instead of many

[gonesnakee]

Not a very good post KIDS. Entertaining but not very informative for the kid that started it. Trace, you are a moderator, act as such, having fun is fine, but you should act professional in your position. Posting for fun is fine, but a certain level is expected of you & it was not shown here. I too get sick of answering stupid basic questions that if someone bothered to look at all they would find all the answers themselves. If I choose to answer though I try to do so in a political correct manner or I don't bother & leave it up to someone that will. There is no shortage of sarcasm in the world, especially in these forums, I do it myself. When someone, especially a child shares his/her dreams & is treated in this fashion, I think they will go away disappointed & will possibly lose interest. I myself try to promote the hobby, not scare people away. Trying to educate them isn't easy, especially when they overlook the obvious, but they are kids. If you don;t want to deal with them properly, don't deal with them at all. I hope that all you folks aren't offended & continue to have fun posting, but I don't agree with the moderators posting as such on a post that was meant to get serious replies, no matter how ridiculess the questions may seem. Sorry TRACE Address the post properly & then have fun with it after you made an honest effort. If not leave it for someone else to do properly. Mark I.
P.S. I hope you don't take this personally TRACE (or anyone) as I can totally relate to your side also, but I thought this needed to be presented. I have caught myself doing the exact same thing, people drive me crazy too, so call me hypocrit if you like, LOL Mark

[icequeen]

waaaaaaait a minute here....how did this become about <b>ME</b>???? I didn't start any of this. Yes, I took part in it...but I wasn't in it ALONE. I guess when the going gets tough, people tend to get going...but just because I'm the only one "here" right now, doesn't make me solely responsible for it.

It was a JOKE. No one presented ANY of this as fact.
And not a single one you playing devils advocate can honestly say you haven't told the "priest, the rabbi, and the lawyer" jokes...or how about the "blonde" jokes, hmmmm?
geeeee...is that not poking fun at people because of WHO or WHAT they are?
Yeah....that's what I thought.

I am speaking only for MYSELF....why is it YOU are speaking for BP13??? Most 13 year olds I know are QUITE capable of expressing THEMSELVES. Why don't you let BP13 do just that.
If they are upset by the events of the day...I'm sure he will let us know.

Spare me the moral indignation....k? thanks.

[Jayson]

you think that you may have saved an animals life trace but in fact you may have jeprodized the live of any other animal bp13 may aquire in the future simply because he may be to afraid to ask a question.
These forums are here for educated people to help and educate other people, not tease and put people down.

[V.hb]

Jayson you couldn't have said that any better! Hopefully others will understand what you are saying.

[garterguy]

Corn Snake Care Sheet


General

Cornsnakes are very interesting and loving snakes. They will never bite you (unless provoked or are afraid), and are very easy to take care of. If you are a cornsnake owner, or are aspiring to be one, I wish you the best of luck and congratulate you for picking the best pet snake out there! Also, please do not rely solely on this page! Research your pet, and even ask your local breeders any questions you might have!

Stats

Adult corns will grow to be 3 to 5 feet long. The longest ever recorded is 6 feet, so don't be surprised if your snake gets kind of big. It takes them about two years or so to get this length, but many take longer if they are exposed to the lower temperatures, such as 70 degrees.

Cornsnakes will live anywhere from 15 to 20 years, if they are cared for in the proper way, which is not that hard to do.

Their natural range is Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennesee, Alabama, and the rest of the southeastern US.

Corns are constrictors, and do not have venom.

They are nice 'handling pets', which basically means you can hold them without them feeling intimidated.

Housing

Cornsnakes will do well in almost any container, provided it is big enough. Baby cornsnakes will do well in a 5 or 10 gallon tank. Breeders, who house hundreds of snakes at a time, use boxes. If you use a box, don't use a lamp or heat pad because it may catch fire. Juveniles are happy in 10-15 gallon tanks or sweater boxes. Adults can be housed in 20-25 gallon tanks, or sweaterboxes. And, as always MAKE SURE IT IS ESCAPE-PROOF!!!
Click Here to see a drawing of my cage setup!
There are five basic things a cornsnake needs in his house:
-A secure lid
-A hide box
-A clean water dish
-Bedding
-Stable temperature

Secure Lid
Corn snakes are very good at escaping from their cages. If there is a way to get out, they will. This is easily solved by making sure your cage lid is hooked down, or your box lid is taped shut.

Hide Box
Cornsnakes like to hide and almost anything will please them. I have two types of hiding places for my snake. They are shredded paper on one end, and on the other a hide box. My hide box is just the cut off bottom of a yogurt container, with a little opening in the front. My corn seems to like both areas, but others may prefer one or the other. I've noticed they like hiding places with low celings.

Water Dish
Cornsnakes need water in their tank all the time. If it gets dry or soiled, it needs to be cleaned immediately. Water dishes come in handy during shedding, because the snake will submerge itself right before. Therefore, the dish should be big enough so the snake can submerge its whole body.

Bedding
Bedding for a cornsnake can be newspaper, aspen shavings, astro-turf, carpet, or papertowels. Gravel and sand are not good for bedding because they take moisture out of your snake's skin. Cedar shavings SHOULD NOT be used because they cause respiratory problems. Also, bedding from the forest or yard should not be used because it may cause respiratory or mite problems. If you buy bedding from a store, make sure it doesn't give off any dust. This too will cause breathing problems.

Temperature
There is a lot of controversy over whether or not your snake needs a temperature gradient. I've heard some experienced breeders say you don't need a temperature gradient, but the temperature should be constant. Fluxuating temperatures cause a high amount of stress for your snake. For babies, the temperature should be 80-85. Older snakes will do ok in 73-80 degrees. If you would like to provide a gradient, go ahead! The temps should be no more then 77-85 in the warm end and no less than 70-77 in the cool end. Snakes like to choose their own temperature. But, if you do, make sure to provide a hide box in both ends because shy snakes will stick with their hide box even if it is too hot.

Feeding

A healthy cornsnake diet consists of only mice. They get all the nutrition they need in a mouse. Live mice can do major damage to an unhungry snake, and pre-killed mice cost much less than live.

[BallPython13]

yes i am offended by the immature people who posted(im not name calling)but can some one PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me with what reptile to choose?This is tommorow and i need to do all of my research on the reptile.can we please stick to my topic?

[icequeen]

you're getting you new reptile tomorrow?

[V.hb]

BP13, If you want a good lizard. Go with a bearded dragon. I recommend you start with ONE and learn as much as possible before attempting to breed them. They are relativly friendly, tolerate regular handling and will eat a mixture of veggies and "live" foods such as crickets and mealworms. Check out this website and do all of your reading:
http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html

Or, the suggestion of a corn snake above is also a good choice for you as well. I don't recommend live feed for any snakes as BW stated it can be very dangerous as rodents can leave very severe injuries on any snake.
Good luck with your decision!

[V.hb]

BP13, i also recommend setting up your tank with everything you need before purchasing your bearded. No reptile comes cheap if you set them up properly. You will need:
1. Hot heat lamp
2. One decent sized tank depending on the size of the beardie (but be prepared to upgrade the tank size as he/she grows)
3.1 uva/uvb flourescent bulb
4. Calcium supplements
5. Lots of rocks, climbing material

Don't rush into buying anything, read as much as possible first

[BallPython13]

im not getting my reptile tommorow but i want to get the stuff it needs...

[C.Marshell]

How can anyone give ya proper info if they dont even know what you are working with?,.......impossible!!

[gonesnakee]

Hi BP13, tomorrow? You really need to do more than 1 days research before you make a commitment to an animal. Sit back relax, research & think. Take your time & make a proper choice. Reptiles are not to be rushed into. Have all your questions thought about & answered before considering obtaining any animal. I hope you can find all the info. you are looking for & research it properly before making an educated choice that will both work for you & the animal(s). Good Luck & be resonsible. Mark I.

[Matt_K]

Ballpython13: Im sorry this thread turned the way it did, its good to see you're here asking questions. But can i please suggest that you do take your time and not jump into a descion so quickly. I know you said you're going to get your new herp tomorrow, but the problem lies in that you dont even know what you're going to get yet. I dont see how you could possibly have your enclosure set up perfectly and have ALL the information you will require to care for your new herp by the morning. Please, i ask of you to take your time, read up as much as you can on the herp you decide to aquire. Take you're time, learn everything you can, get your enclosure set up perfectly and not only will your herp be happy, but so will you!!!

[Tim and Julie B]

garterguy beat me to it! I was going to say corn snake as well! Just because of the whole king snakes eating each other thing. Another good one that is a close relitive would be a species of rat snake. N.American Elaphe in general are quite hardy and forgiving of first timers mistakes. BP13 you should consider these first. Then think about getting more exotic species. If you want a lizard go for something inexpensive like some kind of agamid or swift. Leopard geckos are great but you should wait until your reptile building is running smoothly since they need constant heat. Hope this helps!

[BallPython13]

im not getting him tommorow i just want to do all of the research and get what it needs and ill be getting the herp in a week or two after pleenty of research...