| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| n/a |
Posted - 29/03/2010 : 23:08:51
Hi all,my 10 year old grandaughter who thinks she is 20 by the way has a gecko,she has spent some time at the new local reptile and pet food shop and now wants a corn snake as well.
Before she had the gecko i spent hours and hours on forums learning about them,and i shall do the same with a snake before she has one.
One concern i have is that the snake will be kept with her dads parents,i dont have any problems about the welfare of it but the grandaughter will only see the snake from friday after school till late afternoon sunday,the rest of the week she lives here with me and her mom.
I'm wondering if the snake will remember her after 5 days and will she be able to handle the snake without causing any stress.
hope this makes sense and i look forward to reading the forum,thanks,Dave |
| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| gingerpony |
Posted - 17/04/2010 : 08:42:36
not managed to get on here for a little while so belated heya and welcome  |
| Kellog |
Posted - 31/03/2010 : 04:41:09
quote:
Originally posted by brons
Hi all,many thanks for the welcomes and advice.Kellog of course i didn't think you were being blunt or negative,in fact the opposite as one thing you mentioned was the idea of an older snake and we hadn't thought about that at all.
Looks a great site by the way and now i have to force myself to turn the computer off as no doubt many of you do.
Thanks again and i'm off to explore lol.
Am so glad you didnt feel my reply was a negative one (*breathes a sighg of relief*)....I was just trying to look at it from the snake's point of view, from your granddaughter's point of view and from her other grandparents' point of view - and that was the result  .
The other good thing about the older snake is that it would not need to be fed every 5 days but could be fed weekly, so feeds could be done....as Kare suggested....the evening that she left it. But I have no idea at what age the snake's move from 5 days to weekly - can anyone else suggest an age to go for rather than a hatchling?
Remember Malcom, everything I have said was my own personal opinion so please dont take any of it as 'gospel'....I am about as far from an expert as you can get  !! But at least it has given you something to think about - and your granddaughter is very blessed to have her grandfather so involved in her life....I hope she appreciates you  !
xxx |
| Sta~ple |
Posted - 30/03/2010 : 21:47:53
Hello, I wish my grandparents and parents were that nice. My grandparents wont even touch my corns.
Yearlings or adult snakes tend to be more friendlier in my opinion. I have also read many horror stories of people getting hatchlings and then they seem to randomly die for no reason it seems or them eating fine in the pet shop and as soon as they bring the baby home, it just refuses to eat. Adults are also far easier to handle too as if they do decide to pick a direction and go for it, you have more of a chance of catching them again. You also wouldn't have to worry about changing the viv and set-up if you got an adult.
I'm sure other people will disagree with me though.
Edit: Just realised, not to sound rude but your a grandparent and know how to use the interent? Your an amazing grandparent lol |
| n/a |
Posted - 30/03/2010 : 21:40:21
Hi all,many thanks for the welcomes and advice.Kellog of course i didn't think you were being blunt or negative,in fact the opposite as one thing you mentioned was the idea of an older snake and we hadn't thought about that at all.
Looks a great site by the way and now i have to force myself to turn the computer off as no doubt many of you do.
Thanks again and i'm off to explore lol. |
| n/a |
Posted - 30/03/2010 : 15:55:13
Hello and Welcome!
Your Granddaughter is lucky to have you!
xXx |
| Kare |
Posted - 30/03/2010 : 12:38:20
Hello, I am new here myself!
I think the weekend handling will work out very well as the snake can be fed the evenibng as she is leaving, or prehaps the next day and then will have no problems going the 48 hours it needs without handling before she returns a few days later. |
| herriotfan |
Posted - 30/03/2010 : 10:49:12
Hi and welcome
So pleased you're doing your research. I foster for an animal sanctuary and you'd be surprised how many pets we see that are 'wrong' because the stupid owner didn't do their research!
It's lovely that your grandaughter wants a snake.
I second everything that's been said already.
If you do decide to get one for her be warned, there are lots of different colours (morphs) and she will find it very hard to choose just one!!! |
| mozacchio |
Posted - 30/03/2010 : 09:48:02
Welcome to the forum...!
Hannah is right, there won't be any problem!
It's better if her dad's parents learn about corn snakes as well, though.
Electra |
| n/a |
Posted - 30/03/2010 : 08:34:10
welcome to the forum, glad your doin research before you get one |
| Kellog |
Posted - 30/03/2010 : 02:39:35
Welcome to the forum Dave, it is great that you have joined us! This is a great forum with lots of experienced owners happy to give their advice and support. You also get lots of fun and friendship  . I think it is wonderful the way you do all this research to support your grand-daughter's love of animals. First a gecko and now a corn. I am not sure how much information you already know about corn snake keeping, so sorry if I am repeating information you already know...but it is better heard twice than not at all.
Am sure you have already browsed the TCS site and forum, and found that it provides great information. The best place to look is http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/corn_snake_care_sheet.htm, it has lots of information for new snake owners. Also read this topic on 'Your 1st Snake' http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4133
I know this is very early information for you at the moment, but you sound like the kind of person who wants all the facts at his fingertips. We always suggest you follow the one-week rule (it is more of a guide than a rule but worth adhering too!)...no handling or feeding for the first week to allow your snake to get over the stress of the move and for it to get used to the new smells and its new surroundings. This means just putting your hand in to change the water daily and straighten the substrate, so it can get used to your smell and not be threatened by you. You mustnt worry about your corn not feeding for that week, corns are a lot hardier than we realise and going for a week without food will not do them any harm, no matter how small they are. You are rarely advised this in a lot of pet shops  but it is an important way of getting your snake to de-stress and feel safe with you. It is a hard week, very frustrating, but worth it for the snake's sake.
Danny makes a very good point about the work her other grandparents will be taking on - do they realise yet? They will need to do all the settling in, obviously. And when the corn is a hatchling it is probably best if it is handled more often than just every weekend. As a hatchling, when they are first handled they can only cope with a few minutes as it is a very scary thing for them....until they get used to it - and leaving it to handling them only a few times each weekend wont make that 'taming' process any easier. I am not an expert about hatchlings as I have only had adults, but have taken on an adult that wasnt handled very regularly and it did take a bit to calm him down and get him used to being handled. It may be worthwhile looking into getting an older snake rather than a hatchling, one that has been handled and therefore has been 'tamed'. A snake doesnt necessarily become used to one handler, so if her other grandparents were willing to handle it then it would not be concerned to then be handled by her at weekends. I do hope those with hatchlings do contradict me, because, as I say, I am no expert....but I am just concerned about what your granddaughter is expecting and whether her other grandparents realise what they are taking on - the daily water changes and spot cleaning, the feeding (with hatchlings it is every 5 days, then you change to weekly, every 10 days, fortnightly as they grow....and then you dont handle a snake for 48hrs after a feed). I definitely dont want to put you or your granddaughter off having a corn....but you, she and her other grandparents need to know what they are taking on....and I am sure you agree with that. Sorry if you feel I have been a bit blunt with you  , I do hope not.
You will find that there is a large amount of conflicting information out there about corn keeping – on the internet, in books, etc. Even on here you will find that people have different opinions.....but at least you have a place to ask what you need to know and get the answers from experienced owners. Then you can decide what to do with what you are told.
Unfortunately many pet shops cannot be trusted with what they are telling you  . I know that I double check anything I am told on here. Remember that, as HannahB said, no question is regarded as a silly question .....it is much better asked and answered, you will probably find others who want the info too! First place to look is in the top right hand corner of the screen where there is a search button...type in what you are worried about and see if you can find an answer. I know you can get swamped with different topics including what you are searching for, so it is a bit daunting but worth a look. If you cant find the answer you are looking for then dont hesitate to ask!
Again, very early advice but am sure you want to be prepared - when you get her your snake you need to get as much info about it as possible....shedding history, feeding history etc. I keep my own 'Snake Diaries', 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 and Silvesta poo !!
Again, I am sorry if I have come over sounding a bit negative ....and I will repeat that I am not an expert, especially where hatchlings are concerned....so these are just my personal opinions from my own experience of looking after snakes and taking on a snake that wasnt handled enough or well. Those who have hatchlings do know better, like HannahB and CrazyJJ....so wait and see what others say and hopefully they will be more positive than I have been - I would love to encourage your granddaughter to have a corn, they are wonderful pets and very addictive (once you get one, you want another) !
xxx
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| crazy JJ |
Posted - 30/03/2010 : 00:43:03
heya n welcome to the forum
Glad to know you are doing ya research though, i cant always handle all my snakes everyday either and there all fine... even the grumpy 2 so should be aok.
:D |
| DannyBrown91 |
Posted - 29/03/2010 : 23:40:58
Hey welcome to the forum.
This forum has a great care sheet, have you had a look at it?
There shouldn't be a problem with that but it will mean that the grandparents will have to change water daily and feed it most of the time, also if the snake is fed on a friday then she won't be able too hold it all weekend. |
| HannahB |
Posted - 29/03/2010 : 23:14:33
hey and welcome
first off ask any questions that you want - nothing is silly on here and someone will be able to answer it
i dont see why that would be a problem, i dont handle my snake every day - at the moment its about once a week and they are fine with me when i do handle them |
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