| T O P I C R E V I E W |
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Posted - 02/09/2009 : 02:07:26
Hello eveyone!
Today i bought my first corn snake, Cidney.
He is my first reptile and i am keeping him in a basic plastic reptile starter tank with heat mat, hiding log, water bowl and shredded light woodchip. He's absolutely wonderful and very tame.
I think he is type of Amel from what i have seen on the net here but am wondering if anyone can tell me otherwise. (gosh, there are a hell of a lot of types of corns)
Anyway, if anyones got any ideas i'd be extreemly greatful.
I can't wait to watch him grow and am looking forward to a life long love afair with these truely beautiful creatures.
Pete
edited to show pics |
| 17 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
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Posted - 25/10/2009 : 02:20:08
Wolfspirit recently shocked me into learning that for ANY heat source you need a thermostat. Sorry to post this but a picture and a 1000 words and all.....
Please let this be a lesson so this doesn't happen! |
| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 20/10/2009 : 18:11:04
Hey and welcome to the forum- your snake is definitely an amel and absolutely gorgeous.
I will also give my opinion on stats- get one! Unregulated mats can reach extreme temperatures, and too much heat can cause burns and stress to your snake. It can also cause a snake to become far to active, so they burn off more energy than they ingest from their food, leading to poor condition.
Also, if the mat is too hot your snake may feel the need to spend a lot of time in the cool end of the viv, which can lead to lethargy and "sluggish" behaviour. Both stress from heat and lethargy from cold can seriously affect the health and well-being of your snake.
Take what happened to me- the probe for my stat was dislodged by my three year old female, and when I realised the temp had got to 44c, 15c over the maximum temp it should be. Despite being fully able to move away, she was still sat on the mat, absolutely baking, and incredibly stressed- when I tried to remove her she was striking and rattling her tail, and literally jumping on the spot. I dread to think what may have happened if it had been longer till I found out.
Take it from me, its just not worth the risk. |
| n/a |
Posted - 19/10/2009 : 14:07:56
Hello and welcome to a brill forum.
Now that said and I hate to repeat everyone else but you really do need the thermostate, a hide on both ends (toilet paper rolls are brill for this at Cidney's size, I cut mine in half and put it in the faun like a tunnel), and they really do need the settling in time. But again your Cidney is beautiful. Sorry again to repeat what you have already been told but we love our snake's! and everyone elses! Welcome Peter and Cidney.  |
| zandefloss |
Posted - 19/10/2009 : 01:58:58
My shop didnt think I needed a thermostat but after feeling how hot my dresser got even though I have a foam mat inbetween the mat and the dresser AND after listening to all the advice on here I have ordered a thermostat for my mat which will hopefully be coming very, very shortly.
zan x |
| Brookestar |
Posted - 03/09/2009 : 21:06:51
a thermostat will work on any size mat. it has a sensir that you put on mat and you set the dial to vut off power when it gets to a desired temp |
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Posted - 03/09/2009 : 20:33:13
Is it possible for me to get a thermostat that will also be suitable for a 4 foot tank ready for when i upgrade? will it work on both the heat mat and a bulb or will i just require a larger heat mat in the 4 foot tank? |
| gingerpony |
Posted - 03/09/2009 : 19:42:26
heya and welcome  |
| HannahB |
Posted - 03/09/2009 : 18:42:29
hey and welcome
i really would suggest getting a thermostat...i got curious as to how hot my faun could get (without the snake in it i hasten to add!!) and it easily reached 45'c.. which could easily kill him  also the heat mat should only be covering 1/3rd - 1/2 the faun so that they can self regulate - when he gets too hot he can go to the cool end and visa versa (sp!) or just mooch about in the middle bit..you really should get a thermostat
gorgeous snake tho |
| Kellog |
Posted - 03/09/2009 : 02:59:13
Welcome to the forum. Am not going to give you any advice except to repeat part of what Matty said about leaving him for a week to settle in before you handle or feed him. You do get great advice on this forum, and sometimes differing opinions, but generally the overall views are the same and are purely in the interest of the snake. This advice comes from experienced snake owners who know what they are talking about, and I know I couldnt have managed as long as I have without their invaluable support and information. You also get lots of fun and friendship here! Also love the name. xxx |
| Brookestar |
Posted - 02/09/2009 : 17:18:17
i agree with matty im afraid. the heat mat heats the plastic which in turns eats the air ... very slightly. its the mat temp you want to controll not the air temp |
| matty18714 |
Posted - 02/09/2009 : 17:14:14
A heat mat doesnt heat the air, it only heats the surfaces it touches. I would question the person that told you that the heat would escape  . How are you measureing the temp? using a stat doesnt mean making any holes in the tank.
Heat mats of any size can easily reach over 50*C. The UK climate has absolutly nothing to do with it. Snakes dont feel heat in the same way we do, they wont realise they are burning.
Edit - I dont know if this has been mentioned to you yet, but leave the snake be for a week to settle in to the new environment. |
| n/a |
Posted - 02/09/2009 : 13:53:07
Thanks for the replies guy's, i'll make sure to pass on your compliments to Cidney, lol.
The shop that i bought my starter plastic viv from are extreemly knolegable and are specialists in breeding highly venomous snakes and Anacondas for zoos across england and i totally trust their advice. I also go to another very well established shop so that i can get a balanced view. Also, this forum seems very knolegable so i think i am in good hands as a beginner. I have also been told that i may sometimes get some conflicting opinions but thats what can happen in the universe of snake keeping as the world is a big place.
I know that many people out there will say 'a thermostat is 100% vital' (and yes i know it is better to have one than to not) but, in reply to many of your questions, 'do i have a thermostat?', no, i don't...
This is because i have a plastic viv with a virtually completely aireated lid and have been told that an expensive thermostat would have almost no effect as heat escapes far too quickly for any regulation to occur as the heat pad can take up to 5 minutes to cool down. Plus it means drilling into the plastic tank etc..
I have also been told by an experienced keeper that the snake needs to 'self regulate' and find what it feels is the perfect temperature by moving around the tank. if this were to be controlled the snake would not have what naturally occurs in the wild of 'too hot' and 'too cold' areas and in this UK climate i'm not really in any danger of my snake 'burning' itself unless i have picke a particulaly stupid one..
When i upgrade my setup in a few months i will have the complete works, i promise.
I have had a look at the pictures of your corns and they are all very beautiful. i look forward to discussing snake issues with you all ssssssssoon (sorry)
Pete |
| lee2308 |
Posted - 02/09/2009 : 13:43:37
hi and welcome to the forum |
| muffin |
Posted - 02/09/2009 : 12:48:55
Hi and welcome to the forum,and yes defo amel looks just like my new corn oscar :) |
| Brookestar |
Posted - 02/09/2009 : 10:35:14
yeah he is deffo an amel. 2 questions though mate.
1- do you have 2 hides? one at the hot end one at the cold end
2- do you have a thermostat (matstat) controlling the temp? |
| Sammysnake |
Posted - 02/09/2009 : 08:02:32
Wow, he's really beautiful - so vivid! I love the name too |
| n/a |
Posted - 02/09/2009 : 02:43:29
Hi, and welcome to the forum.
You are right, that is an amel... and a pretty little snake it is too.
You say you are using a heat mat, are you also using a thermostat to control the temperature? |
