Hi everyone!

kittie157 · 08-08-07, 12:37 AM

Hi everyone,

My husband and I are huge animal lovers. We have two dogs that we adopted, Zoey (German Shepherd) and Vlad (Husky/Shepherd), one ferret (Frodo), one bearded dragon (Gacy) and two red-ear sliders (Bundy and Bruce). We are planning to add a corn snake to our family. Over the weekend we put together his tank so we could be prepared.

The tank is a 20 long with an undertank heater, heat lamp (make it a bit warmer), and a UV light. The substrate is Aspen bedding which I have been reading is pretty good. There is a small tree for him to climb and a nice sized water bowl. I am working on getting two "hides". I figured I would wait until we chose a snake to see what size "hide" he should have. I didn't want to get anything too big or too small. I plan to get a piece of material (with rubber in the edges) that can be placed around his habitat for his first few days to prevent him from getting stressed. I also plan to use it for when he feeds. I figured this will also help keep him from getting stressed and possibly regurgitating his food. The habitat is set up in our dining room. The air conditioner is in this room so that is why we got the extra heat lamp to place ontop of the habitat to raise the temperature on the "hot side".

Sorry for the long introduction. Any suggestions are welcomed since I am a newbie to the world of snakes? I am so excited to get one! I will definitely keep everyone posted.

Have a nice night,
Danielle

Joanna · 08-08-07, 12:42 AM

Welcome to the addiction, oops Board! Sound like you are off to a great start with that tank. If you get a hatchling make sure that there are a lot of hides since they might feel a little overwhelmed in a tank that large. Toilet paper and paper towel rolls make great hides for smaller snakes.

~Dawn~ · 08-08-07, 01:24 AM

*waves* hello to one newbie to another!

i think you picked a good choice in a starter snake. corns are great. tiny as babies but i just love em i think they are cute too lol! my two corns got such personaitlies its cute. i say the more hides the better if its a small baby. i started mine out in a 10 gallon and just recently i up graded them to a 15 gallon. i don't have a heat lamp b/c the room i have them stays pretty warm even with the air running.

also i suggest when you bring your new baby home i wouldn't handle it for at least three days so you little guy can get use to his new envoriment. it was hard for me not to hold my guys but i didn't it. that's so they don't get stressed or not eat. most corns are pretty good temperments i have one seen one corn that was a nippy one and that was the other day at the reptile shop i go too they had got a new hatching in and it was kind of cute they way it tried to nip at the pet store guy lol!

but sorry don't mean to right ya a book but you did pick a good choice in a frist snake, a friend of mine told me not to handle my guys when they go into shed my ghost i can't tell if he is in shed mode until pick him up and look him over he doesn't seem to mind a whole lot but i still don't handle him much. any ways welcome to the board when you get you new little guy take some pics of him i would love to see him!

mlove · 08-08-07, 01:00 PM

Hi and welcome!

**Joni Garcia** · 08-08-07, 01:17 PM

Hi Danielle... sounds like you're all ready for that new corn. I look forward to see pics. Welcome and enjoy your visits.

kittie157 · 08-08-07, 07:25 PM

I appreciate the warm welcoming! I made sure I read about corn snakes and understood what was going to be involved with getting one. I have a book that I have been reading over and over again to make sure I got everything down.

I am so excited to go to the pet store tomorrow to check out the snakes. Going to try my best not to get the first one I see or hold. I want to be sure he will fit in with us since they live for so long. I am also going to base the decision more on personality rather than color. I figured making sure the snake is okay with being handled and nto skittish is a little bit more important since it is my first snake.

I will definitely live him alone the first few days. I also read that I should feed him the first 2-3 days to prevent him from regurgitating. Is this correct? Please let me know whenever you get a chance. Also, besides what I have read in the books and online, is there anything else I should look for while looking to purchase a snake? I know the healthy signs for a snake but what else if anything should I look for? I am hoping the snakes haven't fed before we get there so we can see him take a pinky. I want to be sure he eats.

Thank you again for welcoming me to the forum. I will definitely take pictures when we get him settled in.

Danielle

~Dawn~ · 08-08-07, 11:35 PM

I am hoping the snakes haven't fed before we get there so we can see him take a pinky. I want to be sure he eats.

that is something i defaintly would ask the pet store is if you can see him or her eat. or defaintly ask what the eating habbits are like. like the reptile shop i go to he won't let know of his reptiles out of the store until they are eating for him frist then he will let the snakes or other reptiles go home!