Hello from New Hampshire!
My 10 year old son has been passionate about snakes for over two years (which is a long time to be listening to every little factoid he finds). We took the plunge a few weeks ago and purchased a corn snake from N.E.R.D. What I'm finding from talking to the breeders at the expos and specialty pet stores is that there are different opinions about how to keep these snakes. This forum has been very helpful for us as I'm full of doubt and worry about keeping this girl.
We opted for an older snake. The little ones seem so small and skitzy. They said she is a little over a year old. She's mostly been staying in her hide but my son is able to take her out for a few minutes every day. She seems a little concerned at first but them calms right down, she's a busy little bee and he works hard to keep her with him. We fed her an adult mouse last week, she took it well and last night we had our first poop. My husband thinks we are crazy for getting excited about snake poop but it let us know that things are going as they should.
We bought a 20 gallon long but she's a bit of a long girl and it already feels like she is quite big for it. We have a UTH with a thermostat although I've been reading on the forum that we need to have the probe on the glass and not on the substrate. My husband and son welded a frame to put the tank on because I'm afraid of the house burning down. I think we need to add more greenery to make her feel safer outside her hide.
It's been interesting to me the negative responses we have received from other moms and families about keeping a snake. While a snake wouldn't be my first choice they are actually quite lovely. People either don't like snakes themselves or are disgusted by the idea that they are fed mice. I'm more grossed out by a dog slobbering and licking unmentionable places than I am a snake. To each his own I suppose.
Any idea what type of corn she is? Amelanistic means not black, right? She has a checkerboard belly and small specks of black on her saddles. So would that make her a Hypo something?
I have lots of other questions but I'll post it in the the appropriate places. Thank you!
He doesn't usually keep the shade up, it was for the picture. The sun only comes in that window for a few hours in the morning so she isn't roasting
My 10 year old son has been passionate about snakes for over two years (which is a long time to be listening to every little factoid he finds). We took the plunge a few weeks ago and purchased a corn snake from N.E.R.D. What I'm finding from talking to the breeders at the expos and specialty pet stores is that there are different opinions about how to keep these snakes. This forum has been very helpful for us as I'm full of doubt and worry about keeping this girl.
We opted for an older snake. The little ones seem so small and skitzy. They said she is a little over a year old. She's mostly been staying in her hide but my son is able to take her out for a few minutes every day. She seems a little concerned at first but them calms right down, she's a busy little bee and he works hard to keep her with him. We fed her an adult mouse last week, she took it well and last night we had our first poop. My husband thinks we are crazy for getting excited about snake poop but it let us know that things are going as they should.
We bought a 20 gallon long but she's a bit of a long girl and it already feels like she is quite big for it. We have a UTH with a thermostat although I've been reading on the forum that we need to have the probe on the glass and not on the substrate. My husband and son welded a frame to put the tank on because I'm afraid of the house burning down. I think we need to add more greenery to make her feel safer outside her hide.
It's been interesting to me the negative responses we have received from other moms and families about keeping a snake. While a snake wouldn't be my first choice they are actually quite lovely. People either don't like snakes themselves or are disgusted by the idea that they are fed mice. I'm more grossed out by a dog slobbering and licking unmentionable places than I am a snake. To each his own I suppose.
Any idea what type of corn she is? Amelanistic means not black, right? She has a checkerboard belly and small specks of black on her saddles. So would that make her a Hypo something?
I have lots of other questions but I'll post it in the the appropriate places. Thank you!
He doesn't usually keep the shade up, it was for the picture. The sun only comes in that window for a few hours in the morning so she isn't roasting
