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Hello all, from currently-too-hot Colorado (intro & a question)

S

SnBMeg

New member
I just got my first corn (and first snake ever), and I've got to say that I haven't been so excited about something this way for a long time! :)

Really, this is something that's been building for years now (I kept lizards in elementary and junior high school, and I've always liked snakes, too). But it was only very recently that I decided it was time for snakes, and corn snakes specifically. First I fiddled around with considering newts, salamanders, or frogs, but although I'd certainly like to have a nice, lush, half-water vivarium at some point, right now corn snakes are definitely the way to go for me!

One thing, though, that really surprised me, was how fast things came together once I knew what all I need to do--I'm used to fish, where if you're starting from scratch it can take several months from preparation to actually having the animals.

With this, once I was done doing researchresearchresearch (including finding this wonderful forum), it was only a matter of days before everything came together. I'm still reeling a bit from it, I think. But very happy and satisfied regardless. :):):)

Right now everything is going quite well with my adorable little amel (I think? Please do correct me if I'm wrong! I'm not yet entirely clear on all of the various morphs.) And I'm already certain that I'll be getting more corns in the future, though most likely not for some time. (Too many fish projects going on right now, for one thing.)

I think I may name her Auryn. ;)
2007-08-0205-27-45_0020small.jpg


Now for the question: does anyone have recommendations on where to order f/t online? I can get them from a few local stores, and already have, but I would prefer not to rely on them (experience has taught me not to put all my eggs in that basket).

I also have a number of other, nit-picky questions, but I'd like to get those a bit more organized before I flood you knowledgeable people with them. ;)
 
there are quite a few online but I think most here order from: the mouse factory.. big cheese .. mice direct .. hmmm I know I am missing some darn it.. but atleast those will give you a start :)

Ask away.... ppl around here love questions. Means you care enough about your snake to ask :)

looks Amel to me... but I am not the best one to ask lol but I am sure ppl with more experience will be popping in to comment :) very pretty reds on your snake :)
 
Mouse Factory seems to get the highest ratings from the most people, including people who order from several suppliers. People say the mice are very clean. If I had to choose a place, it would be that. But if you have local reptile shows, you can also buy in bulk there.

Nanci
 
Hello and Welcome to the Forums!!!

Nice looking amel you have there! About the online stores...I have always used rodentpro and have never had problems with them. I would check out a few of the ones listed in this thread and chose there.
 
Hi there and welcome to the forums! I really like your little amel - I want an amel of my own... its on my very long list of snakes to come!

All of the places that have been recommended for mice are good, I personally would go to a show if you have the opportunity and pick up mice there - then you don't have to pay for shipping!
 
Thanks for the replies! :)

Okay, questions:

About buying feeders, what size would you guys recommend that I get? (For example, RodentPro has several sizes of pinkies.) And how many for my first order?

Can anyone recommend some shows in Colorado? I found mention of the 12th Annual Rocky Mountain Reptile Show and Sale, for one (though it's already over for this year). Are there any others? Being able to get feeders in person would be excellent!

I've got a fairly good handle on corn snake colors, but not so much patterns. I can usually tell what morph an individual is, but there are also times when I'm not sure. So, for example, what exactly makes a motley a motley, or an okeetee an okeetee, etc.? Just what separates them from similar variations?

I always see sizes listed in length, but how about width? What's the average diameter of a full-grown corn? (I expect it's something that can vary greatly, but I'd be interested to see a ballpark.)

What's the exact process for feeding? As I understand it, you move the snake to a separate container (something like a large bowl, or a bucket or Tupperware), then use tongs to wiggle the feeder around near the snake's head; then, once the snake has finished consuming the feeder, move it back to its enclosure. Is there anything else? Any tips, tricks, or other advice? Just how long should I wait until I move the snake back--how far down should the feeder be? Should I leave my girl in the container afterwards and just put that into the enclosure, so that she can move out whenever she wants? Or should I pick her up bodily and put her back?

And something mostly out of curiosity: how active are your snakes in their enclosures? Do they mostly hang around in one place, do they mostly hide, or do you often find them cruising? Does size/age seem to make any difference? Again, just ballpark curiosity.

Thank you for your welcomes, and all of your help. :D
 
HI there, I am a new member too, but not new to snakes. :D

I buy my feeders from The Mouse Factory. I feed my snakes in their enclosures, not in a separate container. My snakes mostly hang out, unless it is close to feeding day, when they become more active. My three year old corns are a little less than an inch in width at their widest point, they are sexually mature but they are not full grown.
 
Hey, Meg...:)

I hear you about the heat-thang...while it's not too pleasant here in the Midwest, my youngest sister also lives in CO (outside of Denver, in Golden?, I believe...) and I love her dry sarcasm as far as CO's weather has been since she moved there...:)

I will try to answer a couple of your questions, but I'm new, as well. My interest in reptiles altogether began about 1.5 years ago, mainly to bring one into my 2nd gr classroom, and I got my first corn snake a year ago. (My students loved their snake last year!) It's been a definite learning experience!

SnBMeg said:
About buying feeders, what size would you guys recommend that I get? (For example, RodentPro has several sizes of pinkies.) And how many for my first order?
Click to expand...
Well, the general rule o'thumb is to go with a feeder that is approx 1-1.5x the width of your snake's midsection. However, the feeder sizes are given in ounces, right? Then, I refer you to Mr. Munson's The Munson Plan (Sample Feeding Chart); perhaps by getting a pinky at a local pet store and weighing it would give you the best visual cue for as to what size feeders to buy. (At least, that's how I kinda/more or less did it...)

As for an online order, I never ordered online...however, while the snake is still on pinkies/fuzzies, I've kinda been following a plan of going 6 weeks with one pinky -- and then re-evaluating: is the snake now ready for 2 pinkies? If so, then 6 weeks of that...now is the snake ready to move up to 1 fuzzy, or continue yet with 2 pinks? I consider the weight of the snake along with the width of its midsection to determine when to make the move to a new feeder size...and then just like making a shopping list, I count how many of what I need for the time between shows when I can go to pick them up. :)

(I really hope that that made sense! I drank too much coffee this morning so I'm a bit scattered...:p )

SnBMeg said:
I've got a fairly good handle on corn snake colors, but not so much patterns. I can usually tell what morph an individual is, but there are also times when I'm not sure. So, for example, what exactly makes a motley a motley, or an okeetee an okeetee, etc.? Just what separates them from similar variations?
Click to expand...
That sounds like a good question for the Genetics/Morphs subforum; if you don't get many posts here answering that question, try posting again there...also, there are a couple of books that may help: Kathy Love's Comprehensive Corn Snake Guide and CCCorn's Corn snake Morph Guide

SnBMeg said:
I always see sizes listed in length, but how about width? What's the average diameter of a full-grown corn? (I expect it's something that can vary greatly, but I'd be interested to see a ballpark.)
Click to expand...
Oooh, I don't know this...but I'd also like to know the answer to this because I have wondered about my snakes being overweight. I just kinda observe the snake's spine & muscle tone for the "lines" when moving & I've just gone with that...

SnBMeg said:
What's the exact process for feeding? As I understand it, you move the snake to a separate container (something like a large bowl, or a bucket or Tupperware), then use tongs to wiggle the feeder around near the snake's head; then, once the snake has finished consuming the feeder, move it back to its enclosure. Is there anything else? Any tips, tricks, or other advice? Just how long should I wait until I move the snake back--how far down should the feeder be? Should I leave my girl in the container afterwards and just put that into the enclosure, so that she can move out whenever she wants? Or should I pick her up bodily and put her back?
Click to expand...
That's pretty much how I do things...I wait to return the snake to its tank when the snake has stopped undulating the mouse down & after it has "yawned" (not really a yawn, but it looks like it!) & is either waiting, curled up, or moving around, hunting out another mouse. :) If the snake seems a little skittish, I'll just take the snake back to its tank while still in the feeding container, lower it in and let it slither out of the container into the aspen.

I have two snakes that are "shy" eaters and I have to cover their feeding container with a cloth to darken it so, I guess, they feel alone & protected/less exposed. One snake needs about an hour of dark/quiet/alone time...sometimes he needs overnight. *sigh*

SnBMeg said:
And something mostly out of curiosity: how active are your snakes in their enclosures? Do they mostly hang around in one place, do they mostly hide, or do you often find them cruising? Does size/age seem to make any difference? Again, just ballpark curiosity.
Click to expand...
It depends...my hatchlings weren't really too social, just kinda darting here & there, depending on their comfort level & curiosity & the time of the day & feeding. My amel -- Maizie, now a year old -- has always been social, once she settled in. As soon as she's digested, she's always out & about. My younger normal -- Belle, almost a year -- has usually been pretty shy, but lately she's been a little more active. Fritz, now about 2 years old, is a ham -- he's gotten used to attention, though, because he lived in my classroom. When spring rolled around, he was always out & about -- my students learned to justify it as "he's looking for a girlfriend." But, my older normal, Caramelo -- approx 5 years old -- is super-mellow, just kinda comes out in the evening to check things out...whereas my youngest (ShugaBoog, maybe also 9 mos?) is very curious, but will back straight up into the aspen the moment that he feels spotted.

So, this now almost qualifies as the world's longest post, and I hope that it was slightly helpful (or at least slightly interesting, if nothing else!). :)

Again, welcome! :cheers:
 
Thanks for the input, guys!

I fed my girl for the first time last night--bumped it up a day because as the sun went down she was really roaming around her tank, and looking hungry. It all went as well as I could have ever hoped, and I've made a photo thread on it here. :)

Cegninedorf, your recommendations for deciding on order sizes, and when to progress with food sizes made perfect sense, and are very much appreciated! (And the oppressive heat continues. It's been raining a fair amount recently, though, so in the evenings it manages to cool down to a more pleasant range. ;))

Also thank you for your tip on covering the feeding container! She latched onto the pinky readily enough, but afterwards kept trying to back away with it. So I grabbed a towel and covered half the top with it, and she chowed right on down after that, even with me snapping photos from time-to-time. :D
 
Ah, another Coloradoan! Hi there. :) (And yes, it is hot here, but still better than El Paso so I'm still glad I moved here two years ago.)

As far as shows here, the Rocky Mountain Reptile Expo is actually held every three months or so...though the largest attended one is the one that just ended (which is where I got my new corn :)) The next one will be November 10th.

I also feed my snakes in separate containers simply to avoid ingestion of substrate and also to give me the opportunity to do a quick rinse of their furniture and water bowls. I created 'the cafe' for both of my snakes, which is a plastic kritter keeper(the kind with the little door on top of the lid) with black fabric taped over the outside except for a small window (so I can see if they are ok and eating). I haven't used it with my corn yet, as I just got him Saturday, but it's a big hit with my ball python who won't eat unless she feels totally safe. I usually move Nagini back to her enclosure once she's finished swallowing and is moving around. I usually pick up the keeper, remove the hide, and gently tilt the box onto its side so she can slither out.

As far as some of your other questions, I'd like to see those answers myself. Good luck and have fun with the little one (mine is an amel as well, tho mostly orange).
 
Always great to meet more locals! :D

I spent July of last year in southern California--104* with no a/c, and on the way there I got stuck in the desert for over 2 hours because a semi went off the road and caught fire--and compared that, the weather in CO now is absolutely wonderful. ;) Although still about 30* too hot for my tastes; I'm really looking forward to the cool-down a few weeks from now.

Do you happen to know where the expo is going to be? (And is it usually/always in the same place?) If I can, I'll definitely try to make it there. :D Do they normally have a nice selection of corns? You said the the largest "attended" one is over; are the other ones also smaller in terms of location/number of dealers/etc., or just in the number of people that are there? questionsquestionsquestions

Thanks for the tip on feeding in those pet carriers! I've got one stuffed somewhere that should do my girl great for the time being. (And I wouldn't need to be stealing Tupperware on a regular basis. :grin01: )
 
Hehe... always glad to help. :)

As for the show, it's always held at the Denver Merchandise Mart: 451 E. 58th Ave near I-25. I've been to two of them so far, a smaller one and the biggest this past Saturday. By attended, I meant attended by sellers. Most of them have big crowd turnouts, if only to see what's out there. From what I've heard and seen, the best variety is always in Ball Pythons, but corns have good representation as well. I took over an hour to finally look at all the corns and decide on the yearling I just got. :) The best way to see who will be at these shows is to check out the website:
http://www.rockymountainreptileexpo.com/

I'm enjoying today's weather and also really looking forward to some nice autumn temps soon. I just hope winter isn't as blizzardy as last year. :eek1:
 
Today is definitely nice--I like cloudy days anyway, and it really knocks the temp down nicely, too.

No blizzards would definitely be a plus! Jeeze, for weeks and weeks after it was over my neighborhood was like a very hilly, slippery prairie dog town: everywhere was compacted snow and ice in mounds and lumps full of dents and cracks and holes; really not fun to try and drive on. It was, on the other hand, good practice for a snowshoeing trip my family took earlier this year. ;) I've actually got a pic of the first plow that tried to come through--it got stuck. :grin01: And they're still working on re-surfacing all the streets that got chewed up by the plows.

Thank you so much for all of the show info! I really just barely missed the one last weekend. (And hey, there's a store or three listed on the expo page that's not too far a drive from where I live, so that's something else to check out when I have a chance. :))
 
Haha it looks like I'm a little late.
Well then.
I'm in colorado too!
We need a forum of our own. Jeez.
 
Hi, I'm a Coloradoan also, in the Fort Collins area. Hot as heck in the house right now. Hoping it will cool off a bit so I can turn on the ceiling fan!

I'm looking to buy my first snake right now - would love to have a natural Okeetee, but having a hard time finding one locally so that I don't have to deal with shipping.

Hope to make the show in November, right after the Rockies win the World Series! (*flame magnet on*)

Ha ha!

Welcome!
 
Welcome to the forum! I was born in Colorado Springs, I still have a lot of family out there.
If it makes you feel any better, it's crazy hot here in Ohio as well.

Your new baby is so cute!!!
 
Coolness! Great to know there are others up here! :)

I so wanted to live in Ft Collins so I could go to CSU, but my partner got accepted to Westwood Tech so we had to live here. :( Oh well, I can still get a Biology degree here at least.
 
BorisSpider7, I hear you guys have gotten some flooding up there recently. My younger brother lives up there and he was really worried about his basement-level room getting soaked and his motorcycle washing over. Hope you live on higher ground!

I'm actually in the process right now of purchasing a couple of anery motleys from a breeder via the Internet. Shipping cost is definitely not going to be pleasant, but I think it's worth it for the wider selection. Still, being able to buy a gorgeous snake in person would be a major plus!

I'm really looking forward to the Nov. show! :D

Seakat, thanks! :) Sounds like most of the country is pretty toasty right now--all the more reason, imo, to move to Seattle or Alaska. ;p

Argentra, I was planning to go to CSU until I switched my career focus from veterinarian to animator. :grin01: (So now I just fill my house with plants and animals to compensate. ;))
 
I'd like to know if anyone here has purchased a corn from this show.

I'd love to go but I'm not sure there will be a whole lot of corns, and I went and looked at the companies advertising that they were selling them. The only one that even had a website said on their website that they were out of corns.
I guess my concern is obtaining a snake from an unreliable breeder, and if I go there with the intention of buying a snake and there's not that many, I may feel obligated to buy a corn and end up buying a snake that I don't really want anyway.
 
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