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 #2079294


Snakefoundme
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 Want a corn snake bad!

Hi! I’m looking for a corn snake and I’m 16. My mom says no but I’ve had a snake in the house before(for student naturalist) and she didn’t mind. the type of corn snake I’m looking for is albino. I’m looking for a job right now and I need advice on what to get it. The basics i guess:
tank size
bedding
hides
lamp size and whatever
food
and anything i forgot
I really need help. Also, whats the age limit to buy a corn snake?
I forgot to mention that I’m wanting a baby corn snake so it can get used to being held and it would be a better experience for me.

Please post!



10/01/09  11:02pm

 #2079309


EvilTrailMix
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   Message To: Snakefoundme   In reference to Message Id: 2079294


 Want a corn snake bad!

Hey there!

What you’re going to need for a baby corn snake is:

A 10 gallon tank with a locking lid or clip-on locks. (They are master escape artists)

Aspen shavings, repti-bark, carefresh, there may be some others I can’t think of... (No wood shavings but aspen, others have oils that will irritate your snake’s respiratory system, also no sand or gravel)

An undertank heater (UTH) They’re better for small tanks than lamps, and just better in general, in my opinion.

A rheostat or dimmer switch to control the heat.

You can find hides (you’ll need at least 2, one on each side of the tank. It’s better to have more though, so the snake doesn’t have big open spaces in his tank) at pet stores, or you can go cheap and use empty, small, plastic containers, like from cottage cheese, sour cream, or small butter tubs. The idea is to have the hide big enough for the snake to fit inside, but small enough for its sides to touch the sides of the hide and feel secure. Just clean out the container and cut a small hole in the side. The size of the hole will depend on the size of your snake. Also, mine love empty paper towel rolls.

You’ll need a water dish that is big enough for the snake to soak in if it wants. Same here, buy at a pet store or use an empty container.

You’ll also need two thermometors and a hydrometer. One thermometor for each side of the tank to make sure it’s not too hot or cold. (Warm side 85-88F cool side 70-75F) You can find these at a pet store. Just don’t buy a stick-on one. To get an accurate reading they have to be set directly on the floor of the tank. It won’t bother your snake.

Corn snakes eat mice. You’ll probably start off with pinkies or fuzzies, depending on how big your snake is. The rule of thumb is to feed a meal the same size as the widest part of your snake, not counting its head. Some pet stores breed their own mice and so you can choose which size that way, but some only sell frozen. It’s easier to find tiny babies when the store breeds their own.

I’m not sure what you mean by age limit. You can buy a corn snake as soon as it hatches, (or before if you make a deal with a breeder) but I wouldn’t suggest buying a snake until it has eaten on its own for a few weeks. Getting a problem feeder wouldn’t be a good experience.

If you mean age limit for yourself, there isn’t one as far as I’m aware. I got my guys 3 years ago when I was about your age.

I’d suggest giving cornutopia.com and southmountainreptiles.com a look.

Hope this was helpful!
10/02/09  12:20am

 #2079319


Fairy Frog Mother
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   Message To: EvilTrailMix   In reference to Message Id: 2079309


 Want a corn snake bad!

Also try to get your mom on board. Show some extra responsibility around the house perhaps to try to woo her to your favor! Have her chat with one of us about snakes perhaps if she wants to learn more.

Think also about who is going to care for it if you go away to college in a couple of years. Her concern might be that you are going to get it then be too busy to care for it and she will be stuck with it. If shes uncomfortable with them, that is a big concern for you.

If you can show you’re responsible and make arrangements for someone to care for it if you are going away to school ( they can live 20+ years if cared for properly and contract no illnesses) then you will be good to go. I think ETM covered all the other basics. When its full grown you may want a much larger enclosure. They can get up to 6 feet long and about as big around as a garden hose, but are usually more in the 5 foot range full grown.



10/02/09  12:47am

 #2079321


Fairy Frog Mother
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   Message To: Fairy Frog Mother   In reference to Message Id: 2079319


 Want a corn snake bad!

Ooh and if mousecicles ( frozen mice) gross her out, you might want to get one of em little dorm room refrigerators to keep in your room to keep the frozen mice in. My mom so never would have gone for dead mice in the freezer. Lots of other things she was cool with...but that would have made her nauseated! Haha

l



10/02/09  12:55am

 #2079335


Raprapper713
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   Message To: Fairy Frog Mother   In reference to Message Id: 2079321


 Want a corn snake bad!

I agree with both of the people above me, their advice is pretty good. I prefer aspen as a bedding because it is pretty inexpensive and easy to clean. You could also check out vmsherp.com too if your looking to buy a snake and are from the states. Also by albino what do you mean? There are different types of albinism. What color are you looking for?
10/02/09  01:39am

 #2079576


Snakefoundme
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   Message To: Raprapper713   In reference to Message Id: 2079335


 Want a corn snake bad!

My friend had a pure white corn snake that was about the color of printing paper. So, instead of albino I would say snow? Also if you could put up pictures of white corn snakes on this, that would help me figure it out.
10/02/09  07:01pm

 #2079699


Snakefoundme
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   Message To: Snakefoundme   In reference to Message Id: 2079576


 Want a corn snake bad!

Also, I just found a picture of a whiteout snake on google. It’s pretty cool. but now I’m trying to decide from a ghost, Charcoal, or Blizzard color type. i just got a tank and it might not be big enough.... even for a baby corn. :[. It has a UTH, but I’m going to trade it for a lamp(if possible). It has a hide but again it’s too big for the tank. I’ll try to take a picture of all of it as soon as possible. I would really like some help. I think I might have forgot to mention that this is my first snake. I have feed snakes, cleaned snake cages, and handled them before. The first snake I ever held was a 12ft boa(i think it was a boa) when I was 6. Please help me out.

Sincerely,
This guy
10/02/09  11:58pm

 #2079705


Snakefoundme
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   Message To: Snakefoundme   In reference to Message Id: 2079699


 Want a corn snake bad!

okay here are the photos.


tiny


UTH


see my point?

help me out?
10/03/09  12:18am

 #2079706


Snakefoundme
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   Message To: Snakefoundme   In reference to Message Id: 2079705


 Want a corn snake bad!

wow pics won’t show
10/03/09  12:19am

 #2079715


EvilTrailMix
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   Message To: Snakefoundme   In reference to Message Id: 2079706


 Want a corn snake bad!

Nope, the pictures aren’t showing. Here’s a picture of my creamsicle’s house when I first got him. It’s a 10 gallon tank with a UTH on one side, 4 hides, and aspen bedding.

Again, I would advise against a heat lamp for a small tank. They dry out the air something terrible, and they also make it difficult to provide a heat gradient, as they tend to heat the entire tank and your entire room.

Also, if it’s a pure white snake you’re after, the morph you want is a blizzard. I’ll just warn you that they aren’t cheap. lol
10/03/09  12:49am

 #2079719


Snakefoundme
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   Message To: EvilTrailMix   In reference to Message Id: 2079715


 Want a corn snake bad!

the demensions on the cage are:
20in.x11in.

also, I would be putting the cage on a wood surface. and i’m not getting a blizzard any more. i might get one of the others.
10/03/09  01:02am

 #2079853


EvilTrailMix
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   Message To: Snakefoundme   In reference to Message Id: 2079719


 Want a corn snake bad!

That’s almost the size of a 10 gallon. It should be fine for a baby corn. Putting a cage on a wooden surface is fine too...



10/03/09  01:18pm

 #2079911


Snakefoundme
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   Message To: EvilTrailMix   In reference to Message Id: 2079853


 Want a corn snake bad!

k thanks.
I saw my baby today. I’m pretty sure he’s an anerythristic, or ghost. also, how do i put up pics that work?

I need $82 dollars for him.:[.
10/03/09  03:39pm

 #2080019


EvilTrailMix
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   Message To: Snakefoundme   In reference to Message Id: 2079911


 Want a corn snake bad!

$82 is way expensive for an anery or a ghost. Here, you definitely need to check out these websites:

Kathy Love’s snakes

SMR anery

You can either create a photo list on this website or use links from a photobucket account. For adding pictures to this website you click on the "Get your photo list" button that is directly beneath the message box when you type a new message. You can add pictures from there.
10/03/09  10:31pm

 #2080033


Snakefoundme
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   Message To: EvilTrailMix   In reference to Message Id: 2080019


 Want a corn snake bad!

sorry, to clerify the $82. the snake is $40, i just need the other $42 for other stuff for it.
10/03/09  11:14pm

 #2080043


Snakefoundme
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   Message To: Snakefoundme   In reference to Message Id: 2080033


 Want a corn snake bad!

k heres the uth. i have to do them one at a time



10/03/09  11:34pm

 #2080047


Snakefoundme
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   Message To: Snakefoundme   In reference to Message Id: 2080043


 Want a corn snake bad!

hmmmm. it worked on preview. oh well you get the idea.
10/03/09  11:50pm

 #2080165


Fairy Frog Mother
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   Message To: Snakefoundme   In reference to Message Id: 2080047


 Want a corn snake bad!

You can use either Photobucket or Imageshack to post pictures on. They both work really great and you upload pictures saved on your computer. I figured it out pretty easy. If I can, anyone can!



10/04/09  11:43am

 #2081963


CornFreak
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   Message To: EvilTrailMix   In reference to Message Id: 2079715


 Want a corn snake bad!

i was just wondering... r u sure heating pads are good? because i heard stories that heating rocks burned snakes to death or serious injury and aren’t they similar? but it is true that heat lamps dry out the water quick for a small tank.you would probably have to mist the tank a lot if u wanted that.
10/08/09  07:43pm

 #2082084


EvilTrailMix
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   Message To: CornFreak   In reference to Message Id: 2081963


 Want a corn snake bad!

No, heat rocks and UTHs are different. With a heat rock it’s an uncontrolled heat source that gets blistering hot and the snake can sit directly on it. A UTH heats through the glass and is controlled with a rheostat or dimmer (although I suppose you could do this to a heat rock, too?) and it heats a section of the cage instead of one small spot.



10/09/09  04:40am


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