My new 'pet'.

[Ferry_vO]

As long as I can remember I've been fascinated by reptiles; I've spend hours in the local zoo looking around the reptile house. Even though it was torn down years ago I can still remember exactly how it looked and what was inside. My previous apartment was too small to keep too many pets (I already have a cat) but now that I moved to a much bigger place I finally have some space. A collegue at work has a lot of reptiles in his house and when we were dscussing his hobby he offered me a snake that his brother in law had bought last year but dumped again a few months ago.
So since last wednesday I'm the proud owner of a 50 inch long Corn snake! :)

This sunday I'm going shopping for a larger enclosure; I've borrowed one for now but since the snake will be twice as long next year he will need to extra space.
Of course I had to point the camera at him (Or her) and take a few close up shots:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Ferror/Diversen/IMG_2376.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Ferror/Diversen/Img_2385.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Ferror/Diversen/Img_2393.jpg

:d

[Lionheart]

Hey Ferry,

Wild looking critter! My nephew has one just like it here in Phoenix. He got it when it was very young (very small), and now the thing is getting rather large. I guess perhaps 8 years old at least. They can really hide well. He would make little caves under his water dish. Somehow it never caved in on him, so he must be good at removing the right woodchips, lol..



Bill

[Henry]

Whats its name?
H

[GT182]

Whats its name?
H

Red.... but I doubt it can talk and tell you it's real name. ;) LOL

[Ferry_vO]

Whats its name?

No need to give him a name, since all snakes are deaf and won't respond anyway if you call them... Unless I can learn him morse code! :icon_lol:

[Ferry_vO]

Wild looking critter!

Fortunately he only looks wild; corn snakes are one of the few species of snakes that can be handled by hand without problems. Some smaller python species can be handled too, but they can become agressive and bite really hard. My corn snake can't bite me even if he would! :icon_lol:

My collegue also has a Yemen chameleon. Beautiful animal, but as soon as he puts his hand into his cage it will start hissing very loud. He can also testify that chameleons have very sharp and long teeth and strong jaws.

[GT182]

Yeah, and they can't sign their name to ya either. Maybe you can teach him morse code and he can use his tongue to let you know. ;)

[Henry]

My corn snake can't bite me even if he would! :icon_lol:


then id call him Gummy:jump:
H

[OBIO]

Good looking Cornie...the only snake my wife says I can get...but not the snake I want....I want a Ball Python.

Corn Snakes rarely exceed 5 feet, so they don't need super large enclosures. A 30 gallon fish tank (3 feet long, 12 inches wide by 17 inches tall) will be just fine...provided they have adequate heating, ventilation, and such. A 4 foot long 55 gallon tank would give your Corn Snake a veritable mansion to live in. Check Craigslist.com in you area for used 55 gallon tanks. You can find them super cheap....I have seen them listed as cheaply as 20 bucks. Throw on a mesh top, with clamps as Corn Snakes can be escape artists, a heat lamp, UV basking light, add in a basking rock, a water dish, some bark for it to slither under and your Cornie will be tickled pink.

OBIO

[Ferry_vO]

Thanks for the tips Obio; I'm looking for an enclosure about 80-100 centimeter wide and about 40 deep, but with sliding doors (with lock) at the front. Grabbing a snake from the top can startle him, it's better if he sees you coming. His current housing has everything he needs, but the size will be an issue in a few months.

A friend of mine had two ball pythons, but those are not as easy to house as corn snakes. Pythons require more heat and humidity and are not as docile to handle. My collegue also has a Lampropeltis Mexicana, a really beautiful snake. It's colours are silver and bronze/orange.

[Tako_Kichi]

Nice snake. I was out in the back lot here the other day (I live on two acres of land) and something sitting on a pile of decomposing leaves caught my eye as I walked past and made me stop and do a double-take. My wife ran in for the camera and the result is attached. It was quite a cute little critter and I would estimate it to be about 2.5 ft in length when uncoiled. I was a bit surprised to see a garter snake that big actually as I has always thought they were usually about 18" long.

[WuhWuzDat]

Good looking critters! I saw a wild 3 1/2 foot corn snake a few weeks ago, swimming past me, a few feet of the edge of the seawall i was fishing from.

Jeff

[brad kaste]

Ferry,........quick question: I thought corn snakes were indigenous to North America. Are there corn snakes in the wild in the Netherlands? Or was your new pet raised from an egg on your side of The Pond? (BTW,...great photos.....)

[BurningBeard]

I have a Ball Python that is about 15 years old. He was born in captivity and has no bad habits. Very docile (unless you're a rat) and seems to recognize those members of the family he has always been around. Snakes aint the brightest bulb in the box, but as a pet they are almost perfect. If you keep the enclosure clean they have almost or no scent (which allows them to hunt) and can do magical things. It amazes me how and animal that does relatively nothing for days, weeks, or even months on end can be so strong, and watching them move is facinating.

Snake are a great pet.

Beard

[Ferry_vO]

Ferry,........quick question: I thought corn snakes were indigenous to North America. Are there corn snakes in the wild in the Netherlands? Or was your new pet raised from an egg on your side of The Pond? (BTW,...great photos.....)


There are only three species of snakes found in the wild around here; the Coronella austriaca, the ringed snake (Natrix Natrix) and the common viper (Vipera Berus, the only poisonous snake found here) so all Corn snakes round here come from specimens that were brought here from the US.

I have never seen a snake in the wild here, all three species are quite rare. All three are about the same size of a Corn snake. Last time someone died from a snake bite here (Or rather the complications from that bite) was 1947!

[cheezyflier]

i used to have an iguana years ago, she was my good buddy. i want another but the wife says no dice.

my little brother had a nile monitor for years and years. it was pretty big. when it began "hunting" his daughter, it took a trip it never returned from

[grunau_baby]

How does your cat cope with it?

[Cazzie]

My brother has one, says it's the best pet he ever had. Quit, eats when fed, don;t have to clean up after him that often. Never hostile, love human warmth, especially in Winter. He's had the snake for 6 years now, donl;t have any idea what their lifespan is in captivity?

Wife has two Iguanas, one nearing 10 years old and the other 8. Cost here a rotator cuff surgery on me making the cages for the rascals! It's like having dinosaurs with you.

I have a wild black rat snake that goes under my crawl space from time to time, especially when weather is cold. Won't let anyone touch it, kills more bloody mice under there than any worthless cat I have.

Corn snakes are the best snakes pets one can own, very docile even with children.

Caz

[TARPSBird]

Ferry,
Let me borrow your snake starting around the end of October when the damn mice start coming inside, I'll pay his air fare. :icon_lol:
BTW, he's got a great paint job.

[Ferry_vO]

How does your cat cope with it?

There's at least one door and a few millimeters of glass between them, so no problems. ;)

I find it hard to handle the snake so far, as I'm used to bigger and fluffier animals. Don't want to hurt him by grabbing him too hard, but I'll need to find some grip or else he will get away.

Cazzie: apparently a lifespan of 10-15 years is quite common for a Corn snake. Mine's about a year old now.

[Cazzie]

There's at least one door and a few millimeters of glass between them, so no problems. ;)

I find it hard to handle the snake so far, as I'm used to bigger and fluffier animals. Don't want to hurt him by grabbing him too hard, but I'll need to find some grip or else he will get away.

Cazzie: apparently a lifespan of 10-15 years is quite common for a Corn snake. Mine's about a year old now.

Don't ever just grab a snake, move under them and lift them, if they want your attention, they'll allow it. Let the snake have his way, he'll likely slither all over you. If he's cold, he'll find a lap and warm up. As you will find out, snakes are like cats in one respect, they sleep a lot, particularly after feeding. If they are sleeping, let them lie, do not disturb. Snakes need their beauty rest to grow. Rather than bite, if a corn snake if fractured with you, he'll likely constrict your arm. You'll be surprised how much strength a snake has in constriction, even a small snake.

Caz

[FAC257]

"Don't ever just grab a snake, move under them and lift them,..."

Exactly! :)

As part of my job I'm unofficially the animal mover and re-locator. Corn Snakes are quite common in this part of Fla and to me are probably the most beautiful of all the snakes I've had to deal with. I've always told folks that they are Fla's closest thing to a native python.

Whenever I have to rescue one that's is basking in the roadways or trails I always calmly slip my hand underneath about half way down so that they feel balanced. Very seldom do they ever seem to really mind. Most times they seem more curious than frightened. Where I see folks go wrong is trying to manuver and snag them behind the head. By the time you do get ahold of them that way, they are already half cranky.

About the only other very common snake I have to deal with that gives me problems are Banded Water Snakes. Those things seem like they are PO'd all of the time. Worst atitude I've ever seen on a snake that I'm trying to save from being roadkill. :)

FAC

[Ferry_vO]

Don't worry. I won't grab him just like that but it is somewhat hard to get my big hands underneath his small body. Today I handled him for the first time; I had to remove his waterbowl from his enclosure first, then I had to get him to move and uncoil. Once he stretched out I could pick him up easily, but he was trying very hard to get back in his enclosure so I decided not to stress him too much and let him go. We still need to get used to each other a bit. :)

I just gave him his first dead baby rat, which he grabbed as soon as I dangled it in front of him. Went down fast even though he was hanging upside down.

[tigisfat]

Cool!! that's another one of my hobbies. I have a few western diamondback rattlesnakes, a savannah monitor and a sumatran water monitor.:applause: