HEEELLLP! :O I'm a First Time Cornsnake Owner with tons of questions!!

[ashleylimbo]

I recently purchased my Albino Cornsnake from Petsmart on Wednesday 2/27/13.
I've got so many questions from feeding to housing to handling etc. So someone please help me! ;P

 

[diamond2906]

what questions do you have? i'm not a expert but i do own 3

 

[nicklandovich]

Well I new to this as well but that mouse looks a bit large. A rule of thumb is a feeder no bigger than the widest point of a snake. You will have less regurges. There are several threads with feeding info if you look around. Also search the stickys on basic and search for the Munson plan.

All that aside pretty snake and welcome!

 

[cornschnack]

Feed her 2 pinkies and don't handle for the next 2-3 days

 

[cornschnack]

Also it looks like a candy morph. A mix between regular and albino

 

[ashleylimbo]

Well I new to this as well but that mouse looks a bit large. A rule of thumb is a feeder no bigger than the widest point of a snake. You will have less regurges. There are several threads with feeding info if you look around. Also search the stickys on basic and search for the Munson plan.

All that aside pretty snake and welcome!

When I bought him they told me they have been feeding him 3 fuzzies cause he ate alot. He is still a baby he was the biggest of all the snakes in the cage and they were all born the same day... And he didnt have issues getting the fuzzie down so.. Im not sure if I should go down to pinkies for him now cause he has been eating in the same pattern for a month now....

 

[ashleylimbo]

what questions do you have? i'm not a expert but i do own 3

first if aspen wood shavings better than sand? how often should i clean his tank.

 

[ashleylimbo]

Also it looks like a candy morph. A mix between regular and albino

hmm candy morph? im soo new to this im not even sure if thats a good or bad thing but it sounds cool! ;D

 

[cornschnack]

Aspen. They don,t require a cleaning very often

 

[cornschnack]

They are very beautiful when older!

 

[bitsy]

Welcome!

The usual guideline is that the food should be around 1.5 times the width of the body and leave a visible lump in the belly after feeding for 1-2 days (the rule no longer applies nce they reach adult mice, which will be the largest food most Corns need). It looks OK by that measure. Very important not to handle for 2 days after any feeding though, or you do risk a regurge.

We advise not handling or feeding for a week after you get it, so that it has time to settle into its new home and doesn't get stressed. Probably best to start the 7 day clock from now.

There are some FAQs stickied at the tops of the individual board sections will will hopefully answer some of your questions, but I think we'd need to know a few more specifics to help you

Here are my Top Tips:
- Make sure the tank is escape-proof. You won't believe the tiny gaps they can squeeze through.
- Temperatures are important. No more than 90 on the floor at the warm end, preferably around 85. Most heat sources will need a controller to keep them cool enough. The general kit used by folks here seems to be an undertank heater (UTH) on a thermostat, but some use overhead lamps with dimmers equally successfully.
- At least 2 hides, one at the warm end of the tank and one at the cool end. In reality, as many hides and as much ground cover as you can get in there, to make the snake feel secure. The hides need to be as enclosed as possible, so they can tuck themselves in there and feel hidden from predators.
- Bowl of fresh water at all times at the cool end (to keep condensation down), big enough for the snake to curl up in if it wants to. Replace it every few days, or immediately if pooped in.
- On food the size in the photo above, I'd feed one every 6-7 days. An exact schedule isn't important as the snake won't know when it's feeding day.
- If the snake spends a lot of time in the water bowl, it's usually either too hot or has mites.
- Corns are active in the wild at times of low or no light - dawn, dusk and overnight, It's normal for them to stay hidden away during the day.
- If you provide water, they will drink. You'll just rarely see them do it, so don't be spooked by that.
- Before they shed, they go a slightly lighter colour than usual - called "blue". They then go back to their normal colours for a couple of days and shed after that. They can't see well during the process as they shed the scales over their eyes, so we advise not feeding or handling until after the shed.
- When they shed, check the old skin to make sure the eye caps and tail tip have come off. If not, you need to sort this out as soon as possible.
- Don't use wood from soft resinous trees like pine in the tank, as the sap gives off fumes which irritates their lungs and can cause breathing problems. Hardwoods and fruit woods are fine, as is cork bark.

Bit of a brain dump, but combine that with the FAQs and let us know if there's anything else you need to know

 

[ashleylimbo]

They are very beautiful when older!

I can't wait until he gets older! Im still kind of scared of him cause I heard when they're young they are alittle more antsy and on the edge... But as they get older they become more calm right???

 

[cornschnack]

Definitely !

 

[cornschnack]

When they bite at that age it barely even hurts

 

[BloodyBaroness]

Also it looks like a candy morph. A mix between regular and albino

No offense, but there is no such thing.

This is a near complete list of corn snake morphs with photos. Link: Ians Vivarium Morph Guide.

I believe your snake looks like a snow. A better picture in a well lit room would be awesome. Just wait till after your baby finishes digesting.

Bitsy has posted some fantastic care advice and I also recommend you check out: Husbandry and Basic Care FAQ

 

[ashleylimbo]

Welcome!

The usual guideline is that the food should be around 1.5 times the width of the body and leave a visible lump in the belly after feeding for 1-2 days (the rule no longer applies nce they reach adult mice, which will be the largest food most Corns need). It looks OK by that measure. Very important not to handle for 2 days after any feeding though, or you do risk a regurge.

We advise not handling or feeding for a week after you get it, so that it has time to settle into its new home and doesn't get stressed. Probably best to start the 7 day clock from now.

There are some FAQs stickied at the tops of the individual board sections will will hopefully answer some of your questions, but I think we'd need to know a few more specifics to help you

Here are my Top Tips:
- Make sure the tank is escape-proof. You won't believe the tiny gaps they can squeeze through.
- Temperatures are important. No more than 90 on the floor at the warm end, preferably around 85. Most heat sources will need a controller to keep them cool enough. The general kit used by folks here seems to be an undertank heater (UTH) on a thermostat, but some use overhead lamps with dimmers equally successfully.
- At least 2 hides, one at the warm end of the tank and one at the cool end. In reality, as many hides and as much ground cover as you can get in there, to make the snake feel secure. The hides need to be as enclosed as possible, so they can tuck themselves in there and feel hidden from predators.
- Bowl of fresh water at all times at the cool end (to keep condensation down), big enough for the snake to curl up in if it wants to. Replace it every few days, or immediately if pooped in.
- On food the size in the photo above, I'd feed one every 6-7 days. An exact schedule isn't important as the snake won't know when it's feeding day.
- If the snake spends a lot of time in the water bowl, it's usually either too hot or has mites.
- Corns are active in the wild at times of low or no light - dawn, dusk and overnight, It's normal for them to stay hidden away during the day.
- If you provide water, they will drink. You'll just rarely see them do it, so don't be spooked by that.
- Before they shed, they go a slightly lighter colour than usual - called "blue". They then go back to their normal colours for a couple of days and shed after that. They can't see well during the process as they shed the scales over their eyes, so we advise not feeding or handling until after the shed.
- When they shed, check the old skin to make sure the eye caps and tail tip have come off. If not, you need to sort this out as soon as possible.
- Don't use wood from soft resinous trees like pine in the tank, as the sap gives off fumes which irritates their lungs and can cause breathing problems. Hardwoods and fruit woods are fine, as is cork bark.

Bit of a brain dump, but combine that with the FAQs and let us know if there's anything else you need to know

thanks so much this helped a lot

 

[cornschnack]

We have one at our local science museum we got it directly from a professional breeder

 

[bitsy]

We have one at our local science museum we got it directly from a professional breeder

Perhaps you mean a "Candycane"? That's a selectively-bred version of the Amelanistic ("Amel") morph, which is bred through several generations to have a very white background with bright red or orange saddles.

If you cross a Normal with an Albino (Amel), you'll get all Normals. If the Normal is het for Amel, then you might produce Amels from that combination, but you're unlikely to get Candycanes.

I think some info may have got a little muddled between the breeder, the museum and their audience.

 

[ashleylimbo]

No offense, but there is no such thing.

This is a near complete list of corn snake morphs with photos. Link: Ians Vivarium Morph Guide.

I believe your snake looks like a snow. A better picture in a well lit room would be awesome. Just wait till after your baby finishes digesting.

Bitsy has posted some fantastic care advice and I also recommend you check out: Husbandry and Basic Care FAQ

YES once he is done digesting ill will upload a better photo of him for you!

 

[BloodyBaroness]

There is a Candy Cane, link: http://iansvivarium.com/morphs/species/elaphe_guttata/candycane/?sid= but there is nothing called a candy.

Candy Cane is a line of selectively bred amel corn snakes.