Animal_Tales_-_February_2020

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VETVISITS

Yoursnakeshouldbeexaminedbya qualifiedreptileveterinarianas

soonasyougetit. Cornsnakesshouldthenbeexaminedannually

tocheckforparasites,infectionsorsignsof dehydration.

HABITAT

Whenit comesto findinga tankforyourcornsnake,lengthis

important—theyneeda longspaceto slitheraroundin!Like

mostsnakes,cornsnakesare excellentescapeartists,sotheir

enclosuresshouldbesecure. Makesure thetankhasa tightlid

thatcanbeclampeddown.Cornsnakeswillpushat thelidwith

theirnoseslookingfortinyopenings,sothefit of thelidis crucial.

Insidethetank,youshouldprovidea waterbowlandseveral

hidingspots.(Piecesof barkworkgreat.)Thebottomof thetank

shouldbelinedwithshreddedaspenbeddingornewspaper. An

overheadincandescentheatlightis alsopreferred,butremember:

Cornsnakesare fromtemperate(mild)climates,sotheydon’t need

tropicaltemperatures.Makesure theirenclosure doesn’t gettoohot!

FOOD

Like other pet reptiles, corn
snakes eat mice.
You can buy
packs of frozen
mice at a pet store,
but make sure you
thaw them out before
feeding them to your
pet snake. Hatchlings start out
with pinkie mice for feedings,
but the size of the prey should
increase as the snake gets
bigger. Young, growing snakes
should be fed a couple of times
a week, while adults only need
to be fed one mouse every week
or 10 days.Yoursnake’s appetite
mightdeclinearoundthetimeof
a shed(moreonthatbelow!),so
reducefeedingfrequencyif your
snakeis aboutto startshedding.

FUNNY HABITS

Your snake may shed 2 to
6 times a year. Younger and
smaller snakes shed more often
than older and larger snakes. The
process of shedding takes about
7 to 10 days. When shedding is
about to occur, the snake’s
belly will become pink
and its skin’s overall
color will dull. After
5 or 6 days, it will
begin to shed. If the
skin does not come
off in one piece, that’s
a sign that your snake’s living
environment is not ideal.

Supplies You’ll Need!

AllLivingThings

WoodReptileHide,

$7,petsmart.com

AllLivingThings

NestingRock

ReptileFood&

WaterBowl,$15,

petsmart.com

Hagen Exo Terra

Short All-Glass

Terrarium, $160,

amazon.com

Zilla Lizard Litter

Reptile Bedding, Aspen Chip^

$7, chewy.com

Exo Terra^

Daytime HeatReptile

Lamp, $13,

chewy.com

UGRodents 10-

Pack Frozen

Adult Mice, $64,

amazon.com