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New Member Intro

Coty

Coty

New member
Hola,

I am a new corn snake owner as of a week and a day ago. Malachai is a 6 ~ week old amel and he is doing well so far (he has a good appetite, the vet said that he seemed to be in good shape).
Although I feel like I did a lot of research before I brought him home, I have noticed a lot of contradiction in terms of what i should be doing (not from individuals from these forums, but different websites and my local vet). I was planning to feed my snake once a week, but when I went to the local vet (I got the animal hospital from a herp vet website) she gave me the impression that I should feed him twice a week. I started him off w/ 2 pinkies every 3 days for the first week (deferring to the vet's judgement) until I started to check out feeding schedules and realized that this was too much. So I fed him today (he ate 4 days ago) and I thought that I could try to gradually move his feeding schedule to every 5 days by the end of the month. He has had a good appetite, and last night he was unusually active which I thought could mean that he was starting to get hungry - I just don't want to feed him too fast and have him get too big too fast!
I am not terribly concerned about his feeding schedule at the moment as I am sure that I will become more familiar with him as time goes. This did make me realize that despite good intentions it is very easy to get the wrong information - which makes me really appreciate the input from experienced individuals.
 
Hello and welcome to Cornsnakes.com..Trust me there is always new stuff to learn when it comes to taking care of any pet..especially reptiles..As far as feeding for a baby snake goes..I would feed it every 5 days..I pinkie..This is going according to the "Munson Plan". Here is a link to the thread involving it...http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50106

Be aware that this is just an outline..Various owners feed in various ways and sizes according to their preference of care for their snake. But many members on here seem to agree with this outline and go by it..I currently have all 3 of my snakes on the plan and they seem to be doing very well..be aware that if you are going to follow this plan you should get a small scale (they sell affordable kitchen gram scales at wal-mart) to help you along.

I hope this has helped you a bit...good luck :0) and just because a snake is out and about doesn't always mean it's hungry..
 
:wavey: Hi Coty!

I can so relate to what you're going through. I felt like I'd done a ton of research, but reading and actually having one are two different things. I was lucky to find this site within a day or so of purchase. These folks will get you right on track with your new little guy.

I love his name. It makes me think of that creepy "Children of the Corn" movie. Is that where you got it? :)

Where are you in Mass? I used to live in Boston. Great state!
 
Heh thanks - and yeah I got the name from that movie (Malachai = actor Courtney Gains). I live on the South Shore so I don't really go into the city more that i have to hehe.
I feel like I am getting my bearings, tho I would have liked to have found this forum about 2 weeks ago!

Maize - Thanks for welcome! I should get my scale tomorrow, I have frozen mice that should be here in 2 days so I will be able to modify my feeding schedule.
Heh and don't worry, I wasn't really basing his feeding off him moving around last night, I was planning to feed him today anyways - though it was a bit of a surprise to see him really exploring his tank because he has been really shy this past week (which didn't really surprise me as he is still getting acclimated).
 
Hi Coty and welcome. It is hard when everyone tells you something different. I would trust the jusdgment of many people on this site. This is always a good place to start, http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28342. I haven't read it in while, it may say not to handle your new snake for around 4-5 to days even to feed when you first get them, "the adjustment period". Since you've already handled him I would still go gently in the beginning. I think besides and including the Munson plan every 3 days is too much, more like every 4-5 days and don't handle for 48 hours after eating. A regurg is the last thing you want with a new baby. Good luck, susang
 
Hi susang, thanks for the welcome!

Hehe I was not planning on handling him, but I got the impression that I should bring him to the vet with a stool sample asap so I brought him the next day (the sample was unusable unfortunately bc it had dried out too much).
I have been careful not to handle him too soon after eating, and after the first vet visit I have pretty much left him alone except to feed him or change the water. I have also been keeping the house pretty much dark and quiet (I have been wearing headphones to watch TV so I don't spook him w/ the noise).
I appreciate your input, thanks.
 
Welcome Coty!

Sounds like you have quite the eater. How big is Malachai? Also, has he shed yet? I love to see some pics of your new baby. :)

Btw, props for the clever naming of an albino corn and all the puns therein. LOL!
 
Thanks for the welcome!

Hehe yeah he is a ravenous little fellow - I feel like he has grown a lot even in the last week, which is understandable with his diet...
I would love to try to measure him now but he only ate 10 hrs ago and he is hiding - I noticed today that he has started a nice little tunnel system in the aspen bedding heh.
I will try to get my brother over here w/ his camera, or at least see if i can get him weighed by the end of the week.
 
Thank you for the welcome, dpreston66!

I just grabbed a digital scale so i can be more methodical w/ my feeding regimen, I just hope that I am not at class when my pinkies are delivered tomorrow (I am in grad school for education at a local satellite campus) considering how warm it has been recently.


3CardKnight: Sorry I forgot to reply regarding Malachai shedding. The answer is no, he hasn't yet. That is something to look forward to. That does actually remind me of a question I had regarding beaked moss in my terrarium, in that it seemed to be marketed towards snakes and small reptiles but my vet did not recommend using it due to the possibility of introducing parasites etc. - I guess I should try to use the search engine a bit before I make a new post.
Oh and my brother said that he would bring his camera over this weekend so I should have some pics up eventually (fingers crossed).
 
Welcome to the site! This community has helped me tremendously so far. Props to you for taking your little guy to the vet so soon after getting him. My first snake was purchased at a pet store and turned out to be ill. Things didn't go so well with her. I'm glad to hear your first snake has a clean bill of health.

As far as substrate goes, aspen bedding is really good. I also wouldn't worry about the noise from the television spooking him. I've been told snakes don't have very good hearing. They "hear" by feeling vibrations on the ground, so your t.v. would have to be pretty loud for the snake to feel it.

I can't wait to see some pics!

:cheers:
 
I did the same thing...read EVERYTHING I could get my hands on about corn snakes for a whole week before I got him. Still you will have diff people tell you diff things. It is very frustrating. I work at UPenn Veterinary Hospital a world renowned animal hospital and they still told me different things than people on here told me. Believe or not I actually tend to trust people on here more. The doctors just seemed to read off of a website for every question I had. Geez. I could have done that! And even after doing all of the reasearch I could before getting my snake.... (I thought I was ooober prepared)...nothing prepares you for your own experiences as they actually unfold. But not to worry, the people here help keep me sane. Even little things make me crazy/nervous but they remind me to take a breath and relax. They are the most helpful wonderful bunch or people I have ever come across! Welcome! I have no doubts you will love it here!
 
Hey, welcome, can't wait to see pics!

You're probably not going to find anything in a fecal on a baby snake, but next time you need to take in a sample, you can put it in a ziplock in the fridge and it should be fine for a day or so.


kcaven said:
I work at UPenn Veterinary Hospital a world renowned animal hospital and they still told me different things than people on here told me. Believe or not I actually tend to trust people on here more.
Click to expand...

A friend of mine that has siblings to my desert tortoises, which are going to be five years old, takes hers for checkups at the university animal hospital, to the tortoise expert. He told her her three were females, and so far, the whole clutch was female! Which theoretically could be true, because sex is determined by incubation temps. But the clutch was incubated to be 50% male, 50% female, AND you can't even sex DTs until they are 7 years of age at a minimum, and 10 is more reasonable! Until then, they all have the flat plastron of a female.
 
Thanks for the reassurance, and the welcome.

I did manage to get a fecal sample last night - I had found a small plastic soap box at an army/navy surplus for $1.49 and drilled a hole in the side (I wanted to replace a cardboard hide I have been using because I won't be able to clean it) and literally minutes after I put it in the terrarium he relieved himself right on top of it! Usually, they are already pretty much dried in the corners of the tank when I find them, but I was actually watching him as he relieved himself bc it was the first time that I had seen him come out from his hide all day. So I collected it and scrubbbed the hide again with soap and water (for the second time in about 10 minutes hehe). I managed to drop it off at the vets at 8:00 this morning on the way to work (it was refrigerated overnight). I am glad I got a usable sample though, because from what I understand internal parasites and digestion problems can be very detrimental especially in young snakes (as unlikely as that may be).
 
Coty, you deserve a good parent award for taking such an active interest in the health of your snake and for the preventative care steps you are taking. As per your earlier question on the beaked moss, I personally use aspen for substrate (my snake prefers the larger pieces over the shredded type) and a deli cup with a hole cut in the lid for a water dish/shedding aid. Having a lid on the top helps increase the humidity(within the water dish) and is a private, secluded area for the snake to soak in. When your snake gets bigger, you can use/recycle a butter container or something similar to replace the deli cup. I personally use a cookie dough tub as it is short and wide, which fits nicely into my current viv setup. Just make sure that you sand the edges of the hole you cut in the lid with 220 or finer sandpaper so there are no rough spots for your snake's belly to catch on. Good luck and I cant' wait to see pics! :)
 
Hi Coty, Welcome on board... :)
You sound like you are doing all the right things.
I wouldn't worry about stretching out the feeds, these guy's can go a surprising amount of time without eating. The hunting for a day or so between feed is a good thing IMO, and a good time to handle your snake and get to know them.....
 
Ok thanks a lot for the feedback!

Unfortunately, it is going to be a little bit longer for the pics. There is a little mark on Malachai's head that at first I thought was a scale abberration but I grabbed a magnifying glass at the dollar store and I thought it could be a little scratch or cut. The original mark has been there since I brought him home (June 2nd) but since I inspected it closely today I thought I had better play it safe so Malachai was dropped off at the vet (I dropped off a frozen pinkie on ice as well as he is due to be fed today and I didn't want him to be transported before he had 48 hrs to digest). The reason that I didn't worry about it earlier is because I brought him to the vet the day after I brought him home and he was given a clean bill of health (including his float test for his fecal sample).

I expect to get a call on Monday to come pick him up, but if not then I know he will be in good hands. Until then I am going to be pricing cameras (I spent half the day pricing them all over my area).
 
pics

Here we go:
june1608.jpg

DSCN0004.jpg

I am new with a camera and my lighting was not optimal but my avatar came out alright I think (figures it was the first one I tried hehe). I think he will shed pretty soon, what do you think?
 
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