Hey everyone!

[ItsTheSebbe]

Yesterday I had my first experience with a snake that is not in a zoo! While touring through Indonesia by motorcycle I saw this light brownish snake with dark brown spots on the back of its neck. I'm not allowed yet to post any pictures, but when I've got 5 posts I'll make a topic explaining more of it since I'm quite curious to which kind it has been.

Meanwhile.... how's everyone doing?

[alessia55]

Welcome to the forum! Please read our sSNAKESs forum rules.

[Pirarucu]

Welcome aboard!

[Tsubaki]

Welcome always nice to see fellow countrymen on here

[EL Ziggy]

Welcome and best wishes.

[ItsTheSebbe]

So yeah... this is happening...

At first I only came to this forum because I was curious about which kind of snake I found during my trip through Indonesia (to which I got a VERY fast response, thanks for that ). After that I started looking around this forum and found out that a lot of you guys keep snakes for yourself. This was all pretty new to me, as I previously thought this could only be done in a zoo or you needed to be very experienced.

I have been reading a lot about keeping snakes for the last few days and it seems like a great hobby to have. I think I will be going for a hatchling corn snake, of course one that has been feeded before. I just love how cute they look and how they are always curiously searching the place, plus they're pretty cheap (and I'm still a student so this does matter). There will be a reptile expo near me in about 2 and a half weeks ("reptilica beurs" for the Dutch people here) that I will be checking out.

I think I will get a setup similar to this one:
The Corn Snake Forum - Setting Up A Hatchling Corn Snake - My 101
Do you guys think the faunarium (18” x 12” x 6 1/2”) will be too big for a hatchling? I would think if you use two hides + the leaves that there would be enough hiding places for him to feel safe.

I will probably have loads of more questions in the future but I think I'll put them in their own respective topics. By the way, if you have some things you think i should read about, feel free to send them. I'm having a lot of fun reading things like this:Getting started with your corn snake
I want to be as informed as I can get

PS: I have read the forum rules and I don't think this counts as "advertising another forum". If it does, I'm sorry! I'll remove it ASAP!

[Tsubaki]

I'd just buy a small terrarium, on marktplaats or whichever, just make sure you thoroughly clean it. You can get a smaller one for only a few euro's, sometimes even with supplies. Heat it with a mat or a heating cable, the same way you would that faunabox. Having a front opening enclosure is generally a lot easier than one you have to pull a lid off, and it also looks a lot better.

[ItsTheSebbe]

Originally Posted by Tsubaki

I'd just buy a small terrarium, on marktplaats or whichever, just make sure you thoroughly clean it. You can get a smaller one for only a few euro's, sometimes even with supplies. Heat it with a mat or a heating cable, the same way you would that faunabox. Having a front opening enclosure is generally a lot easier than one you have to pull a lid off, and it also looks a lot better.

I didn't know they were actually this cheap! I would have used the faunarium for maybe like a year/a year and a halve until the guy would be big enough to be placed in a full-sized terrarium. Now that I can actually get those small terrariums for this cheap, I think I'll do that, it will look a lot better as you said.
What size terrarium should I be looking into at first?

Now that I'm asking questions already, I'll just go ahead and ask about things I haven't been sure about.

Firstly, some people say the cold side of the tank shouldn't be lower than 'x' degrees, how would change the temperature of the cold side of the tank without highering the warm side. is this only doable by increasing the temperature in the room?

Secondly, if you do the "monthly cleaning" where you clear the whole tank and clean out everything, where do you leave your snake? I suppose you'd leave it in a plastic box with breathing holes, do you not have to warm that box?

Thirdly, if you place your snake in another box for feeding, when can you put him/her back in the terrarium? I heard that you shouldn't handle your snake for 48 hours after it has eaten, though could just picking it up putting it in the terrarium harm it?

I remember having more questions, but I can't remember them from the top of my head now :P

By the way, thanks!

[Tsubaki]

Originally Posted by ItsTheSebbe

What size terrarium should I be looking into at first?

If you want to start with something smaller i would go for like a 50*30cm or something similar, the snake can stay in there for at least a year maybe 2. And you'll have enough time to find a terrarium you really like as a final home. For which i would personally advise a 100*50.

Originally Posted by ItsTheSebbe

Firstly, some people say the cold side of the tank shouldn't be lower than 'x' degrees, how would change the temperature of the cold side of the tank without highering the warm side. is this only doable by increasing the temperature in the room?

Corn snake's cool side is fine at normal room temperature unless you have an cooler than average home, the heating mat should also heat up the air a bit so it will be slightly warmer even not directly on the mat.

Originally Posted by ItsTheSebbe

Secondly, if you do the "monthly cleaning" where you clear the whole tank and clean out everything, where do you leave your snake? I suppose you'd leave it in a plastic box with breathing holes, do you not have to warm that box?

I don't do monthly cleanings like that, i spot clean whenever anything is dirty. I clean water-bowls every day, and i clean out the entire terrarium when i feel its necessary, at least once every 6 months. It's fine to put them in a box of sorts, a corn-snake will be fine at room-temperature for a while. Just make sure you don't put them on the floor or in a draft.

Originally Posted by ItsTheSebbe

Thirdly, if you place your snake in another box for feeding, when can you put him/her back in the terrarium? I heard that you shouldn't handle your snake for 48 hours after it has eaten, though could just picking it up putting it in the terrarium harm it?

Feed in the terrarium, no need to feed outside it. It is not good to pick up a snake after dinner, not even to put it back in its home. It will not make them more aggressive, thats just an old wives tale. If you're worried about the substrate, you can put the food on a plate or something. But i wouldn't be too worried.

[ItsTheSebbe]

Originally Posted by Tsubaki

If you want to start with something smaller i would go for like a 50*30cm or something similar, the snake can stay in there for at least a year maybe 2. And you'll have enough time to find a terrarium you really like as a final home. For which i would personally advise a 100*50.


Corn snake's cool side is fine at normal room temperature unless you have an cooler than average home, the heating mat should also heat up the air a bit so it will be slightly warmer even not directly on the mat.


I don't do monthly cleanings like that, i spot clean whenever anything is dirty. I clean water-bowls every day, and i clean out the entire terrarium when i feel its necessary, at least once every 6 months. It's fine to put them in a box of sorts, a corn-snake will be fine at room-temperature for a while. Just make sure you don't put them on the floor or in a draft.


Feed in the terrarium, no need to feed outside it. It is not good to pick up a snake after dinner, not even to put it back in its home. It will not make them more aggressive, thats just an old wives tale. If you're worried about the substrate, you can put the food on a plate or something. But i wouldn't be too worried.

Thank you as well! you guys are really helping me out here. Also, I do have a couple of questions for you personally, since you're Dutch as well.
Do you know any good reptile vets in the country and preferably somewhere in the south? (I live in Eindhoven)
Also, where do you get the food. Can you just go to a local petstore and buy frozen mice there or do you have to order them somewhere?

[Tsubaki]

Originally Posted by ItsTheSebbe

Thank you as well! you guys are really helping me out here. Also, I do have a couple of questions for you personally, since you're Dutch as well.
Do you know any good reptile vets in the country and preferably somewhere in the south? (I live in Eindhoven)
Also, where do you get the food. Can you just go to a local petstore and buy frozen mice there or do you have to order them somewhere?

The vet i go to is Marja Kik, she's located in Nieuwegein. Brilliant with any kind of reptile, last time i went there she helped me with an angry 15 foot retic without hesitation or issues (besides getting peed on). I can't order any snakefood anywhere near me, i actually have to drive 30km to get rabbits. But a lot of petshops sell feeder mice and even rats so you should be fine. I buy my snakefood at Kameleon Tilburg, or i stockpile it up when theres an expo nearby.

[pdomensis]

Good questions to have for a new snake keeper. Here are some thoughts.

Ambient or room temperature is usually fine for the cold side of a corn snake cage. So unless your room is prone to really cold dips in the winter I wouldn't worry about that. With a large enough cage there will be enough of a gradient in temps for your snake to find what it needs even if it totally avoids a cold section. If you do still have problems, you could run 2 heat mats on separate thermostats set to different temps. I really doubt that is necessary though.

when cleaning, I just put my snake in a pillow case and tie off the end. You could use another box, but make sure it's secure. Don't worry about heating for the hour or so that he's out of his cage. They aren't that sensitive that they can't handle being cold for a bit.

Don't bother with the "feeding box". That's a total waste of time and space. Just feed in his normal cage. There's more risk of getting bit moving the snake from one place to another while in feeding mode than there is just sticking a mouse in his cage. Plus, it's just a corn snake so even if it bit, it's not a big deal. Learn to use a hook if you're nervous with handling.

Can't wait for pics.

cheers!

[ItsTheSebbe]

Originally Posted by pdomensis

Good questions to have for a new snake keeper. Here are some thoughts.

Ambient or room temperature is usually fine for the cold side of a corn snake cage. So unless your room is prone to really cold dips in the winter I wouldn't worry about that. With a large enough cage there will be enough of a gradient in temps for your snake to find what it needs even if it totally avoids a cold section. If you do still have problems, you could run 2 heat mats on separate thermostats set to different temps. I really doubt that is necessary though.

when cleaning, I just put my snake in a pillow case and tie off the end. You could use another box, but make sure it's secure. Don't worry about heating for the hour or so that he's out of his cage. They aren't that sensitive that they can't handle being cold for a bit.

Don't bother with the "feeding box". That's a total waste of time and space. Just feed in his normal cage. There's more risk of getting bit moving the snake from one place to another while in feeding mode than there is just sticking a mouse in his cage. Plus, it's just a corn snake so even if it bit, it's not a big deal. Learn to use a hook if you're nervous with handling.

Can't wait for pics.

cheers!

Thanks a lot, man! This really helped me out!

Though, regarding the last question. I plan on using aspen bedding, because it's aesthetically pleasing. I worry about the snake getting the pieces stuck in his mouth while feeding. I don't worry about the biting (I've heard it's about as painful as a mosquito bite). I have heard these stories about teeth breaking off if you accidentally pull away your hand when you're bitten, and of course I'd like to avoid that.

[SnoopySnake]

Everyone has given good advice. I'd just like to add, as long as your enclosure is set up correctly, ingesting a little bit of substrate shouldn't be a big deal. After all, they would ingest all kinds of stuff in the wild and have no problems. If you're still too worried about it though, you could always just put the mouse on a paper plate or plastic container lid or something. When moving them back from a feeding enclosure right after a meal, the chances of your snake regurgitating its meal increases.

[Tsubaki]

feeder mice can be frozen or alive