Billinms said:
I'm a first time owner, and was wondering about his behavior...
1. He very rarely climbs. I have a fake limb for him, but he doesn't seem very interested. Is this normal, is there anything I can do to make it more attractive to him?
2. I've had him about a month, feeding him once a week. When should I expect him to shed? Is there anything I need to do to make his shed easier?
I keep his habitat at 80 degrees and he's very active when I hold him and feed him.
First off, congrats on your new addiction... I mean addition!
#1. My corn used his fake branches for about a week when I introduced him to his new viv. Now he never uses them. But I worked with two corns in a more aboreal setting at a zoo, and they would constantly climb on the fake branches. It could be a personal perference for each snake or perhaps he's just not comfortable being that exposed yet. Either way, I think the branches make the viv look nice, used or not.
#2. I feed my hatchling who is 3 months old about every 5 days. I've seen people recommend feeding hatchlings every 5-7 days, so I suppose that's up to you. If it's not a hatchling, every 7 days, in my opinion, should be fine.
Snake's shed as they grow. If you feed more aggressively, expect a more often shed. Once a month sounds about right, give or take.
To help shedding, you need to increase (or keep constant) a level of humidity about 50-60%. This is what has worked best for me. There are a number of ways to help keep a constant level of humidity, either misting the viv lightly while he's opaque, using a damp towel briefly in the viv, moist moss, water bowl on the hot side, etc. Make sure the substrate is never too wet because that can cause scale problems.
Again, these are just my opinions and what has worked best for me.
Happy herping!
Amy
