damn it, I'm hooked, I tried really hard not to get attached! After talking to my neighbor though, you have to think he found his way into my yard for a reason!
Click to expand...

I think Wednesday is enough time. Any snake owner would be very lucky to have one of his or her escaped pets caught and cared for by another person. The snake is awfully lucky you found him instead of someone else, or a neighborhood cat. :awcrap:
 
I love the name Kimble. What color are his eyes? He looks like a lavender to me. We need better pics! I went from one found snake three years ago to 17 today!
 
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