Your First pet snake.

In this instructable, I'm going to give you an overview in what is involved in keeping your first pet snake, with particular reference to corn snakes. I am most knowledgeable about corn snakes, how ever because they quite like King snakes, and their living requirements are not dissimilar either.

I'm going to cover considerations before buying a snake, what to look for when buying your snake, housing and husbandry, feeding, and suitability as pets, and anything else that I think of as I go along. I think I shall write a bit about their origins as well.

Step 1 Considerations

before you rush out and buy a snake you have to consider a few things,

can you actually get one that has been bred in captivity in the first place? I dunno, you'll have to do the leg work

do you have the space? they don't take up much room, but it is a consideration.

breeder or store? - both will be able to offer support so it is a personal choice

Do you have the money? trips to the vet will be expensive (esp with reptiles), food is really cheap as is upkeep, so it does offset the vet care aspect, its more expensive to set up than anything generally though.

will you be ok with feeding such an animal? If you are really squeamish a snake isn't going to be for you, while they are small and they eat small food you may well be able to cope, but corn's can eat quite big fully formed mice so you have to be comfortable with feeding them dead/thawed mice

where will you get food for the snake? generally if it is a store brought snake they will have food you can give it and generally it's really cheap I get 10 fuzzy mice for about £4 ($7.95/$8) and that lasts squirm about 5 weeks currently. If you get the snake from a breeder they should be able to point you in the right direction.

can you get to a reptilian vet? Your regular vet is no good, most regular vets do not have much experience with reptiles, whilst most will just admit it, some won't want to admit they are out of their depth with such an animal and "have a go." It is therefore important you know you can get to a Reptilian Specialist, although they are generally more expensive!

do you have the time? to be honest snakes won't take up much time, but it is important you can feed it regularly change water on a daily or every other day basis.

they live for a long time 15 years on average and 20 isn't uncommon for a well looked after snake. are you going to be willing to look after it for that long?

I'm not trying to put you off with this list but they are all things that you must consider and be prepared to have to deal with if/when you need to, and finding out when you need to is not the way to go!

Comments

[freeza36]

they are not related to rattlesnakes any more than a garter snake is. corn snakes are collubrids, while rattlesnakes belong to viperidae

[geodez]

R.I.P. Steve.

[freeza36]

yep. he was a cool guy

[geodez]

Yes.

[ccoppola6]

How long should you wait before handling a cornsnake after feeding time? Great tutorial by the way, I've always wanted a snake.

[freeza36]

i wait about 2-3 days

[Flie-Ing GOOse]

with my corn, jerry, i leave him about 2 days, nor more and no less than 1 and a half days.

[F1X0R]

I would say a lot depends on the size of the meal. How ever most of the time, I don't handle squirm until he comes out of hiding in the evenings of his own accord. How ever an absolute minimum would be 24 hours to ensure that they don't throw the meal back up. But until they come out by themselves, its like asking you to go running after a huge meal, just just won't want to do that.

[freeza36]

umm you don't need a shovel. My teacher has 3 Burmese pythons. I have much experience

[GorillazMiko]

Nicely done! Corn snakes rule-- I hope my mom will let me get one.

_{Hope = when pigs fly/ hell freezes over.}

[Hoooyyat]

My mom was originally against it but once i reminded her that she grew up with snakes and lizards, and that she had a corn once, she agreed.

[freeza36]

my dad was against mine. Then he realized (after about 6 years) that i needed one

[bombs go boom]

harhar same problem

[F1X0R]

hahaha, the way i got my mum to agree was to start of with saying "mum can I get a tarantula" and worked back from there! in the end mum ended up wanting to get some barking tree frogs but never did, though can you imagine it, bloody frogs keep barking in the night! squirm has grown on my whole family over the course of the last 9 months or so (3 months old when i got him!) except maybe dad, who is convinced that squirm doesn't like him, because he has handled him only twice and both times squirm went to the toilet on him!

[F1X0R]

kellogs corn snake, quite good, i know someone who's got a corn called Adolf Hissler, quite distasteful anyway . and yeah I have to agree birds are one of the largest predators of corn snakes, hence why they don't like being out in the day. I find it isn't necessary to use a large housing to being with (really difficult to find when they are little) but once they get bigger its more ideal to just provide lots of hiding places. i know they aren't exactly agoraphobic but it was the best way i could think to describe it. although it is arguable because there are no birds in my room, and so its not rational to be afraid of anything in my room for a snake (same reason people are afraid of spiders, despite them being no danger at all is instinct , primitive part of the brain controls fears, the amagdyla) at the moment squirm is in a fairly small enclosure, when i notice he starts getting active in the evening (he won't straight after feeds or anything) then he comes out for a couple of hours to slither around my room as he pleases, obviously I'm watching him the whole time.

[Hoooyyat]

So you let a yearling corn out for hours to slither about your room as he pleases? Seems like something bad could happen or he could get away!

[0.775volts]

Pretty well done. You take good care of your corn, many props for that! Before touring, I had a corn for about six months, she was great. I always fed her in the box, never realized you needed a second area to feed her. I did a few different things when it came to feeding (she was always a very good feeder). I nuke a cup of water for about two minutes, then put the fuzzies in a plasic bag and submerge them for tow or three minutes. the water warms them nicely, but the plastic helps keep the scent in. if you try this method, be sure to rest the mice in your hand after warming them up, if they're too hot you can injure your snake. if they have cold or even frozen spots in the middle, the snake may puke them back up again. this is bad for the snake, and i would assume would be very gross to clean up. another point I learned that may help is this: don't handle your snake the day you feed her if you can help it, and give her a day or two after feeding. this helps to seperate yourself from the prey objects. I fed vlad with chopsticks, I found that to work quite well, but like I said, she was always quick on the draw, I never had to play much to get her to grab the mouse. in the states, the vet you want to look for is called a "Specialist". look for one of them and ask if they work with snakes. you can also call the nearest zoo and ask them if they have a list or something. the zoo is usually very helpful. if you can't find mice nearby (and be picky, don't EVER use dead lab mice). you can order them from Rodentpro.com . this isn't a plug or anything, but I got mine from them, and their quality is pretty good. 200 fuzzies plus shipping came in at around $60 usd, but that's because they ship them frozen on dry ice. the shipping charge is about $30, so if you order, stock up. it's also fun to tell you friends to get something out of the freezer when you know they're gonna run into a big bag of frozen mice. about your terrariums, you should have a cool side and a warm side, so the snake can move around to regulate temperature. yours is a pretty good layout. I had a devil of a time working this kind of thing out, but when I got it right, vlad just seemed happier somehow. You can keep putting her in larger terrariums if you want, your snake won't mind the additional room as he or she gets older, and it will help your snake to grow as well. corns can get up to two meters or so, but if you keep her in a small terrarium, she'll stay small. when I got vlad she was about 1.2 meters,about 2 cm in diameter and she was 8 years old. after 6 months in a large terrarium, she had grown to 1.7 meters, and was about 4 cm. I did feed her alot, but I kept a careful eye to see if she was getting overweight (your vet can show you how to check). she started at 2 fuzzies per week, but I kicked that up to 2 fuzzies twice a week after the first month when she always seemed ravenous. after that I gave her one every other day until she stopped accepting food, gave her a week and then did three and two per week. that's alot, but after a month of that she was noticeably longer and was more active. though you may not need to feed so aggressively if you're starting with a young snake. another note: make sure you have a lid that shuts securely! vlad got out once, and was gone for about a week before I found her, needless to say she was quite stressed and dirty from a week of slithering wherever she got off to. anyway, have fun with your corn, and keep up the good work!

[Hoooyyat]

Corns keep growing no matter what size tank they are in. As they grow you MUST put them in a larger Vivarium or they will become depressed, or sick. A corn should be able to stretch out their lungs, which are about 3/4 of their entire body so the vivarium should be that long(ish) and about 1/3 of the snakes length in tank depth and height.

Check your local Herpetology Society for more info on everything

[raj.dabholkar]

I dont think you've mentioned how often you have to feed the snake. I guess the feeding schedule is the same for all snaked of the same size, as with dogs, but how often do you give em the mice? also, can you substitute mice for something else? is meat ok?

[F1X0R]

It varies. When they are young about once a week, and then as they get older every 10 days. Its not really practical for me to say how much they should be eating either, this is the sort of thing that is individual to every snake. It is best to ask at the place you get the snake from.

[wolf1234link]

Ummm I have a cat who was a stray but now she is quite docile she mostly lays around or is outside but loves to bat things around would it be safe to get a snake? like would or could my cat tip over the vivarium or like shock the snake? excuse me if I sound stupid but I have srsly never seen a snake as pet in my life. I'd say its cause I live in newfoundland but snakes could live here right

[Mutantflame]

A glass vivarium is way to heavy for a cat to knock over, and it's unlikely she could shock the snake. Provided you keep your cat away from the snake while you are handling it you should be fine.

[naruto the ninja13]

You know any reptilians vets. around Springfield MO?

[Russian sniper]

oops
it was nice instructable man :P

[Russian sniper]

steve rules!!!
r.i.p
we miss you man!!
nice able man (Y)

[grundisimo]

terrarium you mean ?

[F1X0R]

I guess firefox spell checker doesn't like me.

[amakerguy]

hey here is a Great site for all reptiles! It is a forum with loads of reptile breeders and experts! Its great for all of your questions.

[amakerguy]

aw! I had a corn snake a year ago and (they are escape artists!) he escaped and my lid had licks on it! sadly I did not find him but I did find his skin shed outside on the side of my house!

[Sergeant Crayon]

Snakes should be fine in a large container. Just make sure your terrarium/vivarium/tub has a low, opaque lid. There is definite, scientific conclusion to why snakes seem to get stressed in open spaces. However, after many years of studying zoology and animal behavior (specifying in herpetology) I have come to a fairly obvious conclusion in which I believe. The main predator of snakes (especially smaller varieties such as the corn) is by no doubt the bird of prey. Where do birds like to live and hang-out? The tops of tall trees of course! What can the see from so high up? Open areas and grasslands of course! Obviously, a snake slithering across a grassed clearing would be a moronic decision, for surely the snake would be eaten. As is also well known snakes prefer not to rely on their eyesight, especially the nocturnal varieties. Many people like to put their snake in a glass aquarium (bad for all reptiles) with a screen lid. As snakes have fairly poor depth perception (as with all geckos and some other lizards) they assume that if they cannot judge distance vertically, they are in the open. A bird could then easily swoop down and grab 'em (not so good for the snake). Snakes are therefore not Agoraphobic! A phobia is an unjustified fear. Snakes being afraid of open air above them is perfectly justified, and pure instinct. This also proves that housing for a snake can be as large as possible horizontally, with no ill effects. Just make sure is is heavily covered, like a wooded area. With plenty of bark and tons of hides. I have always had problems with keeping live animals in small enclosures (this is why I keep my 9" hardwickii in a 6x3' enclosure) I find a 2m corn does exceptionally well in a 12x6' enclosure, preferably only a foot high. (Sounds weird, I know.) Many people fell this takes up a lot of space, which it does, on it's own. But you can also keep 8 adult corns in a surface area of 12x6', you can easily stack 8 tanks on top of each other in a room, just make sure the bottom ones have plenty of braces. Believe me, watching a gigantic snake slither it's way through many an obstacle in it's equally gigantic tank is much more exciting than watching a stunted snake mosy around a 20g tank.

With that said, I am not suggesting you use a enclosure with 72 square feet. Just use as large as is comfortable to you and your snake. (Please god, don't use a 20g fish tank!)

[Charlie24601]

Yeah 20g is way too small, but Fixor is correct, snakes often get stressed when in a very large enclosure. And I think you have a very good point about the birds of prey. The trick to this is just as you said, give LOTS of obstacles and things to hide in/around. Anything to slow down the predators. The other thing to think about is the title of the instructible: "You're first pet snake". A beginner snake keeper is NOT going to get something as big as you got for an enclosure, which I admit, am VERY jealous of :), nor have the extra money to fill a 72 square foot enclosure with hides. Also, I'd imagine the cleaning of such a tank is quite a chore...especially with a full break down and standard 5% bleach solution disinfection. Not really a beginner chore in my opinion :) So I think fixor was justified in saying keep it relatively small. You also briefly mentioned stunting...well thats also a myth. No animal will grow to the 'size of its cage' (i.e. stay small in a small cage). The only way to stunt an animals growth is to underfeed it. By the way...any pics of your giant set-up? I'd love to see what your using.

[Sergeant Crayon]

I believe I've accidentally misled you (*sheepish*) I've always had very little patience for snakes, more of a lizard keeper myself. The set-up I've described is one of a good friend.(Btw: I visited him since writing this, and it's only 10x6). He builds furniture-grade enclosures and breeds the occasional snake to make some extra pocket money. That beast of a thing I was talking about is probably one of a kind! The rack I described unfortunately never did come into existence. I got that idea from one of his many blueprints. He said it wasn't possible due to cleanliness issues. As for the enclosure he owns, the system is rather ingenious. The top is simply removable, I'm pretty sure I have a picture of him, "wading" around in the shin-deep jungle, floating around my hard drive. I'll be sure to post it when I find it (no such luck as yet). I guess I'll have to swallow my pride with "keeping it small" thing, you have a very good point about the title as well. *sigh* P.S. As far as I remember, the hides were all homemade or natural. It's surprisingly cheap if you go DIY.

[nuclearscience]

would crickets work or does it need to mice & does it need to be feed more than once at a time

[Charlie24601]

There are very few snakes that eat insects, and those tend to be very hard to keep properly.

[F1X0R]

I'm pretty sure you can't feed them crickets, although, they will eat rats and gerbils once they are larger, also some lizards, but I'm not an expert on that, as I always feed "frozen thawed" Mice. You will find that as the snake grows, but is not yet large enough for the next size up in mouse, you will need to feed more than one. At the Moment His squirmship has three in one sitting, but thats it for 10 days! Only takes 10 minutes as well.

[monkey666]

since this would be my first reptile and i dont think im ready for somthing longer then a meter. what kind of snake do you think would work for me?

[MikePri37]

Kenyan sand boa males get to about 2ft female 3ft 3ft=1yard1yard=to about 1.4 meters(I think) but they don't require hides as they burrow, docile and very easy first pets

[Charlie24601]

Try the African House Snake. Don't get more than 3 feet (typically), VERY handleable and tame, and great eaters. Pretty much as easy to keep as a Corn, just not as colorful.

[F1X0R]

Corn snakes only grow to about a meter and a half maybe 1.6 in extra-ordinary cases. The main concern is not size, as long as you have the room for the housing. What is really important is the attitude and temperament of the snake. Corn snakes are very forgiving of the mistakes likely to be made by a novice keeper. Also don't forget that if you keep the snake from when it is young that you are going to be dealing with something under a meter for about a year (squirm is just over a year, and just under a meter now) which is about right. Males grow shorter than females.

[Hoooyyat]

Ive never heard of the male female thing, wait is it males grow to be smaller, or males grow slower. A meter and a half?!!??! Even though they grow as long as they live, most corns dont get much more than 2.5-3 feet. My cousins corn corny is about 15 and only 3 feet. (My corn is nothing to go by because Selesst is only a month old.)