HELP!! (Corn Snake!)

Richard Snake · 07-05-18, 12:29 PM

Okay, so I was charged with taking care of my school's corn snake for the summer. I know a good amount about snakes and was preparing to get one myself, but I figured I could take care of Richard (the school's snake) over the summer as no one else would. However, It's a lot more difficult than expected. He never had proper care and trying to fix that is not going so well for me.

Problems:
he used to have hay bedding (I told you it was not good care...) I switched it out for eco earth coconut fibre. Problem is the snake isn't used to it so he constantly has dirt in his mouth. I've tried to lure him to the water bowl but nothing has worked. I could just pick him up and try and get it out myself, but he was never held and is very scared of people, let alone someone putting their fingers in his mouth. This also brings me to my next problem, he's in shed.
He's been in shed for about three weeks, and he has never, ever, had a good shed. Right now there are large patches of skin still stuck to him, so I can't handle him. The humidity in his tank is currently 70% which is way to high for a corn snake, but I really want him to finish his shed. I am also not currently doing anything to make the humidity that way, so I'm not sure how to lower it.
Next is heating, my heat gradient is not working. The warm side is 80˚, which is around what it should be. I'm wondering if I should raise the heat because 80˚ is the low end of what it should be. (he has a heat pad but I don't think it's affecting the thermometer.) I'm more worried about the cold side, because that's also at 80˚. I read so much about how to raise the temperature, but never how to lower it.

In summary:
-How does one get a snake out of a bad shed?
-Is my humidity too high right now? (considering the bad shed)
-how do I lower humidity?
-How do I cool one side of the tank?
-How do I get dirt out of his mouth? if that is even a problem?

Please respond, I'm in over my head and am worrying about the well being of Richard.

TeamSlitherin · 07-05-18, 08:41 PM

Ok, I have never owned a corn snake, but I can help you with some basics until you get specific answers from some expert corn keepers

First, take a deep breath! Since he was being poorly kept before, all your help and attention will only make things better for him. So thank you for that!

First, a few questions that will help the forum to be of better assistance to you.

1.) How long has the corn been in your care?

2.) Can you post photos of your current setup? (That way we can see lighting, hides, etc)

3.) is your UTH regulated by a thermostat? That is of the utmost importance when it comes to protecting the health of your snake.

4.) How are you measuring temperatures in your enclosure?

I’m regards to the substrate in his mouth, he will get it out on his own. No need to stress you both out with it. You mentioned that he is in shed now but has patches of previous shed on his body? If that is the case, leave him be until it comes off. He should shed any day now. Some snakes just take longer than others and stress can play a factor.

You’ll be able to re-evaluate that situation after you see how this shed goes. As far as heating, is 80 degrees his hot spot? If so, I think it would be best to raise it a few degrees. You do not need to worry about “cooling” his cool end, per se. As long as his enclosure is large enough and his hot spot temperature is correct (and regulated by a thermostat), that will create a natural heat gradient. You are also correct that a UTH will not affect air temperature.