| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| n/a |
Posted - 05/01/2010 : 22:59:43
Hello, I'm new to the forum & thought I would say hi.
I'm the proud owner of my first corn snake, a beautiful red carolina. I've only had her since saturday & have a couple of queries.
Firstly Fluffy (yes I know! Wasn't my ideal name but it seems to have stuck!)seems to be spending a lot of time hiding under her log. Since Saturday I've only seen her out a handful of times. Is this normal? Also she doesn't seem to like being picked up as yet, am I tryng to handle her too quickly?
She also seems quite cold to the touch as well which she wasn't when I first handled her in the shop.
Maybe I'm just being a overly paranoid first time mum. She looks healthy. Her eyes & mouth are clear & when she's out she does like to explore & her tounge's always flickering. I'm keeping the temperature of the viv at 86 degrees as I was told & reducing it to 75 at night (i have a heat lamp by the way)is this necessary as it could get a bit inconvienant if I'm out for the evening!
Sorry for the 20 questions but I want my snake to be healthy & hope the experience on here will help
Thanks xx |
| 16 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| DannyBrown91 |
Posted - 08/01/2010 : 00:22:48
quote:
Originally posted by DannyBrown91
Hey, welcome to the forums.
As you have probably seen there are alot of helpful and very knowledgable members in this forum. Whenever i have a query or if i ever run into a problem with my corn snake this is the first place i do and will come.
|
| DannyBrown91 |
Posted - 08/01/2010 : 00:22:11
Hey, welcome to the forums.
As you have probably seen there are alot of helpful and very knowledgable members in this forum. Whenever i have a query or if i ever run into a problem with my corn snake this is the first place i come. |
| lucifer |
Posted - 08/01/2010 : 00:13:43
Welcome to the forums |
| Kellog |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 22:18:34
quote:
Originally posted by lizzieg
Wow, thanks for the replies. They've really helped.
Glad we have been able to be of some help, that is what we are here for! 
She's so gorgeous it's frustrating that she's hiding herself all the time! lol
The hands-off week is exceedingly frustrating  !! But so necessary. She will come out of hiding as she settles in, and will probably settle into some sort of routine (unfortunately it is often a case of being out and about at night when you are asleep but that is snakes for you  !!)
To answer your questions yes there is a gradiant in the viv & I have a lamp guard. I don't want a cooked Fluffy!
Well done for having the lamp guard, sounds like Fluffy has a very caring and sensible owner!! Definitely dont want cooked Fluffy!
Cheers for the help guys really appreciated!
Pics will go up when I figure how to put them on (and when Fluffy actually comes out! lol)
Checkout my previous post for link to putting up photos - easy to use, I worked it out so anyone can!!xx
xxx |
| n/a |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 19:51:42
hi and welcome to the forum
i am actually in love with your choice of name for her  lol |
| n/a |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 18:55:40
Wow, thanks for the replies. They've really helped.
I'll def leave Fluffy alone for the next week & take on the advice about handling. She's so gorgeous it's frustrating that she's hiding herself all the time! lol
To answer your questions yes there is a gradiant in the viv & I have a lamp guard. I don't want a cooked Fluffy!
Cheers for the help guys really appreciated!
Pics will go up when I figure how to put them on (and when Fluffy actually comes out! lol)
xx |
| n/a |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 17:15:01
Hello and Welcome
x |
| n/a |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 15:40:40
quote:
Originally posted by Sammysnake
quote:
Hi Lizie i am new here too and also a new mum, good look with your new baby :)
Duh, luckily I checked through the thread before responding, I thought you meant HUMAN babies .
LOL |
| Sammysnake |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 15:19:23
quote:
Hi Lizie i am new here too and also a new mum, good look with your new baby :)
Duh, luckily I checked through the thread before responding, I thought you meant HUMAN babies. |
| n/a |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 14:26:08
Hi Lizie i am new here too and also a new mum, good look with your new baby :) |
| lee2308 |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 14:23:11
hi and welcome to the forum |
| hillzi |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 12:32:13
Hey. Those links are very well wrote, and well worth the read.
Any question you have is NOT silly what is silly is not asking the question which could hinder your snakies life. 
Ask away and we will endeavour to answer it for you! |
| Kellog |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 02:34:19
Hi Liz! Welcome to the forum! You will find that this is a great place with lots of experienced owners happy to give their advice and support. You also gets lots of fun and friendship as a bonus . We already have a 'Fluffy' on the forum, so you are not alone . Not sure what you already know about snakes, so apologies for if I am telling you stuff you already know, but better told twice than not at all.
As you have only had Fluffy since Saturday you need to keep to the one-week rule - no handling or feeding for the first week after getting her. This gives her time to get over the stress of the move and get used to her new environment. All you should do is change the water daily and straighten the substrate, which means the snake has a chance to get used to your smell. I know this is a very frustrating time cos all you want to do is handle your new snake  , but it is worth doing for Fluffy's benefit. You were obviously not told about this (and unfortunately few people are) but it is worthwhile starting it from now.
This is why Fluffy will be hiding away, because she is in a totally new environment. It is also a characteristic of corns to hide away, when in fact they are out and about when you dont realise it. She is probably coming out at night and exploring, drinking etc. Give her the time to settle in and then begin to handle her slowly. She will grow in confidence and hopefully you will begin to see her out and about in the viv more as well. When you do begin to handle her you need to do it for very short periods. When you get her out it is a good idea to let her know you are coming, fiddle with her substrate a bit so that you get a bit of her smell on you. Make sure all your movements are slow and gentle. Get her out very calmly....she will realise if you are nervous. Let her run through your hands, again using calm movements. Only do this for a few minutes, 5 minutes max. You can slowly increase this as both you and she get used to each other and your confidence in handling her grows. Many forum members with hatchlings handle them over their beds in case they slip out of their hands...that way they have a soft landing and also have no where to disappear to. You can also handle over a sofa, although you must be aware of Fluffy's ability to hide anywhere and everywhere very quickly. It is also advisable to handle her over a towel, because they are known to give us the gift of poo when we handle them  !!
HannahB has already guided you to the care sheet on here, which is very good with lots of information for new snake owners. And GingerPony has also linked you to 'Your 1st Snake'.
No question asked on this forum is a silly question .....it is much better asked and answered, you will probably find others who want the info too! Use the search option in top right corner to get information and if you cant find the answer there then ask!! Unfortunately pet shops often give 'questionable' advice , so please check out on here anything you are told just to make sure that what they have said is right.
Corn snakes do feel slightly cold to our touch as they are cold-blooded. But I think you definitely need to check your temperatures in her viv to make sure they are ok. How are you measuring your temps? As HannahB has said, it needs to be about 27-29oC in the warm end and 20-24oC in the cool end. Does your heat lamp have a guard around it?
I hope when you got Fluffy you got as much info as possible....shedding history, feeding history etc. Start your own 'Snake Diary', noting things like weight, length, feeding dates and what you feed, shedding dates, health problems. I know it seems a bit over the top but it is actually really helpful keeping track of your snake's health - I even note when Kellog poos  !
Unwritten forum rule- pics as soon as possible! This link will help... http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14
Dont worry about being an overly paranoid first time mum! We all get paranoid and worry about our snakes, it is a natural reaction as they are totally reliant on us and are our responsibility and we care for them. So join the club of neurotic, paranoid corn lovers!!
A warning - Keeping corns is very addictive....most of us start out with one and the lucky ones move on from there while others who are not so lucky try to contain their jealousy!!
xxx
|
| gingerpony |
Posted - 05/01/2010 : 23:16:19
heya and welcome
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4133 |
| DannyBrown91 |
Posted - 05/01/2010 : 23:09:08
First things first, welcome to the forum
As for the questions
1, Yes it is perfectly normal for a corn snake to hide, the move can be stressfull and it is just getting used to its new environment.
2, yes you are handling her to soon. They say that you should give them 7 days in there new faun/viv to settle in before handling, i believe it is just to let the snake calm down a bit, as i said the move can be quite stressfull.
3, if you are using a heat lamp and your snake is hiding under a log all day then she may feel cold to the touch, i wouldnt worry about it but that is one of the reasons i decided to use a heat mat instead.
4, i personally don't reduce the temperature of a night.
I have also only recently got my snake, got my ghost corn Casper a week today, i hope the information i giave you is correct and can help, it is just what i have read from numerous care sheets and web sites and from the other members ont he website. There are lots of very experienced snake keepers on this website so i'm sure someone will be along shortly to clarify everything. |
| HannahB |
Posted - 05/01/2010 : 23:07:49
hey and welcome
you need to read this..
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/corn_snake_care_sheet.htm
it has all the info on it you need to know and will answer most of your q's
with regards to handling her already - id recommend leaving her for a week from tonight just so she has chance to settle in - no handling, no feeding nothing.. just remove any soiled substrate and she will be fine, dont worry about not feeding her - corns are a lot hardier than we think!
the temps in her viv should be around 27-29/30' in the warm end and then usually around 20-24' in the cool end.. have you got this sort of gradient? corns dont need a drop in temp at night but they really need the temp gradient so they can thermo regulate themselves
she will be hiding a lot - shes come into a totally new environment with new smells and new vibrations so she will take a while to get used to it.. plus corns tend to hide a lot anyway when they are young - mine rarely come out at the moment but its nothing to worry about
oh and dont forget to show us some pics of your new arrival |
