I am getting a corn snake - can I please have all the advice that anyone can think I might need please?

I am getting a corn snake for christmas but I do not know what I need to buy to keep the snake healthy. I need to know everything from what size tank I need to start with and when to change to a bigger one. What goes in the tank. Do I need to register the snake with a vet, etc. And all the other stuff that will be needed to keep the snake healthy.





Many thanks.I am getting a corn snake - can I please have all the advice that anyone can think I might need please?
I'll be brutally honest: you need to do some research. If you haven't looked at how to look after them at all then maybe a corn snake isn't the pet for you- let alone getting one as soon as at Christmas.





If you really are serious about getting a snake, then you need to buy a couple of good care manuals specifically about corn snakes. This will give you a pretty good understanding as to what you will need to look after it. If you have never owned a snake before, you need to have a good idea of what you are doing, as they are quite different to most other pets.





There are some things that might not come up in your care books though. If you get a hatchling corn, you will need to keep it in a small secure tub at first, and increase the size of the tub accordingly until it is about a year old, when it should be ready to go into its full sized vivarium. This is because snakes don't like open spaces. If you put a baby snake into a full size viv, the snake will get stressed out, and may even refuse to eat.


You should be able to keep an adult corn snake in a 3ft by 1ft vivarium.


I would recommend buying an adult or sub adult corn snake, as they will be more likely to be reliable feeders, tame, and will not have to be housed in different sized tubs- they can go straight into a vivarium.





As for a vet, it depends how the vets work in your area. If you need to register it with a vet, then do so, but I would expect that in most cases you don't. I would find a local vet that can deal with reptiles though, so you can take it to them if you are concerned about its health.





Joining a local reptile club can be really good for finding this sort of information out, as well as meeting people who have owned these animals for some time, so you can learn from their experiences.





Good luckI am getting a corn snake - can I please have all the advice that anyone can think I might need please?
with my corn and kingsnakes i start them out in a 10-15 gallon tank.


i fed them 1 pinkie a week and if they looked like they were thinning i gave them 2 and so on.


aspen bedding with a small hide is great!


all of mine love fake plants that they would crawl all over.


uvb light.


when full grown they need a 40 60 gallon tank but bigger is always better.


keep a water dish that is large enough for snake to soak in fully. change water every day. as for a vet find an exotic vet that is near you in case of emergency.


:)
I have a corn snake and this is how i take care of it. His cage is set up with a hot hide box, a dry hide box, and a humid hide box. I put them in there so he can choose what hide he wants. And the humid hide box is for when he is shedding i just put some wet moss in the humid hide and he will stay in there until he sheds. You need a heat source like a lamp. And you should go in to get your snake checked by a vet to make sure you have bought a healthy snake. Make sure the snake isn't going to die on you. That is what i do with my corn snake and he is thriving.
get a couple of books on them but here is some info:small snake small cage ;big snake big cage, water always, provide a heating pad that covers at least half of the cage food is a must have to
For a juvi you will need:


10 gallon reptile tank w/lid


Bedding, I use aspen


A hida hut


An UTH or under tank heater








For an adult, pretty much the same but with a 20 long reptile tank. Foe bedding as juvi's, I use news paper. as adults I use aspen or cypress mulch bedding. They need an area to hide, hida huts at the pet store suit this purpose great. Heating is essential. You can either use an under tank heating pad or a basking bulb, 60 watts. Either way they need a source of heat to keep them warm for digestion and healthy activity levels. As babies they'll eat pinky's, you can buy 4 at the beginning of the month and feed once a week, as adults the will eat mice, you can also buy 4 at the beginning of the month and feed once a week. They'll need a small water bowl, a small plastic dog bowl works.





You'll need to clean and sanitize once a month, empty bedding. Soak all items in the tub or sink with a 1/4 bleach, 1/4 vinegar, 2/4 water mixture, Use the same mixture to spray and wipe down your tank. Put fresh bedding and clean items back in the cage the way you had them.





Registering with a vet will not be necessary, but you will need to find a good exotics vet to take your snake to in case of an emergency.
hi, for a Corn snake you need -





a cage around 18';x12';x12'; this will depend on the size of snake and age but for a baby snake around 6';+ this will be fine for a year or 2.





a heat mat to cover on side of the tank so theres an hot and cold place for the snake to go





a water bow big enough for the snake to bath in





beding is aspen or if you run out you can use news paper





you will need two hides (bark,wood log hides) one in the hot side and the other on the cold side





and thats your starter kit done you have to remmber that corn snakes are very good at getting out of cages lol food for a baby snake of 6'; is around two times a week they can eat mice know as pinkys / rats and day old chicks when they get older.





vets, im not with any one atm and ive been keeping snake's for the last 8years but i would find where a vet that does with reptils is around you just in case but they are really easy to keep/ look after.





if you would like abit more infor theres a care sheet on google if you need one and you can give me an e-mail as well i hope this helps and happy snake keeping .