Corns and Hoppers.

[ColbyKun]

Can you feed a corn snake a hopper or a locust?

[ColbyKun]

Also, if you spray water in the tank, will it heat it up? I use aspen bedding. Don't worry, there is no snake in there at the moment, they both arrive this wednesday. So excited. Are snakes afraid of anything?

[mary10]

depends how big your corn snake is.......and when you say hopper do you mean mouse or is that hopper as in grass hopper? corn snakes are purly meat-a-tarians! also for as far as the water goes, it will warm up to the tank temp but then again there really shouldnt be that much water in the tank to last long enough to warm up and stay around, corns generally only need a higher humidity when there in a shed other then that around 30-50 hum is fine and that is usually obtainable just from the hum in your home.

[ColbyKun]

6 months, yes i mean hopper. =] so they dont eat crickets, hoppers and locusts? i know rough green snakes do. i also saw one eat a fish.

[Will0W783]

Most everyone that I know of feeds corn snakes rodents. I don't think they generally eat insects. I feed my adult corns rat weanlings and the one juvenile I have (he's only about 18-20 inches long) rat pinks.

[mary10]

i've never seen a corn take an insect as a meal, maybe out of shere desperation but then i really dont see it happening. if your corn is only 6 months old you should be offering it mice pinkies.

[ColbyKun]

yeah dont worry i know, i haven got them yet. WHat do you feed them as hchlings though? Most of my questions are just curiosity.

[siz]

Don't feed your corn snakes insects. Almost every snake eats rodents, with a few exceptions that eat anoles, house geckos, fish etc. I think rough greens are the only snakes that eat insects in captivity but I could be wrong about that.

[mary10]

yeah dont worry i know, i haven got them yet. WHat do you feed them as hchlings though? Most of my questions are just curiosity.

hatchlings eat the same thing mouse pinkies, as they grow you adjust the size of food.

[Smilts]

Hatchlings can take 1 day pinkies with no problems most times....

[ColbyKun]

BLOODY GHOST SNAKE MALE BIT ME WHEN I OPENED THE BOX! Probably because its restless and scared though. My old snake was 4 months old and and bigger than these 6 months snake by a lot. The guy I spoke to said that but is there anything up with that or is it different feeding things? I got a female hypo stripe as well same size as ghost and supposedly the same age. =] Both very cute and beautiful.

[ColbyKun]

And I've never seen a corn snake rattle its tail. I know morph has nothing to do that. I know it wouldreact since it just was delivered but do they ratte the tails. The Hypo Stripeis very nice. They both feed well. The ghost is very hyper.

[siz]

I really liked striped corns, not usually a big corn fan but the stripes are sweet.

[Will0W783]

Lol. Every snake keeper will eventually get tagged a few times. Welcome to the club. As for the tail rattle, it's a colubrid thing. My Spilotes did it, my honduran milk does it, and my female snow corn does it. It's a defensive tactic, where they vibrate the tail tip really quickly against any nearby surface to mimic the sound of a rattlesnake. My snow corn also sometimes does it when you are feeding her. It's really funny-enjoy it. Corns are fun snakes. Also an interesting thing you might eventually see is caudal luring. This is when the snake wiggles the tip of its tail like a worm when you are approaching it with food. In the wild they do it to attract prey. Birds and some small rodents will eat worms and caterpillars and grubs, so the motion attracts them, and BAM- snake gets dinner.

[BP_okay]

Congrats on the new corns! I am so glad you are continuing with this amazing hobby :-)
I have a red striped corn, with some hypo in him and he's my sweetest snake. He's so funny, curious, and has a great disposition. Are you planning on housing them together, breeding them, etc?

Traci

[Smilts]

Some corns grow much faster than others I have several of the same age and there all different sizes, they all get fed exactly the same. I also have a pastel that bites me everytime I get him out but never bites my fiance, isnt that odd.

[mary10]

my juvie ghost bit me, **** on me and wouldnt eat for me when i got him, took him two days of handling to stop trying to tag me, didnt poop on me since the first time, and took him 2 atempts for me to get him to accept a meal, 4 days apart from each atempt they all come around sooner or later lol gotta love em!

[ColbyKun]

Not housing. Ii want them to get used to each other though fo when im cleaning, so i cant trust them in the same tank for 10 mins. I would like to keep them together but wasn't really sure. I will breed them in future but I asked for a male ghost and female hypo stripe and when the package arrived the paper for both of them said sex unknwn even though i rang up and typed the sexes i wanted specificlly and the guy said they had them. Im glad too.thanks for the info. Any info on how to get them used to you so you can just pick them up care free because the ghost scares the crap out of me. I gave them a bath and them put my bare hand in so it would hop on so i then handled it. Just worried if i pick it up it in the vivarium will bite me. And not sure how th hell they are twice as small as my old snake but two months older? :S

[mary10]

you can sex them later on to make sure you have what you asked for, however they wont be ready for breeeding until shes about 3 years old and him alittle sooner, as far as housing them together i wouldnt, most corns are pretty laid back and you could probally trust them together, but if one is sick and the other isnt, putting them together just made both sick you see? and there parasites and the off chance that they wont get along. just as a note as well you dont have to bathe your snake. not unless there having shed issues or they were really gross for some reason. getting them more friendly is makin sure you hold them every day for at least ten mins, but for now leave them be to settle in and get used to there surroundings. corns are really simple to care for, good heat, good humidty, hides at both ends of the tank, fresh water, paper towel or aspen bedding....and a tank thats not to large for each one..oh yea and of course food lol. have fun with your new buddies.

[ColbyKun]

thanks. umm since its the lx 24 vivarium, i cant put the mat underneath. ive taped it down inside it. is that okay? i have seen people put the heat mat on the side of the cage inside but that seemed a bit odd. any help? thanks. i ask so much cos i dont want another to die.

[Michael Roth]

thanks. umm since its the lx 24 vivarium, i cant put the mat underneath. ive taped it down inside it. is that okay?....


providing your snake never pees... why can't you put it underneath?

[ColbyKun]

the wood is a insulator. Not hot enough

[mary10]

the wood as an insulator might be ok to keep the heat away from the snake so it doesnt get burned but i would think that there is a greater chance of pee being able to run past the wood and possibly short out the pad, since the pad is used to warm the glass and would have the same effect by placing it on the side of the glass, i would be more apt to put it there. safer for your snake "just in case". it will have the same results.

[mary10]

providing your snake never pees... why can't you put it underneath?

if im right and correct if im not but vivariums have like a wooden box built around them almost like a show case tank so theres no way to put one under the tank.

[Will0W783]

You can't put a heating pad inside the tank though, because that will be very likely to burn your snakes. Also, I guess the pee could be a problem, but since corns don't require much misting or anything I would be more concerned about the burning. Get heat tape if you must put it inside the tank and a use a heat lamp as well.

[BP_okay]

Yeah, when cleaning, just go get two critter carries, with a good strong lid, or place some books on top, since they are such escape artist...Mary is so right..you just never know what they might be harboring and you don't want two sick snakes. If you don't have the money for the critter carriers, I would get some cheap deli cups, tupperware bowls, with a little aspen in them, so they can burrow while in their the temp enclosure. Also, I just keep my corn nearby when I clean, just to keep an eye on him...you just never know.

Traci
P.S. I am so glad you are so proactive with these corns...they are such rewarding pets, and as they grow, you will be so proud of them ;-)

[ColbyKun]

Umm the LX24 has sliding glass doors. Pee wont go through the wood lol. http://www.rainforestsupplies.co.uk/lrf/images/LX24%20Ellmau%20Beech.jpg thats a pic of it. So it would be able to put a algarde heat mat under that? At the moment its taped inside at the bottom and the wire is through a little hole near the top. I stuffed the remainig hole with tissue so it cant escape. Ibjust went in the check it. It doesnt seem hot enough to burn it and she doesnt seem to feel anything when she goes directly on it. Its just 14 watt and not hot at all really. I taped over a lot where the wire inserts so she cant pee on it. So im pretty sure its okay. =] I got two new large exo terra faunariums because the LX24 is too big for the tiiny snake and I hate the other thing. Not even a proper vivarium. Its for plants. Works though for snakes but with the exo terra faunarium, it has a divider so i can clean it. =] Bloody ghost still biting me. Cant even pick it up properly. Got rubber gloves and rubbed themon me so got my scentand then picked it up. Still really scary. then take gloves off and let him go on my hand. does still get really jumpy.

[mary10]

she doesnt seem to feel anything when she goes directly on it.

nope your right and thats the problem and how snakes get burned, they dont have any feeling in there scutes to know that there uncomfy or worse yet burning, keep in mind your judging the temp by feeling it saying it doesnt feel hot....your warm blooded with an internal temp of 98.9 snakes rely on surrounding temps, so whats not hot or warm to us could be scalding hot to a snake.

[Will0W783]

It will take time to tame your ghost corn. A lot of baby snakes are nippy; it's a defense mechanism they have so they aren't as likely to be eaten in the wild. Just continue to work with him, and don't put him away right after he bites you- then he'll just reinforce the idea that biting gets him what he wants (to be let go of). Getting bitten by a snake is a pretty much unavoidable eventuality for snake keepers, especially if you keep baby snakes..lol. Almost everyone has a good bite story or two they love to tell.
I can tell you the best thing you can do is to not be scared. When you are scared, you will tend to be jumpier and more hesitant, and those behaviors tend to elicit a defensive strike from snakes more often than direct, steady motions. My fiance has a Nicaraguan boa that will bite me every time, because I know she is going to try to bite me and I subconsciously approach her with more caution and hesitancy. My fiance just reaches in and grabs her and she doesn't bite him.
I also have one corn snake that is not handleable. She's a beautiful snow, but she's just so aggressive that it isn't worth it to stress her out by trying to pick her up. She bites, rattles the tail, hisses, strikes, rears up, runs away, everything. So I just leave her alone and play with my other corns.

Also, as mary10 said, your snake will NOT feel the heating pad, but can still be burned. Snakes do not have feeling in their scales. It's the skin underneath the scales that feels, so when the pad burns her scales to a crisp and damages the skin underneath is when she'll feel it and then it will be too late. At the very least, you will be looking at a few costly vet visits, antibiotics and ointments, and you will have to quarantine the snake on paper towels until the wounds heal or it can get infected very easily.
YOU NEED TO GET THE HEATING PAD OUT OF THE TANK, AND NOW.
Every minute it is inside the tank is raising the likelihood of your snake getting burnt, and I'd hate to see you lose another one. Use a heat lamp on top of the tank, or heat the room itself, or use heat tape, or heat cable. Heat cable can be run inside the tank and does not get hot enough to burn the snake, but it also does not get hot enough to really be a sole heat source. A heat lamp or heat tape run on the inside TOP of the cage is your best bet. Please listen to this advice and get that pad out of there.

[ColbyKun]

Argghh ****. I have to take the whole thing apart. Ill prob get a lamp next week when i get money because im 16 and in school, i dont have money all the time, plus it all goes towards the snakes.

[Will0W783]

I know the feeling Colby. I spend all my money on my snakes and cats and dog. Lol. Occasionally I get some left over to splurge on the car. While I'm 26, I'm actually still in school myself, working on a Ph.D. so believe me, I can sympathize with another poor student. But I can tell you that spending a bit more money up front is FAR cheaper than having to pay vet bills to heal a sick or injured snake. Also you can save a lot of money by going to Home Depot to get the lamps- you can pick up basically the same kind of lamp there- it's a metal spotlight type thing. People use them for garage lighting sometimes. It will be like $5 at Home Depot versus $15-20 at a pet store. Also, I've found that regular incandescent household light bulbs often put off enough heat for a small tank, especially if you have a metal lamp which will reflect the heat back down into the cage.

[ColbyKun]

Done it anyway. Ghost seems a lot more friendly. Thanks for the advice everyone. At least the snake wont get burnt. Glad you people are here. Big help. thanks again. =]

[ColbyKun]

What wattage bulb for my vivarium? Exo Terra Heat Glo Infrared Vivarium Heat Lamp (http://www.netpetshop.co.uk/p-26380-exo-terra-heat-glo-infrared-vivarium-heat-lamp.aspx) Ill buy that bulb with this guard Exo Terra Wire Light Clamp Pet Reptile 40-150w Small (http://www.netpetshop.co.uk/p-21203-exo-terra-wire-light-clamp-pet-reptile-40-150w-small.aspx) Will that be okay for my LX24 vivarium? Even though the exo terra ficture is a guard as well, it looks like my baby corn could wrap around it and burn itself.

[ColbyKun]

Im actually changing the vivarium to 2 faunariums because its too big but i want to know how to set these up anyway. =]

[Will0W783]

Eh, I wouldn't buy the wire cage light thing. I would buy a solid reflection-type clamp light, like this 8.5 In. Incandescent Clamp Light - E-245 at The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xr5/R-100664506/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053). I just remembered that you are in Britain, so you probably don't have a Home Depot by you, but you can get the same thing at most any hardware/home repair store. The solid guard lamp will keep the heat and light directed down into the cage more. With a wire type cage lamp a lot of heat will be lost up into the air and you will also hurt your eyes looking at it.

[ColbyKun]

ahh its okay i found some sutuible things to buy. the vivarium is warm enough so im not worried at the moment. and they are getting a different enclosure anyway. Thank you for remembering and thank you very much for all your help. =]

[ColbyKun]

Hmm my two new snakes are fine, but the ghost bloody escaped so im getting someone to rip my skirting boards a part carefully so i can get. Im really upset. I was holding him and he did one across the room and got under a gap that i never knew was there. i was pissed with myself. Damn upset. Trying to feed them up. Only got one at the moment. a gap between the skirting board and the floor. I havent slept all night cos i keep checking if hes come out. Left mice on the floor with my hoody yand his enclosure with heat mat and aspen bedding around the area he went in. =[

[mary10]

oh no! yes they can be qiuck little guys, i wish i had more advice on how to get him back but you did good with leaving the mouse out, the only other thing ive heard someone do is put a baking soda along the door ways and what not that way when a snake crosses it, you can follow the direction of the snake, however this wont work if you have carpets..hope you get him back safe and sound very soon!

[eatnom21]

do not house 2 males 2gether they are typically aggressive towards each other. u should only feed your corn a mouse the size of the widest part of its body.