| Author |
 Topic  |
|
n/a
deleted
19 Posts |
 Posted - 07/08/2009 : 03:00:25
|
Hi I am new to this forum and new to snake keeping!
After wanting a corn snake for years I finaly decided to take the plunge and go buy one from a supposedly reputable local store, So far so good I found my dream corn snake (a Carolina that I call Chompy)! After getting chompy home it suddenly dawned on me that the shop I bought my snake from gave me virtualy no care advice just a care sheet that is copied from another website!
I am wondering if I am doing things right, she has been with us for 3 weeks now and eagerly eats her fuzzy every thursday without hesitation, I have her on aspen bedding and have a nice hide in the end of her viv. Over the last few days though she seems to have become increasingly dark in colour (almost faded) and is hiding most of the time.
Is this hiding and changing in colour normal and due to chompy getting close to a shed?
My partner also decided she likes corn snakes as much as me and went and got a lovely type A anerythristic she called Shylo (both snakes were sexed when purchased chompy is a female and shylo is a male) and we have the intention to maybee breed them in a few years!
Sorry for the length of this post but it would make me rest easy if I know that chompy's behaviour is normal and wether the change in colour is due to a shed aproaching (her eyes are still bright and she is still alert when handled)
Thanks in advance for anyone taking the time to read my post and respond!
Regards Graham! |
|
|
Kehhlyr
ǝʞɐɔ sǝʌoן
United Kingdom
8173 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 03:13:04
|
Change in colour sounds like it's due for a shed, I'm assuming it's started going dull?
What size faun/viv do you have her in? and roughy how long is she??
What's your setup like? If you want to have a check to see how accurate the caresheet you were provided with, have a look at ours on the main forum page. http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/corn_snake_care_sheet.htm
And welcome to the forum. 
Got any piccys yet????
|
-=Kehhlyr - The Resident Loon
  |
 |
|
|
Stumpy
Hatchling
United Kingdom
418 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 05:54:46
|
Sounds very much like it is about to shed.
The colours ill fade / go dull as the old skin starts to seperate. |
 |
|
|
|
Brookestar
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
2361 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 08:44:13
|
| hi and welcome to the forum btw |
|
|
|
Remmy
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
1188 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 09:50:59
|
| Hi and welcome to the forum. Does sound like she is about to shed. Got any pics of her set up? |
|
|
|
HannahB
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
5491 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 11:12:56
|
hey and welcome
make sure you have two hides one in the hot end and one in the cool end..but apart from that sounds like hes just comig into shed |
2.0 Normal Royal Pythons - Q and Little One
1.0 Chihauhaun Mountain Kingsnake - Simba
|
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
19 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 14:39:24
|
The care sheet on this site is amazing thanks for informing me of it's existance! =)
I will try to get pictures of both snakes in the very near future but as chompy and shylo were only fed yesterday I don't like to handle them until monday. I will have a play with my webcam and see if i can put some pictures of her faunarium/viv thingy on we have chompy and shylo on a cabinet in seperate housings next to each other! Chompy is around 12 inches long I think and the shop I bought her from said she was about 4 months old!
|
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
19 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 14:49:56
|
| I would put the viv/faunarium pics on but I don't understand how to do it lol |
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
19 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 15:16:56
|
sorry about the low quality it's only a webcam on my laptop! =)
will try to get snake pics on monday of chompy and shylo but this may be tricky as the cam is built into laptop lol!! |
Edited by - n/a on 07/08/2009 15:19:11 |
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
19 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 16:55:28
|
I just re-arranged all of the snake area and when i sorted out chompy's viv I noticed her eyes look grey/ blue now and all her colour is very faded, how long will it take for her to shed from this point and will her having her usual feed yesterday affect anything?
Sorry to all for being so annoying =) |
|
|
|
hillzi
The Lost boy.
United Kingdom
3984 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 17:39:36
|
the shedding process is roughyl a week from the blue then her eyes will clear then a few days she will shed but it all depends on the snake.
Welcome btw;
and your'e not being annoying! Asking questions is how we all learn and the pet shop not giving yuou any advice is expected, some i give them their due really know their stuff; others are out just to snatch your money! but we will help you to give any advice where its wanted. thats the good thing about internet forums, can get more than one opinion and methods of doing things.
|
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
19 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 19:25:49
|
thankyou so much for your words of wisdom, at least I know it could take a bit over a week for chompy to shed =)
I am a little unsure of handling her while her eyes are blue as from what I have read on the internet they cannot see very well.
As for the pet store that is in question we almost bought a different anerythristic male but when they got him out he hadn't shed right and the tip of his tail had old skin there, it ended up with one of the staff picking it off with her nails resulting in the loss of part of it's tail the poor thing and it looked infected and was bleeding!
We got Shylo (chompy's little friend) instead and are so glad we did =)
Pics of the snakes should be on here on monday at some time so you will be able to see our 2 little friends =) |
|
|
|
hillzi
The Lost boy.
United Kingdom
3984 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 19:35:54
|
I wouldn't handle in blue. Theyr'e pretty much blind and can't see well at all. Some, if already a tad nervous with your big giant black hand, its gonna be even more daunting when they can't see!
I'd leave it IMO but every snake is different. he might let you, but he'll let you know if he wont come out. 
Can't be a good pet shop - rule when they have retained shed is NEVER pick it off, could rip their scales off. it's best to bathe it if it has had a bad shed and let it crawl through a 1/2 wet 1/2 dry towel. A moss hide helps increase humidity and losening snakes skin allowing making it easier for it to shed. also moving the waterbowl into the warm end raises the humidity.
I advice also against leaving the moss hide in there, if corns have too much humidity it can lead to fungal growth in the viv, scale rot and R.I's but again not everyone will agree with me.
Hope he gets on fine! |
|
|
|
Brookestar
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
2361 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 20:09:17
|
| as hillzi said they are vertually blind so can be aggressive. from a personal opinion i dont handle them at all for their safety more than anything |
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 20:30:24
|
| When Kellog is in shed he hides in his hide during the worst period so we leave him alone from when he turns blue to when he sheds. Dont have moss yet, but when he turns blue do mist viv once a day to increase humidity. Is that ok? xxx |
  
  |
|
|
|
hillzi
The Lost boy.
United Kingdom
3984 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 20:49:00
|
Would mist it once, thats a good dose and a few squirts at that, all nasty fungus' and other health issues as i mentioned can be caused.
Thats a-okay though Kellog. :) |
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
19 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 21:45:29
|
Sounds like chompy is like kellog she is hiding away all the time I never see here and she must have only turned blue thursday night as I was handling her before her feed early thursday afternoon, she looked very dull but was very happy to be handled at the time and fed really eagerly as usual.
Handling her is not going to be happening for a week or so I guess as I don't want to stress her at all. I have the dish over the heater already anyway as that is where I have always put it, will try the misting might make chompy that bit more comfortable!
Thanks for your advice guys it's very much apreciated from a novice like me I will learn fast enough I guess =)
One last thing though am I best leaving her next feed out if she hasn't fed by then?? just wondering as I don't want to do any harm to her through the shedding process!!
|
|
|
|
lee2308
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
3348 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 00:44:47
|
hi and welcome to the forum,i personly wouldnt feed during shed,it wont harm them but will probably refuse it.Thick of it as you wearing a very tight air of jeans then eating a large meal,not very comfy.Having the water bowl over the heat is a good way of increasing humidity during the shedding proccess but i would take of the heat once its shed as the constent high humidity can cause respitory problems. |
|
Edited by - lee2308 on 08/08/2009 00:46:30 |
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
19 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 01:26:49
|
I have taken our other snakes water off the heat now you said that but left chompy's on the heat as I don't want RI's with either of them~!! Thanks for that tip =)
Also in the future (when chompy and Shylo are mature adults and get married lol) we would like to breed them, Chompy is a standard Carolina Corn (female) and Shylo is a Type A Anerythristic (male) what morphs would we be likely to get and how many is an average clutch of eggs? |
|
|
|
lee2308
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
3348 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 01:51:06
|
| i think you end up with normals het anery,have a play around with this morph caculator http://www.corncalc.com/ I dont know if you know about hets but it basicly means you would have normal hatchlings carring the anery gene,so if you bred one of these female hatchlings(when old enough) back to the father you would end up with 50% anery visuals and 50%norms het anery |
|
Edited by - lee2308 on 08/08/2009 01:59:34 |
|
|
|
gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 22:39:20
|
| heya and welcome |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Bad pet shop advice please help!
