corn snake help please

[bopdude]

Has anyone here any knowledge of corn snakes ?
The problem is that my son's snake's skin has gone cloudy / dull, as if it's ready to shed ( this would be the first whilst he's had him )
The concern my son has is that the snake has gone cold even though he has a heat-pad on constatly in a third of his tank.

Any and all advice welcome.

TIA

PS, i'm trawling the net as well, that failing he will be down the pet shop tomorrow

[poolking]

http://www.reptimania.co.uk/cornre.htm

[paulyoung666]

had a look about and i reckon you are right about the skin shedding , i aint no expert though :erm: :D

[Ramrod]

had a look about and i reckon you are right about the skin shedding I'd say that as well

[paulyoung666]

I'd say that as well


i hope we are both right , i dont want a dead snake on my conscience :erm: :D :D

[bopdude]

had a look about and i reckon you are right about the skin shedding , i aint no expert though :erm: :D

I'd say that as well
I thought so, just was worried about the snake's temp :shrug:


Thanks for the link PK :tu:

[Ramrod]

I thought so, just was worried about the snake's temp :shrug:


Doh! Must read posts more carefully :dunce:

Whats the temp in the ermmmm.....cage/vivarium/enclosure? :dunce:

edit--just looked it up.....vivarium it is then :D

[Chris W]

i hope we are both right , i dont want a dead snake on my conscience :erm: :D :D

you could make yourself some nice shoes though :D :p: :Sprint:

[paulyoung666]

you could make yourself some nice shoes though :D :p: :Sprint:


this is a childs treasured pet you are talking about here :erm: :rolleyes: :( :D :D :D :D

[Dave Stones]

you could make yourself some nice shoes though :D :p: :Sprint:
out of a corn snake? you must have some bloody tiny feet :erm::disturbd:

[bopdude]

Doh! Must read posts more carefully :dunce:

Whats the temp in the ermmmm.....cage/vivarium/enclosure? :dunce:

edit--just looked it up.....vivarium it is then :DI can't say what the temp is at the mo, i'm :erm: not with them, if you know what i mean :( will find out, asap.

i was thinking that if it is, as we all think, 'shedding' then this could be a cause of the temp drop, wouldn't it seem natural for the snake to go into some kind of cycle where metabalism slows down to preserve body functions whilst doing what it has to :shrug:
A kind of, cooling effect maybe :shrug:

EDIT:- yeah knew it was vivarium, but did not know how to spell it, thanks Ramrod :tu: :p:

[Chris W]

out of a corn snake? you must have some bloody tiny feet :erm::disturbd:

maybe a toe warmer then :p:

seriously though bopdude, i hope the snake is ok :) i love snakes really :D

[bopdude]

maybe a toe warmer then :p:

seriously though bopdude, i hope the snake is ok :) i love snakes really :D
it would have to be a little toe warmer, not big yet ..lol
and thenks MB, i'm sure it will be, just a bit scared / nervous as it's the first reptile pet sort of thing, fingers crossed

[Maggy]

Having been born and bred in Nigeria I can honestly say that snakes give me the willies.After all you should try coming face to face with a wild cobra when going about your own business when you are only 5. :(

Incog.

[Strzelecki]

Normally corn snakes won't eat much when it comes to shedding there skin but still move around a little. Keep an eye on him/her and the skin should have come off in about a week, if not then it's time to gentle take it to the vets (the skin is very delicate at this stage) and they should be able to help the snake get out of it's skin:D How hot is the heatpad set at and what are you feeding the snake?

[greencreeper]

i was thinking that if it is, as we all think, 'shedding' then this could be a cause of the temp drop, wouldn't it seem natural for the snake to go into some kind of cycle where metabalism slows down to preserve body functions whilst doing what it has to :shrug:
A kind of, cooling effect maybe :shrug:


Yeah that would be my guess - woman are the same when ovulating.

I don't see what's wrong with a budgie :D

[bopdude]

How hot is the heatpad set at and what are you feeding the snake?
There is no thermostat on the heat-pad, its one of the infra red pad types that just sit at a certain temp, it covers about a quarter of the vivarium, giving enough space to get away if it gets too hot, I suppose I could rig up some sort of stat / cut out on it :shrug:

And its on pinkies at the moment ( furless baby mice ) :Yikes: :sick:It gets 2 twice a week, but have told my son to miss a feed whilst in this state, right or wrong I don't know but it won't starve :D
I will get some feedback today and post later on the snakes condition :tu:

[greencreeper]

I did some research and wished I hadn't


My last resort, which works 75% of the time for hatchling corns that won't eat, is to cut open the brain of a pinkie, squeeze out some blood, then try feeding this to the corn.


I don't feel too good at all :sick:

Fascinating stuff. In summary - they don't eat when shedding because eating requires energy they need for shedding. They need water - enough to get the whole snake in. One site referred to it as "soaking the snake" :erm: Sounds sexual if you ask me :D You may also have to lend the snake a hand but water (moisture) seems to be the key - no yanking at bits of skin. Some sites mentioned that the snake might shuffle off this mortal coil <ahem> if it doesn't shed completely. Oh and it needs something rough to rub against.

All makes sense really when you think about it :) Do a Google using the words: corn snake shedding

Does it have a name?

[bopdude]

I did some research and wished I hadn't



I don't feel too good at all :sick:

Fascinating stuff. In summary - they don't eat when shedding because eating requires energy they need for shedding. They need water - enough to get the whole snake in. One site referred to it as "soaking the snake" :erm: Sounds sexual if you ask me :D You may also have to lend the snake a hand but water (moisture) seems to be the key - no yanking at bits of skin. Some sites mentioned that the snake might shuffle off this mortal coil <ahem> if it doesn't shed completely. Oh and it needs something rough to rub against.

All makes sense really when you think about it :) Do a Google using the words: corn snake shedding

Does it have a name?
Ok update to date.... yes it does its name is Sam :shrug: uni-sex i suppose
It has plenty of water, but maybe a bigger size needed :tu:
It has a lump of bark as a hidey hole and to rub against
Been googling till my eyes popped....... makes you wonder how on earth they survive in the wild with all the namby pamby needs they have :p:

Anyhoo, tonight 'Sam' has returned to colour but temp is still down, will tell son of, to place bigger dish of water and soak snake before ringing out :Yikes:

Will update ( again ) with any changes ....... stay tuned :tu:

[paulyoung666]

do they bite :erm: , i wouldnt try wringing it out if they do :disturbd: :D :D :D

[greencreeper]

do they bite :erm: , i wouldnt try wringing it out if they do :disturbd: :D :D :D

They use constriction...

[paulyoung666]

They use constriction...


:Yikes: :disturbd: :shocked: ..............

[greencreeper]

:Yikes: :disturbd: :shocked: ..............

"What you doing with a scarf on in this weather? You do look a little blue though..."

:D

[bopdude]

do they bite :erm: , i wouldnt try wringing it out if they do :disturbd: :D :D :D
They can bite, yes, if you don't handle them often enough they can get hand shy and give you a nip. I say nip but they can draw blood, ask my mother :p:

[greencreeper]

They can bite, yes, if you don't handle them often enough they can get hand shy and give you a nip. I say nip but they can draw blood, ask my mother :p:

We found with the family hamster (Hammy - gone to the great burrow in the sky <looks skyward>) that the size of the hand played an important part in successful stroking:

my mum - bitten
my sister - close call but lightening fast reactions saved her
me - too scared, especially having witnessed a post-slumber yawn
my dad, he with shovel hands - picked Hammy up, stroked him, survived, much to my mum's annoyance :D

I guess Sam takes one look at the huge human trying to manhandle him and thinks, "Stuff strangulation - I'd never swallow him and it would take a month of digestion and a box of Windeze if I did" and goes for a half-hearted nibble instead, having resigned himself to the possibility of being dined up rather than diner.

[bopdude]

Well here it is, the last in the current snake crisis line ... :p:

It turns out that the skin change and body temp cooling down was a sign of impending shedding, checked with the guy at darlington reptile shop and he said it was natural but said to be on the safe side after the shedding to take the snake in for a check-up. he can then sex the snake ( gender before you all start :D ) and tell us about any changes improvments we can do for 'sam'

Thanks for all the help and advice :tu:

[Scrubbs]

When/after shedding be on the lookout for spectacles ( honestly thats what it's called) which is the bit of skin over the eyes. they can be a bit of a bugger to get off, best done by the vet
As some one previously said the snake will eat less or not at all before shedding 'cos it needs to lose weight slightly( same size skin, skinnyer (is that a word?:dozey: ) body
A warm damp cloth in your hands when you handle it helps them shed as well :)

If they are ever going to nip you its going to be during sloughing they are not to happy :disturbd:

[bopdude]

Thanks for the tips scrubbs :tu:

[Ramrod]

A couple of rocks in the vivarium helps shedding as well

[bopdude]

A couple of rocks in the vivarium helps shedding as wellYeah got a great lump of tree in there with rough bark and a hidey hole, thanks Ramrod :tu:

[greencreeper]

Glad all is ok. Being an educational thread has this :) You'll have to post with the sexing outcome - is it an uel or antha.