My new corn snake, Aztec - Page 2

toddnbecka · 03-13-15, 12:16 AM

I'd switch the substrate to cypress mulch to raise the humidity a bit. Or at the very least give him a moist hide (plastic bowl half filled with damp sphagnum moss) when he's getting ready to shed. You could sprinkle water over the substrate (looks like paper?) to raise humidity but it will dry out again much faster than cypress mulch.

Zombina · 03-13-15, 05:05 AM

The substrate is reclaimed wood pulp, so it's pretty similar to paper. I'll consider switching to cypress mulch.

Thanks for the advice! It'll help a lot next time. c:

Rattlehead · 03-13-15, 11:10 AM

If the humidity is still low next time, you should definitely use a humidity box when he is in shed. I used to have problems too, and since I use it, I always have sheds in one piece.

CosmicOwl · 03-13-15, 12:22 PM

To increase humidity, you can cover the top of the cage with aluminum foil. Then mist slightly with a spray bottle.

Zombina · 05-09-15, 08:52 AM

So I've made the switch to cypress mulch, which I spray down at least once a day because it tends to dry out (paranoid he might get a splinter in his eye or something if I don't), and obtained the moss for when he goes into shed. I also got a new log hide for him, which he seems to enjoy.

BUT I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS!

There seems to be a lot of debate about how to feed an adult corn snake, and the more I read the more I doubt myself. Some people feed theirs 2 large mice every 10 days, some every two weeks. Some disagree and say you should only feed 1 large mouse every 10-14 days. Above all, the most comments I've seen say that every snake is different. I want to make sure that I'm doing right by Aztec.

Since the frozen mice have run out, I've been going to a local reptile shop to buy live fuzzy rats, which are just a tad bigger than the mice I was feeding him before. (I was afraid a live animal might hurt my snake, but the person selling to me assured me they were too young to injure my snake, and so far they haven't.) It seems they stretch him out a bit sometimes, but he's never regurgitated.

Now, here's where I need help. He's 7 years old, and he's just a bit over 3.5 ft. Is that a normal length for his age, and how often/much should I feed him? Lately I've been feeding him one of these rats at intervals of about 7 or 9 days. He hasn't read particularly fat or skinny to me; are there sure fire ways to tell if he's over or under weight? Also, regarding intervals between feedings, should I just feed him a few days after he poops? Or should I set a specific time interval?

Thanks for your continued advice and support, guys. c:

**EL Ziggy** · 05-09-15, 10:15 AM

Rat fuzzys seem a bit small for an adult corn Z. Can you post another picture of your snake? Do you have a scale to measure his weight? Its cool if he's a little small as long as he's healthy. I feed my adult colubrids every 7 days on average. They usually eat about 10% of their body weight per feeding. My younger snakes eat a little more and more often.

Sasha2 · 05-09-15, 06:14 PM

I use aspen bedding or papertowels. I personally hate cypress mulch because its so splintery.Not saying you should change or anything.Ive read that those paper substrates really dry out reptiles(read it on the internet)
I use humid hides for all my corns and they love them. Just one of those disposable food dishes filled with damp eco earth or spaghum moss and a hole cut in the lid. They spend lots of time in it. I just buy bigger ones as they grow.

**EL Ziggy** · 05-09-15, 06:56 PM

I agree with Sasha about the moist hide and aspen bedding. Its better for them to burrow in. I use sani chips or shredded aspen for my colubrids.

Zombina · 05-09-15, 10:11 PM

Sorry for the blur! Dollar bill for scale. He ate yesterday, and I have noticed that he's a tad pudgy around the tail. Is that a sign of overweight? If my math is right, he's about 272.2 grams.

If that doesn't sound right:
I wrapped a food scale in plastic, which made it read 3/8 of an ounce. The bowl I had to use to contain him read 2lbs 14 1/8 oz. When he was placed in it, it read 3lb 7 3/8 oz. I converted it all to decimals and subtracted the weight of the plastic wrap from both, and subtracted the weight of the bowl from the weight of the bowl + Aztec. Then I converted the result to grams. I'm not good at math, so.. If anyone wants to verify, I'd be grateful. c:

Also, does it matter how much I feed him in one go? Would feeding him 1 fuzzy rat once every 7 days be similar to feeding him 2 every 10-14 days? (Lately the rats have been a bit more developed. When I first started getting them, they were blind and didn't move around a whole lot. I continued to ask for fuzzies, and the past two have been a bit bigger, with mostly open eyes and they move a lot. Does that give a better idea of how much they might weigh?)

I'll consider switching to shredded aspen after I'm through with the cypress. The whole reason I chose cypress in the first place was because it was said to retain moisture better than others! My SO is now saying we need to put a misting system in for Aztec now, haha.

Albert Clark · 05-10-15, 04:38 PM

Hello. Make sure you have a thermostat to attach to the heat pad otherwise the heat pad will get too hot for Aztec and could cause him to get burned by the unregulated heat pad. There are several different brands of thermostats on the market. That will be the most important piece of equipment to buy! I also would place him on paper towels for now so you can observe and monitor the scale condition. It does look like normal coloration but be safe.
The piece of stuck shed on his tail, make sure you assist him in getting that off right away!!

Albert Clark · 05-10-15, 05:47 PM

On the math I get a different weight but in the same ballpark. 1 oz. = 28 gms. 9 oz. x 28gms = 252 gms approx. I could be wrong.

Zombina · 05-11-15, 12:45 AM

Thanks Albert! And the remaining shed on the tip of his tail came right off with his next shed. I was afraid to take it off myself because I didn't want to hurt him. :c

addseo1119 · 05-11-15, 04:14 AM

Thanks for posting your photos here.

stevo-d · 05-11-15, 05:28 AM

Bump up humidity to about 50% in tank by changing substrate to orchrid bark or coco brick. Get some moss and soak it in warm water and place under a hide but remember to drain excess water from moss it should feel damp not soaking.spray the tank morning and night with warm water. When my ball goes in to shed, pink belly white eyes I'll put him in a shallow warm bath about 80f for 20 minutes and he happily sits there. Cover parts of the lid with a towel to keep humidity up or get a vivarium much better for keeping in heat and humidity good luck and congrats on your new pet

**EL Ziggy** · 05-11-15, 08:48 AM

Corns don't really require high humidity. If your ambient humidity is too low just add a moist hide or mist the tank once or twice a day during shed. IMO one (10-20g) rat fuzzy every 7-10 days for a 7 yr old adult corn isn't much of a meal. At 250-275g he seems a little undersized. You could increase his food intake a bit.