# snake questions?



## KingJeff (Jul 22, 2003)

Hi, I was wondering if you guys can help me. I want a snake but not sure yet. I want to do some research first. I don't have a lot of room. Maybe enough for a 29 gallon. I want a snake that would live in it for life. I also want a snake that is exotic looking and good for beginners. What would you recomend? Also do you know of a good snake website? Thanks. Also maybe a lizard. What would you recomend for a 29 gallon for life. Thanks. OH yeah...what kind of tank would be the best? A glass tank from a fish store be the best? Thanks.

-Jeff


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## Carnivoro (Oct 12, 2003)

there are so many species for begineer,but not to much for a 29g, you can try with a Garter snake,this snake is easy to care and the diet consist in feeder fish,they look nice and can live in a 29g.This is a nice snake for a begineer.
Lizards are nice two you can try with a species of Gecko.

Carnivoro


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

> Hi, I was wondering if you guys can help me. I want a snake but not sure yet. I want to do some research first. I don't have a lot of room. Maybe enough for a 29 gallon. I want a snake that would live in it for life. I also want a snake that is exotic looking and good for beginners. What would you recomend? Also do you know of a good snake website? Thanks. Also maybe a lizard. What would you recomend for a 29 gallon for life. Thanks. OH yeah...what kind of tank would be the best? A glass tank from a fish store be the best? Thanks.
> 
> -Jeff


There are many other options besides glass tanks....

http://www.neodeshacages.com/index.php 
being my preferred snake enclosures, but there are many other options out there as well.

Look to Rosy boas, or other dwarf boas such as sand, rubber, bimini, etc...perhaps even austrolasian species, like Candoia.


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## PunkRockSkater39 (May 31, 2004)

Try Milksnakes they dont get to big and can live in a 29 gal for life also i think they are some of the most exotis looking snakes if u get the right specieses.


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## Down (Feb 27, 2004)

KingJeff said:


> Hi, I was wondering if you guys can help me. I want a snake but not sure yet. I want to do some research first. I don't have a lot of room. Maybe enough for a 29 gallon. I want a snake that would live in it for life. I also want a snake that is exotic looking and good for beginners. What would you recomend? Also do you know of a good snake website? Thanks. Also maybe a lizard. What would you recomend for a 29 gallon for life. Thanks. OH yeah...what kind of tank would be the best? A glass tank from a fish store be the best? Thanks.
> 
> -Jeff


 Corn snakes. Many colrs/patterns, be fine in a 29G (IMO).

Here's a good forum-
Zuchowski's Forum
Here's a site w/ alot of good pics of different morphs-
Soderberg's Site

J


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## NTcaribe (Apr 8, 2004)

why not just build a pen for the snake?


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## KingJeff (Jul 22, 2003)

Down said:


> KingJeff said:
> 
> 
> > Hi, I was wondering if you guys can help me. I want a snake but not sure yet. I want to do some research first. I don't have a lot of room. Maybe enough for a 29 gallon. I want a snake that would live in it for life. I also want a snake that is exotic looking and good for beginners. What would you recomend? Also do you know of a good snake website? Thanks. Also maybe a lizard. What would you recomend for a 29 gallon for life. Thanks. OH yeah...what kind of tank would be the best? A glass tank from a fish store be the best? Thanks.
> ...


 Thanks for those 2 sites. Corn snakes look bad ass! Not too expensive as well!


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## Puddjuice (Mar 11, 2004)

Hey, Try looking into Dwarf Chameleons. Those things look so cool.


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## KingJeff (Jul 22, 2003)

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_det...D=1086385872622

i decided on a corn snake. What about these cages???


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## Down (Feb 27, 2004)

KingJeff said:


> http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_det...D=1086385872622
> 
> i decided on a corn snake. What about these cages???


 I wouldn't suggest it. Near impossible to get a heat gradient there and too subject to drafts and such.

I'd suggest a 20G L or a 29G (they have "Critter Cages that come w/ a locking lid, ~$40 or so)
an undertank heater
infrared bulb and fixture
aspen bedding
decent digital thermometer
2 hides (one for warm side, one for cold side)
whatever lil deco items ya want
The book "The Corn Snake Manual" by Bill and Kathy Love (I'd actually get this and read it before you buy anything). Almost any question you're gonna have will be answered by this book. It's excellent

Most pet stores will have a "snake starter kit" with all of this packaged for $80 or so.

J


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## Carnivoro (Oct 12, 2003)

Here a good care sheet.

Enclosure 
Enclosures can be as simple or elaborate as one is capable of caring for. Remember that the more "stuff" you put in a cage, the more "stuff" you have to clean & disinfect on a regular basis. 
That said, there are many different enclosures that work extremely well for corn snakes, including but not limited to: plastic sweater boxes (i.e. Rubbermaid), melamine racks, Freedom Breeder cages, and any of the commercially available plastic-type reptile cages, (i.e. those from Vision Herp & other similar manufacturers). Glass aquariums & tanks with screen tops also work quite well for corn snakes as they do not require higher humidity. Also refer to our Snake Caging care sheet for more information. Juvenile corns seem to do well in smaller enclosures that make them feel more secure; a small snake in a big cage can become overwhelmed & stressed. Fortunately adult corns do not require exceptionally large or elaborate enclosures. A 36" x 18" x 12" enclosure will more than comfortably house an adult corn snake and still allow space for a nice display vivarium.

No matter what, the enclosure in which you keep your corn snake must be secure. Colubrids are extremely talented escape artists, and these are no exception. Ensure that your snake's cage is escape-proof before you start & save yourself the potential stress and heartache of never finding an adventurous snake on the lam. Also remember that ALL enclosures must allow for a proper thermal gradient that the snake can utilize, with a hot spot on one end and a cooler spot on the other.

Substrate 
There are quite a few substrates that work especially well for corn snakes, and choosing one is a matter of personal preference for your animal's setup. Newspaper is the cheapest & easiest with regards to cleaning and disinfecting: out with the old, in with the new. Aspen bedding works very well for corn snakes, as it packs down & the snakes seem to enjoy burrowing tunnels through the substrate.

Temperatures & Heating 
Provide your corn with a basking spot of 88-90? F and an ambient (background) temperature of 70 - 75? F. The ambient temperature should not fall below 70? F. It is vitally important to KNOW the temperatures at which you are keeping your snake(s). DO NOT GUESS!! A great way to monitor temps is to use a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer with a probe. Stick the thermometer to the inside of the cage on the cool end and place the probe on the warm end, and you'll have both sides covered at once.

There are several ways to go about heating the enclosure: undercage heating pads, ceramic heat emitters, basking bulbs (both regular daytime & red "night" bulbs) are just a few. Use thermostats, rheostats and/or timers to control your heat source. Do not use hot rocks with snakes as they often heat unevenly over too small of a surface area & can cause serious burns.

Humidity 
Fortunately corn snakes are very low-maintenance regarding humidity requirements. Normal household ambient humidity is fine for this species, however, if incomplete or stuck sheds are observed humidity can be raised slightly by providing a humidity box for the snake. This is as simple as cutting a hole in the top of a tupperware container that is large enough for the snake to fit into comfortably, and packing the container with damp sphagnum moss, giving the snake access to the humidity chamber when it so desires. A humidity box is really only necessary if your snake is experiencing trouble shedding, as an environment that is too damp can quickly cause respiratory problems for corn snakes.

Lighting 
Supplemental lighting is not necessary for this species, but if used should run on a 12/12 cycle, meaning 12 hours on & 12 hours off. Continuous bright, overhead lighting is stressful to snakes, especially if a hiding spot is not made available within the enclosure.

Water 
Always make fresh, water available to your corn in a clean water dish. This is not a species that soaks regularly, so the size of the water bowl is up to you & does not necessarily need to be large enough for the snake to climb into on a regular basis. Ensure that the bowl is not too deep for juvenile animals - 1" or so will suffice. Snakes of many species may defecate in their water bowls from time to time, so be prepared for cleaning, disinfecting & a water change when necessary. It is often beneficial to have a spare water bowl for such occasions, so that one may be used while the other is being cleaned.

Accessories 
The one cage accessory that will help to keep your corn snake happy is a good hide box...maybe even a couple of them. These snakes will utilize a hide spot and the presence of one can help your snake feel more secure in its enclosure. Provide one on each end of your corn's enclosure so that it doesn't have to choose between temperature & security. Clay flowerpots, plastic flowerpot trays, cork bark slabs and commercially available hide boxes all work quite well.

Feeding 
Feed your snake an appropriately sized rodent weekly. By "appropriately sized" we mean prey items that are no bigger around than the snake at its largest point. Corn snakes can eat mice their entire lives - starting off with pinks & fuzzies as a hatchling & moving up in size as the animal grows. Do not handle your snake for at least a day after feeding, as this can lead to regurgitation. Corn snakes have GREAT feeding responses - be aware of this as you are feeding, as sometimes these snakes become overstimulated by the smell of food & may mistakenly bite a keeper in their excitement. Fortunately, due to their voracious appetites, corn snakes are generally pretty easy to convert to frozen/thawed or pre-killed rodents (see Snake Feeding caresheet). Never leave a live rodent unattended with ANY snake.

BPs,Carnivoro


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## KingJeff (Jul 22, 2003)

you guys are awesome. thanks for the informative responses.


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## KingJeff (Jul 22, 2003)

I also have another question. For fish, all you need is a vacuum to suck up the feces. What about snakes?? I plan on using aspen. I hate the look of newspaper. How do i go about cleaning the tank and how often?


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## Puddjuice (Mar 11, 2004)

Well, most I am pretty sure that most snakes aren't that dirty. I have had my ball python for I think a month now and his cage doesn't smell any different from when I got it. Pretty much when you start to see discoloration or smelling bedding change it. Or, let the bedding go untill it smells or starts to go bead so you can have an idea of how long you have between changes.

Also the problem with those cages or screen enclousers are that in order to heat the up, your whole room or section of the house will heat up as well, and if it were me I wouldn't want that to happen in the summer.









P.S. I saw a post around here I do not remember where it had a link about a cage web site and it had some pretty cool custom cages. Just look at what it looks like and build one. You can do it it's all up to you MMMKAAYYY.
LOL it was this thread. I am dumb.


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