My new FREE cornsnake and setup

[Syris71]

I used to have a ball python when i was younger and I really started missing having a snake. The last 3 reptile shows I went to this summer I was extremely tempted to get a corn snake but I resisted. Mostly because I didn't want it to distract myself from my other love, leopard geckos.
Then out of the blue and old friend/neighbor calls me and ask if I am interested in his nephews corn snake with cage and all. How could I resist such a good and generous offer? I couldn't, so here is my new Amel (albino) corn snake
BTW Im no corn snake morph expert but it maybe a Amel ZigZag anyone comfirm this?

Not sure of sex but I am told it is ~2.5-3yrs old. Health is not bad, little skinny and some stuck shed near base of tail but nothing serious. Cage had some kind of retpi bark in it (was filthy) so I cahnged it out with coconut fiber (Eco Earth).

Cage

Amel

 

[snakegirl]

yup zig zag amel, you can use eco earth but i always find it to messy and it sticks to everything, I use aspen bedding for all my snakes but its up to you. Fatten him up for sure!

 

[Srt14292]

I second snakegirl. i use aspen for all of my ball pythons.
For sexing take it to a local private rep shop and ask them if they can probe it for you, or if your skilled enough or they are try popping (however this is not 100%)
I suggest probing. Once you've seen it enough you will be able to do this yourself.

 

[snakegirl]

Dont pop the snake, only should be done to hatchlings. however the snake is either super skinny or something is wrong with the tail? i would feed every 4 days. keep warm and Alone. if that snake is indeed a few years old it should be much bigger or at best fatter. At the moment that thing looks like a yearling at best..(due to lack of meal i would guess)..Dont have the snake sexed either way popping or probing till the tail looks better.

 

[Syris71]

Thx for the replies.

snakegirl,

I just weighed him 170g
When I got him I thought he was younger too but he said 2.5-3yrs. Not sure how accurate he is on that. He is 3/4" at his widest. didnt measure his length (didnt want to stress him too much) but my quess is ~3ft

Was going to wait a week before feeding but I'll get some frozen mice tomorrow and try feeding in a separate bin. What size do you think is good?

Thx
Bill

 

[Syris71]

Got "hopper" size mice and he ate a f/t one with no problems.

 

[David Evans Reptiles]

The set up looks great and I always use fiber for my younger snakes as they love to dig burrows all threw it. I would keep a close eye on that log hide as I found mold growing on the bottom of one in a setup I used with damp fiber. I ended up throwing the log away in fear of it causing issues and started using plastic hides. Just a friendly heads up from past exp. As you stated the snake does look a bit lean and I really don't think its 3 years old from what I can see from the picture. Just from what I can see of the tail I am willing to bet its a male. Good luck...

 

[Syris71]

Thx for the heads up on the log, I'll check it tonight and keep an eye on it.
He's been eating well about ~5 days. Once he gains some weight I'll drop his feeding down to every ~10 days.

 

[calabarpythonlover2]

You should switch to aspen because i use aspen on my albino corn snake and aspen will hold burrows and it is light easy to clean and the snake will be able to burrow easily

 

[Maiizey]

For my cornsnake I use coconut husks, its cheap and easy for my cornsnake to burrow thru, also theres no smell and it looks nice. Its called CoCo Soft (Im sure there's other brands) but, it helps resist mold, mildew, and bacteria in the tank, and no chemicals are in it.

 

[snakegirl]

Hey there. well its a good idea to start the feeding off, i would have picked something bigger (sorry i didnt check the post) However starting off smaller is best when it comes to a weak snake so Stick to hoppers if he is taking them down within moments after and not having a hard time with it. you can add another (limit is 2 total) , or move to a bigger size, for a 170g snake i would have him on Med mice but with Lack of food and diet it seems the old owner kept him on keep with the hoppers a few more feedings and if he is going good with that bump him up to bigger sizes.