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Typical Newbie Questions

jivany

jivany

New member
Hi, I just receive a 3 month old corn and I've got a few questions I'm hoping someone might be able to help me with. I picked up "The Manual" (by the Love's) and I have to say it has helped me a fair bit. I'm still unsure about a couple things.

I was told that my corn looks like it is starting a shed cycle so I'm wondering if this is typical for a 3 month old. I haven't seen any sign of cloudy eyes, and I can't tell if it's dull, but I've only had it for a little over a day now. A little paranoid I guess. ;)

Also, since I'm using aspen bedding, I'm wondering if I should feed outside of the terrarium. Or have I been reading too many horror stories on the net?

And finally, I have a heat pad under one end of the terrarium, but I was told yesterday that a basking light was better. Is this more of a preference for the owner or do corns actually prefer one over the other.

Like I said, I'm a little paranoid. This is my first snake and I'd like to see it grow and live a long time. :)

Thanks in advance for any help!
 
Good job on the research.

Basking lamps are optional. Heat pads, most will say, are neccessary. Right now, if you live in a state with a warm summer, plugging in the heat pad even may make it too hot. Personal choice. I choose just to use the heatpad as do most.

Always feed outside of the tank or when you reach in one time, it may bite you thinking a mouse is coming in. Plus, it's safer with the bedding and all.

After the eyes go cloudy, they will clear up for a few days and then he will finally shed. Nothing to worry about....

Good luck! Post a picture if you can!

:D
 
Jivany,
Sounds like you have already made some excellent decisions. The cornsnake manual is very informative and aspen is the bedding of choice. As for your snake shedding, most of mine tend to get duller from the tail forward, then it's eyes will cloud over. Young corns shed about every three weeks, but this can vary with feeding. My adults have ingested small pieces of aspen with no ill effects. I use paper towel for my younger snakes to avoid this. If you feel uncomfotable about handling the snake after eating, you can cut a 4"x4" piece of paper towel to lay the pinky on so that none of the aspen sticks to it. snakes can not digest the aspen-it comes out just as it goes in. small bits can be passed with little or no problems, but large pieces in a small snake could cause impaction. If you decide to feed outside, a small clear shoebox or plastic container works well (don't forget to drill some small air holes in it). Personally I prefer under tank heating. I think the basking lights dry out the terrarium. Whatever you decide on make sure you snake can escape the heat.
Best of Luck!
Matt L.
 
Hi Jivany... the Manual from the loves is a very good source for info... I have that manual also! but this site will help you with all the little questions that you have this forum is the best trust me! but I use both heat pads and heat lamps... from my own experience I first started to use heat lamps... but it started to get expensive the lamp then the bulb and the electricty is alot more for a heat lamp then for a heat pad... I do prefer heat pads... I also use aspen... even though I dont take my corns out from their 10 gal to eat... I havent had any problems with aspen I wouldnt really worry about taking your corn out to feed... but thats your own personal choice it wont hurt the corn to feed him in a diffrent place... so its totally up to you... like what Matt and Corn said that baby corns usually shed every 3 weeks... you can messure them now and in about 1 month see how much bigger they have gotten... mine grow every 2 months about 3 inches... its sorta fun to watch them grow... dont worry to much about the details... corns are one of the easiest snakes to take care of... but that doesnt mean they can take care of themselves:p Im glad youve been doing some research... wish you luck with all your new corn...

ps. youll probably get about 3 more in about 1 month... corns are so addicting!!!
 
I'd also say to go with a heat pad over a heat lamp. Besides that the lamp is more expensive, it will decrease humidity in the tank. If you live in a very humid place, that could be a good thing, but for most of us it's not. Your new corn will need a bit of moisture in the air, especially when it sheds.

I don't think you need to worry about taking your snake out of the tank to feed it. :) You can put the pinky down on another surface (a paper towel, a hide, etc.). As for the snake associating your hand with feeding and trying to bite you when you put your hand in... you probably don't need to worry about this. If you plan to put your hands in regularly for other reasons, like providing fresh water, cleaning up the poop, and handling the snake, it is very unlikely to associate your hand strongly with food. To further prevent this, you can use a pair of tongs to put the food in.
 
Hi Jivany,
You are already ahead of the game by getting The Corn Snake manual.
I find that at that age, your snake should shed about once month depending on how much it eats/ how fast it grows. I try to keep a small container with damp moss in the tank at all times . That way if the snake needs a little more humidity it can come and go as it pleases. This will help with the shed.
Feeding in or out of the tank? I try to feed outside in a seperate container. I also use aspen bedding and with smaller snakes I have always feared that they could swallow some and depends on the size of the aspen chip it could cause problems. Better safe than sorry.
Congrats on your new snake. A bit of warning, one now could turn into 10 before you know it. I have only been at this almost 2 years and I have 24 beauties now.
Good luck,
Jimmy..I hope this helps
 
Excellent!

Woot! Well, I decided to try and feed my corn last night and had no problems what so ever. I opted for the paper towel idea as I haven't had a chance to find a decent sized feeding enclosure.

I also awoke to a wonderful surprise this morning! A fully complete shed! I was a little surprised by this because the corn has been pretty docile. We had it out of the terrarium for a while last night before feeding it so maybe the handling was enough to loosen everything up.

Thanks for all the replies to my questions!
 
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