Strongpets Blog » Corn Snakes

Common Corn Snake Problems

katherine — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:09:10 +0000

Regurgitation	The tank may be too cold. This will make the mouse to rot in your snake, finally causing the snake to regurgitate. Additionally, the mouse may have been to large.
Snake refuses to eat.	Make sure your tank is warm enough and the mouse is not too big. Your snake might also be in a mating cycle or a brumation cycle (a semi-hibernation state). If a female is full of eggs she will stop eating. If the day length has shortened, your snake might slow down eating. Finally, if your snake does not feel secure, he might stop eating. Provide him with one or two nice hiding places. To entice a snake to eat, try both dead prey, then live prey. Try feeding your snake during the day, and then at night. A towel over the tank may help, as will snipping open the dead mouse’s nose or head. If you do not resolve this problem, take your snake to the vet to rule out bacteria, protozoa or worms. When your snake defecates, collect the feces in a clean bag and take it to a reptile veterinarian.
Thin, stringy mucous coming from the nose or mouth, or changes in feces or urates.	Sign of a disease or infection. Take to a reptile veterinarian immediately.
Sudden Death	Unfortunately, inbreeding to create “cool colors” has resulted in some quick and unexplained deaths in corn snakes.
Milky blue eyes, dull body color with a whiteish sheen.	This is not a problem. Your healthy snake is due to shed! If you watch, your snake’s eyes will clear, and he will begin to shed. Soak your snake in warmish water after his eyes clear to assure proper hydration. This will enable your snake to shed within the next 24 hours.

Corn Snake Habitat Heating

admin — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:19:09 +0000

Corn Snake Habitat Heating

Snakes are cold-blooded, and therefore cannot regulate their own body heat. They will die if their tanks are either too hot or too cold. Be sure to keep your tank a constant temperature, or your snake might begin to hibernate. Corn snakes do well in a range from 70 to 82 degrees. One side of the tank should be room temperature, with the other side being the warming area. Never use heat rocks, as they can burn your snake.

Use full-spectrum fluorescent bulb for vitamin and mineral metabolism. An incandescent bulb can be added to the same fixture in the cage top to provide both light and heat. Remember that the higher the wattage, the higher the temperature. To prevent serious burns, your snake must not be able to touch the light in any way.

There are several other heat options other than incandescent lights. Many snake owners find undertank pads or reptilian heat tapes quite handy. If you decide to use the heating pad, check it daily to be sure you are not cooking your snake. If it is too hot to touch, it is definitely too hot for your snake. You may place newspaper at the bottom of your tank under the bedding to dissipate the heat.

Heat tape strips do not get as hot as pads, and are a bit safer. They are sold in 3 inch wide or 11 inch wide pieces. You can get any length you wish. Do not completely cover the bottom of the tank with either the pads or the tape. Choose one end or the back side of the tank, so your snake has the option to move away from the heat. ALWAYS keep a thermometer in your tank.

Corn Snake Habitat

admin — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:18:16 +0000

Corn Snake Habitat

Your adult corn snake can live in a 20 gallon tank, as long as you let him out for exercise on a regular basis. If you are able to afford 30 gallons or more, this is even more suitable. As you can probably guess, snakes are escape artists, so be sure you have a secure locking top to your tank. If you buy locks from a pet store, purchase four – one for each side.

Do not use pine shavings, corncob or sand in the habitat. Snakes have been known to ingest these substances and become impacted. Avoid outside dirt as well, because it often contains bacteria or parasites. Newspaper works well, but for a nicer look, aspen bedding often used for snakes. If it is ingested, it is small enough to go through the snake rather than impact it.

Corn snakes require a nice hiding place, whether it be a cardboard box, fake logs, or even a plastic cup with a hole in it. Your snake should be able to fit in it, but have the sides touch it in order to feel secure.

Your corn snake needs a good climbing branch for exercise and entertainment. You can use one outside, but to avoid bacteria and parasites, take off all the leaves, scrub it down and bake it thoroughly. Click HERE to see a list of safe branches for your snake.

Fresh water is important to your snake, both for hydration and sometimes bathing. Your corn snake might eliminate in his water as well. Change your water once a day, if not more.

Corn Snake Diet

admin — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:17:36 +0000

Corn Snake Diet

You should feed your snake about once a week. Do not give your snake a mouse that is more than 1 ½ times the width of his mouth. If there is a large bulge in the snake after eating, the mouse was probably too big. Better to give two smaller mice than one large. There is a bit of debate as to which mouse is better – alive or dead. If your snake will eat it, most agree that dead is best. Live mice can bite your snake and seriously damage it.

You can purchase frozen mice online and store them in your freezer. Just be sure to tell the spouse before he heats up a mouse surprise! Purchasing frozen mice online is actually cheaper than buying live mice that you kill on your own, saving you about $1.50 a mouse. If your snake regurgitates his food, the tank is probably too cold. Snakes digest better in warmer temperatures.

Cricket Care

admin — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:16:37 +0000

Cricket Care

Keeping crickets is fairly easy, as long as you follow some basic rules. The key to a healthy cricket and therefore healthy reptile is managing a healthy and bacteria free environment.

Container

Crickets can be kept in containers manufactured specifically for this purpose, or you can use a Rubbermaid-type tub with lid. We have found that the best substrate to use is none! Corn meal, pellets and corn bedding can harbor bacteria and mold. The crickets will not show signs of sickness from this, but can spread bacteria to your animal. Instead, place paper towel rolls or clean egg cartons in the box for hiding spaces.

Cleaning

Take your paper towel rolls and egg cartons out, shaking the crickets out to the bottom. The crickets will probably start to crawl up the sides, which will make it easy for you to clean the bottom. Sweep the sheds and droppings using a small nylon broom and dustpan. Then wipe with a damp paper towel, and finally, a dry one. Place paper towel rolls and egg cartons back in the container, and wipe down the sides of the container once the crickets move to the bottom.

Food

Clean food and water are they key to keeping your crickets healthy and bacteria-free. Purchase a compressed sponge from your pet store or online for their water. You must make sure your crickets have fresh, clean water every day. First rinse the sponge with hot water, then soak in cool water. If there is a lot of chlorine in your water, use bottled water for your crickets and animals. To ensure cleanliness, boil the sponges weekly.

Use a premium cricket gutload to feed your crickets. If you use fresh vegetables as well, do not use leftover food from your other animals. Again, this can spread bacteria. Use freshly washed, high quality vegetables and take them out after 2 hours with the crickets to prevent spoilage.

At least 24 hours before you are going to feed the animals crickets, be sure your sponges are moist and supply a good amount of gutload. The moist sponges help to hydrate your crickets, which will in turn hydrate your animals.

Avoid using gel bites or water gels. These can both dry out and harbor harmful bacteria. Additionally, the gel can stick to a cricket’s leg, be carried to your animal and expand inside your animal.

Corn Snakes

admin — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:12:51 +0000

Corn Snakes

Corn snakes belong to the genus Elaphe, and the species Elaphe Guttata. The latin word Elaphe means Deerskin, and Guttata means speckled or spotted. Corn snakes indeed feel like well tanned deerskin, and have patterns that resemble freckles or spots. They grow from 3 to 4 feet, with some up to 5 feet long.

Handling Your Corn Snake

If you have a baby corn snake, you are in luck. Although they might initially nip once or twice, baby corn snakes are easily tameable. You can also tame an adult snake, but not as quickly.

Pick up your baby snake with one hand, your adult with two. Hold the snake gently but firmly. Do not hold the adult on either one end or the other. The snake will not feel supported and may begin to thrash.

Always expect your corn snake to be active. His nature is to stay on “the go,” so as an adult it will probably never drape over you while you are watching TV. Babies will slow down a bit once they realize you aren’t going to hurt them, but again, will usually keep moving.