Corn Snake

Slntasn

I always had a fondness for snakes, and eventually decided to buy one (Well, three, as my father and sister both wanted one when they saw them)

They are all babies, not much more than a couple of months old.

I have a question for anyone with any experience in dealing with snakes:

Is it normal for them to spend the majority of the time hiding under the water bowl? All three of them seem to stay there all day (and I assume night as well, but I'm asleep so I can't really tell). Does this have anything to do with an improper temperature in the tank?

I have a 20 gallon tank, the left side of it is the "warm" side, and the average temperature is 85-90 degrees (It has a hollow log thing for them to hide under on that side as well)

In the middle of the tank is a stick/log for them to climb on or under.

And the water bowl is on the "cool" side, with an average temperature of 75-80 degrees.

Anyways, I was just curious if there is something abnormal about their behavior. I wouldn't want anything happen to them

And yea, I'll probably call the pet store from where they were purchased from if needed, but meh.. I don't like using the phone.

Thanks in advanced.

Rikimaru_X

I always wanted me a snake. Here this might help you out:

 

Corn Snakes as Pets

Corn Snakes hatching from their eggs

The Corn Snake was one of the first snakes to be kept in captivity of humans.^[2] Corn snakes are one of the most common snakes available in the pet trade due to their gentle nature, ease of care, low maintenance, manageable size, lack of fangs, non-venomous, and the wide variety of patterns, colors, & morphs available to choose from. These snakes are excellent escape artists and will escape their enclosure if not properly fastened. More beginners lose their snakes to escapes than death.^[3] Large numbers are bred annually ensuring that there is a large captive-bred population, lifting the need to collect specimens from the wild.

Hatchling corn snakes are often kept in small deli-cups for the first few months of their lives. Once purchased, a 5 or 10 gallon (19 to 38 liter) aquarium or similar sized plastic tub makes a suitable home. It is very important to have a housing with absolutely no chance of escape. Corn snakes are very good at climbing and squeezing out of very small holes. They can also used their bodies push the sceen top off of poorly fitted aquarium. As they grow they will require more space. The minimum recommended size of housing for an adult is a 20 gallon (76 liter) tank. A 40 gallon (152 liter) is a good recommended size and will provide the adult snake room for exercise and room to move.

It is very important to have proper heating for corn snakes to aid in the proper digestion of food inside of their stomach. If proper heating is not met the snake can regurgitate its previously eaten meals and can lead to death if repeated too many times. A heat gradient from 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit (21-24 degrees Celsius) on one end of the housing to 80-85 (26-29 Celsius) on the other is optimal to allow the snake to regulate its body temperature. Heat can be provided by a snake specific temperature controlled under tank heating pads or well protected basking lights. Snakes are prone to burns from too hot heat pads or exposed light bulbs that are inside of the enclosure. A thermostat or rheostat is essential to regulate the heat source. If the temperature controlled under tank heating pads are not thermostat or rheostat controlled it is very possible for the pad to reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit which will burn the snake. The snake will not avoid these extremely hot heat sources because of the lack of feeling they have on their scales. Heat lamps can be turned off at night and temperatures can dip as low at 65 degrees (18 Celsius) but it is preferred that the temperatures stay constant. Lights should be turned off at night to allow a natural light and darkness cycle, though dim red or blue lights can be used at night time.

Aspen or cypress shavings make great bedding, reptile carpet, newsprint or paper towel also work. Corn snakes love to dwell and dig under the substrate to give themselves a sense of security. Feces should be removed by spot cleaning regularly and the whole tank should be washed and disinfected periodically. All of the bedding should be replaced at the time of a full tank cleaning.

Cohabitation is a hotly debated issue, many critics believe it is stressful for corn snakes as they are not naturally communal animals. There are also health concerns from premature breeding and egg binding to regurgitation issues and spreading of parasites like mites. Cannibalism is very uncommon but not unheard of, often caused by feeding snakes in the same enclosure. Others have had success with cohabitation but even then most proponents of the idea discourage against housing more than 2 or 3 adults together and snakes of opposite gender should not be housed together beyond 12-18 months to prevent pre-mature breeding. Additional hiding places should be provided for snakes seeking solitude.

Juveniles can be fed pinky mice once or twice weekly; adults do well on large mice once every 1 or 2 weeks. A general rule for food size is that up to 1 1/2 the snake's body girth is acceptable. Handling should be avoided for a full 48 hours or until the meal is digested and no lump can be seen in the snake's belly. Many owners suggest feeding in a bin outside of the snake's housing so that there is no chance of the snake of accidentally ingesting its bedding which can lead to impaction of the item in its internal digestive system and can lead to death. Corn Snakes should always be fed alone and not with another snake. If two snakes try to feed on the same prey they can inadvertently eat each other. Previously frozen and then thawed out prey vs live prey is another debated topic, however feeding frozen/thawed mice instead of live prey is advisable for snakes in captivity due to the risk of injury.^[4] Live mice and rats have sharp teeth and claws and they can use them in a defensively manner against Corn snakes - this can result in serious injury or death. It is also considered to be animal cruelty and therefore illegal to feed live prey in some countries such as the United Kingdom..^{[citation needed]}

The below chart is a good general guideline to accurately feed your Corn snake with mice to provide the much needed nutrition it needs. Prey should not be bigger than 1 1/2 the snake's body girth. Each snake is different and you should adjust the snake's meals size, quantity, and the frequency accordingly.

Slntasn

Thanks to the both of you, the info helped a lot. Glad to know they aren't sick or something.

Yea, mine is albino with red eyes, it's pretty awesome. I only feed them once a week.

I like to try and hold mine at least once a day (Except when he feeds and the day after), so that he gets used to it. When I first take him out of the tank he just rests there, then after a few minutes he begins exploring.. it's neat.

Thanks again.

Wolfenpride

I don't have a snake myself but I live near the potomac rivers so ive had a few run-ins with em.

I think snakes in general just like to stay under the shade, I usually spot them under a rock or somthing if not on top of it basking, which I belive snakes do right?

I'd google a website on that particular snake and snake caring in general if you want to get some good info.