I generally recommend against balls for a starter snake as they can be problem feeders, and snakes like corns can be nippy and tend to move fast, like my milks do. For me, a good beginner snake would be a Kenyan sand boa. I know you didn't list it as one of your preferreds, but they stay small, aren't super fast or nippy, and they do live birth, which is pretty cool.
Finaly I get a snake!
- Thread starter FishFreak95
- Start date
Of my three corns, only one was laid back enough to be held. The other two were frantic and constantly darting around, and even the wild-caught kingsnake I had for a night was nowhere near as flighty as they were.
i've had 4 corns and while they're not a "bad" fist snake, i could think of quite a few different species that would make better beginner snakes than a corn.
corns tend to be very nippy and flighty when young (like a lot of other snakes) but most will outgrow that. they usually mellow out when fully grown... but i've seen a couple exceptions to these rules.
corns tend to be very nippy and flighty when young (like a lot of other snakes) but most will outgrow that. they usually mellow out when fully grown... but i've seen a couple exceptions to these rules.
Well I typed a a few paragraphs on why I like those snakes but my computer erased it all :|
I just really like them. I think I am leaning towards a yearling Honduran milk snake
I just really like them. I think I am leaning towards a yearling Honduran milk snake
Ive got ZooMed Cypress mulch and a Zoomed Thermometer. There were digital ones for a dollar more, Im not sure why i didnt get those instead. Do I need to use the reptile spot lamps or can I use the one I have used for construction. Also the bulbs at my petstore wont come in for a while and I'm thinking I could just use a regular bulb from walmart. What kind of light bulb should I get that emits a good amount of heat?
the following is the setup i use for almost every snake i own, especially colubrids:
substrate: aspen shavings because the snakes can tunnel through it easily which keeps them happy and feeling secure. it's cheap and easy to clean. cypress is good for snakes that need lots of humidity (because it resists mold when wet) but not the best for burrowing. save your cypress for the hide box and grab a bag of aspen for the substrate.
heat: under-tank heat pads with a temperature control. unlike lizards, snakes in nature like to climb onto rocks that have been heated by the sun, this warms them from the belly up. they don't typically like to be exposed in bright light as it makes them feel vulnerable. if you don't use under-tank heat pads (which i recommend strongly for safety and snake comfort), use a ceramic heating "bulb" that doesn't emit light. stay away from bulbs because they tend to stress snakes and keep them hiding, they also can cause burns from heating the screen lid too hot and the snake rubs against the hot lid.
water: i use dog dishes big enough for the snake to soak in and that are hollow underneath as to provide additional hiding space for a snake when it wants to be cool and dry. you'll be surprised how often they'll use that space. the wide base keeps them from tipping when burrowed under.
hides: always provide a warm, moist hide for your snake, they'll need this for shedding and staying comfortable when they want humidity. i use dampened cypress mulch or dampened sphagnum moss in a tupperware container with a hole cut in the top (not the side!). i fill it almost completely so that the snake can snuggly wedge itself inside but not too full so that it can still fit. make sure the hole is big enough for the snake to enter and exit with a belly full of rodent.
enclosure: i like tanks with screen lids so that i can see the animals. make sure your screen lid is secured with good strong clamps or straps, NOT JUST WEIGHTS ON TOP!!!! snakes are escape artists and will get out of anything that isn't securely fastened down. the tank needs to be big enough for a thermal gradient and hondurans get pretty big (the biggest milk snakes actually). a 30 gallon breeder will do the job imo but anything smaller is going to be cramping it's style.
hope that helps.
substrate: aspen shavings because the snakes can tunnel through it easily which keeps them happy and feeling secure. it's cheap and easy to clean. cypress is good for snakes that need lots of humidity (because it resists mold when wet) but not the best for burrowing. save your cypress for the hide box and grab a bag of aspen for the substrate.
heat: under-tank heat pads with a temperature control. unlike lizards, snakes in nature like to climb onto rocks that have been heated by the sun, this warms them from the belly up. they don't typically like to be exposed in bright light as it makes them feel vulnerable. if you don't use under-tank heat pads (which i recommend strongly for safety and snake comfort), use a ceramic heating "bulb" that doesn't emit light. stay away from bulbs because they tend to stress snakes and keep them hiding, they also can cause burns from heating the screen lid too hot and the snake rubs against the hot lid.
water: i use dog dishes big enough for the snake to soak in and that are hollow underneath as to provide additional hiding space for a snake when it wants to be cool and dry. you'll be surprised how often they'll use that space. the wide base keeps them from tipping when burrowed under.
hides: always provide a warm, moist hide for your snake, they'll need this for shedding and staying comfortable when they want humidity. i use dampened cypress mulch or dampened sphagnum moss in a tupperware container with a hole cut in the top (not the side!). i fill it almost completely so that the snake can snuggly wedge itself inside but not too full so that it can still fit. make sure the hole is big enough for the snake to enter and exit with a belly full of rodent.
enclosure: i like tanks with screen lids so that i can see the animals. make sure your screen lid is secured with good strong clamps or straps, NOT JUST WEIGHTS ON TOP!!!! snakes are escape artists and will get out of anything that isn't securely fastened down. the tank needs to be big enough for a thermal gradient and hondurans get pretty big (the biggest milk snakes actually). a 30 gallon breeder will do the job imo but anything smaller is going to be cramping it's style.
hope that helps.
thermometers will tell you the air temperature. i prefer those infrared thermometers that you just point and they read the surface temp. i've seen them as cheap as $12 so i would invest in one of those. if not, get a digital with a probe... it'll probably cost you the same and be a big pain in the ass though. i check temps pretty regularly because these things tend to change over time, so a temp gun is highly recommended by me.
