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Soon to be snake owner

T

Twovultures

New member
Hello everybody!

I'm a DC resident who recently got a 30 gallon (long) aquarium from my dad as a gift. He had no use for it but is just not the kind of guy to throw something away if he can find someone else who can use it, and he figured I could use a tank.

Boy, he was right-I've always been fascinated with reptiles, and I thought getting a terrarium animal would be great. Since I got the terrarium, I figured this would be a good opportunity to finally get the animal. I've spent the last several weeks researching different reptiles, and it seems that the best pet for me would be a corn snake.

So, here I am. I'll be looking for threads on/asking some newbie questions if I can't get answers to the ones I have.
 
Well, welcome to the site and to reptiles! Corn snakes are a great choice and you have come to the right place. Any idea what kind you're looking for?
 
I find Okeetees and Amels both look lovely (and are reasonably priced). I don't really like the lavender and pewter morphs, personally.

I suppose more important than morph for me would be size. I'd rather have a smaller corn snake, just so that it has more room. I have no problem upgrading to a larger tank if it grows big, I just don't like the idea of having an animal that doesn't have enough room.
 
Awesome! Welcome aboard. I can't wait to see what you pick -- a 30 long is gonna be a great decorating space too. :)
 
Welcome to the wonderful (and very addictive) world of future reptile ownership. Definitely take the time to read through some threads, most importantly the stickies. They contain fountains of information alone and most questions can already be answered there.

Other than that, feel free to ask any questions you might have. Can't speak for everyone, and my expertise is limited since I'm a new corn owner myself, but I'd rather answer a "dumb" question for someone than have that same someone make a "dumb" mistake because they were afraid to ask.

As for size, you could start out with an established juvenile. A little older than a hatchling, a little hardier, established eater, yet still small enough to enjoy watching grow. Given the size of your tank though, you could easily house an older/larger sub-adult. Great thing about snakes, they're actually more comfortable in smaller spaces. It gives them a sense of security and decreases stress levels. If I could go back and change any one thing about my habitat purchase for my little guy, it would be deciding to get the bigger viv thinking "he'll have plenty of room to explore and have fun". It just doesn't work out that way, especially with younger corns who will usually spend almost all their time comfortably hiding away from a dangerous world. Granted, with enough hide options and decoration, even a large enclosure can feel cluttered and secure enough for a baby snake. It does make it harder to keep tabs on them though, and it's soooooo much more cleaning :( .

And... We will demand pictures when you finally get your new pet! We love pictures! (at least I do)
 
cagedbirdsinging said:
It seems like you and I are in a similar situation! I look forward to learning along with you!
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Thank you! I look forward to it to :)

Sezmra said:
Awesome! Welcome aboard. I can't wait to see what you pick -- a 30 long is gonna be a great decorating space too.
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So far I've got two hides, a water bowl, and a big driftwood log. I'll be posting pictures up soon.

Nythain said:
Can't speak for everyone, and my expertise is limited since I'm a new corn owner myself, but I'd rather answer a "dumb" question for someone than have that same someone make a "dumb" mistake because they were afraid to ask.

As for size, you could start out with an established juvenile.
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I had totally not considered starting with a juvenile rather than a hatchling. I'm learning already :D

I suppose I should ask a dumb question for here, then, since we're discussing snake vs. tank size. My tank's exact dimensions are 36" by 12" by 17" (it was meant for fishies originally, and to hold a lot of water in not a lot of space). Lengthwise I think it's good, but how much is width a concern for corns?
 
The length X width = the length of the cornsnake. So if your habitat is 36 inches long and 12 inches wide, then that equals 48 inches, or 4 feet. So it is suitable for a cornsnake up to 4 feet long. If there are a lot of accessories inside, (stuff to slsither around on, over, in, through) then that expands the overall surface areas the snake can wriggle around on, which will help to maintain good muscle tone when your snake gets bigger than 4 feet without the need to move up to a larger vivarium.
 
I know I haven't been an active poster, but I have been seriously reading this forum and picking up the great advice.

I ordered a female okeetee from South Mountain Reptiles earlier this evening, and it should arrive Thursday. I'm very excited, and I will definitely be sharing pics with you all!
 
And here she is! Everyone, meet Wiggington-my female Extreme Okeetee from South Mountain Reptiles! I got her Thursday around midday and let her into her tank.

She was pretty scared when she saw me-she tried to burrow into her tiny plastic container when I opened the lid. She's currently in her new tank, getting habituated and hanging out in the hides. I figure that I'll handle her and feed her tomorrow afternoon, when she's had a little more time to get used to her tank-right now, she's pretty grumpy (she struck at me last night-in her defense I had spooked her out of her hide. I guess I shouldn't have done that, but I really wanted to show her off. I've let her be since).
 

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Nythain said:
Wow. How old is she? Her coloration is already so bright and amazing.
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She's just a few months old. The website had a pretty big disclaimer on Okeetees, saying that the young were pretty drab looking compared to the adults. If that's the case, then I definitely look forward to her growing up-she's already pretty gorgeous!
 
Yeah, you're gonna have one stunning Okeetee. I agree she's already so gorgeous. Don't forget to keep us updated... I'm gonna love watching her change.
 
You'll REALLY want to refrain from holding her or bothering her any more, for atleast a week.

Give her the week to settle into her new home and get used to the new sights and smells..
after the week is up then you can feed her for the first time, wait the two days and THEN you can start with short handling sessions to get her used to you.

I know it sounds like ALOT of waiting.. But it's really for the best, she's still young and all of the stress she just went through is Huge for her. Give her a week to settle and she'll be much better off, and their will be less of a chance of her going off of feeding.

I don't mean to sound harsh, I just want to help you give you'r new friend the easiest transition into her Forever home! :eek:
I hope this helps!
 
Justine66 said:
You'll REALLY want to refrain from holding her or bothering her any more, for atleast a week.
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Now I thought that it was 4-6 days before you fed/handled your snake? I know they can go a long time without eating, but an entire week after being shipped seems a little unusually long, IMO. If that is the consensus I'll go with it, but still...
 
5 days should be fine, but yeah most people will tell you a week.

They'll be fine. It's better for them to get settled in then to scare them with feeding to early.

And a little over a week will be fine as long as the snake is healthy, which she does look like she is!
She should be perfect!
 
You'll get mixed responses on the feeding. I know some breeders on here will recommend their customers feed when they arrive, other breeders and keepers will say wait. Whether you feed immediately or don't though, the popular consensus is to definitely leave them alone for 7-10 days so they can get familiar with their new home without being scared and stressed all the time.
 
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