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T O P I C    R E V I E W
n/a Posted - 14/01/2010 : 02:39:12
hey
I have a snow corn and i no that they like to hide but mine has never used either of her hides infact shes never climbed up plants or even side of viv but is ALWAYS active is this normal or just a well behaved snake?
17   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
n/a Posted - 18/01/2010 : 10:04:07
I grew up in North Carolina and traveled extensively through the south. I remember going to sleep with the sheets on my bed wet from the humidity. I was visiting my sister in North Carolina this past June and it was like a sauna there. My glasses fogged up when I came outside. The mugginess is why I don't want to ever live there. You get out of the shower dry off and feel like you need to keep a towel with you. I can see where a swampy type of environment can create RI's, but from the environment that the corns and I came from they need a certain amount of humidity to recreate their natural environment.
quote:
Originally posted by LittleMick

While I am in no way as experienced as most of the members on this site I thoughI'd just throw in a little background if you don't already know it.

Corns originate from the Florida Keys, Florida and the Carolinas of North America and slightly westward of these states, so these areas are for the most part dry air, that's why constant humidity MIGHT cause problems.

It doesn't surprise me to hear your corn doesn't climb, Corns are classed as mainly Terrestial and not Arboreal. Although they do climb just to explore, they orefer the ground.

n/a Posted - 18/01/2010 : 08:33:45
Thanks kellog for all your help just,
Would you suggest i do the same with my candycanes viv even tho iv not had a problem with her or shud i leave her as shes settled?
Kellog Posted - 18/01/2010 : 05:14:33
quote:
Originally posted by TLT

soz guys for not writing sooner but yet again you have nailed it i have now chopped her viv dwn to 4.5ft (not easy doing glass doors lol) and replaced the light with a heatmat and she seems to be enjoying it more shes only been in it since yesterday but had a really lazy(no circleing) day she has basically spent all of it in her hide much more normal il keep you posted

Also
seen as i have taken out her bulb which was providing light can anyone recommend a new light source plz.



That is really good news Tom...it is so nice to hear when our advice is followed and it has a positive effect.

I think those who do use a light just as a light source use one of the light-saving bulbs, which gives off the least amount of heat as possible....and it needs to be on a timer to replicate the day/night schedule. Also you obviously need to make sure you have a guard over it to protect your snake from being burnt.

xxx
n/a Posted - 17/01/2010 : 16:01:35
soz guys for not writing sooner but yet again you have nailed it i have now chopped her viv dwn to 4.5ft (not easy doing glass doors lol) and replaced the light with a heatmat and she seems to be enjoying it more shes only been in it since yesterday but had a really lazy(no circleing) day she has basically spent all of it in her hide much more normal il keep you posted

Also
seen as i have taken out her bulb which was providing light can anyone recommend a new light source plz.
eeji Posted - 16/01/2010 : 11:01:48
a 6' viv is great for a cornsnake, IF theres lots and lots of cover and hiding places with not so much 'open ground'. 2 hides in a viv that size is not enough, and could be another reason for lots of burrowing.
Your heat needs to be knocked down a few degrees too, to around 27degC at the warm side. If you use a bulb for day heating, what do you use during the night?
LittleMick Posted - 16/01/2010 : 02:35:47
While I am in no way as experienced as most of the members on this site I thoughI'd just throw in a little background if you don't already know it.

Corns originate from the Florida Keys, Florida and the Carolinas of North America and slightly westward of these states, so these areas are for the most part dry air, that's why constant humidity MIGHT cause problems.

It doesn't surprise me to hear your corn doesn't climb, Corns are classed as mainly Terrestial and not Arboreal. Although they do climb just to explore, they orefer the ground.
n/a Posted - 15/01/2010 : 16:53:08
Yes she has had it in there for most of the year I've had her and I guess I've been lucky because there's never been a problem. Of course she doesn't stay in it all the time even though it is present.Thanks for letting me know.
quote:
Originally posted by HannahB

quote:
Originally posted by godzchild9

I figure if she's coming out of her moisture cave on her own, she's not too nervous about her new home.


bit off topic but does she have a moisture hide all the time? if so she doesnt need it and it could cause her some breathing problems as the humidity would be too high..
if not then sorry

SexyBear77 Posted - 15/01/2010 : 16:52:17
Its not the cave that causes the problems, its the humidity, corns don't do well in humid conditions. Therefore damp moss etc should only be introduced shortly before a shed.
HannahB Posted - 15/01/2010 : 14:13:04
quote:
Originally posted by godzchild9

I figure if she's coming out of her moisture cave on her own, she's not too nervous about her new home.


bit off topic but does she have a moisture hide all the time? if so she doesnt need it and it could cause her some breathing problems as the humidity would be too high..
if not then sorry
gingerpony Posted - 15/01/2010 : 12:48:28
quote:
Originally posted by godzchild9

The four foot is 122 cm and the one that I bought this last time is 100x50x50 cm.

100cm is about 3'3"...
the 100x50 would be fine for the rest of your snake's life, even my 6ft boa is in a 4'x2' viv.........
n/a Posted - 15/01/2010 : 11:47:41
I ended up having to use a heating cable for Snickers because the mat didn't work for her new home. I know she didn't like the heat lamp and then I read that the constant red light of the heat lamp stresses the snakes.
quote:
Originally posted by Lilpunk

Corn snakes should usually be heated via a heat-mat, as they heat their surroundings rather than the environment/air I'd just wait to see what kellog thinks xD




I had heard that Kehhlyr. But the truth is Snickers is growing quickly and I couldn't afford to buy an in between size and I'd read that a 4-6 ft viv is what a grown corn should have. The four foot is 122 cm and the one that I bought this last time is 100x50x50 cm. I figure it should work for the rest of her life. I return her to the viv on the cool end and she always crawls back to her warm end. Of course her viv is not empty.So she has stuff to slither under on her trip back. She is seldem completely exposed. Our house sitter said that while we were on vacation she spent a lot of her time under her "log" hide. I figure if she's coming out of her moisture cave on her own, she's not too nervous about her new home.
quote:
Originally posted by Kehhlyr

How long is she?
A 6ft viv is massive for a cornsnake. What is the height and depth of the viv as well?
Normal rule we recommend is the Long+short sides of the viv be about equal to the entire length of the snake.

A bulb as heating is not ideal, but can be used but we do recommend heat-mats for corns instead of bulbs.







You are describing exactly how Snickers acted as long as the heat light was on. That was why I searched out heating lamps and corns. They said that the constant glowing stresses the snakes. That was when i went to the heating cable because it heats the ground where she is at instead of always glaring into her unblinking eyes.
quote:
Originally posted by TLT

soz should have been more specific

.ok she is just over a yr old and i have had her about a yr
.she is on large mice and only goes off them when she is ready to shed
.she is in a self built 6ft viv heated with a bulb connected to a dimmer stat hot end 31*c and cold is 22*c
.her substrate is aspen shavings changed every 2weeks
.she has 2 hides sum of them fake vine things and some plastic plants
.she comes out every otherday for about 1 1/2hrs and she seems to love it
.and when i say active she wil go round n round in her viv
.and finally she does burrow
thanks kellog





*edited by Kehhlyr - double posting*
Kellog Posted - 15/01/2010 : 05:45:08
Thank you Kehhlyr and SexyBear...you got there before I did!

Tom, I agree with what has been said already. The size of your viv is a great concern. In the wild corns would stay hidden, only coming out into the open to hunt and then returning to hiding. If she is in that size viv she is probably very scared and very stressed. If she is only a year then she should be in something much smaller. My adult, Kellog, is about 4.5 yrs old and 4'5" long. His viv is a 4' one and I imagine him staying in that for the rest of his life.

You say she is on large mice...how often is she fed and how much does she weigh?

As with SexyBear and Kehhlyr your method of heating concerns me. Ideally corns need to have a heat mat as they absorb their heat from underneath rather than from ambient temperature. How are you measuring your temps? With a digital thermometer? 31oC is definitely too hot and could explain why she burrows as she is trying to escape the heat by reaching the cool of the base of the viv under the substrate. Does your bulb have a guard? Is it on 24hrs a day or does it go off at night, meaning the temp drops during that time?

I am glad you have the 2 hides and vines etc in her viv, although it sounds as though she is not using them.

The 1hr 30min handling period would worry me. I handle my adult for a maximum of half an hour, and then return him to the viv even though he doesnt want to go back. I try and do this twice a day (except for the 48hrs after feeding of course). It may be that having her out for such a long period of time may be stressing her or even over-stimulating her.

When you say she goes round and round in her viv....does it look as though she is trying to escape? Does she never settle in one place for any period of time? Where does she go after a feed to digest her food?

Sorry, I know it is a lot of questions again, but it is only through getting as much info as possible that we can try and see if your snake's behaviour is normal...and hopefully we have already helped in pointing out our concerns over the temp of the viv and size of it.

xxx
SexyBear77 Posted - 15/01/2010 : 01:42:43
Your hot end should ideally be 27-29c, high temps can cause over activeness.

Agree with Kehhlyr about the size of viv too, I have a 5 1/2 male in a 4 foot viv, and its more than big enough for him.
Kehhlyr Posted - 15/01/2010 : 00:04:51
How long is she?
A 6ft viv is massive for a cornsnake. What is the height and depth of the viv as well?
Normal rule we recommend is the Long+short sides of the viv be about equal to the entire length of the snake.

A bulb as heating is not ideal, but can be used but we do recommend heat-mats for corns instead of bulbs.
Lilpunk Posted - 14/01/2010 : 07:00:13
Corn snakes should usually be heated via a heat-mat, as they heat their surroundings rather than the environment/air I'd just wait to see what kellog thinks xD
n/a Posted - 14/01/2010 : 03:51:01
soz should have been more specific

.ok she is just over a yr old and i have had her about a yr
.she is on large mice and only goes off them when she is ready to shed
.she is in a self built 6ft viv heated with a bulb connected to a dimmer stat hot end 31*c and cold is 22*c
.her substrate is aspen shavings changed every 2weeks
.she has 2 hides sum of them fake vine things and some plastic plants
.she comes out every otherday for about 1 1/2hrs and she seems to love it
.and when i say active she wil go round n round in her viv
.and finally she does burrow
thanks kellog
Kellog Posted - 14/01/2010 : 03:05:07
Hey Tom.

We really need to know a lot more about your corn's set-up before we can help. So lots of questions - how long have you had your snow, how old is she, what is she feeding on and how often, is she feeding ok, how big is her viv, how are you heating it, how are you controlling the temps, what are the temps, what else do you have in the viv other than the hides, how often do you handle her and what is she like to be handled. You say she is always active, but not climbing up the plants or side of the viv...so what do you mean about her being active, what is she doing in her viv? What substrate do you have in her viv? Does she burrow?

Sorry for the interrogation, but it will help us understand her behaviour better.

xxx

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