Corn snake question, Let me get this straight...?

The other answerers generally have it all covered. I feed my corn every 2 weeks, take out the poop as and when and do a full clean once a month. If you get bitten it will most likely wrap itself around you. The best way to make it let go i've found is to dunk your hand and attached snake in a bowl of water. They dont like it and let go pretty quick! The water bowl should be big enough for the snake to get into and soak and it might also poop in it. Shed skin can just go in the bin or compost heap. Mine also likes a hide box. You can have a general light if you want, but its not necessary. The natural daylight and room light should be enough.

Annadea is talking rubbish - under no circumstances feed your snake live food. Its illegal and the mouse/rat could seriously injure or kill the snake in a confined space.

1. Depends. A baby can be fed the appropriately sized rodent every 3-5 days. As the snake takes bigger food, you can feed a bit less frequently. An adult can be fed every 7 days.

2. That is the rule of thumb, yes.

3 & 4 Dangle with feeding tongs and the snake will do the rest.

5. No. Feed in cage. It is less stressful for the snake and usually results in fewer feeding response bites.

6. Can't work out the conversion in my head, but it sounds about right.

7. You can, but most lights emit a considerable amount of heat, so you have to take that into account. Keep the light to same side as the heat mat. Use an infrared temp gun to measure the surface under the light / over the mat and keep it around 88 degrees F

8. This not absolutely necessary, but if your room is in the high 60's / low 70's at night, you can turn the light and the mat completely off at night.

9. It turns out being both. Snake will lounge in it, drink it and crap in it.

10. Throw it away.

11. I use the square foot of cage for every foot of snake rule. A corn snake will generally top out from 3-5 feet. You really don't need a 5-7 foot cage for a corn snake.

12. Generally, the snake will bite and release. If it hangs on, gently remove it. You can gently pinch the jaws at the corner of the mouth. Run the snake's head under cold water, also, and it will often release.

13. Spot clean as needed and do a full change once a month.

It is wonderful that you are this conscientious. Many people aren't and they can't understand why they aren't successful. Pay attention to the process and general guidelines, but also take time to just enjoy owning a reptile.

1. I don't think feeding a snake dead stuff is good they can get lots of more deceases.

2. The mouse can be the size of the biggest part of the snake + half . There skin can stretch a lot

3. The snake should eat on his own (usually they eat head first).

4. Never force feed a snake it will eat on his/her own.

5. Yes feed it in a "feeding bucket". Put a living mouse in the bucket with the snake if the snake is hungry he will catch the mouse and kill it and eat it if not he will leave it (leave them for about a hour).

6. Yes use a heat mat at 28 C ( between 28-32 C). Its not always necessary to put it on if its warm outside, I only switch mine on in winter ( but i live in a warm country)

7.Snakes don't generally like light so just a UV on or if you have lots of time you can take your snake out in the sun for about 15 min a day.

8.I have a temp regulator if i put the mat on it keeps my cage at 28 C

9.The water bowl is for drinking and for shedding but i rarely see my snakes in there water, always put fresh water in like every 3 day and the bowl should be big enough for the snake whole body.

10. Take the skin out of the cage you can do with it what you want, I keep all mine to see how my snake has grown.

11. Yes the bigger the cage the better. If the cage it too small your snake will have shedding problems and be in a bad mood stuff like that.

12. That will not happen he will not damage its mouth, corn snake do bite but it really do not hurt so much and the more you handle your snake the more tame it will be and the more use it will get of you.

13. It depends on how many time your snake poop's in the bedding I take my snake out every day and let it sail outside she always poops outside so I change the bedding every 6 months. If it poop's in the cage clean it and I would say change it about every 2 month.

Having a snake is super fun I love mine. She is very tame and so sweet cause i handle her a lot and its good for her. I let her sail outside on the ground every day its good exercise and she get her Vitamins from the sun but stay as close to them as you can (if its the first time you take your snake outside and put on the ground pick it up a lot that the snake know its not free and the more you take it out the less you pick it up) and always let them know you are there by petting them from time to time. I have never force feed my snake as if you are not a vet you can hurt the snake a lot and kill it. I know some pet shops sell dead mice but its really not good for your snake, in the wild a snake will never eat a dead thing. I will buy a mouse and get my snake out of her cage and put her in the feeding bucket (which you should make sure they can not get out ) and then i put the mouse in then i close the bucket with them in and i leave her for about for an hour sometimes she will catch and kill him fast and then eat him, other times she takes her time. After an hour I will bath her with 25 C water in the bath and then put her back in the cage ( I do this so she stay clean and the cage as well and it help with shedding). If she didn't eat the mouse i will just put it in a other bucket with food, water and bedding and try a other day to feed her again. Snakes can go for very long with out food like 3-6 months (snakes hibernate in the winter and will not eat the whole winter long). I feed my snakes every week sometimes even twice a week( If she is hungry she is very active in her cage so i know when to feed her, you will learn your snake with time). You should also put a hiding box in the cage where there is no light, my snake is always in her box.

I bought a baby corn snake from Petsmart before. If you've never had a snake before this a great choice. They're really hearty and forgiving to first time owners mistakes. When I first bought mine i'm not sure how old she was, but I kept her in a 10 gallon tank. I reccomend starting with this size because it can grow into it and you don't want to waste your money buying a bunch of different cage sizes. Also you need a heat source. Heat pad or heat lamp works. To grow to 2 feet i'd guess will take about,a year && a half? I currently have a kingsnake && he's about a year old && 20 inches. Corn snakes are full grown at about 4-5 years && grow to 4-5 feet. They grow much faster as babies but they grow at about 1 foot a year. 2 feet sounds like a lot, but really it's not. Corn snakes are realitivly skinny, so when it's 2 feet long. it will be about the girth of your middle and index finger but together. They're great snakes because 1) They're beautiful 2) They're super sweet. You just have to get them use to you when they're babies, because they don't have teeth so you don't have to worry about nasty bites when tamming. But take it from me. They're little escape artists. I left mine with my boyfriend for one week while I was on vacation and she escaped from a hole half the size of her body. So MAKE SURE there are NO POSSIBLE ways it can escape, because they will find it. Make sure to keep weights on the top of the cage. Corns are constrictors so they have strong bodies. Stronger than you would think. I think that covers everything except feeding, so good luck :)

1. yes

2. yes

3. usually, but the snake will take it however it wants

4. yes

5. definitely

6. yes

7. you can, I do. but it is not needed.

8. I don't turn mine down at night. temperatures drop at night naturally.

9.both

10. you can keep in a plastic sand which bag (as I do) or throw it away.

11. Idk, you would be safe with a tank somewhere in 30 gallon range. I have a 33 gallon.

12. try to remain calm and squeeze (not hurting him) the sides of his mouth and try to get him to let go.

13. once every 2 months. but make sure you spot clean everyday (pick up any poop you see) and if there is any wet bedding, remove it (wet spot only, not all bedding) and replace with fresh.