Hey, new here

blb4 · 11-01-07, 07:23 PM

Hey all, I'm Beth and I have never kept snakes before. I would catch and play with garter snakes when I was a kid. I have 3 dogs, 2 cats, over 20 fresh water fish tanks plus a dwarf hamster (left over from a daughter in college).

I'm a nanny. I was dropping off 1 of the kids at pre K on tuesday when another kid said there was a snake under the slide. I went to investigate and saw what I thought was a rat or corn snake. I took her ( the girl I watch decided it was a girl, lol ) to the vets to get checked out. She is a juvie, around 18" long. She is very healthy. No missing scales or mites with clear eyes. I had an empty 20L tank so after getting everything she would need, she is now home with us. Plus the vet said she is a corn snake. I have aspen bedding, a water dish, a couple grapevine branches to climb on, a clay flower pot on its side, a old tupperware container upside down with a couple rocks holding up an end, a clip on light and a heating pad on the side of the tank. I also got clicks to keep the top secure. Does that sound good? Anything else?

I have been handling her and she is very good, never tried to bite me. Yesterday I defrosted a pinkie and using tongs she ate it. I won't feed her again until monday. I think she is also close to getting 2 pinkies but I am going to take it easy the first couple of weeks. Do I have to wait 48 hours before I handle her again like I read in a book on snake care?

The kids I watch named her Spooka. I plan on taking her back to the pre K school after the holidays and do a presentation for the kids.

Has anyone ever tried to keep a wild snake before? Is there anything I need to watch out for? Plus, I have read people talk about feeding containers? I just fed spookie in her tank, is that ok?

I do plan on moving her up into a bigger tank. I was thinking a 40 breeder, is that a good size for 1 snake? I would like the best for her.

Beth

Layla · 11-02-07, 07:40 AM

Hey there
is she definatley a wild one or an escaped pet?
Im afraid Im not good with gallon sizes (Im in the uk and we got my inches re. tank sizing)but you want to keep a youngester in a small enclosure. They feed better. No need to move it for some time! At 18" I would think she could take fuzzies but go by the widest part of her body, thats a good way to see if the food will be too big. You should see a small bulge in her gut after she has fed.
Definately wait at least 48 hours before handling. Normally it makes sure they have hmm....done their 'buisness' too so you dont get that all over you when your handling.
Keep handling sessions short as you dont want to stress her. Normally Id say leave the snake for at least 7 days before handling to let her get settled but if she is eating she is happy.
For when she is an adult a 3ft (sorry cant do gallons) vivarium is ample for an adult corn snake.
Oh re heating. The mat is better under her but really needs to be on a mat stat or thermostat. Mats will over heat if you dont use a method of controlling them and can cause fires. Make sure the heat mat is at one end of the tank so the snake has a cool end and a hot end. This helps them thermoregulate and digest their food. The aspen should also be thin above the mat as you dont want the mat straining to get heat through it which can also cause problems.
When you use aspen in a tank you need to put her in a seperate tub for feeding. Its not nice having to pull aspen out of a snakes mouth or back end, Ive had to do it for friends snakes and the snakes cant pull the aspen out of their own mouth when they eat lol.
Im sure others will have different opinions or more to add

Good luck with your little one.

Wyldkardde · 11-02-07, 08:50 AM

Beth,

Your 20L should be fine for quite a while. Too much space can be a stressful thing, so until Spooka really outgrows a 20L several years from now, I wouldn't change.

Also, I agree Layla about a larger prey item. Moving up to Fuzzies is probably called for at this time.

blb4 · 11-02-07, 08:54 AM

Hey! Thanks for the info. Ok, I already stuck the heating pad on the side. I read on the instructions that that was the best way. Oh well. What size of enclosure should I use for feeding? Is a shoe box size ok? I was holding her this morning and got some pictures. She ate wednesday afternoon so I should of waited longer to handle. I will next time.

I don't take the best pictures but here are a couple.

Layla · 11-02-07, 04:27 PM

Can you get a good picture of her head? Looks very dark to be a corn. Def def bigger food.
Peel the mat off the side. They need belly heat to digest their food properly. Rem....mat stat/thermostat, sooo important.

Scottsquatch · 11-02-07, 07:25 PM

It doesn't say in your stats where you live. I was only wondering because the picture of your snake makes it look very dark...kinda dark for a corn anyway. If you live in Louisianna or west Texas I was thinking perhaps it could be a Kisatchie or perhaps an Emoryi. Both are ratsnakes and related to corns. The other thought is that it is an escaped pet and is a morph that is not found in the wild. Perhaps a really brown looking anery or somthing. Please post some more pics if you can find the time. I would love to get a better idea of what he/she might be.

blb4 · 11-03-07, 05:45 PM

Lets see. If I put the heat pad on the bottom of the tank, don't I need a pad down there too? I just have aspen bedding now. When I was at the store, the reptile bottom pads were not for snakes. I will buy it and move the pad in if you tell me. Just want to make sure I am getting the right thing.

I live in Annapolis Maryland. I took her to a Petsmart vet who sees reptiles. He thought it was a corn snake and brought out a book too. Her pattern is like a corn snake but her color is as dark as it is in the pictures. I went to take more pics but the battery is dead so will have to wait until tomorrow while it recharges.

Spooka will eat again on monday. I will give her 2 or should it be 3 pinkies? I have 5 left so want to use those before I buy fuzzys.

Thanks again all.

blb4 · 11-03-07, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by blb4

Lets see. If I put the heat pad on the bottom of the tank, don't I need a pad down there too? I just have aspen bedding now. When I was at the store, the reptile bottom pads were not for snakes. I will buy it and move the pad in if you tell me. Just want to make sure I am getting the right thing.

I live in Annapolis Maryland. I took her to a Petsmart vet who sees reptiles. He thought it was a corn snake and brought out a book too. Her pattern is like a corn snake but her color is as dark as it is in the pictures. I went to take more pics but the battery is dead so will have to wait until tomorrow while it recharges.

Spooka will eat again on monday. I will give her 2 or should it be 3 pinkies? I have 5 left so want to use those before I buy fuzzys.

Thanks again all.

Forgot to say I have a temp gauge in the tank. It has only been around 70-74 in there.

Layla · 11-03-07, 06:08 PM

Can someone in the US help with reptile heating product reccomendations please as we have diff products in the uk?
The gauges you can buy from shops are rubbish normally. Best thing is a digi thermometer with a prob and you can move it about. Should be 85-87 in hot end and about 75 in cool. Put the probe where the snake lays on the floor so you can get accurate readings and not from the air temp like the gauges give.

blb4 · 11-04-07, 08:46 AM

Ok here are some more pictures of Spooka. Sorry but there is no one in my house that will go near her but me so the pictures aren't the greatest.