Please help. Corn snake issue.

Sapphyr · 01-18-11, 02:33 PM

Sorry, I didn't know where to post this. So, last night I noticed my corn snake began to completely flip out. She was whipping around for no apparent reason and then seemed to go quiet. I picked her up and she seemed to be stiff, almost like she was paralyzed. She wouldn't even flick her tongue unless something came infront of her face. I tried to see if she'd eat something, and she was interested, eyeing it down and striking, but she kept missing. She'd strike and flip backwards or go way to the side, etc, where she normally strikes and hits every other time. I tried to see if maybe she needed water, but she just sat in it. She'd sometimes swim around, get out of it, but half the time she sat in it.

She's normally very quiet, occasionally coming out of her hiding spot to drink water or look around, climb the walls a little, etc. She's also a good eater, so I'm not really concerned with that. Also very energetic while being handled, always moving and looking around curiously, flicking her tongue. She'd always try and slither out of water, as well. So, with all the opposites listed, you can see why I'd be concerned about this.

She does have a heat lamp and a suitably sized enclosure until she grows out of it. I know too much space will stress out a snake. There are, also, no other sort of objects on her 'shelf' that would cause stress via vibrations. She's just over 2 months old and was bought at en expo. Our cricket provider, for our lizards, says snakes bought from expos are generally not taken care of properly and won't live. We weren't sure if she was saying this out of spite or not, since she's a family ran pet store and sells snakes as well.

Also, my mother claimed that the one that sold her the snake at the expo said to feed it once a week. I've read that babies should feed twice a week until they're older. Any input on this? Thanks for the help.

infernalis · 01-18-11, 03:52 PM

Welcome to the forum...

I say go to a vet, but you did indicate your snake is a baby, and you are describing a neurological problem, vets are almost helpless with this situation.

Look the snake over very closely, are there any black pepper specks moving around?? any little black specks in the water?

If there is, we are in luck.. I never thought I would say this to anyone, but I really hope your snake has mites. Mites can be killed and the snake will return to it's normal behaviour.

Untreated, Mites will kill a baby snake rather quickly.

Neurological problems are a lot tougher, and incurable. So I really hope that's not the case.

NennaMeerkat · 01-18-11, 04:51 PM

I know I feed my baby hognose once a week and she normally eats one to two pinkies during that time.

As for your other problem follow iinfernalis instructions, look for mites and take to a vet.

Lankyrob · 01-18-11, 05:18 PM

Unfortunately it does sound like a neuro issue but to rule out anything else can you tell us everything about the snakes home? Temps, size, number of hides, substrate etc etc.

Good luck and hope it is something easy.

Marica · 01-19-11, 08:27 PM

Ditto on Rob's questions. Some more husbandry info might help. What size is the enclosure? What's the temperature on the warm and the cool side? Also, just a thought, but can she climb very high in her cage? I ask because little corns sometimes like to climb up to the rim of the lid and an awkward fall could lead to injury, though rare. Maybe she had just fallen and was stunned and stressed out for a bit. How is she doing today?

As for where to buy herps, a lot of professional breeders sell direct to the public at expos, so you're likely to get an animal that is properly taken care of and get correct husbandry information, whereas the opposite is common at a lot of pet stores, esp. chains - there are of course always exceptions so it's good to do your own research before hand and know what signs to look for that indicate an unhealthy animal or improper care/environment.

I wouldn't recommend feeding a baby corn more than every 5 days, otherwise they won't have time to digest their previous meal, defecate, and get some hunting exercise prior to their next meal. I like to use the Munson Plan as a GUIDELINE for feeding. I emphasize guideline as the plan is meant as a reference. Every snake is different and as an owner you need to determine how often and what size prey is best for your snake.

NennaMeerkat · 01-19-11, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marica

I like to use the Munson Plan as a GUIDELINE for feeding. I emphasize guideline as the plan is meant as a reference.

I have to wonder if this same thing can be used for hognose snakes as well. Would hate to think if I am overfeeding my girl.

shaunyboy · 01-20-11, 09:56 AM

feeding once every 7 days is sufficiant for hatchlings right up to sub adulthood

it sounds like a neurological issue

high temperatures in your tank can also bring on similar issues

what temperature is your hot end of the tank ?

re buying at expo's
i have bought many snakes at snake shows in the uk and all have been healthy

sounds like your pet shop owning friend may have issues with expo's imo

cheers shaun

Sapphyr · 01-20-11, 09:42 PM

Unfortunately she passed before I could get her to a vet, but for the information asked, she was in a plastic container about a foot tall and maybe 16 in. long. When she grew a little more she had a long 20 gallon to move into. There was a coconut shell hiding spot on the cool side and a rock cave on the warm side. In the middle of the tank, there's a rock water dish big enough for her to soak in. Warm side is around 80 F., cool side is 70F. As for bedding, I used Aspen. There were no mites on her at any point of owning her, nor signs of their presence in her bedding. Sorry for the bad news, but thanks for the help.

infernalis · 01-20-11, 09:45 PM

So now you go get a healthy baby corn or you will get "empty cage syndrome"

Marica · 01-20-11, 10:22 PM

Sorry about your loss. Are you able to contact the person your mom purchased the snake from? Some breeders/stores will offer a refund or replacement, but if not, it's still good to let them know that one of their snakes has passed. Your setup sounds pretty good. I hope this experience hasn't deterred you from getting another reptile, they are such wonderful creatures to have as a pet. However, you'll want to thoroughly disinfect and possibly replace some items in case it was something that could pass to the next occupant.

Ch^4 · 01-20-11, 11:00 PM

My sincere condolences to you and yours.

(Healthy) snakes can live many years, so as mentioned, hopefully it doesn't deter you from owning one of these majestic animals!

Sapphyr · 01-21-11, 03:23 AM

Thankyou so much everyone. It doesn't deter me one but, as it has been a dream for me since childhood to own one of these gorgeous creatures, especially to watch it grow into adulthood and be a buddy. I will miss Agatha, but I still wish to own a snake. Plus, no use in wasting a perfectly fine cage and a whole bag of aspen. Unfortunately, the expo was out of state and my mother didn't take any details. Though, there is a local expo happening in a week or two. I was thinking maybe trying a rainbow boa, but I think they get too big for a 20 gallon enclosure to be a minimum. So, how about redtail boas? Are they the same or worse as far as size goes? Otherwise I'll try another corn or a ball python. I'd go for a milk snake but I heard they defecate as a self defense.

Lankyrob · 01-21-11, 07:19 AM

Corn will musk as a defence mechanism too but less often if they are used to you, i rehomed an adult that would cover me every tiem i picked him up for the first couple of months.

With regard to the temps for corns the hot side should be 86f rather than 80f.

infernalis · 01-21-11, 07:42 AM

All I'd like to say is that any boa or python will grow entirely too large to humanely house in a 20 gallon tank.

Smaller colubrid snakes are about the only right choice for a tank that size.

I keep milk snakes and Garter snakes in 20 longs just fine, and they have plenty of room to move around.

I have seen red tails jammed in 55 gallon tanks and felt bad for the snakes, they always have to fold over on themselves to fit in the tank.

NennaMeerkat · 01-21-11, 07:44 AM

Your best bet for a 20 gallon would be a corn. Redtails get pretty big and I am 70% sure the same goes for rainbows. Besides it might be easier for ya to get a snake that isn't tropical in nature. IMHO they are just easier to take care of in general.