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What went wrong? or RIGHT?

I

IguanaMama

Love at first sight
I am an animal lover, and, responsible too. So before hiking up to the ReptileExpo in White Plains NY today, I put in countless hours of research on my soon to be new pet. I read two manuals cover to cover (even the boring stuff on anatomy). I joined forums, asked questions. Shopped, planned and researched. So how did it happen that I came home with two baby corn snakes (and a bag of frozen pinkies), rather than the green bottle blue tarantula I have planned for and coveted for over a year?

I know almost NOTHING about snakes. I never even really held one before today. I just had to have these corn snakes. I picked a Motley male and a Motley Anerythristic female. I really wanted three, but my budget wouldn't allow. I might go back in a couple of months for the third. They are not quite 3 months old and littermates. Tomorrow I will get a ten gallen tank (temporary, until they are a little bigger) a couple of hidies, a water dish and substrate. I have carefresh already, I use that for my pet mice. Is that good for the snakes, or is there something better? The breeder I got the snakes from likes cell-sorb.

I was playing with them for a couple of hours after I got them home. They really seemed to like being handled and were quite active. I wasn't going to feed them until tomorrow, so they could settle in, but the same voice in my head that said "buy" them also said "feed" them. So I thawed out a pinky and threw it in (they're in a critter keeper for now). The male went for it within seconds, then the female popped her head out so I offered them another. She also went for it right away, but as she was half way down with it, the male started to go for "seconds". So, I just took him out while she finished it and then put him back in. The breeder said one pinky a week, but I just read that they should be feed every 3-4 days--what is correct? They were both obviously still wanting more after one each. Should I feed them two at their next feeding or stick to one?

I just read, also, that they shouldn't be handled after feeding. They are so hard to resist though! How long do you have to wait to handle after feeding? They are both in their hidey together, but they keep poking their heads out to look at me, aww, they are so cute.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.
 
lol! When you move a new snake into a new home it can be VERY stressful for them. Put them in the tank and (I know it's hard) but LEAVE THEM ALONE for a GOOD few days. A week would be best... THEN start handling them.

As for feeding, that's a good sign that they ate! Never handle a snake for about 48 hours after feeding as this can cause an upchuck. If they're little (pinkies tell me they are), then every 5 days should be fine for now. At 3 months old, every 7 will do fine, but it really depends on how tiny they are. I say feed every 5 days.

It sounds like you're doing all the right research though. Good for you! :D
 
First, you shouldn't be feeding them together, and you shouldn't be feeding them in their cage. I feed all of my snakes in a seperate feeding tank. You can usually find a 10 gallon tank on sale for less than $10, so a budget issue shouldn't really be an issue.

I use reptibark, others use aspen, and some use eco-earth. Carefresh is fine.

Spirit is right, you gotta leave them alone. You really shouldn't have fed them that soon anyway, but as long as they took it with ease, no problems. Just hope they dont regurge it---that's one foul smelling odor.
 
Joe is right! Don't ever feed them together, especially if you only throw in one mouse. I was really afraid that story would end up with a sad ending, because sometimes corns turn cannibalistic and will eat each other. There are those that would recommend never even keeping them together in the same cage, let alone feeding them together. I'm glad it worked out all right!

If they seem pretty active the day after they've been fed, its usually a good sign that they are ready to take more food. I'd give them a week, and feed them two pinkies :)

I like Motleys too :santa:
 
Ooohhh... I read too fast, I see!

Yes, do not feed them together, and never feed them in the tank (use a seperate container - I use a shoebox).

I'm still rather surprised that they ate, but it IS a very good sign. If a snake will eat during times of stress (moves are one of the biggest causes of stress)... well, good eaters = a healthy snake.

Congrats on the new additions! lol ;)
 
May i recommend the corn snake manual by Cathy Love. You may want to check how to take care for a snake instead of waiting till you bump into troubles. Snakes have specific needs quite different then a spider.
 
Jicin...I don't think it sounded unfriendly...

IguanaMama...you will definitely need to do some research. Corns are quite easy to care for, but they do have certain needs. You are going to get lots of information...some of it will even be contradictory. For example...you've been told not to feed in their enclosure. Many of us feed our snakes in their enclosure. One reason people say not to, is because some snakes become conditioned to being fed whenever the cage is opened and they may bite you when you reach in to pick them up. I have not seen this with my corns. I think that if they are handled often (when it is not feeding day), then there is no reason for them to think I am going to feed them every time the cage is opened. Another reason people say not to feed in the enclosure is because of the risk of the snake ingesting some of the substrate.

Another example is about whether they should be housed together or not. Many of us think it is MUCH better to house them separately. There are many reasons for this:
  • Cannibalism
  • Disease transfer
  • If it is a male/female pair, the female can become pregnant at too early of an age. This can lead to her becoming egg-bound and possibly dying.
  • Some of them are stressed by being housed with another snake.

In my opinion, there is no good reason to actually house them together. I suggest that you do a search on this site for cannibalism, housing together, etc. Read as many threads as you can on the subject, then decide for yourself if it is worth the risk to keep them together. Ultimately, you have to decide to do what you think is best.

Good luck! I wish you MANY happy years with your new babies!
 
VERY well said Terri. I agree. You will get alot of different advice, sometimes it gets confusing. Do as much research as you can, and just do what works for you. Conrats on your new snakes, and good luck!!! :)
 
Thanks everyone for your advice. Yes, I read some of the posts about cannibilism ew--will feed seperately and in different tank for sure. As I mentioned, when I saw these snakes it was like I was possessed I HAD to get them. It's not like me at all to do something like this without planning, so until my copy of the manual arrives, please continue to help me keep these little guys ok--I'm really not waiting to bump into trouble, I'm trying to avoid it by posting here and reading as much as I can on-line I've kept MANY different species of animals, so I know that they are all different and I know that I know next to nothing about snakes, not pretending to. I'll just leave them alone until tomorrow so they could digest and then I'll transfer them into their tank. Amazon has the manual, off to petco I go for tank and supplies.
 
yeah i know what your talking about. I went to my first reptile fair and i promised myself just to look for corns, but not take one home yet as i didn't have the viv yet. Guess what, i looked like a moron in the train with 2 snakes, a small viv, a water bowl, bag of substrate, heat math ect ect under my arm. I don't really know how i managed to get everything home.

CornCrazy: Just making sure

Norbert03: Huh?
 
Jicin, you need to grow up and quit the antagonizing replies to people who ask for help. I haven't posted about you until now, but I get so sick of seeing your rude posts. I automatically know everytime I see a post about someone having problems getting their snakes to eat, or they are a newbie asking for advice that you are going to be one of the first ones to answer with a rude comment about how they don't take care of their snakes and make them feel badly. I posted my reply to this thread before you apologized, but if it didn't seem rude why would you say "that came out unfriendly"? Exactly how old are you really? Your maturity and intellect in response to my post is truly dazzling!
 
P.S. I apologize to everyone else on this forum for letting her bait me into responding. I should have considered the source. Norbert, hon, I'm sorry, but you need a new role model. How 'bout CAV???? LOL
 
pleaaaase...

let it go! she said sorry. we had this problem last week and there's no need to start it again. she's calmed down, don't rile her up.
 
Actually JT...Jicin apologized BEFORE you posted...and I personally don't feel that she needed to. Her post did not sound rude.
 
JTGoff, I think you owe Jicin an apology. She was apologizing for her post sounding rude, but she was never trying to be rude. Thats why she apologized. We've had enough arguments around here, and we're all sick of it. She was giving very valid advise and meant it in a friendly way. She's not the bad guy, and everyone should stop automatically thinking she's trying to pick fights.
 
In defense of Jicin

Yes, that's right, I'm stepping up here - she's trying to not sound condescending, so cut her some slack. Rome wasn't built in a day. (Yes, I was one of her antagonizers, but that's water under the bridge.)
 
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