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New hatchling, substrate and feeding questions

Foxide

Foxide

Need more corns.
Hi, I've had my corn for 24 hours now and I have some questions..

Substrate: I'm keeping him in an Exo Terra plastic terrarium and I was going to get Aspen bedding. Then the "reptile expert" at the pet store I went to for the enclosure supplies said that corns can't be on Aspen until they're six months old and that a mix of shredded newspaper and paper towel is better. I've never heard about that but my dad insisted I listen to him. So I have the newspaper and paper towel mixture, but it's very bulky and uneven with a lot of gaps, and besides the fact that it's hard to put anything on top of it, the snake has ventured through the gaps and wants to sit on the plastic at the bottom of the side of the enclosure with the heat pad underneath it. Aspen seems like it would fix the problems and still allow him to burrow but he's only a month old. Can I put him on Aspen or should I keep him on the newspaper/towel?

Feeding: I've only had him for 24 hours now, but according to the breeder I got him from he was due for a feed today. So I thawed a pinkie and tried to entice him to eat it. He was interested, but not interested enough to grab it. So I just left it in the enclosure with him and left him alone. He slithered around it a bit but eventually left it alone and went to the bottom of the enclosure. Did I do something wrong maybe? Or possibly he's still a bit too freaked out to eat? Should I try feeding him in a separate container?

Sorry for the long post, but I'm a new snake owner and even though I read a lot before purchasing I'm kind of scared to make mistakes, haha.

Thanks in advance for any help. :)
 
Aspen is fine for young snakes. Always research ANYTHING somebody at a petstore tells you, especially if it sounds fishy.

Just wait a day or two for him to settle in, and try feeding him again.
 
Sorry, I forgot to put this in there. As far as feeding goes, here's my routine

1: Thaw out mouse in warm water until the mouse feels soft and not cold in the middle
2: Put thawed mouse in rubbermaid container
3: Wash my hands to remove the smell of mouse on them
4: Take snake out of vivarium and place in rubbermaid container
5: Place rubbermaid container back in vivarium, over the under tank heater
6: Leave the snake to his business for around 30 minutes
7: Go and check to see if he's eaten, and if the mouse is half way down his body
8: Place back in vivarium, and leave alone for 48 hours

Hope that helps :)
 
Aspen is fine for baby snakes, so is paper towels or newspaper. There's no need to use BOTH paper towels AND newspaper - that's silly. Simply fold whatever paper substrate you're using to fit the floor of the cage.

Snakes, especially babies, should be allowed to settle in for a few days in their new home before being fed. During this time they should not be handled. Snakes are often shy about being fed - especially in a new environment - watching the snake won't help.

For best results, wait a couple days and then put the food item in with the snake in the evening. Leave the food in the cage overnight and do not disturb the snake. Once the snake gets on a regular feeding schedule and gets used to its surroundings, then it might let you watch.

eating.jpg
 
Some people put them in a separate container to eat, but this isn't necessary (as long as the snake is by itself). But if they're less interested in eating the container would help as it's smaller and more secure. But don't expect too much out of the snake the first week or so. As far as bedding, I've never heard about any 6 month thing. I personally use paper towels, but there are lots of good choices.
 
Congrats on your new baby! Just a few thoughts to add to what has been said already:

If you are concerned with the snake ingesting any bedding then you will want to place the snake in plastic container with it's mouse as mentioned previously (Basically prevent snake from eating bedding :). I am guessing that "pet store guy" was concerned about the young snake ingesting small bits of Aspen with it's meal and that's why he told you not to use it yet.

And yeah, give snake baby a few days to acclimate before feeding or touching or handling him/her. It's hard to leave them alone at first, I know, but it is the best thing for your snake.

Good luck!
 
Tim, don't you love the eager look on their faces as they swallow? So cute! Great picture. My 09s will NOT let me watch them swallow.
 
Thanks, everyone. :)

If you don't mind I have another question.

Firstly, from what I understand, corn snakes don't bask. My dad insists that they need plenty of sunlight, though, and told me that I should put him out in the sun daily until he gets a heating lamp. I know it's good to take your corn outside once in a while, but is the whole sunlight/lamp thing necessary?

Thanks.
 
You really should pick up Kathy Love's or Don Soderberg's book on Corn Snakes. This will provide accurate information from experts. Relying on pet store employees, your dad, etc. information is not providing the best care for your pet.

You did not mention what type of corn snake you have, but albinos (or any form with red eyes) are very sensitive to bright light. A basking light will stress out that type of snake. Natural room lighting is all corn snakes need. Since the snake has a heating pad, you risk overheating the reptile by adding a heat lamp to the equation.

There's no way you can provide a proper temperature gradient in a small plastic terrarium using a heat lamp - it will heatthe entire enclosure evenly.

Please get a book by one of the authors mentioned above!
 
tspuckler said:
Please get a book by one of the authors mentioned above!
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for your post! I'll definitely pick up one of those books.

I showed this thread to my dad and I think he's starting to understand that while the guy at the pet store means well, he specializes in Aquatic pets and Birds more than reptiles and he's not always right. I've just been getting a bit frustrated because they seem to be throwing all of this information at me and it's the complete opposite to what I've researched for months. So I felt like I had to ask people with more experience than me, because all I really want is what's best for my snake. If something had to go wrong because of misinformation I'd never be able to forgive myself.

Thanks everyone, you all helped me more than you could imagine. :)
 
Cool! I think in the long run when you run into unanticipated issues (like shedding trouble) you'll find that you'll be glad to have the information you need at your fingertips. I like Don's book better for first time keepers and Kathy's book better as a guide to breeding Corn Snakes.
 
For information to on how to keep your snake happy and healthy you came to the right place!!!
These people are wonderful and since they keep, breed and live with snakes in their homes they know what they are talking about, unlike pet store employees who don't own snakes.
Congratulations on your new baby and I hope you enjoy your snake as much as I enjoy mine.
So any chance of a picture?
 
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