# Corn snake questions



## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

Ok so I'm getting a corn snake in a few days  
I really need some help, I've got a few questions I need answered.
Have any of you ever had experience with corn snakes? I have never had a corn snake (or any kind if snake) in my life so I'm Definetly a newbie at caring for them. I do, however, know the following things:

1. Corn snakes eat mice. They start with baby mice and increase in size as the snake gets older, and it turns into adult mice when the snake is an adult. You need to freeze them and let them sit in hot but not boiling water to unfreeze before using tweezers to pick it up by the tail and holding at the snake to strike at. One mouse will last about 7-10 days.
2. Corn snakes need aspen chips, not cedar because it is toxic to all snakes.
3. Corn Snakes need a heater that goes underneath half of the tank. The heated half needs to be 75-80 degrees and the unheated half needs to be 70-75 degrees.
4. Corn snakes need two hiding places, one on the heated side and one on the non heated side. They also need a stick or branch that is big enough to support the snakes weight but also small enough for the snake to coil it's body around. They also like plants.
5. Corn Snakes need a 20 gallon or more terrarium.
6. Corn snakes need a fresh water fish available at all times.

Ok. So this is the info I have. Here are my questions:

1: is all the info I listed above correct? 
2: is there any missing info/anything I did not mention that I need to know about corn snake care?
3: do I need to rinse out the terrarium before I use it? Can snakes get new tank syndrome like fish?
4: can I wash the terrarium with soap? Or is that just a BAD idea (like with fish)?
5: is the snake ok drinking tap water?
6: how do I clean the aspen chips?
7: how often do I need to clean the terrarium?

Again, I'm a total beginner when it comes to corn snake care, I've never had any kind of snake before, so don't tell me I'm stupid and why didn't I know this, and I'm asking dumb questions, etc. thanks for all the help.


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## Stone (Jan 6, 2013)

it's mostly correct, it would be easier to kill a mouse then feed it to the snake, I know some are not comfortable with this, the problem with reheating is you have to be sure to never overheat the food, I would just use vinegar to clean it, and to clean the chip you basically scoop out what is fouled and replace, tap water will be fine but yes bottled water would be better I would clean it out weekly, as far as temp, you can just get a heated rock and have it half in half out of cover the snake will decide where it wants to be, a lot depends on how cool you keep your house, and last advise is try not to constantly handle the snake when they are young


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## Stone (Jan 6, 2013)

ohhh and the little pinky mice you do not really need to kill the older mice can and will fight for their lives and I have known people to lose a snake by not killing them


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

Thank you for all the info!!! However, I still have a few questions.

Actually, the mice they sell at my local pet store are already dead when you buy them. So then I won't need to execute them.

I have had lots of experience with fish, and I know that they can get new tank syndrome if the tank is not rinsed out... Are snakes the same way? Do I need to rinse the terrarium/wood chips/plants/branches/hiding places before use?

I heard snakes like plants... Are the ones used in fish tanks ok for snakes?

If I get a branch for the snake to climb on, can a rough branch hurt the snake or damage it's scales or anything like that?

I think once I get my snake on Friday, ill journal about it here so you guys can tell me what gender it is, or if it's sick, (and if it is, what I should do) or if I'm doing something incorrectly, or if I'm having any problems or questions. For the first three weeks ill journal everyday, then for the next two weeks after that it will be every other day, then for the next two weeks after that I'll do it twice a week, and after that for the next 8 weekd it will be once a week. And after that I'll come back only if I have questions or concerns.

From what I heard online, it seems like the tails look like this, if I understand correctly. I really want to know the gender of my snake because i want a girl! And it's the only way I can tell because I'm too inexperienced to probe or pop it. Is this right?


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## Stone (Jan 6, 2013)

i would clean the tank with vinegar just a wipe down, I would get stuff for reptiles specifically, most problems with snakes getting hurt their owners do it to them, like never have a hold of the snake by the tail with its belly on the ground and drag it backwards, stuff can and will get lodged under their belly scales, I am not certian on how to sex snakes, I never really cared when I had snakes.


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

Is it ok just to rinse the tank? Or do I really need vinegar?
Are the kind of silk plants you put in fish tanks ok to put in snake tanks as well?


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

And another question: if I get a female, will she lay eggs? (She will have no contact with male corn snakes)


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## tromboneplaya (Jul 7, 2010)

Hi! I'm kind of new/returning to the site, but I currently own 5 snakes, and have about 10 years of snake keeping experience. One of mine is a corn snake, so maybe I can answer some questions. 

I would say that yes, vinegar is important to have for cleaning the cage. I use a vinegar solution every time I clean cages. It helps kill germs. 

I personally don't like silk plants for snakes, I just use plastic. Silk tends to stain if the snake poos on it (and it's almost guaranteed they will at some point). 

And as far as sexing goes, visually sexing snakes is not reliable at all. You should take them to a vet or experienced keeper to have the popped or probed. Popping or probing is not something you want to try yourself because you could hurt the animal if you don't know what you're doing. 

Last, egg laying, it is rare for a female who has not mated to lay eggs. It's not unheard of of, but it's not the typical behavior. 

And good for you for feeding frozen. It's better for the mice as well as the snake.


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## Shesha (Oct 13, 2011)

I'm a little curious why you think you need a branch for a corn snake. If it's for decoration, go for it!, but corn snakes are not arboreal and don't need to live with tree branches. In the snake world, corn snakes are one of the most low-maintenance ones out there.

You can stretch out the use of aspen by spot cleaning. You never reuse chips once they've gotten dirty, but you can scoop out the poop along with the surrounding chips and leave the rest in there for a while. It depends on how messy your snake is and how often it poops. One of the big reasons fresh water is a must is because snakes will often go to the bathroom in their water dish.











tromboneplaya said:


> And as far as sexing goes, visually sexing snakes is not reliable at all. You should take them to a vet or experienced keeper to have the popped or probed. Popping or probing is not something you want to try yourself because you could hurt the animal if you don't know what you're doing.
> 
> Last, egg laying, it is rare for a female who has not mated to lay eggs. It's not unheard of of, but it's not the typical behavior.


^ I definitely agree with this.

There is some truth about females having shorter tails, but it's not noticeable to the eye unless you've looked at_ a lot _of tails or sit down and count scales. Can you tell from my pictures which is the male and which is the female? 
Popping is reserved for very young snakes; if you try to pop on your own on a non-hatchling, you risk damaging its bones.
And to expand on tromboneplaya's last part--all sexually mature females will make eggs. If the eggs are unfertilized, the snake will re-absorb them instead of laying them, but there is a small chance she'll lay the dud eggs.


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

My guess: the first one is female, the second one is male?

I'm getting my corn snake on Friday so I'll start journaling then.

And If I take the snake to be probed or popped, where do I go? And will it cost money?

And do the plastic plants you use for fish work for snakes?

And I heard corn snakes like to climb on branches and coil around them.


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## tromboneplaya (Jul 7, 2010)

Eep Crood said:


> My guess: the first one is female, the second one is male?
> 
> I'm getting my corn snake on Friday so I'll start journaling then.
> 
> ...


Where are you getting your snake? If you go a reputable breeder, they generally have them sexed for you. Otherwise, find an exotics vet in your area that has experience with snakes. It depends on the vet on whether or not you will be charged, but I would say you probably will be, because it still takes time for the vet to see you (even if it only takes like 2 seconds to do).

The plastic plants I use are specifically for reptiles. They come with suction cups that attach to the tank. The issue I see with aquarium plants is that your snake will probably knock them over once they get some size on them. 

My corn likes to hang around on her plants, but has rarely used the basking perch that I got for her. You'll just have to try stuff and see what your snake likes


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## Shesha (Oct 13, 2011)

Eep Crood said:


> My guess: the first one is female, the second one is male?


Nope! The other way around. The orange one is a very big (OBESE) male who needed to poop and the white one is female.

Agreeing with tromboneplaya again about having a breeder sex it. A breeder will most likely have the basic morphs (Classic/Normal, Amel, Snow, Anery) available for a lot cheaper than a big store like PetSmart (they're $40-something at a big store, but a breeder would sell those for about $20. I wholesale my amel/snows for $10!), on top of already having had it sexed.


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

Oh, the male is obese? That explains why he looks like a female?

And I am getting the snake from petco, they do not have a vet clinic on site and they don't sex them for you 

And I don't want to probe r pop my snake because I am very inexperienced, I have NEVER had any snake experience.

I will start journaling once I get the snake (which will be Friday) every day for weeks 1-2, then for weeks 3-4 it will be every other day, and weeks 5-6 twice a week, 7-8 once a week, then after that I will only write if I am having a problem.

I am planning on Journaling for the following reasons:

- if I am having feeding issues you can help me
- you can tell me if I'm doing something incorrectly
- you can tell me if my snake is showing symptoms of disease, you know the signs of ill health better than I do
- if my snake gets sick you can tell me what to do
- you may be able to tell if my snake is a male/ female
- if I have any other questions or concerns you can help me


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## tromboneplaya (Jul 7, 2010)

I would strongly suggest looking at some actual breeders for corn snakes. I bought my girl (along with one of my ball pythons) from vmsherp.com and they have amazing animals. I've only ever gotten one snake from a pet store (a Petco) and it was the worst decision of my life. It was mite infested, underfed, and dehydrated. I think I took it to the vet about five times before it was actually healthy enough to add to the rest of my collection, and I ultimately ended up rehoming it because it never wanted to eat and was just an all around pain. Just my two cents, but I wouldn't risk it. Honestly, you'll get a better snake for a better price by ordering from a good breeder 

And yeah, don't risk attempting to sex a snake when you're inexperienced. Not worth the risk.


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

There are no breeders near where I live. And just because you had one bad experience with your corn snake does not mean that all pet store snakes are unhealthy. I am going to get the supplies tonight and the snake tomorrow


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## tromboneplaya (Jul 7, 2010)

I was just trying to be helpful. There aren't any breeders around me either, but places like vms are certified to ship reptiles via FedEx. Good luck with your new snake


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

Thanks I hope my snake works out 
I got all my stuff set up  I have a 20gal tank, two water dishes, wood bedding, a light that let's off heat (the pet store people said a heater is not necessary if I use a light), two hiding places, and a plant. Is this a good setup?
And also, I am against shipping live animals in the mail, I don't think it's nice to the animals, so I'll just get it from a pet store.
Let me know what you think of my setup!


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## tromboneplaya (Jul 7, 2010)

Awesome setup! My only piece of advice is to keep an eye on the humidity since you're using a light instead of a heat mat. Bulbs can dry out the tank. But, a nice misting once a day will eliminate that problem 

Ah, gotcha. All five of my current snakes have been shipped, and I've had no issues, but I'm sure there are some people who have.


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

70% humidity. Is this good?
I have not had any issues with shipping in the past, because I never have done it. I don't think it's very nice to put the animals in a box and put them in a mailbox to be shipped. But breeders are good, but the snakes at petco seem healthy.
How long do corn snakes live?
I'm getting my snake on Saturday  I saw an adorable albino corn snake that looked like a female, I want her so bad! I hope she'll still be there on Saturday :/


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## tromboneplaya (Jul 7, 2010)

I generally keep mine at 40-50% humidity, and then bump her to 60% during sheds. This seems to work really well. 70% is a little high for a corn snake. Humidity is important, but if you get it too humid, it can cause respiratory infections. 

Yeah, all of mine were sent overnight shipping, and then held for pickup at a fedex store so they didn't get too hot or cold. Works for me, but I've heard horror stories of people opening a box and the animal is dead :/

I'm glad they look healthy there! The ones at my pet store obviously look sickly. Which is why after my first incident, I decided to only order from breeders. 

I think the average is about 15 years, but there are records of them living up to 22 years. Ball pythons live even longer, and their record is something like 47. Kinda crazy. 

Awesome! You'll have to share pics for sure! My corn is a pied sided bloodred....named Luna. Do you have any name ideas?


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

I dunno about the name. 
I don't know how to change the humidity, either.


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## tromboneplaya (Jul 7, 2010)

Well, try just not spraying the cage or anything. See if the light will dry it out some. If that fails, you mentioned you have two water bowls right? You really only need one, so removing the extra will also lower humidity.


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

*Meet Cassey!*

I am pleased to inform you about my new addition 

Say hello to Cassey, the albino corn snake! I just got her 
I think it's a her, but I can't say for sure, I have not probed or popped her.


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