Got a new Cornsnake 45 minutes ago.

[susang]

I understand that. I just don't want to sit there and kill the mice when I have perfectly capable killers already to do it for themselves.

Are you saying the snake is a killing machine, because that is not true with a captive snake, i.e. if your snake is stressed, going into shed cycle, spring time for males or a gravid female. They aren't killing machines during these times. In the wild they won't have a mouse put in front of them with nowhere to escape. In their viv they have nowhere to get away from a mouse that is defending itself and will do more harm to the snake then you would think.

 

[RepLover1022]

This is going to get so far off topic in between the python not having a cage and the refusal to put down the mice...I see of now...


Wait for it......wait for it.....


Anyways, I agree with the advice that was given before.

 

[fleapop]

Sorry but that's gross and not a good idea for the python, I hope you know better now.

Excuse me but how is that gross? the snake was clean. I was clean. And he was pretty happy as far as i could tell. he never tried to bite anyone and would come and just hang out with me on his own, rather than me having to go get him and keep him near me.

Are you saying the snake is a killing machine, because that is not true with a captive snake, i.e. if your snake is stressed, going into shed cycle, spring time for males or a gravid female. They aren't killing machines during these times. In the wild they won't have a mouse put in front of them with nowhere to escape. In their viv they have nowhere to get away from a mouse that is defending itself and will do more harm to the snake then you would think

ok, well if you read any of the rest of this thread you would have read that i said i have mousers. meaning ferrets that hunt and eat live mice. 2nd, i dont feed my snakes in their viv/cage/enclosure or any other closed space, nor do i feed my ferrets that way.
This snake is new and has only eaten frozen mice. I understand that.
I also understand that i am not going to just put in an adult mouse that will be able to defend itself. if i was going to start feeding it live mice i would start with a pinkie, and when i can see the snake can kill it successfully everytime, i would work up to larger sized prey.

And in my opinion, if you as an owner of a predatory animal cannot handle watching an animal kill its prey, i dont think you should be owning a PREDATORY animal.

They are creatures built with everything they need to survive.
meaning they are entirely capable of hunting and killing their own food.

Also, why would i want to go out and spend a bunch of money to I can kill my animals food, when the whole point of me owning a predatory animal is because i want it to BE A PREDATORY ANIMAL.

I as an individual want to support all of my animals and their natural instincts whether they live in a house or out in the wild.

I was asking for advice, not for you to sit there and judge me for promoting natural habits that come with the creature.

And in my opinion, teaching the animal to kill its own food is a good thing, not only because it is a natural activity of that species, but also because that way my animals dont get bored, aggressive toward me or anyone else, and they get exercise.

I have been researching live prey and whole prey feeding for a long time now and I would much rather my animals attack their food rather than me. which......please dont say that the snake will attack me mistaking me for a mouse, my other snake and other snakes i have cared for never did. but then again i wasnt stupid enough to feed them in their cages. I would usually go into a large room, let the snake out, then let some mice out to run around the room so the snake could actually hunt for them.

The snake i have now has only ever eaten frozen mice, also the mice were always given to him by tongs in a small box or cage.

that right there is 2 things i would like to change. not be criticized for it.

I thought this was a SNAKE FORUM.

not an "OMG I CANT WATCH A SNAKE EAT A LIVE MOUSE BECAUSE ITS MEAN" forum

So if you have actual advice to give. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT.

But all this "ewe thats gross" and "no dont let it be a snake" attitude is not advice and not why i came to this forum. if i wanted to hear a bunch of people be rude and stupidly opinionated i would go to efukt.net.

 

[fleapop]

oh and if i wanted to just feed it a dead mouse i could just have one of my other animals kill it, then feed it. why would i want to kill the mouse myself when i have PERFECTLY CAPABLE PREDATORY ANIMALS?

 

[AliCat37]

Excuse me but how is that gross? the snake was clean. I was clean. And he was pretty happy as far as i could tell. he never tried to bite anyone and would come and just hang out with me on his own, rather than me having to go get him and keep him near me.

Gross simply because the snake passed feces/urates within your home. Also, without a proper set up, you cannot provide proper husbandry. There is no way to maintain the temps and humidity any reptile needs in a free roaming manner. If an entire room had been converted, say for a large reticulated python, or a monitor lizard of some sort, okay.

ok, well if you read any of the rest of this thread you would have read that i said i have mousers. meaning ferrets that hunt and eat live mice. 2nd, i dont feed my snakes in their viv/cage/enclosure or any other closed space, nor do i feed my ferrets that way.
This snake is new and has only eaten frozen mice. I understand that.
I also understand that i am not going to just put in an adult mouse that will be able to defend itself. if i was going to start feeding it live mice i would start with a pinkie, and when i can see the snake can kill it successfully everytime, i would work up to larger sized prey.

And in my opinion, if you as an owner of a predatory animal cannot handle watching an animal kill its prey, i dont think you should be owning a PREDATORY animal.

They are creatures built with everything they need to survive.
meaning they are entirely capable of hunting and killing their own food.

It's not about not being able to watch the snake kill the food itself, the thing is that it is a huge risk to the snake in captivity. Sure, snakes in the wild eat live rodents, etc, but in the wild the snake also can hunt its food or lay in wait until something passes by. It is not left in an enclosed space with the live prey. Even if you are there to observe the snake with the mouse, there is still a chance that the mouse can inflict serious damage to the snake. Just one bite can cause the snake to bleed to death. Reptiles have a lot less blood than similar sized mammals, so even a few drops of blood can be lethal.

Also, why would i want to go out and spend a bunch of money to I can kill my animals food, when the whole point of me owning a predatory animal is because i want it to BE A PREDATORY ANIMAL.

I as an individual want to support all of my animals and their natural instincts whether they live in a house or out in the wild.

I was asking for advice, not for you to sit there and judge me for promoting natural habits that come with the creature.

And in my opinion, teaching the animal to kill its own food is a good thing, not only because it is a natural activity of that species, but also because that way my animals dont get bored, aggressive toward me or anyone else, and they get exercise.

Frozen food is extraordinarily cheaper to buy. Now, as for your idea of wanting to promote the snake's natural instincts and abilities, I used to have the same idea when I fed live. However, you can still promote the snake to "kill its food through wiggling a dead mouse in front of it. That will cause them to strike and constrict just the same as if it were live food. Feeding a snake a live mouse within a cage is not a natural activity. I am confused on how a snake fed f/t would become aggressive? I feed all my snakes f/t, including the boa and ball, and none have any aggression issues. Your snakes should be getting proper exercise in a properly sized cage, and also with handling time.

I have been researching live prey and whole prey feeding for a long time now and I would much rather my animals attack their food rather than me. which......please dont say that the snake will attack me mistaking me for a mouse, my other snake and other snakes i have cared for never did. but then again i wasnt stupid enough to feed them in their cages. I would usually go into a large room, let the snake out, then let some mice out to run around the room so the snake could actually hunt for them.

The snake i have now has only ever eaten frozen mice, also the mice were always given to him by tongs in a small box or cage.

that right there is 2 things i would like to change. not be criticized for it.

I thought this was a SNAKE FORUM.

not an "OMG I CANT WATCH A SNAKE EAT A LIVE MOUSE BECAUSE ITS MEAN" forum

So if you have actual advice to give. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT.

But all this "ewe thats gross" and "no dont let it be a snake" attitude is not advice and not why i came to this forum. if i wanted to hear a bunch of people be rude and stupidly opinionated i would go to efukt.net.

No one is criticizing your choice to feed live. This is a snake forum and we are all recommending what we feel is best for both you and your snake. If you do not want to accept our advice, then that's your choice. But don't say that we have no actual advise to give, as we are giving you actual advice for what we feel is best. You say in your last sentence "attitude is not advice and not why i came to this forum. if i wanted to hear a bunch of people be rude and stupidly opinionated i would go to efukt.net" so why are you bringing rudeness to the forum yourself? You are calling our opinions stupid, when most of us have been keeping reptiles far longer and have more experience.




This all sounds very "trollish" to me. :/

 

[Millinex]

I didn't read the entire thread, just the last couple posts where the OP was using a larger amount of caps lock and aggressiveness.

OP: If the snake is eating frozen/thawed prey, LEAVE IT ON THEM. It's going to be easier on your wallet, less stress for the snake, and less risk of injury if the mouse bites the snake.

In captivity, we ruin a lot of natural aspects of animal husbandry. Neither your snake or ferrets need live food- it isn't any more natural than the fact you're keeping them in an aquarium/steel barred cage. You'll have more luck going natural with a proper cage and being hands off than the difference between dead/alive prey.

Also, you don't need to "teach" the snake how to kill prey as you say. Snakes are instinctively programmed to know how to kill and consume appropriate prey items. This isn't anything you have to worry about, but as I said if he's eating frozen thawed. Leave him on it.

As for being naturalistic- why was your ball python kept out of a cage? Nothing seems more unnatural than that. If I'm reading that correctly.

 

[fleapop]

actually feeding live is EASIER on my wallet. Rememeber. I said I am already breeding feeders for my other animals. It doesn't cost me anything to keep them alive and breeding.

My ball python lived out of the cage because we were living on the road at the time and thats what we did he was perfectly happy and healthy, we took him to the vet multiple times and he always passed as being in tip top shape. the previous owner kept the snake in a rubbermaid tub with a wooden board on top with some weights on it after the snake had escaped from his house and lived in a woodpile across the road from him for 7 years. I think letting it roam freely was a much better option than the letting him continue to live in a dark rubbermaid tub.

Also.....you people sitting here trying to tell me why i should only feed him frozen is NOT advice. I would however like advice on handling. and how i should go about picking him up in a week when i get there. Or maybe what his stool should look like and how often he should defecate. I would also like to know how often they shed, is it after every few feedings? or is it only certain times of the year? How about telling me if there is any way of figuring out how old the snake is? I would also like to know if any of you know of any really good reptilian veterinarians throughout the state/country.

I really do not care how you feel about live or frozen food. If I want to feed them live, that is my choice, not yours.
And the reason I like my animals to know how to feed themselves is simply for the fact that if one day they happened to escape, or someone let them go when i am not around, I would like them to AT LEAST have a chance of survival rather than a most certain death of starvation.


Another thing is that basically the only pet store that is going to be around within the next few years is going to be PETCO. since they are buying out all the locally owned pet stores and the city in which i live is trying to get all the others shut down. I do NOT support PETCO in anyway, shape, or form. I would rather breed my own food source for all my animals and myself if I ever get that option, than throw my money at some corporate store that doesn't give a rats ass about its customers or its creatures.

I also plan on setting up a rabbit hutch (when I have the available room) and start breeding meat rabbits for my animals and myself, and maybe even for other people who like rabbit meat or want to feed it to theirs.
I suppose you will say that is cruel and i shouldn't let my animals kill and eat baby rabbits or any rabbit as well right? Life is cruel and everything needs to eat. Personally A freezer burned mouse doesn't seem that appealing to me. nor does having to go buy a bag full of freezer burned mice.

Now if I was ever going to eat a mouse, I would much rather prefer to kill it and eat it right then because I know its fresh.

I don't and wouldn't feed any of my animals anything I wouldn't eat myself. and freezer burned mouse is not something i would eat. Now, yes I am going to continue to feed this snake the frozen mice until I run out, but I also plan on starting him on some new born day or 2 day old mice since i will have them in a few weeks.

I am a natural/whole/live prey feeder. My cat, dog, ferrets, and bird are all on a natural non kibble non pellet diet for the same reason. I wouldn't eat that stuff. they shouldn't either. You say that freezing the mice kills parasites. well what about the nutrients and vitamins that are also being "frozen" out of the mouse? there are some live bacteria and microorganisms that are GOOD for us and other animals.
This snake wouldnt find a frozen mouse in nature. And it sure as hell wouldnt have anything dangled in front of it in nature.

Also. PLEASE STOP SAYING THAT I AM FEEDING THE SNAKE A MOUSE IN A SMALL ENCLOSED SPACE. Like i said before I usually let the snake roam in a LARGE area with the mice running around so it can 'hunt'

please, if you are going to keep on about this stupid Frozen vs Live feeding bull. stop responding to this post. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

I do not care about your opinion on the matter and really, what i feed my animals is none of your business so please stop trying to make it that.

If you have something USEFUL to say to me PLEASE SAY IT.

Thanks for reading through all of this.

 

[Millinex]

actually feeding live is EASIER on my wallet. Rememeber. I said I am already breeding feeders for my other animals. It doesn't cost me anything to keep them alive and breeding.

Why not kill the animal before feeding? Seems logical. You aren't offering the animal any naturalistic anything, so why feed live?

My ball python lived out of the cage because we were living on the road at the time and thats what we did he was perfectly happy and healthy, we took him to the vet multiple times and he always passed as being in tip top shape. the previous owner kept the snake in a rubbermaid tub with a wooden board on top with some weights on it after the snake had escaped from his house and lived in a woodpile across the road from him for 7 years. I think letting it roam freely was a much better option than the letting him continue to live in a dark rubbermaid tub.

I keep lots of snakes, all live in rubbermaid tubs. Also, I don't believe snakes can be "happy" in the sense that we understand happiness. Unless he wrote you a letter, or you speak snake- I doubt you knew how he felt about the matter. As for the vet- doesn't matter, 95% of vets have no experience with reptiles. Odds are- at that old, he was small for his size, and dehydrated from being kept in open air. Unless you lived in Florida. LOL.

Also.....you people sitting here trying to tell me why i should only feed him frozen is NOT advice. I would however like advice on handling. and how i should go about picking him up in a week when i get there. Or maybe what his stool should look like and how often he should defecate. I would also like to know how often they shed, is it after every few feedings? or is it only certain times of the year? How about telling me if there is any way of figuring out how old the snake is? I would also like to know if any of you know of any really good reptilian veterinarians throughout the state/country.

He should defecate every week-2 weeks. Pick him up. He's a corn snake, he won't hurt if he does bite you. No way to determine age in the snake. He will shed every month-2 months.

I really do not care how you feel about live or frozen food. If I want to feed them live, that is my choice, not yours.
And the reason I like my animals to know how to feed themselves is simply for the fact that if one day they happened to escape, or someone let them go when i am not around, I would like them to AT LEAST have a chance of survival rather than a most certain death of starvation.

That is your choice, it's a wrong one, but it is yours. One day you'll have a snake get bitten and die/get infected and regret the decision. The same thing happens to thousands of people just like you, who feel they know everything and are untouchable. Your animal instinctively knows how to survive. It's a corn snake, it's native to various parts of America. If it got loose, frankly it would probably be fine. Your pet snake is 100% capable of being able to hunt and find food on its own. It doesn't need you to "teach it".

Another thing is that basically the only pet store that is going to be around within the next few years is going to be PETCO. since they are buying out all the locally owned pet stores and the city in which i live is trying to get all the others shut down. I do NOT support PETCO in anyway, shape, or form. I would rather breed my own food source for all my animals and myself if I ever get that option, than throw my money at some corporate store that doesn't give a rats ass about its customers or its creatures.

My petcos aren't too bad about customer relations nor husbandry. How about having a talk with them POLITELY about things, rather than assuming they are the root of all evil? Breed your own food, a lot of us do, a lot of people also order online in bulk.

I also plan on setting up a rabbit hutch (when I have the available room) and start breeding meat rabbits for my animals and myself, and maybe even for other people who like rabbit meat or want to feed it to theirs.
I suppose you will say that is cruel and i shouldn't let my animals kill and eat baby rabbits or any rabbit as well right? Life is cruel and everything needs to eat. Personally A freezer burned mouse doesn't seem that appealing to me. nor does having to go buy a bag full of freezer burned mice.

Never said that. Although- I work with thousands upon thousands of frozen rodents a year, I hardly ever have any freezer burned. Not to mention your idea of "appetizing" and a snakes are 2 entirely different subjects.

Before you rant on- I have 5 monitor lizards, all are occasionally fed live prey of some sort. I don't think it's overly cruel, and it is the circle of life. The fact you're flaunting it and the fact you let your ferrets hunt mice- is pretty outlandish.

Now if I was ever going to eat a mouse, I would much rather prefer to kill it and eat it right then because I know its fresh.

Why not kill it for the snake? It's still fresh, has no risk of injury and you raised it yourself. Since your snake doesn't need to learn to eat (because it knows how to already!), no one loses in this situation? Oh wait, just you, because YOU want your snake to eat this way. The snake doesn't care.

I don't and wouldn't feed any of my animals anything I wouldn't eat myself. and freezer burned mouse is not something i would eat. Now, yes I am going to continue to feed this snake the frozen mice until I run out, but I also plan on starting him on some new born day or 2 day old mice since i will have them in a few weeks.

By the size of the snake you described, why in the world would you feed him prey that small? Not to mention pinkies are poor nutrition for an adult snake? Your frozen mice are actually better for him than the pinkie mice. Clearly the welfare of the snake isn't a priority here, just your ego.

I am a natural/whole/live prey feeder. My cat, dog, ferrets, and bird are all on a natural non kibble non pellet diet for the same reason. I wouldn't eat that stuff. they shouldn't either. You say that freezing the mice kills parasites. well what about the nutrients and vitamins that are also being "frozen" out of the mouse? there are some live bacteria and microorganisms that are GOOD for us and other animals.
This snake wouldnt find a frozen mouse in nature. And it sure as hell wouldnt have anything dangled in front of it in nature.

I've seen snakes eat roadkill animals, dead animals etc. It's not uncommon at all. There is a picture of a garter snake out there trying to eat a roadkill bird that's smashed onto the ground. I'm not knocking your beliefs, I'm saying that they make 0 sense for the animal and are purely for your pleasure. This is what I believe they call "selfish".

Also. PLEASE STOP SAYING THAT I AM FEEDING THE SNAKE A MOUSE IN A SMALL ENCLOSED SPACE. Like i said before I usually let the snake roam in a LARGE area with the mice running around so it can 'hunt'

Caps lock engaged. Good luck with your method of feeding, it makes 0 sense.

please, if you are going to keep on about this stupid Frozen vs Live feeding bull. stop responding to this post. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

I do not care about your opinion on the matter and really, what i feed my animals is none of your business so please stop trying to make it that.

If you have something USEFUL to say to me PLEASE SAY IT.

Thanks for reading through all of this.

You seem like a huge troll, or someone who is so stuck on their own ego you refuse to see the forest from the trees. Advice was given. We offer advice on everything you say. We aren't going to have you come in here and start rambling off all sorts of stuff, and then just ignore it because you ask us to.

The more you go on and on about how "great" (LOL) feeding live is, the more I will defend my position. Don't like it? Why don't you drop it. Fix your posts, get an attitude adjustment, and ask legit questions that you want answers for in a simple and reasonable manner. Here's an example:

"I had a corn snake given to me about 45 minutes ago and I have a few questions......"

The reason (in my opinion) you even threw out the live vs frozen thing was simply to get more responses to your thread, and to draw more attention. It's a poor tactic at best. Sorry.

 

[fleapop]

I keep lots of snakes, all live in rubbermaid tubs. Also, I don't believe snakes can be "happy" in the sense that we understand happiness. Unless he wrote you a letter, or you speak snake- I doubt you knew how he felt about the matter. As for the vet- doesn't matter, 95% of vets have no experience with reptiles. Odds are- at that old, he was small for his size, and dehydrated from being kept in open air. Unless you lived in Florida. LOL.

Actually my ball python was about 5 feet long. he was 3 feet when i got him and he grew almost 2 and a half feet in the first year of me having him.

My petcos aren't too bad about customer relations nor husbandry. How about having a talk with them POLITELY about things, rather than assuming they are the root of all evil? Breed your own food, a lot of us do, a lot of people also order online in bulk.

I don't support PETCO because the majority of all the animals they get come from mills. I would rather buy my animals from either a local breeder or a local pet store who buys from local people. I do not support corporations. I am for the people. not the press.

Caps lock engaged. Good luck with your method of feeding, it makes 0 sense.

ok it makes zero sense to you. To me, it is a great activity for the animal. I let my ferrets hunts. they love it. its like playing a game except the prize is a full belly. its good for the mind.

The reason (in my opinion) you even threw out the live vs frozen thing was simply to get more responses to your thread, and to draw more attention. It's a poor tactic at best. Sorry.

I don't want attention. I want advice. we have clearly gone over the live vs frozen thing a ton of times already. and if what i am saying is so stupid and rambling you do not have to respond. I am offended that other people on this site are so stuck on their own opinion of how to feed their animals. and i dont see how a PINKIE aka new born mouse with not teeth can hurt an adult snake. its not like i am throwing a huge rat into the enclosure with it.

Also....why should i kill the mouse when the animal can do it itself? or my ferret could do it then i could just take the mouse from the ferret and feed it to the snake? I am sure my animal would be much more efficient at killing a mouse quickly than i would be.

And I do not see how you can call me a troll when All I have done was ask questions and then get 'trolled' myself by people who think me feeding live is wrong, when i asked them to stop telling me that and just give me advice that i would like to hear.

 

[Millinex]

No, the pinkie won't hurt it, but an ADULT mouse can. Even a hopper can actually damage a snake. We had one this summer which bit one of my pythons. Also, you can instantly and painlessly kill a mouse via the bopping method.

Anyone who thinks a ferret killing a mouse is more humane than an instant death via bopping probably has no business owning any of the above mentioned creatures.

You have come into a snake forum- blatantly talking about how you kept one snake out of enclosure (huge no-no), talk about feeding live, and then get massive amounts of attitude when people respond.

If you want help, get an attitude adjustment, and ask the questions. Don't go into detail about the other nonsense that you are doing WRONG. It won't get any of us anywhere.

If you have any legit questions, ask away, the more you keep debating the live vs frozen thing, and all the other points- the more I'll keep going, just like you are.

 

[Lyion]

Hmm.... I hope you know live often kill corns :/. Also, it is likely stressed from the new environment. Give it at Least seven days to settle in! Poor fellow. I fear he may regurge from the stress. Do not feed live! This can scratch your snake, cause it to infect or simply kill it then and there. You don't have to go about killing mice- buy them frozen and pre-killed -.-

 

[Dreamsnake]

I've read the entire thread, so I think I'm up to date with your situation. Ball pythons and corn snakes have very different personalities. If I set my ball python down and turned my back for a minute, I bet he'd still be in the same place on the floor. If I set my corn snake down, he'd vanish before I could blink. Corns are jumpy and can not be trusted not to escape given the chance, I don't think it is possible to get one to hunt in your house (like the ball python) without losing him. If this snake is intended for your sister consider what her situation is. Does she want to breed the mice for the snake, or would she be comfortable with keeping them in the freezer?

About the snake in the water bowl: What type of thermometer do you have? If it is digital the batteries may need changing. Is the heat pad unregulated? I keep my heat pads on lamp dimmers and manually adjust the temps. If the corn is on an unregulated heat I'd switch it off until I get a dimmer.

As for the snake's behavior: I believe he is too hot and therefor cranky. I believe he was neglected and possibly abused by his previous owners. I also believe with the proper care he will calm down. He is in shock from the move, the clean tank, the ferret smells, and a new face watching him. Give him time to chill down before changing too much of his habitat.

I think rescuing him was wonderful and you are a good guy for cleaning him up and wanting to learn how to take care of him properly. My parents are ferret rescuers, they take in the old ferrets and provide medical care for the sickly ones. They think I'm odd for keeping reptiles.

Good luck with everything, let me know about the heating element and all that. Take care.

 

[Stefanie]

oh and if i wanted to just feed it a dead mouse i could just have one of my other animals kill it, then feed it. why would i want to kill the mouse myself when i have PERFECTLY CAPABLE PREDATORY ANIMALS?

You're saying you'll have a third party animal kill the mouse, take the mouse away from said animal to feed it to your snake? How is that going to work without spreading possible illnesses between the new snake and ... your ferrets ?! I'm confused

 

[Alyssum]

Please remember that animals in the weasel family will happily eat reptiles including snakes. I think that it could be very stressful for a snake to smell ferret on their supper.

 

[TalonaCat]

Since words don't seem to be getting the point across, maybe this will. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, please. I'm sure this guy was a 'perfectly capable predator' too. Warning, extremely graphic!

http://bellsouthpwp.net/j/b/jbuncc/feeding.htm

 

[Zindar]

Since words don't seem to be getting the point across, maybe this will. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, please. I'm sure this guy was a 'perfectly capable predator' too. Warning, extremely graphic!

http://bellsouthpwp.net/j/b/jbuncc/feeding.htm

So sad. And such a good example, making it that much more sad.

 

[fleapop]

Thank youDreamsnake for you ADVICE.
So the heater is one of those ones that is just always on without a manual regulator. but I have been monitoring it every 6-10 hours and it seems to fluctuate between 75 and 83 F.
Today he is much calmer, he let me stare at him while he stared at me and he didnt even shake his tail when i opened the lid. I opened it about 2 inches to see if he would get all pissy like he has the passed few days whenever i walk by or make any kind of noise near his cage.
He stared at me for about 5 minutes and followed my finger around the glass. (i didnt tap it, I just moved it back and fourth and he followed)
I think maybe he is about to shed soon because some of his scaled have little indents in them, I remember my ball getting like that before he would shed.

Also, I don't plan on letting this guy roam the house to hunt, if anything close to that I would take him into the bathroom and let him do it there because I know it is a decent size in which he can exercise and not get lost.

As for my sister, i think she is happy with whatever is easier for the snake to eat, I still plan on giving him some pinkies so i will give her some when she takes him. which probably wont be for at least a month maybe 2. I want to be sure he is handle able and also that she is ready to care for him.

As for my ferrets, they are all rescues as well, and they haven't the slightest idea that there is another animal in here. And thank you!!! I do try really hard to give a great living situation to any animal I see that needs it.

I did notice, however, when he crawled into his little buddah hide, If I make any noise or open the lid to the cage when he is inside it, then he rattles his tail. Is this because he simply cannot see me?

 

[Susan]

You want to feed live, fine. Starting with mouse pinkies is not the way to go as you will need to feed your adult corn snake (no way to get an exact age as corns can grow at various rates and you can have a 1 1/2 yr old and a 5 yr old corn be exactly the same size) 10-20+ of them/meal. You want to make sure your snake has the instinct to hunt and kill, start with a pre-killed but still twitching adult mouse and move on from there. Your method of letting your snakes have the run of a room with live mice running around is a sure way to make sure your snake escapes. Corn snakes are escape artists and their behavior is not like that of a ball python. Once your corn snake settles into it's new environment, feed it once every 7-14 days. It will poop once or twice with every feeding and shed about every 1-3 months.

Your desire to keep your pets' environment and behaviors as close to natural is admirable, but unless you can provide as close to a 100% natural environment for them, going only part way could cause more harm than good as your house is not a natural environment and the potential hazards are great.

I believe you mentioned in a post having a cat or cats as well. Do you feed them live prey? If so, I would like to discuss this with you further, but in private.

I'm sorry, but some of your reptile/animal keeping habits go against much of what most reputable herpetologists and reptile keepers/enthusiasts adhere to. Unfortunately for you, the debate on feeding live is a very touchy subject and if you had spent any time looking at previous posts on this forum, you would realize that. Your insistence on going against and barely acknowledging what many others have been saying is a viable method to keep corn snakes is causing conflict on this forum, hence, a form of trolling. If you continue in this type of conflict and do not just drop the matter and move on to another topic (causing others to do the same), that will only confirm your designation as a troll and will cause you to no longer be able to utilize this forum.

NOTE TO ALL MEMBERS: DROP the live feeding issue right now!! If we have a troll, we don't want to feed it. If we have a legitimate concerned new member with questions but with a set mind on certain things, treat him with the respect that you would expect because of your own personal opinions and beliefs.

 

[Dreamsnake]

From what I've noticed with my snakes moving them or changing the tank will stimulate a shed. My snakes all have their sheds on a cycle as well. My ball python is a retired breeder, lucky for me he was kept on frozen rats by his owner, but the people who had him before adopting him out to me fed him a live rat. The rat gave him a nasty bight, that put him off feeding for a bit. He took right back to frozen rats before the winter fast. It has taken a year for the scar to clean out of his scales.

I don't feed live because I don't want living rodents in the house. I don't have problems with feeding live, I used to break mouse necks for a friend's snake. I call it "snap and tease feeding." Just as long as you understand that there is a risk. My experience with feeding is that there is always a risk. I have a corn with a digestion problem.

From the way you described the tank I doubt it was cleaned in over a year. I hate the thought of any creature living in such a disgraceful condition. Rehabbing this snake should be a top priority, please don't get too upset if your ideas are rejected instantly by some members. When I began keeping corn snakes I had to learn far more than I ever realized after all the books I read and advice gleaned from other reptile keepers. There is still quite a lot of bad advice still circulating and I heard it all.

As you get to know your snake you'll learn him; they all have a personality, if you pay attention you can almost hear them speaking to you. It takes a great deal of patience and note taking, but it is all in the math. Everything revolves on the temperature; if you want a happy snake, then keep a constant heating element to your snake's preference.

 

[fleapop]

As you get to know your snake you'll learn him; they all have a personality, if you pay attention you can almost hear them speaking to you. It takes a great deal of patience and note taking, but it is all in the math. Everything revolves on the temperature; if you want a happy snake, then keep a constant heating element to your snake's preference.

I do understand this. I have many animals and very extremely understand that they are all like this. meaning they all have very strong individual personalities. so you dont need to tell me twice about that.

Also. I thought we all agreed to drop the live vs frozen feeding topic.

Thank you for caring though.