Questions from a beginner [Archive] - sSNAKESs : Reptile Forum

saturnascends

03-06-17, 07:28 AM

Hi all!

I wish this forum had a place for newbie to post their questions, because I feel bad asking what I am sure has been asked a thousand times over. But I wanted to ask some things about my new snake here rather than in my introduction thread!

I got a California kingsnake last Saturday (Feb. 25th). He is young, but I don't know the exact age. He's probably about 13 inches in length if I had to guess. Since we brought him home he has mostly hidden out in his new home. To some extent, I figure this must be normal snake behavior, and also adding in the fact that he's getting accustomed to his new place. But I still would like to ask the experts if this is ok.

I don't expect a snake to be a cuddly type of pet, but I do hope to be able to hold him in the near future. Do you think we are still are in the window of time where he's still just adjusting? Is his young age also a factor? I fed him for my first time back on Wednesday and though it took him awhile to get the pinkie down, he did successfully eat it so I was happy about that. I guess I just want reassurance I'm doing things right so far and that he'll come around in his own time. If anyone has any opinions I'd love to hear them! I did research before purchasing him, but of course there are a thousand opinions out there and some often contradict each other! Thanks!

afsgr88

03-06-17, 07:54 AM

Hi there! And congrats on the new critter :)

You should definitely not be worried about him hiding so much. Young snakes are pretty much defenseless in the wild, so they spend most of their time hiding from predators. This is pretty hard wired into their DNA, so even captive bred individuals have this behavior. I am sure when he starts growing he will feel more confident and start wandering around more.

At this point, for him, you are still a big scary predator, and only time and handling will show the snake that you're not gonna eat him :D

Just give him some time. If your husbandry is on point and he is eating without problems, you shouldn't be worried at all :)

Andy_G

03-06-17, 08:10 AM

Get him feeding a few times in a row before you begin to handle him. Let him settle for a week before your first offering. Everything sounds normal and welcome to the world of keeping snakes!

saturnascends

03-06-17, 08:21 AM

Thank you both! What you've said makes a lot of sense. I guess I just need some hand holding :D

If anyone is curious, he is in an Exo-Terra terrarium. I have a hide on the cool side, in the middle and on the warm side. There is also a "moss vine" I put in for climbing. I'm using Care Fresh for his bedding as that's what they had him living in at the reptile shop. As far as I have observed, he likes spending most of his time in the small gap between the styrofoam "rock" background and the top of the enclosure (if you're familiar with the Exo-Terra set ups). I guess he'll outgrow that pretty soon, haha! Cool side is consistently measuring at about 75 degrees and warm side about 85-88 degrees.

Andy_G

03-06-17, 08:23 AM

Husbandry sounds good. Now the hard part especially for beginners; try not to worry and let him be a snake! :)

saturnascends

03-06-17, 08:25 AM

Husbandry sounds good. Now the hard part especially for beginners; try not to worry and let him be a snake! :)

Touche! Haha!

Scubadiver59

03-06-17, 08:34 AM

Yes, don't feel to bad about not handling, or even seeing your pet if you've given them places to hide. Both of my snakes, my Corn and King, are hiding in the faux hollow log structures I put into their homes last week.

I was able to feed the King, and she appeared rather feisty, but the Corn has been absent for duty since I put the structure into her cage. I actually left a small pinky for her to eat the same night I fed the King, and when I got up the next morning it was gone...and so was she...again.

I guess they're feeling well since I was able to find some excrement near the cold hide of the King, and it looks like the Corn left her present in the sphagnum moss bowl that I use to to increase humidity.

Feeding time is on the 7th or 8th, fed them on the 3rd, so hopefully they'll be out looking for food the next two nights. Hopefully...

saturnascends

03-06-17, 08:43 AM

afsgr88

03-06-17, 08:58 AM

Yes, I have to check for poop very soon. I'm not sure what to expect! I don't want to tear apart the place but I also don't want to leave it sitting around for too long. If he's even pooped yet. Ah, trial and error!

Believe me, if he pooped, you won't miss it! As soon as you open the enclosure you will feel that wonderful smell! Hehe :D

BillyCostume

03-06-17, 09:24 AM

Husbandry sounds good. Now the hard part especially for beginners; try not to worry and let him be a snake! :)

Hahaha best advice ever, I'm an obsessive worrier when it comes to my animals

saturnascends

03-06-17, 09:56 AM

Believe me, if he pooped, you won't miss it! As soon as you open the enclosure you will feel that wonderful smell! Hehe :D

Good to know! LOL

Kathryntheclean

03-07-17, 08:55 PM

I started handling my 4 month old corn snake as soon as we got him. I didn't know at the time that it was best to let them get used to his new area first. I put my hand near the back of his head and waited for his tongue to come out so he could smell me. I gently stroked his back while telling him in a gentle tone who I was and what I was going to do. Not that he could understand, but I've always been told by more knowledgeable people to show animals how calm you are and they will be the same. Then, I'd carefully pick him up with both hands, still talking to him. I let him kinda go where he wanted on my arms and smell me lots. Now, when I go in his room and open the cage to get him, he kind of recognizes my voice and smell, I guess and he's calm. So, that's what I do. I may be totally in the wrong. Alex is our first snake, but I firmly believe if I get him used to me, he won't react badly.

Kathryntheclean

03-07-17, 08:58 PM

Oh, and my corn snake's poo...looks like tiny human poo. He always goes in his warm bath, as we're trying to rid him of mites. But I have never known the joy of smelling it!

saturnascends

03-08-17, 06:58 AM

Thanks Kathryn! You took what seems like a very logical approach. We're coming up on two weeks in his new home, so I'm thinking I'll attempt some handling soon. That's kind of hilarious about the poop! I hope your mite problem clears up, I doubt that's any fun!

saturnascends

03-08-17, 07:28 AM

Few more questions for you guys.

I don't think my snake has pooped the meal I gave him last Wednesday. Is it safe to feed a snake their next meal before expelling the previous one? Because he's due for his next mouse today.

Also, is there a general timeframe in which I should be fully cleaning his enclosure? Once a week? This is another one of those things I see differing info on.

saturnascends

03-08-17, 02:25 PM

Hi again!

So I did a bit of reading and saw it's ok to feed a snake it's next meal even if it hasn't pooped the last. So since today was technically feeding day, I decided to feed snek (I have been calling him that way too much, haha) and clean his cage. He also got an upgrade from his previous set up - I swapped out/added a few things!

The first time I fed him, I did it in his cage. It seems people have varying opinions on whether to do this in or out of their normal habitat. I decided this time to do it in one of those "critter keepers" I bought for that purpose. If you happened to read my intro thread you'll know our first feeding was...interesting. This time I managed to pull it off no problem - he ate it head first this time (whew) and instead of about an hour and 15 minutes, he got it down in about 20 minutes. Go team!

As for his home, I noticed he was spending almost all of his time in the crack at the top of the tank near the light. I realized after awhile that this meant (maybe) that he wasn't feeling warm enough in the rest of the tank despite my temp readings being within the normal range. So today I went and got new bedding, cleaner, a UTH, some fake foliage, a new water dish and a new hide (since he could give an f about the one I chose a couple weeks ago). The minute I put him in, he slid under the bedding. I'm guessing I won't see him for a couple days since he just ate. Here's what it looks like. I hope it's satisfactory so far!

sattva

03-08-17, 02:46 PM

Looks good to me... I feed all my guys in their cages...

Kathryntheclean

03-08-17, 03:44 PM

Weird...that's almost exactly my set up. Only the cave on the right is just a single, hollowed out rock. Strange that two different people would have the same looking tank.

saturnascends

03-08-17, 03:46 PM

Weird...that's almost exactly my set up. Only the cave on the right is just a single, hollowed out rock. Strange that two different people would have the same looking tank.

Perhaps we just have good taste ;)

GyGbeetle

03-08-17, 03:58 PM

Whenever I put new substrate in, about half the snakes will burrow. One had a grossly undersized hide when we first got him. Because he was just a babysitting charge, didn't want to get him all new stuff only for him to not be able to use it at the end. So we put new, different, bedding in, and he literally burrrowed his body under the bedding, with just his head buried under the hide. I should've taken pics. It was hilarious. We got him a new hide the next week.

EL Ziggy

03-08-17, 04:07 PM

Your enclosure looks nice. I'd ditch the half log and add a different hide on the cool side but that's about it. I assume your uth is on a thermostat.

saturnascends

03-08-17, 04:10 PM

GyG, I know that feeling if not having the camera when something good happens!

And Ziggy, thank you! I have mixed feelings on the log anyways, since so far he doesn't care about it. I did not know I needed a thermostat! Thanks for pointing that out. Do you have any ones/brands you can recommend?

EL Ziggy

03-08-17, 04:21 PM

Thermostats are the most important piece of equipment you'll need when keeping reptiles imo. It allows you to control the temps instead of just measuring them. An inexpensive but reliable brand that I trust is Hydrofarm. I've used them for years without issues. The higher end Herpstats and Vivarium Electronics have more bells and whistles.

https://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPRTC-Digital-Thermostat-Heat/dp/B000NZZG3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489011245&sr=8-1&keywords=hydrofarm+thermostat

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_18?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=herpstat+thermostat&sprefix=Herpstatthermostat%2Caps%2C232&crid=2AN6PFBBT5UNY

saturnascends

03-08-17, 04:26 PM

Awesome, thank you again! I will purchase one of these ASAP. I think I saw this in another thread you commented on but want to be sure - the probe goes between the UTH and the outside glass? So I need to peel the pad a little bit off the glass to put it in there?

EL Ziggy

03-08-17, 04:38 PM

You're right saturn. You may want to unplug your uth until you get your t-stat and just use your heat bulb for now. A lot of those uths will get hot enough to burn your snake.

saturnascends

03-08-17, 04:44 PM

Will do! Too bad I didn't know this beforehand, then I could have done the sticking all in one shot. I hope peeling the UTH off a bit won't ruin the adhesion once I press it back into place...but I'll see what happens! Luckily Amazon Prime will have it to me by Friday :)

EL Ziggy

03-08-17, 04:51 PM

Yeah I've gotten away from the stick on uths like Zoomed. They get way too hot and it's hard to transfer them between enclosures. For future reference check out the Ultratherm uths. They barely get over 100F even without a thermostat. I just tape them on with aluminum tape. If you're ordering from Amazon and have an extra $20 a temp gun is another great investment. This allows you to accurately measure temps anywhere in the enclosure.

Ultratherm Heat Pads (http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s?k=ir+temp+gun

saturnascends

03-08-17, 04:55 PM

I see myself spending more money on upgrades soon! Ah, the newbie trial and error...

saturnascends

03-08-17, 06:43 PM

Is it bad that I'm already thinking about snake #2? :yes:

Kathryntheclean

03-08-17, 07:01 PM

Oh, if only I had more room, and less husband! :) or at least one that's not scared of snakes!

saturnascends

03-08-17, 07:20 PM

Oh, if only I had more room, and less husband! :) or at least one that's not scared of snakes!

Aw! I purchased our snake while my husband was on a business trip. We told him in advance of course, but somehow we have a habit of acquiring animals while he is away :D My dream snake would be a bit more of a logistical issue for me. I need a place to keep it away from my cat. Our first is in my son's room, where the cat is not allowed anyways (he has a very bad habit of peeing on his bed every now and again if we let him in there - little jerk).

EL Ziggy

03-08-17, 07:39 PM

Is it bad that I'm already thinking about snake #2? :yes:

It's about par for the course Saturn :). It can definitely become an addiction. It's been 56 days since my last snake purchase. ;)

saturnascends

03-08-17, 07:48 PM

It's about par for the course Saturn :). It can definitely become an addiction. It's been 56 days since my last snake purchase. ;)

Stay strong!! :)

Kathryntheclean

03-09-17, 12:40 AM

Hi, my name is Kathryn, and I'm addicted to snakes!

saturnascends

03-09-17, 07:06 AM

After a little bit of coercion (okay, begging), my husband pretty much said yes about a second snake last night :D There is a reptile expo here on the 26th. Perhaps if any of the breeders have what I'm looking for, I'll go for it! And if not, I'll consider buying online. This will give me a couple more weeks to make sure I've got it down with Taco Lazarus Del Mar (yes, that's the combination name my seven year old son and I agreed upon).

EL Ziggy

03-09-17, 10:52 AM

And so it begins :). What critters are you considering next Saturn?

GyGbeetle

03-09-17, 11:14 AM

I just bought snake #13 last night! That's 13 snakes since May of last year. We bought 5 in one month last year. My husband has been no help whatsoever in stopping the addiction. Good luck in your effort for "just one more" :)

saturnascends

03-09-17, 11:26 AM

Haha! We're all doomed. I'm looking for a Mexican black king snake. It's what I wanted originally, but my son didn't want one that was "boring looking", and I got the impression they are a little bit harder to come by (unless you order online). Maybe it's boring sticking to the same basic type of snake, but I don't feel myself drawn to any other kinds enough to want one...yet!

GyGbeetle

03-09-17, 11:31 AM

saturnascends

03-09-17, 11:34 AM

Give it about 2 weeks after you find a MBK. Or you may even find more at the trade show and come home with #2-#10. You never know.

Oh man...I've been known for low impulse control as it is...this could do me in :D

afsgr88

03-09-17, 11:38 AM

saturnascends

03-09-17, 11:40 AM

I got my burm on the 20th of February and less than two weeks later I was getting a boa... :D My boyfriend asked "how many snakes are you actually planning on having?". My answer was "3, maximum. And the 3rd one will not come in the near future. Maybe 2 years from now." But now I am thinking......"hm...maybe 4? 5? A snake room? :D :D :D "

LOL! I could see myself turning one of our finished basement rooms into a snake room one day, but we don't keep the heat on down there ever really, because no one spends enough time in it. If I were to heat the whole area to accommodate the snakes I might end up with a large utility bill...

GyGbeetle

03-09-17, 11:49 AM

They are like chips. You can't stop at just one. Why do you never see a snake owner with 3 snakes? First they get one, then they get another one, and then they have 20

saturnascends

03-09-17, 12:07 PM

Ahh! Hey I was wondering how to interpret many of the signatures I see here on the forums. In your case, GyG, what does 2.4 BCIs mean? Do you have 2 boas or 4? Or 2.4? Haha!

EL Ziggy

03-09-17, 12:32 PM

The numbers represent the genders of the snakes you have. 1.0 would be 1 male. 0.1 would be 1 female. 0.0.1 would be 1 unsexed animal. In your example 2.4 BCI indicates 2 male and 4 female BCI. I hope that made sense. :)

saturnascends

03-09-17, 12:33 PM

The numbers represent the genders of the snakes you have. 1.0 would be one male. 0.1 would be 1 female. 0.0.1 would be 1 unsexed animal. In your example 2.4 BCI indicates 2 male and 4 female BCI. I hope that made sense. :)

Yes, definitely! Thanks!

GyGbeetle

03-09-17, 12:42 PM

Ahh! Hey I was wondering how to interpret many of the signatures I see here on the forums. In your case, GyG, what does 2.4 BCIs mean? Do you have 2 boas or 4? Or 2.4? Haha!

Despite what Ziggy says, I have 2.4 boas. hahahaha! j/k

here's a sticky note from the General forum discussion

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/general-discussion/85699-herp-lingo.html

saturnascends

03-10-17, 01:20 PM

So today this happened...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/terylene79/FullSizeRender_zpsx4121k5o.jpg

EL Ziggy

03-10-17, 01:26 PM

Very nice Saturn!! I'm glad you got your MBK. My first 2 snakes were a Cal King and MBK too. :)

saturnascends

03-10-17, 01:31 PM

Thank you! I just HAPPENED to be looking at the shop where we got Taco's website and saw they had one in stock! So I went in to "check him out"...

trailblazer295

03-10-17, 01:38 PM

Beautiful MBK, love the jet black look. I will likely get one of these days.

afsgr88

03-10-17, 02:10 PM

Perfect looking King! This will definitely be my next addition, for sure! I just wish they would get a little bigger :rolleyes:

Skipper7

03-10-17, 02:22 PM

Perfect looking King! This will definitely be my next addition, for sure! I just wish they would get a little bigger :rolleyes:

Ha! I wish they got a bit smaller! I was deciding between MBK and Children's Python. Went with CP because it was marginally smaller. I only have a 20gal at the moment.

saturnascends

03-10-17, 02:33 PM

Thanks guys!! For our family, I think the smaller snakes will be best in the long run (that's a big reason I went with king snakes in the first place, plus their cute little faces!). But there definitely is something to be said for those larger breeds! If I ever spend enough time around a larger snake I'll probably end up wanting one of those too :D My husband says this is IT in terms of snake population...we'll see!

So far Mr. Unnamed seems pretty happy. I can already sense that our California is a little more shy...but who knows, anything can happen!

BillyCostume

03-10-17, 07:57 PM

You are officially addicted haha welcome to the club!

saturnascends

03-11-17, 05:23 PM

Yes, I think you're right! I got Balthazar (that's the name I've decided on despite some more of my son's wacky suggestions) a new Exo-Terra terrarium like his brother and some other essentials/decor/etc. He's good to go! He's super friendly, which has got my son excited but also bummed out because "his snake" isn't nearly as fiesty. I hope things change, maybe Taco is just more shy. He's never gone to bite me, nor does he seem aggressive. Mostly he just hides and doesn't want to interact. I guess that's just snakes to an extent but already B has been cruising around like crazy. Last night I noticed T's eyes are blue so he must be going into shed mode. I wonder if that has anything to do with it? Ah well, we love them both and I have fingers crossed it'll be fine!

saturnascends

03-27-17, 04:43 PM

So Balthazar had his first shed with us all in one piece! Lazarus shed a couple weeks ago, but it was all in chunks. I was pretty impressed by this then.

Also, we went to our first reptile expo this weekend. It was really hard not to pick a snake up. However, I upgraded from a "These are the only 2 snakes we're having." to "Why don't you let these grow for awhile before you think about another?" :D