| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Leasha |
Posted - 13/08/2012 : 11:58:17
I have just gotten my first ever snake today, She's a 3 week old albino corn. I bought her from a shop that 'orders' their snakes and reptiles from elsewhere so they mainly sell rodents and fish. Before I went to pick her up I handled my two kittens and guinea pig. I asked for a introduction at the shop before I took her home. I handled her and she seemed healthy in every possible way but then she bit me! I'm not sure whether it's because she was frightened from being in small a plastic tub for two days or because she smelt all the different animals. I have decided to give her 5 more chances within the next month (Yes I am leaving her to settle in for 5 - 7 days.) Should I take her back if she bites me more? x |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Ell |
Posted - 20/08/2012 : 09:39:49
Best of luck! |
| Leasha |
Posted - 19/08/2012 : 21:25:06
^ Thanks! Handling starts tomorrow |
| paulie78 |
Posted - 15/08/2012 : 10:36:29
Leasha once youve have your setup right your corn will be much more tolerant of being handled etc pet shops are usually always full of cr*p so ideally its best to research everyything beforehand from somewhere like here i suspect you got bit simply because your hatchling was spooked none of mine have ever bitten but even if they did i cant imagine itd hurt and id certainly discard the 5 more chances thing as sometimes theese things take as long as they take and every hatchling is different chances are it will never bite again then again it might it comes with the territory everyone else has given good advice which you've followed so far so your on the right track good luck |
| Leasha |
Posted - 14/08/2012 : 21:27:45
My house is never below 23*C and right now it's around 28-34*C depends on what time of day it is. Can't help it being more then 29*C in the tank. :< |
| Leasha |
Posted - 14/08/2012 : 21:25:39
Will get the heatmat in a week orso! Thanks. x |
| Mnementh |
Posted - 14/08/2012 : 21:25:23
quote:
Originally posted by NexivRed
What substrate do you have her on? You should really remove her from her viv to feed her otherwise you will be asking to be bitten, as she will begin to associate a hand coming into the viv with food appearing. Also, you should never feed on substrate they can accidently inhale.
You mean accidentally swallow ? C
I have fed all my corns and hoggies on substrate for years np's and a lot of people I know do , personal preference , only the hatchlings are not on substrate because they are in smaller tubs on kitchen roll .
Can't believe it's 3 weeks old and they can't remember it's last feed , no Einstein there . Alarm bells would ring for me , if you cant remember one feed , has it actually fed , time will tell .
Some snakes will bite others are a lot calmer , probably the stress of travelling etc , out of all my hatchies this year , no biters , only the one last year , he was psycho , soon settled down with a lot of handling over a few weeks .
Just give it a cooling off period for a few days or so , let it settle , then see how it goes :) you'll be up and running in no time .
In hotter countries I've chatted to people who have snakes and they don't use heatmats / thermostats , like yourself , just standby's for the winter :)I did'nt think Holland would be that warmer but then this is England , I can't remember a last good summer :)
So , am I right in assuming that the temps you are getting is the ambient air temperature ? heatmat and thermostat wont bring that down :)
Good luck and keep us updated |
| Leasha |
Posted - 14/08/2012 : 21:24:47
She has been under her rock all day and has only just come out. She was having a nose at the front of the viv and as soon as I went up to it to have a look she sprinted to the back and hid again. Aww <3
She will be rest in total peace from tomorrow till sunday so hopefully that will calm her down a bit. I'm not worried about being bitten but i have never handled such a fast snake and im quite nervous about dropping and loosing her. |
| Jono2411 |
Posted - 14/08/2012 : 12:10:11
Also, just seen that your thermometer and heat source aren't the ideal setup for a corn, ideally you want a heatmat (controlled by thermostat) to be on one side of the viv (covering approx 1/3 of the floor area), and have the thermostat sensor next to a didgtal thermometer sensor, this is due to the thermometer you have bing innaccurate and measuring the air temp where it is placed, rather than the actual temp of the floor area where the snake will be getting it's heat...
Hope that made sense? |
| Jono2411 |
Posted - 14/08/2012 : 12:07:34
Congrats on you snakie :)
Don't worry about a couple of bites here and there, as you know they don't hurt and it's natural instinct for a small snake (especially a 3-week old one!) to be scared of something a million times his size... regular handling (after the settling in period ofc) will help with this. You've got to remember that all animals will defend themselves, from cat scratches, dog bites and I was bitten by my gf's hamster the other day, it's just one of the hazards of looking after any animal :)
As has been said before, 32C is too high for a corn, you want the basking spot to be around 29C...
Hope everything works out for you and your little friend :) |
| Leasha |
Posted - 14/08/2012 : 09:06:52
I have checked everywhere for small openings. And Ive seen my corny trying to get through the gap at the sliding parts and she can't fit. It's all good :) |
| Jenn |
Posted - 14/08/2012 : 07:41:33
I have a similar set up for my hatchies atm and have found they like to go on the front where the panes of glass slide... now mine are about 6 weeks now but I have opted since they are little Houdinis to put a foam weather stripping (yeah cold in Canada) between the panes, nothing sticky, just a little tube of foam that I have cut in half but just to plug it up so nobody can squish thier way through there!... ever see a nature program on the octopus?...!!! lol, needs like mere milimeters to go through, welcome to baby corns!!! |
| Leasha |
Posted - 13/08/2012 : 22:15:45
Ohmy! :0 |
| Lozzy |
Posted - 13/08/2012 : 21:05:58
http://www.petsandexotics.co.uk/forums/showthread.php/153-The-importance-of-using-thermostats PLEASE READ |
| Leasha |
Posted - 13/08/2012 : 20:55:27
Alright! Will start wallpapering her viv in wrapping paper tomorrow 8D |
| Lozzy |
Posted - 13/08/2012 : 18:15:24
but do you have a thermostat? to control the temps? also as your baby is so young i would reccomend covering 3 sides to make her feel a lil more secure in your viv as its quite large and very open atm  |
| Leasha |
Posted - 13/08/2012 : 16:28:25
I just have one of those heatlamps which you see at the topmiddle. It's quite a bit warmer in Holland then in England so most people around here don't use heatmats. Will consider getting one when winter starts.
I forgot to buy a digital thermometer so at the moment I am borrowing my hermit crab's
Will buy a good one tomorrow! x |
| Blackcat |
Posted - 13/08/2012 : 16:11:20
As others have said it is quite normal for baby/hatchling corns to bite/nip - it is their means of defence to a big scary hand coming towards them.
Lots of places to hide and artificial foliage in the viv/faunarium will help the snake to feel secure/safe.
You could try the sock thing to get the snake used to your smell. Carry an old sock around with you (close to your body) so that it picks up your scent, then place it in the viv/faunarium with your snake.
When you do handle don't keep the snake out for too long, lots of short handling sessions are usually better than long sessions.
Good luck and well done for leaving your snake to settle in first
edited to add:
Set up looks good.
Just a few pointers/questions.
How are you heating the viv?
Do you control the heat source with a thermostat - these are essential for the well being of the snake.
I can see the thermometer on the side of the viv - this really should be a digital thermometer with a probe which can be placed directly above the heat mat (most people use heat mats for corns as the heat source)
It is also advisable to have a thermometer checking the cool end temps.
Your snake is very pretty |
| Leasha |
Posted - 13/08/2012 : 16:06:18
Here she is! She came out to say helloo *0*
And here is the viv it's 40x65cm I think: (The rock is hollow with holes in, She has a big water bowl, the thermometer is on the side i don't think you can see it and at the moment she is hiding in the fake plant thing)
|
| Lozzy |
Posted - 13/08/2012 : 15:19:57
quote:
Originally posted by Ell
Could we have some pictures? :}
edit: of the set-up I mean :P
This would be helpful if you do have pics,
Also i just realized you have her in a viv, at only 3 weeks old hatchlings are very good escape artists and if you have sliding doors they can fit in between them so be aware of that |
| Lozzy |
Posted - 13/08/2012 : 13:10:44
also don't feed her for at least 7 days snakey needs to be left to settle with no handling or feeding for 7 days just water changes and yes as other have said that was too hot for her |
