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New member here

rushrulz

rushrulz

New member
Hi. I just joined (duh). I actually don't have a snake yet, but I plan to, so I'm hanging around snake sites to get some information and stuff. I've read through a number of threads here and on another forum, on corns and other species, and I think I've got a pretty good feel for the "snake world."

My plan this weekend is to buy a book on the subject and check out the habitats they have at the store while I'm there. If it seems like they have all the right stuff, I may just buy the set-up right then (otherwise, I'll have to look elsewhere). Originally, I was going to read the book before I decided what to buy, but the FAQ here has been really helpful, and I think I can sort it out.

I'm still torn between the utilitarian approach of newspaper and the attractive approach of wood. Do snakes really like to have a place to burrow? I get the impression that they'll burrow like crazy if given the right substrate, so it makes me wonder how they feel when they don't have the chance, if that makes sense. I also wondered about doing both--laying down newspaper but having a bit of the other stuff just so he has a place to dig down.

I know they get out if given a chance, and I'd really like to make sure he won't--I have a cat, and I don't know how she'd deal with a snake "running" free.

Anyway, sorry this is so long (I always write long posts). Great forum!
 
Hi and welcome to the site :)
Kudos for doing your homework prior to making a purchase :)

I find the best substrate is aspen, cheap, easy to clean, attractive and it encourages corns natural burrowing behaviour. I also use a layer or 2 of newspaper just to insulate the bottom of the tank as i use a UTH.

I also have the cat snake problem, i just dont let them in the same room together when the snakes are out, otherwise she doesn't bother them :)
 
I can't believe that people don't do their homework. I mean, I had a cat when I was growing up, and gerbils, so I know how that works, and I didn't have to do any research for my current cat. But if you've never had a snake before...I mean...I don't know, it just seems insane to me to just walk into a pet store and buy a snake and a viv with no knowledge at all. Of course, I've done dumb things, I admit--I caught a crawdad as a kid and tried to feed it pepperoni. :D

I don't know if I'll need a UTH...I live in Houston, so it's not exactly cold here most of the time, and my A/C isn't all that great. However, I don't use the heater in the winter, so I imagine it'll need something more substantial then. Heh, I'll probably just buy one and see how it goes.
 
*Caugh caugh* I am guilty of the snake impulse buy actually :(
It was a case of "ooo your purdy, i want"

But i am much more sensible now ;) LOL
 
Well, I think I just had the impression that they were "difficult." I mean, I'd buy mice or hamsters or rats or whatever without researching. And I'm not sure how much I researched the fish I had. But you know...I wanted a snake when I was in high school, and that wasn't going to happen. When I got older, I thought about it off and on--sort of, "I'd really like to have a snake, but..." And that was always followed by a general nervousness about their care. For a while, I thought they ate live mice, and there was no way I was doing that. Even after I learned they can eat frozen, I thought the complexities of the habitat (temperature, humidity, etc.) would be a real hassle, especially in an apartment. But it still crossed my mind sometimes.

What got me thinking about it again was Snakes on a Plane. And I poked around a bit and found that it really wasn't as big a deal as I'd thought--with corns, at least, they're hardy and eat frozen and don't have really strict and difficult habitat needs. So I figure if I can take care of fish or gerbils, I can take care of a snake. Of course, this would be a really bad time to ask how well I cared for those fish...but fish and snakes aren't, you know, the same.

And if the corn thing goes well, I might try a ball.

I've noticed a lot of people breed their snakes. As much as I love the idea of little babies poking out of eggs (which is so cute), I'd have no idea what to do with them.
 
Tula_Montage said:
*Caugh caugh* I am guilty of the snake impulse buy actually :(
It was a case of "ooo your purdy, i want"

But i am much more sensible now ;) LOL
Click to expand...
Correct me if I am wrong but didn't you just get a hognose on impulse. :grin01:
 
rushrulz said:
My plan this weekend is to buy a book on the subject
Click to expand...

Welcome to the site!!!!!!!!
There are a lot of great people here. Everybody is always willing to help.

Do not worry about long posts. If they explain or answer a question, then it is worth reading.

As for the book, try The Corn Snake Manual By Kathy Love. It is the best book there is on corn snakes.

I started out with a corn and then got a Ball Python. I only had her about three weeks.
 
Penman6668 said:
Correct me if I am wrong but didn't you just get a hognose on impulse. :grin01:
Click to expand...

Noooo, the "hubby" surprised me with it yesterday morning lol
We had done all the homework as we were planning on one, and did have all the necessaries lying about :)
 
rushrulz said:
Of course, I've done dumb things, I admit--I caught a crawdad as a kid and tried to feed it pepperoni. :D
Click to expand...
:roflmao: I'm laughing with you, not at you, believe me. Reminds me of the turtle I 'rescued' when I was a kid. I fed it Virginia baked ham. :rolleyes:

Welcome to the discussion board. Corn snakes are super-easy to take care of. I've used many substrates, but I'm all about shredded aspen now. Go ahead and experiment if you want, but I'll bet that's where you end up anyway. :) And when you get your snake, I strongly discourage you from feeding it pepperoni. You'd probably have to lizard-scent it anyway, and that gets expensive. :grin01:
 
Welcome to the forums! If you choose just the newspaper, you can bet on the snake being underneath it most of the time :grin01:

Hmmm, "rushrulz", either the Canadian power trio, or Limbaugh :shrugs:

:cheers:
 
Welcome to the forum... I agree the aspen seems to work well for most people.
If it's really hot where you live you might not need the heat pad but keep in mind they need temps of 82 - 85 to digest and it might not always be that warm where you are. It's also good to give them a range to choose from (75 on the cooler end of the tank) so it's probably a good idea to get the heat pad just in case.
Rush the Canadian band does indeed rule, but I have no comment on Limbaugh (except 'Vicodin anyone?')
 
It's Rush the band, yeah. It's just sort of my default screen name when I can't think of anything better. I've used it for years.

Anyway, most of the year, it's hot here--it's in the 90s right now. But of course, my apartment's not quite that hot, even though my A/C isn't that great. :)

The viv will need to be on some kind of furniture, I'm thinking? I mean, I wouldn't think you could put it on the floor with a UTH there...Plus it's just easier to see if it's higher up. I kind of suspect I'll have to buy some sort of furniture in this case...I have an unused area in my bedroom, and it's near the window, but the blinds are almost totally closed, and I can close them more (I left a gap for the cat to look out of). Or I could put something on that side of the tank to block it...?
 
Roy Munson said:
:roflmao: I'm laughing with you, not at you, believe me. Reminds me of the turtle I 'rescued' when I was a kid. I fed it Virginia baked ham. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I did the same thing as a kid except it was bologna. The turtle ate it though.
 
rushrulz said:
It's Rush the band, yeah. It's just sort of my default screen name when I can't think of anything better. I've used it for years.

Anyway, most of the year, it's hot here--it's in the 90s right now. But of course, my apartment's not quite that hot, even though my A/C isn't that great. :)

The viv will need to be on some kind of furniture, I'm thinking? I mean, I wouldn't think you could put it on the floor with a UTH there...Plus it's just easier to see if it's higher up. I kind of suspect I'll have to buy some sort of furniture in this case...I have an unused area in my bedroom, and it's near the window, but the blinds are almost totally closed, and I can close them more (I left a gap for the cat to look out of). Or I could put something on that side of the tank to block it...?
Click to expand...
I don't use any extra heat with any of my snakes, don't need it. Being in west central Florida, even the snakes enjoy the occasional cool weather, and I mean OCCASIONAL! We didn't even have winter in 2005 :grin01:
As far as furniture goes, a couple of painted cinder blocks and a short piece of 1 x 12 works well in a pinch :cheers:
 
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