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New snake

M

mocha37

New member
I had a few questions. I got my first corn three to four weeks ago. I was told she/he is 11months (is doing very well too) and have asked for advice on here before. Well because of some unforeseen circumstances a friend of mine ended up with a 2 1/2 year old corn (a family member passed it off on her) (i think it may be a normal), but she is afraid to death of snakes so it has ended up here.

For one thing I know people have talked about a quarantine period and all, and I do not want to risk the health of my baby Phoenix, so do I need to keep them in separate rooms for awhile? They will never share the same tank, or supplies (aka; feeding tongs, bins) but I would like them in the same room eventually, probably on opposite sides. What is the safest way to handle all of this.

Another thing is they have been feeding him two small mice every 2 weeks. would it be better to feed him one every week? Or does it matter? Also he has been feeding it live mice, is it ok to switch to f/t when they are this old?
It is easier for me to buy the frozen plus feels a little more humane.

I just want to make sure I do right by both of these guys/girls. There are both such beautiful, awesome animals.
 
mocha37 said:
For one thing I know people have talked about a quarantine period and all, and I do not want to risk the health of my baby Phoenix, so do I need to keep them in separate rooms for awhile? They will never share the same tank, or supplies (aka; feeding tongs, bins) but I would like them in the same room eventually, probably on opposite sides. What is the safest way to handle all of this.
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Not sure if it's "required" but separate rooms would be better if possible. Mites and germs can travel, so the further they have to the better. I've only got one guy at the moment, and he was quarantined to our room (we kept the cat and dog out) for a few weeks. You will definitely want to quarantine longer since you have another snake, I believe 90 days is the recommended time.
Another thing is they have been feeding him two small mice every 2 weeks. would it be better to feed him one every week? Or does it matter? Also he has been feeding it live mice, is it ok to switch to f/t when they are this old? It is easier for me to buy the frozen plus feels a little more humane.
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Can't comment on the feeding time, but it's not only ok but probably preferred you switch him to f/t for the very reasons you mentioned. Hopefully shouldn't have any troubles switching, but if you do for whatever reason, there are a few tricks you could try like scenting and wiggling, to try and entice a strike.
 
During Quarantine is there signs to look for? For instance how will I know/see if there are mites or anything? Not sure what to look for. Thanks. And I am definitely going to try to switch to f/t. I know of a friend whose snake died due to eating live(this was awhile back), It damaged the snakes eye and then the spot got infected and even with medication the snake didn't make it. (I think it was a boa) Either way not worth it to me. I just wasn't sure since he is already so old, good to know its ok.
 
Mites look like tiny flecks of pepper, and tend to cluster around the rim of the eye. Often a snake will soak itself excessively to help kill the mites (they drown), so look for dead mites in the water if you see this happening. If the new snake does have them, they can be a bit of a booger to get rid of, but it is easier with an adult snake than with hatchlings, as the chemicals used to treat mites can harm young snakes.

Don't be surprised if the switch to F/T mice takes a bit - he may refuse initially, but try again in a week when he might be hungrier and less finicky. Make sure the mouse is good and warm, and you may want to try the zombie mouse dance or even smack the snake gently on the nose with the mouse to elicit a bite, though I'd wait to try such aggressive measures until he has skipped a meal or two. Also, males often go off food during spring mating season anyway, so he may not be interested now - it will not hurt him to go a few weeks without eating as long as he is healthy.
 
Basically in quarantine you're gonna want to look for mites and mite related behavior, like Guru described. You should also monitor they're biological functions, make sure they're passing regularly and that everything looks ok. Also, try to note their behaviors and anything that might seem "off". Like exceptional lethargy, constantly in or around the water dish, frequent opening of their mouth to breath, etc. Basically anything that could be a red flag for an infection or parasite problem.

A vet visit (with stool sample) is always a good thing to do as soon as possible with any new animal, snakes aren't excluded here. A soon enough vet visit with a full inspection could bypass a lot of quarantine time if they receive a clean bill of health. Though I'd still quarantine for a while at least, just to err on the side of caution.

Other things to worth mentioning would probably be "quarantine in a smaller enclosure" (not too small, but no super sized aquarium). This makes it easier to keep an eye on and monitor the new snake. Plain white paper towels make excellent quarantine substrate. They're cheap. They're disposable. They're absorbent. They allow for more easily monitoring those bodily functions previously mentioned. And I have no personal experience, but would expect the white backdrop makes it easier to notice mites on a lot of morphs.
 
This may seem like a strange question but how often do snakes pass and all. I've never thought to ask and it would be good to know for both of my snakes. Tried to research and look it up but didn't find a lot.
 
I would not skip quarantine even with a clean bill of health. I had a girl with crypto that did 90 days QT and had a clean vet visit at the time.
 
when ever they eat usually you can expect to find poop anywhere from 3 to 5 days later, depending on the size of the meal, as well as the age of the snake.

Hope this helps! :eek:
 
I was wondering about poop also. Frostbite ate late Sunday. I found poop this morning.
 
As Justine said, usually 3-5 days depending on the snake, size of meal, etc.

Also, just to clarify, I in no way intended that a vet visit negates a quarantine. There are things that a single vet visit can miss. Even things a full length quarantine can miss. I wouldn't "de-quarantine" a new addition after a vet visit if it had been quarantined briefly before the visit. The health and safety of current pets is of utmost importance.
 
I'd wait two weeks before trying to feed him, and then try a FT hopper or weanling, VERY hot and VERY dry- use a blow dryer. Then I'd feed a FT small to medium mouse every 10-14 days.
 
Here is a picture of the new guy/girl. Doesn't have a name yet if anyone has suggestions. :)
 

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