We have a corn snake that started off in a 10 gallon tank and he outgrew that and went to a 25 gallon tank in just a little over a year. He is now too long for this tank too; but he's skinny, not fat like some of the other corn snakes we have seen in pet stores. Do I really need to give him a bigger tank. I worry he will grow longer if I keep upping his tank size.
FYI he is hand tamed and gets "exercise" in the bath tub about once a week.
2006-12-07 17:31:08 · 10 answers · asked by LittleFreedom 5 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
Snakes' growth being stunted by tank size is a myth. Their growth is actually dictated at first by the frequency and amount of food. Once they reach the low end of adult size, their topping-out size is more dictated by prey size (a corn eating full size rats will tend to grow larger than one kept on mice).
A corn will top out at anywhere from 4 to 6 feet. And they are supposed to be slender -- they are rat snakes and tend to be agile climbers (not to mention talented escape artists). The slender-ness is an adaptation for that, although snakes that are overfed and that do not have things to climb risk becoming obese. You should be fine with a tank that measures about 30" in length for an adult. The 29-gallon tank fits this bill nicely, but you won't need a tank that size until your snake reaches about 4 feet.
2006-12-08 01:48:58 · answer #1 · answered by stickboy_127 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Okay. To start? Owning a snake for 6 mo. doesn't qualify you as an expert, and requesting ONLY "for a long time" opinions. 6 mo. is NOT a LONG time! Some people have spent their lives studying them, but have never personally owned one... Also, is your snake entering a shed, and wanting 'alone time'? Two? You can have them for all your life, and theirs, and NEVER be an expert! There is always more to know and learn! So, don't limit the help you are looking for by your question post wording. You got him a new hide, twice as large, and now he's hiding in the bedding instead. This one seems pretty easy. Either the hide is too large to allow him to feel safe inside of it, or it has fumes which bother him. Did you clean it after purchase? And if he outgrew the hide; might it be time for a larger tank, too? Each animal is different, and each will need to be treated as individual. Solution? Give him back his old hide. When you decided he needed a new one (is he bulging out of the other, or did you get some funds, and decide to upgrade), be sure it is the best choice for your reptile. He's secure in the old hide. Does it have a larger entrance? Or more than one? Is it on the same heat source, as you had the old one? There are many factors to introducing new 'equipment' into an existing/working environmment. I would bite you too, if you evicted me, made me hide in bedding, and then wouldn't leave me alone. A snake bites for two reasons: it's hungry, or it's stressed. Figure out which the case is, and fix it. Offer the old hide back, and see if the behavior stops. Is so - voila~! If not - has it grown, and you are still feeding it the same size/amount on the same schedule? Snakes have pretty basics needs in their tiny brains: 1.) to eat enough, and 2.) to feel secure and digest or hide. Humidity and heat are important too, but the snake finds all that by instinct, if the ranges are provided. Google your snake, and find out if a temperature change in the new hide has made it unacceptable. Or if you relocated the new hide - put it where the old one was. Your UTH heat pad might be spiking and going bad, and needs replacing (nothing lasts forever). Use a digital theromemter and measure the heat output. It could be a thousand things. Equipement fails. Needs change. When all else fails? Ask your vet. I hope this has been of help.
2016-05-23 05:47:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
First off, snakes can NOT be stunted by the size of the tank. They will keep growing regardless of tank size.
By the way, the tank doesn't need to be as long as the snake. A general rule of thumb is that the tank should be 1/2 the length of the snake. Therefore a corn snake which will probably not reach above 5ft in length, a 3ft-long tank is more than sufficient.
2006-12-07 21:53:45 · answer #3 · answered by Jason 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I just bought my first corn snake a few weeks ago. I told the people at the reptile fair that I had a twenty gallon tank, and asked how long that would do for this one. They told me that she would be good there for her whole life.
I will probably get a larger tank at some point, when we have more room, and I have some extra money, but since they told me that, I'm not going to worry about it anytime soon.
2006-12-07 18:47:22 · answer #4 · answered by ntm 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i too have a corn snake and the biggest cage you need to buy for them is atleast a 20 gallon. i got her from a breeder at a pet show and i asked around and that is what many of the people said.
2006-12-07 17:33:24 · answer #5 · answered by stix246 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i was going to say what stick boy said.they wont stop growing but it is good to have a big enough cage for them.i have a ball python and i just put him in a cage size 3 by 3 x 6 feet.he loves it lots of room to move around
2006-12-08 07:08:41 · answer #6 · answered by autumn m 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is the dumbest question ever, I don't know how this rumor started and it is so sad because you have at least 5 wrong answers on your page...size does not matter, in fact, unlike mammals, reptiles ALWAYS grow through out there life, they just grow slower the older they get
2006-12-08 11:01:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes they will adapt to their surroundings and i have a fake tree for mine to climb up and down on just put it in the middle of the room so he cant reach out and latch onto other stuff
2006-12-07 19:39:50 · answer #8 · answered by aengel69 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get a 48in" tank or bigger. he shouldn't grow too big for one of those tanks.
2006-12-08 04:27:16 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you stop getting bigger tanks he will stop growing. They only grow if you upsize the tanks. And depends on how often you are feeding it.
2006-12-07 17:34:55 · answer #10 · answered by vanillabeancheesecake37 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋