corn snake

[pgaks2]

so for xmas we got my 10 yr old daughter a gift cert to petco (not a fan of big box stores but being in alaska sometimes it is all we have, plus they have a really good reptile employee that runs her own small rescue), and explained to her it was her choice of what pet she wanted to get as long as me and my wife approved it(no smelly rodents, just got rid of guinee pigs) my wife has a aversion to snakes, but when she said she wanted a corn snake my wife gave in(ive been tryin for a snake for 11 years and she never gave in) our other rule was she had to research the pet, agree to do the feeding/cleaning 100%(we will help/oversee but it is her first real pet and we want her to take care of it properly) using terrarium stuff we had already, i pulled out my old 20 long that used to have a desert viv in it. and cleaned it up, did a substrate of eco bedding(1/2 a brick = little over a inch thick) topped it of with some coco bark. added a funky z shaped branch i had a large turtle dock to provide a deep cave, and 2 small hides and a water bowl.

went to petco yesterday and let my daughter pick out which snake she wanted, checked it over, no scaring, really alert, and really pretty, she had dubbed it peach(being a geek i tried for princess peach but it was a no go).

peach is about 7 inches long, eating healthy according to the reptile employee that i trust. she is in her new home, still getting used to it, my wife is really impatient for peach to get used to her cage and become more adventurous.

on to the questions, i want to make this a true living viv with some plants, so im looking for suggestions for plants that are native to corn snakes natural habitat, dont need alot of light since corn snakes don't like bright lights, and are terrarium size. im planning on adding some leaf litter if i can find some locally or waiting a bit till i order some more stuff for the frog viv im working on.

here is a pic of peach right after we got home, ill add some pics of the viv later when my wife gets home with the camera.




sheb

[beckdg]

sweet... now's your chance to sneak more into the house.

[momerath]

Corn snakes are found in pretty much the entire south eastern US. Snakes can be pretty tough on plants though so go for something sturdy, some sort of climbing plant or vine would probably do well.

Nice looking little snake!

[Herpetology101]

maybe try some type of ficus not sure if its native to S.E united states but it is good sturdy plant that can be found at most grocery stores and is easily pruned to the needs of the enclosure.

[pgaks2]

some more pics of peach and her viv(not that exciting yet)




never thought about a fiscus, just never thought about a US viv in general, i lean toward tropical viv's/animals mostly.

sheb

[beckdg]

daddy likey, hehehe.

has he burrowed at all yet? i'd love to see a shot of just his head poking out.

[pgaks2]

Originally Posted by beckdg

daddy likey, hehehe.

has he burrowed at all yet? i'd love to see a shot of just his head poking out.

first thing he did when i put him in the tank, shocking how fast they can move around when burrowed. although he is still being mostly reclusive in his stump hide.

sheb

[beckdg]

they'll do that... on both accounts. packing that tank with plants might help him want to explore more. you can get fake ones at a local hobby shop or crafts store/section for a lot cheaper than at a pet store. probably better variety also. just an fyi.

[darc]

Looking good.... like some others said, a few plants (I tend to go with fake ones, cause I'm lazy : ) will fortify the camouflage and get them out and moving a lot of times

Also, "Princess Peach" is a great name... just call it that secretly. My co-worker (I'm a programmer/geek) got a dog and convinced his daughter to name it Charlie.... after Charles Babbage (I mentioned that we're geeks, right?). I guess Charlie the Unicorn would work too... but Babbage was quite a bit more distinguished.
-darc

[Mikey8567]

Good looking corn, always had a thing for the red's. Yea they are some what reclusive by nature, but like the others said above by giving Peach some ground cover (plants real or fake) will make him more prone to comming out, he'll think he's blending in and hiding but you'l get to see him more offten (especialy due to his color aginst green plants). As far as him hiding, all snakes have their own time span till they "feel at home", others are good to go right away. I would say avoid messing with him (picking him up alot or moving alot of stuff around in his tank and he might settle in sooner.

You for sure came to the right place here for info! I've met alot of very smart and very helpfull people here!

Welcome to the forum and good luck with you new pet! And like Beckdg said "sweet... now's your chance to sneak more into the house."