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my corn snake likes the cold side

N

nickcorns85

New member
ive had my 7 month old corn snake for about a month and ive noticed she prefers her cold side hide over the warm side the warm side is between 80-84 and his cold side is in the 70's falling into the low 70's and sometimes as low as 69. i try to make sure shes in or nearer the warmer side when i feed her but when the room gets dark and she gets brave enough to move she always wonders back to the cold side so my question is is this behavior common for a healthy corn snake?
 
Agreed, very common. I think as long as there is a heat gradient available they will use it as necessary. The ONLY time I see my corn in her warm hide is directly after eating, for about a day (depending on the meal size - the larger the meal, or if I've recently bumped up the size, the longer she's on the warm side).
I've noticed my corn seems most comfortable around 72 or 73F. She always gravitates to the hides that are about that temperature.

Just let them do their thing :)
 
Mine only go over to their warm side for maybe a few hours a day or so after feeding and spend the rest of the week on the cool side.
 
Down on the UTH, or on the surface of the aspen?

If the surface of the UTH is in the 84-86 range, I would rule out avoiding that area because it is too hot. If it's 88-90, I'd turn it down a notch.
 
I would also move the substrate and get a temp of the glass right over the UTH. He may not go under the substrate because it is too hot.
 
is it normal for hides over the UTH to hold heat? i just checked the temps at about 6:45 A.M and the night time temps had dropped to the mid 70's but i got an 81 right in the center of the area under the hid
 
Yes it is normal for them to hold heat. But I recommend you get a thermostat ASAP to control that UTH! Left unaided and unregulated, those UTHes can get over 120F!! That is more than enough to burn a snake.
 
nickcorns85 said:
is it normal for hides over the UTH to hold heat? i just checked the temps at about 6:45 A.M and the night time temps had dropped to the mid 70's but i got an 81 right in the center of the area under the hid
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Yes, they will retain heat.

When you say "night time temps" are you saying that you lower the temp at night or that the room just naturally gets cooler?
 
nickcorns85 said:
it naturally drops with the house temps in the parts of the tank were there is no uth
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Gotcha. You may want to bump it up a bit at night, the warm side on the glass should always be about 87°, making the top of the substrate about 85°. The cooler end is not as important to regulate since the snake will choose where he is most comfy.
 
Definitely get a thermostat. Better for them and easier for you :p

Are the warm and cold side hides different? If so maybe he's just more comfy in the cold side? I used "large" size half logs for Iggy and he spent his time about 50/50. I had to replace the cold side one and used a larger half log and now he spends 95% of his time under the cold side.

We have a Boa too with a half log hide, a coconut shell hide and a rock hide and no matter how I arrange them, she's under the rock whether it's hot or cold.
 
i do plan on getting a thermostat 1 day soon when i have the extra money. ive got a 7 year old corn that has never burnt himself back when i was little i had my first snake a ball python and i used a heat rock with him that was 16 or more years ago before i had the internet to tell me heat rocks were bad and he survived
 
You asked for opinions on why he might be preferring the cold side. The most likely reason, expressed by the majority of folks, is that maybe the temperatures are uncomfortable for him. The best way to control that is a thermostat.

Your snake can survive with different setups. But this site is generally huge fans of the heatmat and thermostat set up. In terms of good better best, it tops the list so most everyone is going to recommend one.
 
nickcorns85 said:
i do plan on getting a thermostat 1 day soon when i have the extra money.
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Unfortunately pets are not something you buy necessities for "when I have the extra money". If you can't afford the absolute necessities, perhaps finding a new home for him would be best. What would happen if he got really sick and you had to take him to the vet and it cost upwards of $300? Pets are something you need to budget for, just like your rent, utilities bills, and groceries.

A thermostat isn't like a neat hide that you want to add to the viv someday, a thermostat is a total necessity to keep the temps of their environment steady. Even if you got an $11 rheostat (sliding dimmer switch that plugs into the wall) it would be better than nothing.
 
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