My New Baby Corn Snake

[gazzaman2k]

Hi all im new to these forums.

ive recently brought a baby corn snake called cornflake.

shes a really nice colour and very tiny

i used to have a rat snake when i was 8 then i sold it when it was about 5ft when i was 13.

In the petshop she was in with anohter little baby corn in a little glass tank with wood chips and bowl of water ect... in a bigger vavaruim with a light and a heatmat.

ive now put her in a 2ft tank with wood chips and bowl of water various things to clib on/rub against/ hide in.

ity has a heatmat that is 1ft x 1ft in the right side of the tank.

the light is on the left side at the top

the water is in the middle of the tank.

she seems to like sleeping in the moss or under her water bowl.

the temperature on the colder side (away from the light) is usually about 24oC/26oC (79F/82F) is this a suitiable temperature??? it steams up a bit too )

some pictures are attached

 

[gazzaman2k]

heres a pic of her

awww

 

[gazzaman2k]

and one more

 

[kenalotia]

For the most part, your set up looks pretty good. You should probably add an enclosed hide box on both sides, though, even though she likes to hide in the moss. Also, is that light a heat light? Usually an under tank heater on one side is sufficient for corns, as they do not need very high temperatures. You could probably let the cage get a little bit cooler. 75º F is what I aim for on the cool side, and about 85º F on the warm side, right on the substrate. The water bowl should be on the cool side.

What kinds of wood chips are you using? Some kinds of wood chips make great substrates, but others, such as pine and cedar, can be toxic.

Last thing - it looks as if your snake could get right up against the bulb and burn herself. I don't know how likely that is, but it's possible, unless you have some kind of barrier over the bulb.

 

[Tbird]

Hey I would just lieto comment on your corn..its soooo cute..You picked out a good one..what Pet Store did you get her at BTW?

 

[pinatamonkey]

I agree with kenalotia.

I would remove the heat light very soon. It looks HOT! You didn't mention the heat on the warm side?

 

[gazzaman2k]

thing is though

the bulbs on a timer so it turns on and oiff ever 15 minutes every hour. i dont know how warm it is on the hot side

its just a plain 60watt bulb like the woman sed in the pet shop.

i got it from a petshop called anstey pet and reptile centre. had another corn there too it was a grey and silver one though reminded me too much of a rat snake.

i tought if the lamp gets too hot and she trys to get near it sell just move away.

my m8 used to have a lamp in his tank and he sealed it off but the snake got in it but couldnt get back out and died i though id leave it open so if she does touch it she wont go there again. but if she was going to touch the bulb id quickly take the lid off and stop her from touching it.

 

[kenalotia]

I'd recommend you just take the bulb out. A heat pad under one side of the tank is usually enough. Measure the temperature on that side, right on top of the substrate. If that's in the mid-80's you're fine. Try and get the other side (where the light is now) down to about 75. If you absolutely have to use a light, try putting it over the lid to the cage. Did you say it was a screen top? Just get something so the light can rest over the screen.

 

[Neil]

If the cool side is around 80 degrees then it's too hot. Like the others have said, the cool side should be about 75 degrees and the warm side about 85. That's roughly 25 and 30 degrees celcius, I think.

When you said that if the snake touched the bulb it wouldn't go near it again you weren't right. I've heard (although I'm not 100% certain) that corns don't have many nerves around their skin so they can't tell if they're being burnt. Also, they have tiny, tiny brains so probably wouldn't learn their lesson.

The cage itself looks pretty neat but you'll have to move up to a three foot viv when Cornflake grows a little. You probably already know this, having owned a rat snake previously, but I thought I'd just say.

 

[gazzaman2k]

ok... but thing is the tank is about 20oc when the light aint on

ive put poly styrene on the bottom of the tank and the lid is a wooden 1

its just a fish tank.

i know about bigger tank ill use a 4ft one thats in my attick when shes big enough 4 it.

i dont know what 2 do now then cant have a light inside or outside coz nothing to hold the lamp on. ill sort summin out

maybe put another bit of wod at the top so it hangs over and angle the bulb out of the tank so it shines in.

 

[Kel]

Hi gazza. Corns don't actually need lights - they're more about humans getting a better view. Some people use UV lights, but these are flourescent tubes which don't give out much heat. I wouldn't worry about having a light at all, as the tank's a bit too warm.

If you manage to get the temps down and decide to keep the light, I suggest buying (or making) a wire mesh cover to keep the snake a safe distance from the hot parts. Neil's right - they're not too bright when it comes to bulbs.

Your setup looks fantastic and that's a really sweet baby !

Congrats
Kerry

 

[Jimmy C.]

Hey Gazzaman2k,
You viv looks really great. Like everyone said I would take the light away. Corn Snakes for the most part are nocturnal so haveing a bright light may stress the snake out. If you have a heat pad on one side thats good enough. Your snake will go back and fourth as it needs.
Great job on the viv.
Jimmy C. Great little snake!!!!