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New and in need of info about a decent enclosure

C

cornzilla

New member
Hi,

first of, I'm new at the forum and snakes. I even don't have a snake yet but I'd love to get one soon! But before I buy anything, I just want to look into the whole thing so I'm well aware of responsabilities, consequences and what not...

So I'd like to buy a corn... the first 'issue' is that my parents are divorced, unfortunately. I live one week with my dad, one with my mom. So my first major question is: is it sensible to get a snake and move it back and forth between my 2 houses? I don't think it takes that much time to set everything up, but of course the big concern is whether temp fluctuations (during the trip) will do the snake dammage. It's only a 15min drive by car from one to the other so it's not long, but it's not more than normal I think that this troubles me.

If you guys think it's a big deal, maybe I could get 2 (1 at each house). Will this be a little to expensive?

Thirdly, if you think that it won't be a problem to move it as I move from mom to dad or vv, I got a tank which might be used as a terrarium. It used to be a fish tank but it's been empty for several years.
It's a "20 high" I think, about 60x30x40 cm (LxWxH), it's got a built-in light (don't know what kind of light, not too good with the UV thing...) but it hasn't got mesh or something to keep the snake from touching it so I'll probably want that, right? Or if you say I won't need the light, I can always take it out I guess and be done with it :)
I'm planning to get a baby corn, so I was wondering if the tank would be too big? I guess if you put enough hides in (maybe 3 or 4), he/she will be fine, but please correct me if I'm wrong there.

I've already done a lot of research so I really think I know (almost) everything you should know before buying a snake
-water bowl
-enough hides
-aspen shavings
-maybe some plants for extra "cover" :p
-heat pad on 1 side (water bowl on the cool side)
-a branch and/or rock ("exercise" and when it's shedding)
-temp/moisture gauge (75-85°, 40-60% moisture??)
-frozen pinkies/mice

If I forgot something, please let me know, but I think that's about it :)

Thanks!
 
ok where to start- First off, it stresses the snake out to move, even for 15 mins. However, if you are going to do it than I suggest having a terrarium at each home so that you dont have to worry about setting up heat pad each time you move. Also, keep it in the dixie cup or a pillow case and put it in a cooler for the trip so it can maintain the temperature. I would recommend getting a 20 gallon long terrarium rather than high. Corns normally stay on the ground. You could even get a 10 gallon for a baby. Craigslist.com can help you get one cheap. You need to make sure it has a locking lid or you can get clips at the pet store for it. Corns are escape artists so there cannot be any holes in the tank. Also, you do not need a ligh, the heat pad is enough. The warm side should be from 83-88 deg and the cool side in the mid 70's. Everything else you said is right. Keep alot of hides and you should get a digital gram kitchen scale so you can use the munsun plan to feed it. Its very helpful. I dont know if I've missed anything but feel free to ask more questions and good luck when you get your new baby!
 
If you were getting an older snake I would say the travelling wouldn't be a big of a deal. It will place added stress on the animal to move it like that, but you probably won't run into any really problems. One thing you need to consider is that the snake should not be moved for 48 hours after you feed it. This could cause a problem in your schedule, I don't know.

One of the great things about snakes though, is that you can get away with minimal oversight. You could potentially leave the snake for a week at on of your parents while you visit the other. Again this would be better with a older animal since their feeding interval is longer, but you can get away with feeding young snakes (like 6 months?) once a week.

If you're going to use a UTH to heat your tank make sure you get a thermostat to regulate the pad so it doesn't cook your snake alive.

Hope that helps!
 
I really wouldn't risk taking it back and forth. Weekly moves are bound to bring the risk of regurgitating the last meal, not to mention the risk of the Corn getting stressed and stopping eating (they're capable of starving themselves to death).

An adult Corn can happily be left for a week without direct "supervision" - they don't crave human company and don't need walkies. All you need to do is persuade the parent in that house to change the water a couple of times a week, keep an eye on it, and call you if there's any sign of trouble.

I suggest you buy and adult and settle it into a once-a-fortnight feeding regime. That should give you what you need.
 
Thanks for all the help and quick responses! :D

All of you had decent arguments:
-moving it will cause stress and possible regurgitation
-if I do take it with me, I'll get 2 cages ----> a bit more expensive
-if I leave it at one parent's house, I won't be able to spend time with it as much as I'd like, but it's probably best for the snake :) plus it's less expensive and I'll still be able to get a baby, which is kind of a must really...

one more thing though: can you keep 2 birds (budgies or something, don't know the English term: "grasparkiet" in Dutch :p) and a snake in the same house or will they affect eachother in any way??

Thanks a lot!!
 
First, I wanted to say, Welcome to the forums, your English is great! Also- kudos to you for doing your research before buying a snake!

I actually did the whole moving thing for a while when I got my first baby and didn't know any better.

I had two tanks set up, a 29 gallon at my place and a 10 gallon at my boyfriend's place and took my snake to my boyfriend's every other weekend (and sometimes EVERY weekend). I didn't see anything wrong with the snake and didn't have any problems with feeding or regurges but I worried about the stress of moving and an irregular feeding schedule so I stopped doing that.

EDIT: also, remember every snake is different so what didn't seem to bother my snake too much, could mean multiple regurges for your snake...

Again, I didn't notice anything wrong but keep in mind that it is suggested to leave a baby alone to settle in for a few days after moving it so this may also cut down on your handling time with your new snake every week.

I'm wondering- if your parents only live 15 minutes away from one another, would it be possible to just leave the snake at one house and go back to the other place once a week to change water and feed it?

As for the birds, I don't think it'll be a problem at all...
 
Depends what kind of birds they are. Many raptors feed on snakes, which would probably be a bad stress on the snake lol. Other small song birds are usually fed on by snakes, but it probably isn't that big a deal. If you keep them in separate rooms you should be fine.
 
I wouldn't think the birds would really bother the snake but i would put them in a different room. Ive seen instances with some friends of mine having dogs and they will stare and bark at the cages which will cause stress. The thing i would think about birds is that they will have a harder time bothering the snake but i would still do separate rooms.
 
Thanks measly! I study English at university :D so this really is a big compliment :)

About the slithery part:
-yes I'd most likely keep it in my room (even though it can get cold in there) because the birds tend to be screamish, if that's even a word :p
-yes it's possible to stop by to feed it/change the water/check it's health/... it's 15min by car, by bike it's a bit longer, but it can be arranged. If I can't come over for some reason, I'm sure the parent concerned could do all this.

Guess I'll have to be lucky to get a snake that knows how to chill :D
But I'm getting more and more convinced that the "not-move-your-snake-plan" is probably the best option. Sad as I may be that I'll have to miss it every week, better off with a healthy snake which I'll be even happier to see when I do see it, than a sick/dead snake that I feel sorry for, especially because I know that it's my fault :)
Correct me if I'm wrong:p
 
This is one of the reasons I decided on a snake in the first place. Puppies and kittens are nice but if I want to go away on a ski vacation it becomes a huge problem. The snake doesn't even know I'm gone!
 
I've got another question: is it ok to feed a corn every other week?? =S
I'd say it isn't but my mom isn't too excited about the whole snake thing :( so I'm trying to convince her by assuring her that she won't need to have anything to do with it...
Hence the question...

Just realized that you have to change the water at least every other day...
I guess it's a no no then :(:( I can always ask my dad if I can have one there, but chances are very real that he won't be willing to look after it all the time when I'm staying with my mom...

What's the absolute minimum of care a snake should get to be happy and thrive well?
-change water at least every other day?
-feed every 4-5 days?
-...
 
yeah dude they need to be fed at least once a week, and the water changed every other day. I can appreciate you really want one and im sure if you were with it constantly it would be looked after fine but moving every week and the unconsistant feeding schedule you've go to ask is it gonna be fair to the snake. I dont want to come across like a dick because i dont mean to but if you cant give the animal the attention it needs you'd be best waiting untill you can.
 
Thanks, you're probably right: even though I REALLY want one, maybe it's best to wait untill I'm moving out (next year I might get a room in town). Then I can give it the attention and care it deserves...
It's a bit difficult to let it go now, I mean I looked everything up, made a checklist of things I'll need, got a Cornsnake forum account..... :p because I was pretty sure that she would allow it. But in the end it's her house I guess, so I don't really have a choice.
Maybe she'll change her mind and WILL be willing to take care of it while I'm gone, but I don't have high hopes of this happening :(
If I can get her or my stepdad to change the water, I'll be more than willing to stop by to feed it myself. But then again there's a lot more involved to keeping a snake than changing it's water: feeding, removing feces, checking the temp/moisture, checking the snake itself, giving it some love :)

Eitherway, I'll let you guys know if it's a yay or a nay :)
Thanks for all the information you've given me so far!!
 
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