gettting new snake what should i look for??

[dragonkid]

what should i look for in my new snake? im getting a cornsnake as soon as i get 30 bucks......any things i should look for? ive heard red eyes makes it more difficult to locate prey.....true? can somone help?

[Tim_Cranwill]

Red eyes just means that the snake lacks melanin, or black pigment. It should be just as healthy as any snake with "normal" eyes.

Just make sure you are getting the healthiest snake you can. Make sure that it is alert, seems strong, has clear eyes and a clear vent and has nice clean looking skin. There a several very good care sheets online. You should check them out if you already haven't...

http://www.cornsnake.net/new/care.php3
http://www.klcb.ca/corns.html
http://www.geocities.com/the18_angel/dansweirdweb_snakes_care.html
http://serpwidgets.com/cornsnakes/Care/care.html

Good luck and let us know what you end up getting:)

[dragonkid]

there is a albino red rat for 30 bucks.......im gonna get that but might take a while....is there any size i should have prey wise for baby snakes? like as big as its head or something?thats what it is for leopar geckos so i was wondering if it would be the same in snakes.....and no crusty poop around the vent right?and how often should i clean the cage? should i spot clean or clean the whole thing? should i boil the things i put in there or bleach them?

[Tim_Cranwill]

Food size depends on the size of the particular snake in question. Generally, try to feed your snake a food item equal to or a bit larger than the snakes largest part, i.e. 1 1/4 the size of the snake's body (girth). I feed mine every four days, but anywhere from 2-7 days is what I've read.

Clean the cage when it's dirty and do a full cleaning. Change the substrate, wash the container, water dish/bowl and furnishings with anti-bacterial soap and warm water. It is not highly recommended to use a bleach solution greater than 5% and even at that concentration, rinse, rinse and rinse. Your choice of substarte either makes it very easy and quick to do a cleaning, or a little bit more time consuming. It's your choise though.

I hope this answered your questions. Outside of writing my own care sheet, there's not much more I can say. The care sheet links above cover all the basics and should give you a good starting point.

Good luck:)

[dragonkid]

yes it helps alot!i read those care sheets.......if i have any more questions i will post

[Tim_Cranwill]

anything you need, just let us know:)