Thinking about getting a cornsnake...

[TheMadLeper]

So i'm considering getting a corn snake. What do i need to know about them? Their behavior, and the like, how different are they from ball pythons (the only snake i have expierence with? Fast moving snake or slow moving snake? This is the tank i have for it.



this is the old tank for my bp. the bp is now to big for it and i wanna put the corn in there. It has a digital thermometer and humidity....reader...measurer...thing... Are those hides good? should i get something else? something for it to climb? it's a ten gallons.

also post pics of corn snakes, so i get more familiar with them

[TheMadLeper]

also what should i look for in a new corn snake when i go out to buy one?

[Argentra]

Corn snakes are Wonderful!! Much easier to care for and keep happy than ball pythons and just as sweet (most of the time). When looking for one, use the same instincts you would for a BP: Clear eyes and mouth, active and alert without being spastic(unless it's a hatchling, they're always spastic), no signs of bad sheds injuries or mites.

That tank should be alright for a hatchling or juvi, but you might want bigger hides unless you get a little one. Corns aren't as stressed by space as BPs, but you don't want to give a little corn TOO much room. Also, corns are climbers and can get out of ANY opening, so make sure there's stuff for them to climb on but that the top is totally secure! You also might want a bit of fake greenery to fill in the empty space.

You asked for pictures and you get them! Here are my corns:
Mystic - adult male Ghost


Apollo - adult male Amelanistic


Athena - juvenile female Anerythristic


Freya - Juvenile female Pink snow


And Pixie - young female HypoBloodred



And some of their enclosures:




Anything else you wanna know?

[TheMadLeper]

Argentra, have i ever told you how awesome you are? Thanks so much!

[Argentra]

*BLUSH* Thank you... just doing my job. That made my night tho... Great stuff to hear right before your first day at work (yes I finally found a summer job).

[blackcrystal22]

Cornsnakes are great. They can bet a bit jumpy sometimes, and those hides probably will need to get bigger as they get bigger.
I have a 3 1/2 foot corn and I originally bought a larger hide (dumb me) and by chance a perfect sized water bowl. That reminds me.. I haven't weighed her recently. D:

She eats like a ravaging beast. Never bitten at me but she is a bit hyperactive. D:

Definitely more climbing room in there and make sure you have an EXCELLENT clamped lid system. If your getting a baby corn.. make sure there are no corners or any little sneaky spots it can escape, trust me, if there are, it will find them!
I had two baby corns escape from what I thought was a escape free enclosure. Nope. :[
They arn't as picky about humidity either.. They're pretty easy snakes.

You won't feed anything bigger than a large mouse though. My corn snake just downed a meal that was a bit too big and I couldn't tell until it was dead. D: She ate it fine with no large bump in her body though.

There are lots of beautiful morphs out there to choose from, and they are much cheaper choices than ball pythons.

They are a bit different to handle at first because they are slimmer. :]

Heres a picture of my corn and her tank.


Also, I solved the too big of a hide problem by putting a medium sized rock in it. She loves hiding herself behind it. :]

[kjhowland]

As far as speed goes, they can be very deceptive. Slow when they want to be, but then they turn on the afterburners. I agree with the comments about them being escape artists. Mine continual checks out every inch of her cage looking for a gap, its what they do. My guy is 10 years old and has never bit. He eats a jumbo F/T every week or two.

[Argentra]

Blackcrystal: That's a nice corn and setup there. Normal I presume?

kjhowland: 10 year old, eh? Nice. What type? My Ghost boy is about 2.6 years and a mega pig, though he's starting to slow down.

[blackcrystal22]

Blackcrystal: That's a nice corn and setup there. Normal I presume?

kjhowland: 10 year old, eh? Nice. What type? My Ghost boy is about 2.6 years and a mega pig, though he's starting to slow down.

Crimson. :]
I don't know, thats what I was told. I'm not too sure myself.. but the first two inches on her body are pretty normal looking with the light oranges and the light reds and such.

When you go down her body however, it moves into a almost candycane type where it has VERY reds and translucent whites.

Is it just me or have I never had a feeding problem with adult corns.. In fact.. they are almost always big pigs.

As much as I love them most normals don't look nearly as prettyful. :]

[Argentra]

Crimson... nice. Wish I could see the back half then.

And ALL my corns are pigs, not just the adult boys.
My Anery girl is on 10 day rest because she once again downed a hopper that ended up too big for her and regurged the...last bit. She has a sensitive system it seems, but never refuses a thing and it's hard for me to judge at times what might be too big until she's already got it.

That might be one con to corn snakes: the regurge issue. Despite being snakes that will eat almost anything rodent-y you give them, they can sometimes be rather sensitive to size of the prey.