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PROUD NEW OWNER.. with some questions of course

A

ara35

New member
So I am the new proud owner of a CHARCOAL CORN SNAKE!! I cannot tell you how happy I am with it. I actually ended up buying it from Petsmart (I do not need to hear that it was a bad choice or how awful pet stores are). I went with my gf so she could hold one and see if she could handle it, and she absolutely fell in love with it. So we bought it the next day. The workers at Petsmart were very knowledgeable and told me everything I read in Kathy Loves book. For example, buying a 10 gallon instead of 20, no heat rocks, aspen for bedding (even though they didn’t even sell it). So now I have a few questions. I will also post pictures soon!!

1. How long do I have to wait to hold him??? Can I even pick him up for 10-15 minutes yet?? What are the signs that he is comfortable in his new environment and ready to be handled, if there are any…
2. He is about 12-16 inches long (couldn’t get an exact measurement cause I didn’t want to handle too much) and the store said they are about a month or two old. Is this legit? Or is he older than that?
3. I know he is small and fast now, but I heard of people taking their corn snakes outdoors. Is this a good idea? How old/long would the snake have to be in order to be able to go outdoors.

Thanks guys!! And once again, please don’t make me feel bad or irresponsible about any decisions I made. I am happy with my choices!
 
I got my first corn at a petstore. ;)

It's usually recommended that the snake be allowed to settle in for several days prior to handling, just to keep stress levels down.

His size sounds just fine to me.

I don't know how warm it is in Philly right now, but I personally usually don't take mine outside if it's below 70F.


Were you able to get all the heating/thermostat needs at the store?

Congrats on your new little one. Looking forward to the photos.
 
Sounds like a good Petsmart or a good employee! I too have a pet store corn snake (Attitude).
1. The folks here seem to think 5-7 days of not messing with a new snake is a good idea. I have to say I haven't waited that long but I am a NOOBIE!
2. I would guess older than 4-8 weeks but I would defer to more knowledgeable folks, ie, the breeders here.
3. I think the outdoor thing depends on how zippy your snake is more than age. It also depends on the weather -- in Philly you probably won't get any days warm enough for outdoor photography before next spring so you can see how your snake is behaving then.

Congratulations and welcome to the forum! Remember that corn snakes are like potato chips, somebody has that in their signature here and it's TRUE!
 
1. Give your snake at least a week before handling. He needs to have time to settle and de-stress. When that period is over, you could probably start handling for 5-10 minutes at first. Many hatchlings tend to zoom around your hand and usually the ones that are really uncomfortable with it will attempt a kamikaze jump from your hand.

2. That sounds about right, but don't always be quick to judge a snake's age based on size. It all depends on their feeding schedule.

3. I waited at least a month before taking my hatchlings outside and I NEVER put them down on the ground. They truly can move quick when they want to and can seemingly disappear in even the shorted grass.

Welcome to the forums and the snake world! You're really gonna enjoy it! :)
 
thanks guys!

so is a day definitely not enough time to acclimate?? its killing me!

and i agree with the outside opinion. snakes behavior is much more important, very good point.

thanks guys! please continue to comment though, never can have enough opinions
 
well..firstly...congrats! what fun!

You should leave your baby alone for a week (7days) from the time you bring him home. You've got a VERY long time to enjoy your animal, so just give him some time to settle in. (its hard to wait, i know!)

i wouldnt take your baby outside until you know what he's like, and your used to handling him. once you DO start picking him up, make sure you do so from the side, not the top, and be sure of yourself. he may strike at you, or even bite. it wont hurt, and if you dont flinch, he will stop doing it faster...thinking that it does nothing to you. (so i've heard, my dude has never done this, but i've heard it can be an issue with younger snakes)
You will need a larger tank for when he's older, the 20g should be fine then, but the 10g is good for quite a while.
i'm sorry i'm no help with length/vs age...but if he looks healthy i wouldnt worry about it too much.
good think you've read kathy loves book, you've got the best advice at your fingertips!

you do have heating right? and the heating is controlled in some way? you've got good thermometers on both hot and cold sides? water dish for him to drink and bath in? a hide on either side?
i cant think of anything elce...sounds like your off to a great start! what fun your going to have! corns are addictive. enjoy. :D
 
i do need a hide on the cool side, i have water a heat pad and a thermostat. the 500r from zoomed and the heat pad is from zoo med as well. when measuring the temperature, do i stick the digital thermometer into the substrate (90-95 degrees) or lay it on top of the substate (70-75)? should i use bottle water? cause i used brita water
 
The thermometer needs to be right down on the glass floor of the tank. So 90-95F, too hot. I just use tap water so can't comment on the water issue. Cheap hide for the cool side for now -- cut a toilet paper tube in half the long way & lay it down to make shelter. Or take a yogurt cup, wash well, cut a hole in the lid then put the lid on & put in the cool side lying sideways (make sure the edges of the hole aren't sharp).
 
Welcome to the forum!

I'm pretty new to corn snakes myself, but I followed the handling suggestions for baby snakes laid out here and both of my snakes have done fine. I was paranoid about making sure their first meals went down fine and I figured it was better safe than sorry.

Also yay for more people from Philly on the forum! I can tell you right now that it's waaay too cold to take a little snake outside right now. Knowing Philly weather, I can't imagine it getting warm enough to safely take the little guy outside until spring.

Also, yeah, 90-95 is probably too hot. I keep my hot spots in the 80--85 range.
 
I am new to snakes to, But this sight has helped me a lot. I to bought my snake at a pet store. the store I use has some great folks that helped me out so has this sight. At first I was very afraid I would hurt my snake now he eats well has shed, and drinks water daily. I pick up Herman about twice a week just so he gets used to me, and I feed him in a tupperware container.
Mike
 
thanks for the help everyone!!

what about shedding? i know it lasts about a week but how often does it occur??
 
They shed roughly every 4-6 weeks as hatchlings and the frequency slows down as they grow. My adults shed four or five times a year.
 
ara35 said:
i do need a hide on the cool side
Click to expand...

One of the forum favorites: a toilet paper roll! For my little one, I cut one in half and used one half on either side of his tank. He's often in one or the other.
 
i am going home and not coming back till friday. would it really be the worst thing in the world to hold the snake tonight? its been two full days and he's gonna be under disturbed for two more after tonight. THOUGHTS??
 
Leave it until you get back if you can. I know it's a real strain, but think of what a treat you'll have to look forward to when you get home!
 
lol let him settle. you will be heartbroken if the little guy doesn't eat because hes stressed. i know its hard. i cuddle my snakes daily lol. (weather they like it or not ;) ) i use dog food bowls for hides. the kind with handles cut in the side.. it serves and a cooler side hide and a water / bath. Tap water is fine, but i always say if you wouldn't eat it.. why would your animal... so keep that in mind ;) and CONGRATS! be forewarned there addicting. i have 17 now since i started 4 1/2 years ago...
 
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