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Tic_Tac
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
25 Posts |
 Posted - 16/04/2011 : 02:54:40
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Hi everyone
My partner bought me a corn snake just less than 2 weeks ago. Whilst I have always wanted one it was unexpected so have not done the research I should. I was hoping for some advice please.
He or she I think is 2months old and is about a foot and a half in length. Is anyone able to tell me what type of cornsnake this is. He has orange eyes and orange markings.
When we bought him or her we bought one of those plastic Faunarium starter kits as it seemed the easier option to start with. I set it all up with the heat mat, water bowel and 2 hides and the snake (Named Tic Tac) seemed happy.
That evening we had a bit of a disaster where the Cat knocked the whole Faunariums over luckily we got to the snake before the cat did. We have since moved Tic Tac to the bedroom where the cat is not allowed.
Thankfully the stress did not kill the little fella and it was his feed day the next day.... we took him out of the Faunarium to feed him and unsurprisingly he struck me but after a few minutes allowed me to pick him up and placed into another small box to be fed and he took the little mouse happily.
We left him for a few days to settle in and have just started handing him in the last 3 days. He seems comfortable with me and partner now.
I am now looking for a small glass vivarium to keep him in that is cat proof until he is larger. I have been looking at the small exo terra terrarium, would anyone recommend these as my partner is also looking at buying the 3 foot ones when Tic Tac is larger.
Also the pet shop said to tape the heat mat to the bottom of the faunarium which covers the whole base, is this ok? As I have since read it should only cover half ... also there is no way of changing the temperature, is this ok? I also do not have a thermometer is this needed?
I am going out on Wednesday to buy a small glass terrarium, if all of the above is wrong if people could please please tell me exactly what I need to buy. I am planning on buying the Exo Terra terrarium that is 30 x 30 x 30 for now and will buy a 3 foot one when he is older.
Any help will be very much appreciated (Sorry for the long post)
Thanks
Catherine
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ptmbradley
Yearling
United Kingdom
676 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2011 : 03:05:53
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I'm sure a lot of more experienced keepers will be along to reply shortly, but I will just quickly say that your heat mat should only cover between a third and a half of your faun. It's very important you also get a thermostat to regulate the heat, which means you also need a thermometer. Don't get a strip one as they are next to useless. Digital ones are far the most accurate so get one of them. A mat stat and a digi gauge will likely set you back £30-35 but both are essential purchases. The temp should be adjusted to about 29-30 deg C.
See the care sheet here for a crash course in corn keeping... http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/corn_snake_care_sheet.htm
And also this brilliant 101 which gives everything to you step by step on how to set up a corn habitat. http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9878
All the best.  |
Corns: 1.1 Anery, 1.1 Butter, 1.0 Carolina, 0.1 Hypo, 1.1 Snow, 1.0 Sunkissed
Boas: 0.1 Arabesque, 1.0 Brazilian Rainbow, 0.1 Crawl Cay, 1.1 Hogg Island X, 0.1 Hypo Hogg, 0.1 Kahl Albino (poss coral)
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Edited by - ptmbradley on 16/04/2011 03:08:30 |
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Tic_Tac
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
25 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2011 : 05:21:37
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That 101 guide has answered my main questions, thank you for the link.
I feel really bad now as I would have never bought a snake without his home set up and running but its hard to get angry at my partner when he bought the snake to make me happy.
I love my little Tic Tac and will make all the changes for him tomorrow.
Any advice on if the exo terra glass homes are any good would be appreciated or any other suggestions for a good enclosure for a baby snake that isn't a plastic faun.
Thanks
Catherine |
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ptmbradley
Yearling
United Kingdom
676 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2011 : 05:30:55
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You're welcome.
I'm still very much a novice so wouldn't dare to comment on the morph of your baby, and I don't know much about about the Exo Terra terrarium either sorry. I'm sure someone will be up shortly with an answer for you though.
As for alternatives, I've just moved my Pandora into a RUB (Really Useful Box) from Staples. They seem to be a very common way of housing corns and dirt cheap. It's a 12 litre box and measures about 17x13 inches and Pandora is almost 20 inches now, so she's still got some room to grow before I house her in a 'proper' vivarium. Her rub sits on my desk right next to the monitor, although I still hardly see her unless I pull her out to play with! lol
This is her home...
I really should get off this comp. Been on it all night and now it's starting to get light outside. Oh well, GP qualifying is on in half an hour so may as well stay up to watch that now!!
Good luck and have fun with Tic Tac.
Pete
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Corns: 1.1 Anery, 1.1 Butter, 1.0 Carolina, 0.1 Hypo, 1.1 Snow, 1.0 Sunkissed
Boas: 0.1 Arabesque, 1.0 Brazilian Rainbow, 0.1 Crawl Cay, 1.1 Hogg Island X, 0.1 Hypo Hogg, 0.1 Kahl Albino (poss coral)
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ptmbradley
Yearling
United Kingdom
676 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2011 : 05:54:07
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Just noticed you're in Kent. Me too. Just curious to know who said to cover the entire base with the heat mat. Hopefully this was a misunderstanding on your part and not the actual advice being given to all their customers!! 
Pete
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Corns: 1.1 Anery, 1.1 Butter, 1.0 Carolina, 0.1 Hypo, 1.1 Snow, 1.0 Sunkissed
Boas: 0.1 Arabesque, 1.0 Brazilian Rainbow, 0.1 Crawl Cay, 1.1 Hogg Island X, 0.1 Hypo Hogg, 0.1 Kahl Albino (poss coral)
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MrsA82
Yearling
United Kingdom
582 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2011 : 08:23:12
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I would say you have a lovely amel there
I have an exo terra and has been absolutely perfect as a. Starter house. It's a 30x30x30 so does until snakie is around the 2 ft mark. So should suit yours perfectly  |
0.1 Philodryas baroni
2.7 western hognose
3.7 royal pythons |
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Ailsa
Banned
United Kingdom
804 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2011 : 09:16:03
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I'm a new snake owner like yourself, ive did all my research and i still worry am not doing something right lol. My snake is a 12 week old bloodred, she's in a beginners faunarium which should do her till she's 18 months old, her faun has a divider in it which i will take out once i buy her more green cover to climb on and hide under. Her heat mat is stat controlled and covers roughly a third of the space not the whole of it as snakes cannot control their body temp and need a cool place when they are too hot, she has hides on the warm and cool side, her water bowl, loo roll and a stone to climb over lol. The temps are 28.5 degrees celcius in warm end and around 18-20 degrees celcius in cool end and she ate her first feed for me last wed and i was so happy. Am looking forward to her first shed with me. Check out Blue Lizard Reptiles online and you will be able to get a microclimate stat for £15.99 and a Exo Terra Digital Thermometer for under £10.00 (thats what I have).
Anyway, twittering over now, you will find this site and all the experienced people on it a really good source of help and knowledge. |
  
Dakota ~ Bloodred Corn ~ Amber & Chloe ~ Cats
Mind is changing on snakes I want now lol so am researching these to find out what would be best - Milk Snakes and Dwarf Boa possibly - Crawl Cay, Sonoran, Tarahumara or Vera Cruz and poss a Hoggie, African House and Rat snake. Also Trinket Snakes. |
Edited by - Ailsa on 16/04/2011 09:21:14 |
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Tic_Tac
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
25 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2011 : 18:23:47
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Thanks for the advice and kind words, I was worried people would shout at me for not being better prepared.
I bought Tic Tac from Ruxley Garden Centre, unfortuently it was not a misunderstanding as it was them that stuck the heatmat to the base for us. It's made me really angry as i know my partner would have bought everything you guys mentioned had the shop told him!
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ptmbradley
Yearling
United Kingdom
676 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2011 : 19:12:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Tic_Tac
Thanks for the advice and kind words, I was worried people would shout at me for not being better prepared.
I bought Tic Tac from Ruxley Garden Centre, unfortuently it was not a misunderstanding as it was them that stuck the heatmat to the base for us. It's made me really angry as i know my partner would have bought everything you guys mentioned had the shop told him!
You shouldn't worry. They're a nice bunch here. Mostly... 
Wasn't your fault you weren't prepared after a lovely surprise gesture from your fella. The blame lies entirely with the terrible advice you were given in the shop. I dread to think how many others have listened to their rubbish as gospel and they should be hauled over the coals for it! You did the right thing by researching and asking for advice, and as long as you act positively on what you've learned - which I know you will and maybe already have - then little Tic Tac should go on to lead a long and happy life with you.
Enjoy each other and looking forward to seeing more photos.
Pete |
Corns: 1.1 Anery, 1.1 Butter, 1.0 Carolina, 0.1 Hypo, 1.1 Snow, 1.0 Sunkissed
Boas: 0.1 Arabesque, 1.0 Brazilian Rainbow, 0.1 Crawl Cay, 1.1 Hogg Island X, 0.1 Hypo Hogg, 0.1 Kahl Albino (poss coral)
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Tic_Tac
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
25 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2011 : 21:17:48
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Awww thanks pete. It was a wonderful surprise and I love Tic tac to bits already. I'm on nights at work over the weekend so wont be able to get out to buy the bits until wednesday but I've moved the heatmat so it only coveres half the faun.
We last fed Tic Tac last saturday so fed him again today which he happily ate and I've made a note of his weight. He was a bit grumpy today and striked me again when I was getting him out to feed him. He was very active today so I'm hoping its because he'd worn himself out and was trying to sleep and not a habit he will continue to do.
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lotabob
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
4334 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2011 : 21:41:26
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Its typical advice from pet shops unfortunately, I cant understand why they do it but that just how most of them are.
One bit of advice I will give you is turn off the mat until you have a thermostat but as you fed him today this will have to wait 48 hours while he digests his meal and just hope its not too hot, if you have any form of thermometer stick it as close to the mat as the snake will get and check, if its over 30oC its too hot for a cornsnake and you need to do something about it quicker than Wednesday. (If its a lot over 30 you'll have to just switch the mat off straight away and hope he doesn't regurge his meal). Once you can switch the mat off just keep the room warm and it will be fine, snakes deal with cold better than they deal with been too hot. While the mat is switched off don't feed Tic Tac as it wont be warm enough for digestion. A mat that is not controlled by a thermostat can easily reach temps of 40oC+ which is way too hot, as your using a faun which the mat outside its less likely to cause a burn but is still a risk that needs to be avoided. Once you have a stat I also wouldn't tape the mat to the bottom either just stand the faun on the mat, place the stat probe on the mat and a thermometer probe on the bottom of the faun (inside).
The striking is nothing unusual for hatchlings they soon settle down but its best to just expect the odd nip now and again and be surprised when they dont bite.
A good sign that the mat is too hot is a snake always in the cold end, so now you've moved the mat so he has a cold end and you don't fancy turning off the mat watch his behaviour, he'll let you know what you need to do. |
Anery Corn snake SPOT. Royal Python, DUKE. Hogg Island Boa, SANKE. Albino House Snake, HAL.
Harlequin Crested Gecko HARLEY
Albino Horned Frog WAKA
Chilean Rose Tarantula TRIXIE. Brazilian Salmon Pink Bird-eating Tarantula SAM. Orange Baboon Tarantula BORIS.
Giant Asian Forest Scorpion, SALLY.
Giant African Land Snails, SHELDON & MICHELLE.
Budwing Mantis, MAIA
Dubia Roach Colony. Silkworm Colony. Mealworm Colony. Waxworm Colony. Fruit Beetle Colony.
MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL http://www.youtube.com/user/alocheeky |
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Tic_Tac
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
25 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2011 : 22:05:13
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Thank you lotabob. I havent got the heatmat taped to the bottom since I turned it round the other way so only coveres half. I have the faun sitting on top of it. I will keep a close eye on him.
Thanks |
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Topic |
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Advice for a beginner to snake keeping please
