he runs around scratching at the glass. no head bobbing or anything like that, hes just going ballistic. i let him run around for 10 min and then i put him back in and he sill does it.
Answers:
My dragon does the same exact thing. I think he just gets bored and lonely because he usually calms once we take him out and handle him for a while. If that doesn't work try putting him in the bathtub with about 1 1/2 inches of warm water. My dragon loves it and splashes around for as long as we will let him. It is a great way for him to get some energy out and live it up outside the cage. It is also really fun to watch.
he wants to be free
Your beard dragon has lots of energy. You can let him run around for longer, supervised of course. Just let him run around until he is tired, then put him back. He should stop going ballistic in his tank and calm down.
My bearded dragon does the same thing when he has lots of energy and wants to run around.
Well he seems very energetic if the tank is too large for the lizards size he will do that because he doesnt feel secure.You should bring him out everyday for in between
10-20 minutes
You really need to listen to me. I have a bearded dragon that does the same thing. Mine does that because she is lonley. I noticed that she was always scratching at her image and trying to get to it. I am going to get her a play mate soon and I know that will help. If you have a big enough cage I would recomend getting another...it wouldn't cost that much more to have another one.
put the tank in an area where it will have more contact with people like the living room
How large is the enclosure? how old is the BD? He may be reacting to his reflection...you can tape black construction paper to the sides to see if it makes a difference. He doesn't 'require' a playmate and you may end up with a gravid, fertile female if you are unsure of the sexes...Also, is there anything in the room that may look like 'food' to him? something that may resemble a moving insect? maybe a feather or mobile or something like that? When they see prey, they go nuts. Can he see the crickets you feed him from his view?
just a thought
Try covering 3 sides of the tank with paper (something the dragon cannot see through. If this does the trick, you can replace the paper with aquarium scenes.
The dragon isn't lonely for another dragon - it can see through the glass and cannot understand why it cannot get through that invisible barrier. Lizards cannot understand glass or see through plastic.
We only use front view enclosures, and we often use a plastic mesh screen on the door instead of glass. It eliminates all similar activity.
One of ours: http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/rep...
Good luck!
~Morgana
Friday, May 8, 2009
Couple Leopard Gecko Questions.?
I am wanting to get a baby leopard gecko, I have a couple questions.
Firstly, I will be using a 10 gallon, with an undertank heater.
I know that alot of people use paper towels for there babys, but is it okay to use with a undertank heater? will it get under the paper somehow and burn itself? would it just be better off to use cage carpet for it? How much is to much handling? should it be left alone till it gets bigger? I already have a adult leopard gecko, so I know pretty much everything else for caring for a leo, but never had a baby one.
Also do you know of any places on the net where I can order less then 1000 mealworms?? Thanks
Answers:
Undertank heaters are dangerous for any reptile because they do not have heat sensors in their stomachs. They can easily overheat because they don't know to move, and their intestines slowly cook. So please, don't use an under tank heater for your babies OR adults.
I don't know why you would use a paper towel, considering the best substrate is the natural sand that they are used to. I'll admit, paper towels are easy to change and clean, but I believe the paper particles are not good for injesting as they would expand.
As for handling: I believe that, as long as you are gentle and the animal is not stressed, you should be OK to handle it. Most stores don't sell true "babies" but rather juvinelles who already have healty appetites established. Give it a couple of days to re-adjust to your house and new cage, but then you should be fine to handle it.
to purchase mealworms: I'd suggest going to www.froogle.com and search for "mealworms" and sort through the responses to find exactly what you want :-) I saw 50, and 500.
Undertank heaters are the BEST heat source to use with Leopard Geckos. The belly heat is needed to digest their food properly. It is important to remember to use a thermostat or rheostat to control the temperature, however. I only use paper towels for substrate with baby Leos, as they are easily impacted if they eat any kind of particulate substrate such as sand. Burns are not a worry when the UTH is used on a thermostat either. Paper towels are easily changed out as well to keep a clean environment.
Regular gentle handing is important for babies, if you don't handle them as babies, they will be harder to "tame" as an older animal. Start out by holding him inside the tank if he is jumpy, always scooping him up from underneath, not grabbing him from above as this seems to be 'threatening" to them. Let him walk across your hand, etc inside the tank until he feels comfortable with you, and you feel like you don't have to worry about him jumping off and trying to escape.
I order all of my feeders from reptilefood.com. Keep in mind that mealies to have a lot more chitin ("shell") than crickets, and are a bit harder to digest for babies. I try to feed mine more crickets, and keep just a few mealies in their bowl.
Firstly, I will be using a 10 gallon, with an undertank heater.
I know that alot of people use paper towels for there babys, but is it okay to use with a undertank heater? will it get under the paper somehow and burn itself? would it just be better off to use cage carpet for it? How much is to much handling? should it be left alone till it gets bigger? I already have a adult leopard gecko, so I know pretty much everything else for caring for a leo, but never had a baby one.
Also do you know of any places on the net where I can order less then 1000 mealworms?? Thanks
Answers:
Undertank heaters are dangerous for any reptile because they do not have heat sensors in their stomachs. They can easily overheat because they don't know to move, and their intestines slowly cook. So please, don't use an under tank heater for your babies OR adults.
I don't know why you would use a paper towel, considering the best substrate is the natural sand that they are used to. I'll admit, paper towels are easy to change and clean, but I believe the paper particles are not good for injesting as they would expand.
As for handling: I believe that, as long as you are gentle and the animal is not stressed, you should be OK to handle it. Most stores don't sell true "babies" but rather juvinelles who already have healty appetites established. Give it a couple of days to re-adjust to your house and new cage, but then you should be fine to handle it.
to purchase mealworms: I'd suggest going to www.froogle.com and search for "mealworms" and sort through the responses to find exactly what you want :-) I saw 50, and 500.
Undertank heaters are the BEST heat source to use with Leopard Geckos. The belly heat is needed to digest their food properly. It is important to remember to use a thermostat or rheostat to control the temperature, however. I only use paper towels for substrate with baby Leos, as they are easily impacted if they eat any kind of particulate substrate such as sand. Burns are not a worry when the UTH is used on a thermostat either. Paper towels are easily changed out as well to keep a clean environment.
Regular gentle handing is important for babies, if you don't handle them as babies, they will be harder to "tame" as an older animal. Start out by holding him inside the tank if he is jumpy, always scooping him up from underneath, not grabbing him from above as this seems to be 'threatening" to them. Let him walk across your hand, etc inside the tank until he feels comfortable with you, and you feel like you don't have to worry about him jumping off and trying to escape.
I order all of my feeders from reptilefood.com. Keep in mind that mealies to have a lot more chitin ("shell") than crickets, and are a bit harder to digest for babies. I try to feed mine more crickets, and keep just a few mealies in their bowl.
Could somebody please help tell me how to feed my snake?
mmhmm... is is a "corn snake", its size is 46 centimeters long (14 inch) and i called her "cocaine". Vets told me to put some crickets so she could eat but they're all dead after a week and she never ate any. I'm worried because i have like month and a half with the snake and she has eaten NOTHIN' in all that time, the strange thing is that she's making poop daily. Could you help me please? Thnx!
Answers:
At 14 inches, your corn can be eating baby mice (called pinkies) which could be why it's refusing crickets. Get some live ones at the pet store, stick them in the freezer in the container you get them in, and 12-24 hrs later, fill a large glass with HOT water, put the pinkies in and leave them for about 20-30 minutes, check back and if they feel warm and squishy, they're done. Get some tweezers, hold them by the tail and wiggle them in front of your snake, which should set off the feeding response and it should eat.
Also, what temperature are you keeping your snake at, if she's not warm enough (corns require basic needs) she won't eat.
The daily defecation is due to the fact that not only is she young, she's a colubrid, and they do poo/pee a whole lot when they're growing.
EDIT: I don't know precisely what temperature they need to be exactly...being a colubrid they don't have heat pits, so warm enough that it is squishy is most important. I'm so used to dealing with snakes that need food to be "alive" temps, due to heat pits. Just get the water as hot as it can go on your faucet, that should be sufficient...trust me, you'll know when the pinkies are ready, and people at the pet store should be able to give you an idea as well.
wow lol.they eat mice, not crickets. here ya go.
Caring for Corn Snakes
Elaphe guttata
漏1994 Melissa Kaplan
Is It A Corn Or A Rat!?
Corn and Rat snakes both belong to the genus Elaphe; Corns belong to the species Elaphe guttata; many of the rat snakes are subspecies of Elaphe obsoleta. For a full list of the Elaphe species, see the EMBL Database: Colubridae: Elaphe.
The Latin word elaphe means deerskin; guttata means speckled or spotted. Both terms apply to corns and rats: in most species, their skin feels like finely tanned deerskin, while the patterns on their back create spots or speckles. Some people see the patterning of the belly scales as resembling maize, a colorful ancestor of our modern day corn. Another theory relating to how corn snakes got their name comes from the early Europeans settlers. They frequently found these snakes in their corn fields and corn cribs, and thought they were eating the corn! In fact, the corn snakes were, and remain, very helpful to farmers as they help keep down the rodent population. Amelanistic corns (those lacking the black and brown skin coloring) are sometimes called "red rat snakes" because of their red-to-orange coloring.
There are presently two subspecies of corns, E. g. gutatta and E. g. meahllmorum.
The care information below discusses corns. The same information applies to rat snakes, as well, other than that species whose overall length and size are larger than corns will require larger enclosures and larger prey.
Natural History
Corns are commonly found in deciduous forests, pine barrens, rocky hillsides and farm areas over a broad swath of the United States (Alabama, Arkansas, West central/Southeast Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Southern Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Eastern Utah, Virginia). They have also been reported in Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, North Durango, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas) and the Cayman Islands.
Corns are most active at night or in the hours of dawn and dusk (crepuscular). While they are primarily ground-dwellers, some are semi-arboreal. While the Elaphes feed on everything ranging from fish to frogs to rodents to mammals, wild Corns start off feeding on small invertebrates and vertebrates, such as crickets. Corns lay eggs, becoming sexually mature at around two years of age.
Personal Statistics
Hatchlings range in size from 9-14 inches (22-36 cm); adults are generally 2.5 to 5 feet 76-152 cm) in length; most are in the 3-4 foot (91-122 cm) range. The average life span of these snakes is 10 years, although one was documented to be 21 years old.
In the wild, hatchlings feed largely on small lizards and tree frogs, while adults feed on small rodents and birds, killing their prey by constriction. In captivity, hatchlings Corns can easily be started on pinkie mice (1-2 day old), quickly moving up the prey scale, to fuzzies, crews and small adult mice. Both hatchlings and adults can be fed prekilled rodents.
When selecting a corn or rat snake, look for a well-fleshed body, no visible cuts or abrasions, clear, alert eyes, tongue flicking, no signs of mites or ticks. The vent should be clean.
It is always recommended to obtain captive bred, rather than wild-caught, corns. Captive bred ones have become very popular because of all the exotic colors and patterns they "come in". Unfortunately, those morphs are caused by intense inbreeding. As a result, corns are increasingly exhibiting morbitidy and mortality problems as a result of undesireable genes being bred along with the ones for color and pattern. Failure/Inability to feed and sudden, inexplicable death are the two most common problems that have been increasing over that past several years.
Growth
Many people believe that a reptile will not grow any larger that its tank. THIS IS NOT TRUE! The reptile keeps growing and will become miserable, and probably ill, if the proper tank size is not provided. The only way to "stunt" a reptile's is to not feed it enough; assuming you do not want a dead reptile, this is not something you should do. Always find out the adult size of an animal before you buy it. Note that many pet stores intentionally stunt a reptile's growth; they find it's easier to sell a cute young reptile to someone who does not know what they are looking at than an older, bigger animal. Always inquire how old the animal is, when it was acquired, etc. Be a knowledgeable consumer, not an impulse buyer.
Setting Up Your Snake's New Home
Enclosure
Corns must be housed in at least a 20 gallon tank. The tank must have a secure top. A determined snake can push against screen or glass until it finds an opening big enough for its head; where its head goes, so goes its body. Some snakes will constantly rub their nose against the screened top of the tank in an effort to find a way out. The resulting abrasions should be treated with an antiseptic and antibiotic ointment. The furnishings in the enclosure should then be evaluated to provide a more natural environment.
Provide a Hiding Place
A hide box of some sort should be provided, and an interesting branch for climbing and resting. Branches collected from the wild will need to be debugged by soaking first in chlorine/water solution, then rinsed thoroughly, soaked in clean water, then left to dry in the sun. No special lighting is required.
Substrate
With corn snakes, there are a couple of different substrates that can be used, such as pine chips (not cedar chips, are toxic), indoor/outdoor carpeting and "Astroturf". If you use the carpeting or Astroturf, you must wash it then let it dry thoroughly before it can be used in the tank again; have two pieces on hand which can be rotated. The snakes will often burrow under the chips or carpet/turf, so don't be surprised if they are not always in view. If you use pine or aspen shavings or cypress mulch, the urine and feces can be scooped out with a cat litter scoop, with fresh chips added as needed. Be sure to remove soiled substrate as soon as possible; urine-soaked material become a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. If you use this type of substrate you will have to place your snake in a secure area to feed it; you do not want it to ingest any chips.
Temperature
An undertank heat pad is placed under one-half of the tank; this leaves one side cooler so that your snake can regulate its body temperature as needed. A heating pad made for people can be purchased at any drug store; set it at medium or low depending upon the ambient air temperature. To maintain health, corn snakes must be kept at 75-85 F, the higher temperature being necessary to digest its food. Temperatures can fall to the lower range at night. To easily monitor temperature, inexpensive aquarium self-stick thermometers can be purchased and applied about an inch above the bottom of the tank on the warm side.
Hot rocks should never be used; they fluctuate too much, and too many reptiles suffer severe ventral burns.
An incandescent light bulb in a reflector shield may be set just outside the tank to heat up a basking area; appliance timers can be set to turn the light on and off at set times during the day. Reset the hours of operation to adjust for seasonal fluctuations in ambient air temperature.
Feeding
An active snake will happily eat every 10 days or so. They will eat, and should only be fed, killed prey. A snake who is not hungry when live prey is introduced into the enclosure often finds itself becoming the meal, especially if the prey is a rat.
To economize, you can buy in bulk and freeze them. Contact your local herpetology society; many members breed mice and rats, and most will pre-kill them for you. Remove the prey item from the freezer and allow to defrost at room temperature. When defrosted, use forceps or tongs to pick up the rodent by the tail, and hold the prey in front of the snake for the snake to strike at.
Many snakes will eat prey that is just placed in the tank. Occasionally, a quail egg can be offered to wild-caught specimens. If the snake likes it, one can be offered every couple of weeks. (Since quail eggs purchased in stores or from hatcheries are unlikely to be fertilized, they should not form a regular part of the main diet.)
Start hatchlings off with pinkie mice. As your snake grows, gradually increase the prey size by offering fuzzies, crews, then small adult mice or rat pinkies. A full-grown Corn or Rat can eat a medium to large mouse; large Rat snakes can eat small rats. If you feed too much at one feeding session, or feed a prey item that is too large, your snake may regurgitate it.
Water
A bowl of fresh water must always be available at all times. It will be used for drinking and sometimes for bathing. If the snake defecates in it, the bowl must be cleaned and disinfected immediately.
Handling
Corns do not wrap snugly around your arm like pythons or kings. They tend to pick a direction and go for it. Though they are relatively small in body mass, they are quite strong. Always support the body and give free rein to the head. If the head starts going somewhere you don't want it to go, gently guide it into another direction. Many snakes are nervous when introduced into a new situation with new people. Give them a couple of days to settle down before letting new people handle them.
Shedding
As a reptile grows, its old skin become too tight and worn. A new skin awaits just below the old. As a snake gets ready to shed, its eyes will turn a milky blue over the course of several days, and the body color will start to dull and develop a whitish sheen. Once the eyes have cleared, the snake is ready to shed. To assure proper hydration, soak the snake in warmish water after the eyes clear; this should enable to snake to shed easily within the next 24 hours.
Veterinary Care
All newly acquired reptiles should have fecal exams done by an experienced reptile vet to check for bacteria, protozoa and worms. Many of the parasites, bacteria and protozoans can be transmitted to humans and other reptiles. Left untreated, these infestations can ultimately kill your reptile. Medications are available to treat these conditions. When your snake first defecates, collect the feces in a clean plastic bag, seal it, label it with your name, phone number, date and your snake's name, then take it and your snake to a reptile vet.
Signs of ill-health
Snakes, like all other animals, do get sick. Listlessness, failure to eat over several weeks or regurgitating meals can be signs of bacterial or endoparasite infection. Take these animals to a reptile vet, with a fecal or vomitus sample enclosed in a ziplock bag. Ectoparasites, such as ticks and mites, must also be dealt with. With proper instruction, this is something you can do yourself if the infestation is mild. Allowed to escalate, ectoparasites can kill their host. If the skin around the neck forms wrinkles and puckers, the snake is severely dehydrated and you must see a vet. The vet will either administer subcutaneous fluids or show you how to force fluids. Animals cannot digest food when dehydrated, so emaciation will set in if the condition is allowed to continue untreated. Then, respiratory infections, parasites and other problems, and possibly death, will occur. Thin, stringy mucous coming out of nose or mouth or changes in feces or urates (different color, consistency, frequency) signal a disease or infection. Observe your snake every day to be sure to catch any problems early. Treat the problem as soon as it is noticed to prevent other health problems and vet bills.
Hello, your snake is sick..they should never be pottying every day..if you bought this snake ..go back to the seller or find a reptile vet ASAP.. if this is a wild caught snake that you've come into contact with it %26 it's poops..etc..you now need to find out what is wrong or watch out for any symptoms that you are sick now too .Take Care :)
ok i am with the get it to a vet thing... NO snake should be pooping every day...
Mine poops once a month or so..
Forget crickets or any insects. Corn snakes are not insect eaters, they eat rodents, small birds, lizards and the like. Get rid of that vet if he told you to feed crickets, he doesn't know what he's talking about. She's pooping the remains of her past meals %26 will soon start to dehydrate if you don't get some food in her. Make sure there's always fresh water for her %26 her cage has a temperature variation of from about 80-85 degrees in the warm spot to 70-75 degrees in the cool spot. Have a couple of hiding spots , one in the warm zone %26 one in the cooler zone, this helps her find the best spot for her to digest her meals. You should get some pre-killed, frozen baby (pinkie) mice for her to eat. Thaw them out in warm water, %26 then offer them to your snake. Some snakes will grab them if they're placed in front of them %26 with some, you might have to use tweezers to wiggle the mouse to simulate movement to get her attention. Either way, plan on her eating 2-4 pinkies, so thaw that many at once. Once they get started, they feed pretty well, 1-2X/ week. Good luck.
No crickets! only baby mice called pinkies. read this site!!!
http://members.aol.com/kathandcam/hawkhe...
Answers:
At 14 inches, your corn can be eating baby mice (called pinkies) which could be why it's refusing crickets. Get some live ones at the pet store, stick them in the freezer in the container you get them in, and 12-24 hrs later, fill a large glass with HOT water, put the pinkies in and leave them for about 20-30 minutes, check back and if they feel warm and squishy, they're done. Get some tweezers, hold them by the tail and wiggle them in front of your snake, which should set off the feeding response and it should eat.
Also, what temperature are you keeping your snake at, if she's not warm enough (corns require basic needs) she won't eat.
The daily defecation is due to the fact that not only is she young, she's a colubrid, and they do poo/pee a whole lot when they're growing.
EDIT: I don't know precisely what temperature they need to be exactly...being a colubrid they don't have heat pits, so warm enough that it is squishy is most important. I'm so used to dealing with snakes that need food to be "alive" temps, due to heat pits. Just get the water as hot as it can go on your faucet, that should be sufficient...trust me, you'll know when the pinkies are ready, and people at the pet store should be able to give you an idea as well.
wow lol.they eat mice, not crickets. here ya go.
Caring for Corn Snakes
Elaphe guttata
漏1994 Melissa Kaplan
Is It A Corn Or A Rat!?
Corn and Rat snakes both belong to the genus Elaphe; Corns belong to the species Elaphe guttata; many of the rat snakes are subspecies of Elaphe obsoleta. For a full list of the Elaphe species, see the EMBL Database: Colubridae: Elaphe.
The Latin word elaphe means deerskin; guttata means speckled or spotted. Both terms apply to corns and rats: in most species, their skin feels like finely tanned deerskin, while the patterns on their back create spots or speckles. Some people see the patterning of the belly scales as resembling maize, a colorful ancestor of our modern day corn. Another theory relating to how corn snakes got their name comes from the early Europeans settlers. They frequently found these snakes in their corn fields and corn cribs, and thought they were eating the corn! In fact, the corn snakes were, and remain, very helpful to farmers as they help keep down the rodent population. Amelanistic corns (those lacking the black and brown skin coloring) are sometimes called "red rat snakes" because of their red-to-orange coloring.
There are presently two subspecies of corns, E. g. gutatta and E. g. meahllmorum.
The care information below discusses corns. The same information applies to rat snakes, as well, other than that species whose overall length and size are larger than corns will require larger enclosures and larger prey.
Natural History
Corns are commonly found in deciduous forests, pine barrens, rocky hillsides and farm areas over a broad swath of the United States (Alabama, Arkansas, West central/Southeast Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Southern Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Eastern Utah, Virginia). They have also been reported in Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, North Durango, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas) and the Cayman Islands.
Corns are most active at night or in the hours of dawn and dusk (crepuscular). While they are primarily ground-dwellers, some are semi-arboreal. While the Elaphes feed on everything ranging from fish to frogs to rodents to mammals, wild Corns start off feeding on small invertebrates and vertebrates, such as crickets. Corns lay eggs, becoming sexually mature at around two years of age.
Personal Statistics
Hatchlings range in size from 9-14 inches (22-36 cm); adults are generally 2.5 to 5 feet 76-152 cm) in length; most are in the 3-4 foot (91-122 cm) range. The average life span of these snakes is 10 years, although one was documented to be 21 years old.
In the wild, hatchlings feed largely on small lizards and tree frogs, while adults feed on small rodents and birds, killing their prey by constriction. In captivity, hatchlings Corns can easily be started on pinkie mice (1-2 day old), quickly moving up the prey scale, to fuzzies, crews and small adult mice. Both hatchlings and adults can be fed prekilled rodents.
When selecting a corn or rat snake, look for a well-fleshed body, no visible cuts or abrasions, clear, alert eyes, tongue flicking, no signs of mites or ticks. The vent should be clean.
It is always recommended to obtain captive bred, rather than wild-caught, corns. Captive bred ones have become very popular because of all the exotic colors and patterns they "come in". Unfortunately, those morphs are caused by intense inbreeding. As a result, corns are increasingly exhibiting morbitidy and mortality problems as a result of undesireable genes being bred along with the ones for color and pattern. Failure/Inability to feed and sudden, inexplicable death are the two most common problems that have been increasing over that past several years.
Growth
Many people believe that a reptile will not grow any larger that its tank. THIS IS NOT TRUE! The reptile keeps growing and will become miserable, and probably ill, if the proper tank size is not provided. The only way to "stunt" a reptile's is to not feed it enough; assuming you do not want a dead reptile, this is not something you should do. Always find out the adult size of an animal before you buy it. Note that many pet stores intentionally stunt a reptile's growth; they find it's easier to sell a cute young reptile to someone who does not know what they are looking at than an older, bigger animal. Always inquire how old the animal is, when it was acquired, etc. Be a knowledgeable consumer, not an impulse buyer.
Setting Up Your Snake's New Home
Enclosure
Corns must be housed in at least a 20 gallon tank. The tank must have a secure top. A determined snake can push against screen or glass until it finds an opening big enough for its head; where its head goes, so goes its body. Some snakes will constantly rub their nose against the screened top of the tank in an effort to find a way out. The resulting abrasions should be treated with an antiseptic and antibiotic ointment. The furnishings in the enclosure should then be evaluated to provide a more natural environment.
Provide a Hiding Place
A hide box of some sort should be provided, and an interesting branch for climbing and resting. Branches collected from the wild will need to be debugged by soaking first in chlorine/water solution, then rinsed thoroughly, soaked in clean water, then left to dry in the sun. No special lighting is required.
Substrate
With corn snakes, there are a couple of different substrates that can be used, such as pine chips (not cedar chips, are toxic), indoor/outdoor carpeting and "Astroturf". If you use the carpeting or Astroturf, you must wash it then let it dry thoroughly before it can be used in the tank again; have two pieces on hand which can be rotated. The snakes will often burrow under the chips or carpet/turf, so don't be surprised if they are not always in view. If you use pine or aspen shavings or cypress mulch, the urine and feces can be scooped out with a cat litter scoop, with fresh chips added as needed. Be sure to remove soiled substrate as soon as possible; urine-soaked material become a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. If you use this type of substrate you will have to place your snake in a secure area to feed it; you do not want it to ingest any chips.
Temperature
An undertank heat pad is placed under one-half of the tank; this leaves one side cooler so that your snake can regulate its body temperature as needed. A heating pad made for people can be purchased at any drug store; set it at medium or low depending upon the ambient air temperature. To maintain health, corn snakes must be kept at 75-85 F, the higher temperature being necessary to digest its food. Temperatures can fall to the lower range at night. To easily monitor temperature, inexpensive aquarium self-stick thermometers can be purchased and applied about an inch above the bottom of the tank on the warm side.
Hot rocks should never be used; they fluctuate too much, and too many reptiles suffer severe ventral burns.
An incandescent light bulb in a reflector shield may be set just outside the tank to heat up a basking area; appliance timers can be set to turn the light on and off at set times during the day. Reset the hours of operation to adjust for seasonal fluctuations in ambient air temperature.
Feeding
An active snake will happily eat every 10 days or so. They will eat, and should only be fed, killed prey. A snake who is not hungry when live prey is introduced into the enclosure often finds itself becoming the meal, especially if the prey is a rat.
To economize, you can buy in bulk and freeze them. Contact your local herpetology society; many members breed mice and rats, and most will pre-kill them for you. Remove the prey item from the freezer and allow to defrost at room temperature. When defrosted, use forceps or tongs to pick up the rodent by the tail, and hold the prey in front of the snake for the snake to strike at.
Many snakes will eat prey that is just placed in the tank. Occasionally, a quail egg can be offered to wild-caught specimens. If the snake likes it, one can be offered every couple of weeks. (Since quail eggs purchased in stores or from hatcheries are unlikely to be fertilized, they should not form a regular part of the main diet.)
Start hatchlings off with pinkie mice. As your snake grows, gradually increase the prey size by offering fuzzies, crews, then small adult mice or rat pinkies. A full-grown Corn or Rat can eat a medium to large mouse; large Rat snakes can eat small rats. If you feed too much at one feeding session, or feed a prey item that is too large, your snake may regurgitate it.
Water
A bowl of fresh water must always be available at all times. It will be used for drinking and sometimes for bathing. If the snake defecates in it, the bowl must be cleaned and disinfected immediately.
Handling
Corns do not wrap snugly around your arm like pythons or kings. They tend to pick a direction and go for it. Though they are relatively small in body mass, they are quite strong. Always support the body and give free rein to the head. If the head starts going somewhere you don't want it to go, gently guide it into another direction. Many snakes are nervous when introduced into a new situation with new people. Give them a couple of days to settle down before letting new people handle them.
Shedding
As a reptile grows, its old skin become too tight and worn. A new skin awaits just below the old. As a snake gets ready to shed, its eyes will turn a milky blue over the course of several days, and the body color will start to dull and develop a whitish sheen. Once the eyes have cleared, the snake is ready to shed. To assure proper hydration, soak the snake in warmish water after the eyes clear; this should enable to snake to shed easily within the next 24 hours.
Veterinary Care
All newly acquired reptiles should have fecal exams done by an experienced reptile vet to check for bacteria, protozoa and worms. Many of the parasites, bacteria and protozoans can be transmitted to humans and other reptiles. Left untreated, these infestations can ultimately kill your reptile. Medications are available to treat these conditions. When your snake first defecates, collect the feces in a clean plastic bag, seal it, label it with your name, phone number, date and your snake's name, then take it and your snake to a reptile vet.
Signs of ill-health
Snakes, like all other animals, do get sick. Listlessness, failure to eat over several weeks or regurgitating meals can be signs of bacterial or endoparasite infection. Take these animals to a reptile vet, with a fecal or vomitus sample enclosed in a ziplock bag. Ectoparasites, such as ticks and mites, must also be dealt with. With proper instruction, this is something you can do yourself if the infestation is mild. Allowed to escalate, ectoparasites can kill their host. If the skin around the neck forms wrinkles and puckers, the snake is severely dehydrated and you must see a vet. The vet will either administer subcutaneous fluids or show you how to force fluids. Animals cannot digest food when dehydrated, so emaciation will set in if the condition is allowed to continue untreated. Then, respiratory infections, parasites and other problems, and possibly death, will occur. Thin, stringy mucous coming out of nose or mouth or changes in feces or urates (different color, consistency, frequency) signal a disease or infection. Observe your snake every day to be sure to catch any problems early. Treat the problem as soon as it is noticed to prevent other health problems and vet bills.
Hello, your snake is sick..they should never be pottying every day..if you bought this snake ..go back to the seller or find a reptile vet ASAP.. if this is a wild caught snake that you've come into contact with it %26 it's poops..etc..you now need to find out what is wrong or watch out for any symptoms that you are sick now too .Take Care :)
ok i am with the get it to a vet thing... NO snake should be pooping every day...
Mine poops once a month or so..
Forget crickets or any insects. Corn snakes are not insect eaters, they eat rodents, small birds, lizards and the like. Get rid of that vet if he told you to feed crickets, he doesn't know what he's talking about. She's pooping the remains of her past meals %26 will soon start to dehydrate if you don't get some food in her. Make sure there's always fresh water for her %26 her cage has a temperature variation of from about 80-85 degrees in the warm spot to 70-75 degrees in the cool spot. Have a couple of hiding spots , one in the warm zone %26 one in the cooler zone, this helps her find the best spot for her to digest her meals. You should get some pre-killed, frozen baby (pinkie) mice for her to eat. Thaw them out in warm water, %26 then offer them to your snake. Some snakes will grab them if they're placed in front of them %26 with some, you might have to use tweezers to wiggle the mouse to simulate movement to get her attention. Either way, plan on her eating 2-4 pinkies, so thaw that many at once. Once they get started, they feed pretty well, 1-2X/ week. Good luck.
No crickets! only baby mice called pinkies. read this site!!!
http://members.aol.com/kathandcam/hawkhe...
Corn snakes? when do they sleep? and best substrate?
Answers:
My snakes, all of them, seem to sleep whenever and as often as they can but they are all nocturnal so they sleep the majority during the day.
I have used a few different sub's, paper towels, AstroTurf, wet compacted sand so it is stiff after it dries, wood chis (made for reptiles), newspapers, etc...
I like newspaper but the snakes seems to prefer wood chips. He loves it. I like newspapers cause they are easier to clean but the snake likes the wood chips. When I feed my reptiles I place them in containers, basically to avoid compaction and to monitor eating.
-Good luck.
They sleep in the cupboard between the porridge and the Weetabix. Oh, sorry, thought you said Corn Flakes.
they sleep during the day i have my tank set up with just simple cage carpet and a log for him to sleep under and branches to climb the substrate is up to you, i went with cage carpet since when i got him i was working in a pet store and i was looking for something that was easy to maintain.
hope this helps
Cornsnakes are most active at dusk and sleep mostly during the day, although they will be active at times during the day too.
I use Beech Chips for mine, Shredded Aspen is good, or for hatchlings and very young, newspaper can be used to help prevent impaction from swallowed substrate.
NEVER use Pine or Cedar for ANY reptile as they contain toxins that are toxic to ALL reptiles.
Corn snakes heat what should the cooler side read ?
just making sure.
Answers:
Regardless of where the snake came from, the cooler side of the cage should be between 70-80 degrees. Some people on this site are pure morons when it comes to wild caught snakes.
Hello..did you buy this snake or catch it...if you bought it ...go to the store %26 ask them .. I'll not help anyone who takes things from the wild %26 tries to make them pets..bad to do, very bad..I hope no one else will either..if you caught this snake, let it go ...Take Care :)
Read here it tells you.
http://members.aol.com/kathandcam/hawkhe...
Answers:
Regardless of where the snake came from, the cooler side of the cage should be between 70-80 degrees. Some people on this site are pure morons when it comes to wild caught snakes.
Hello..did you buy this snake or catch it...if you bought it ...go to the store %26 ask them .. I'll not help anyone who takes things from the wild %26 tries to make them pets..bad to do, very bad..I hope no one else will either..if you caught this snake, let it go ...Take Care :)
Read here it tells you.
http://members.aol.com/kathandcam/hawkhe...
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