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deleted
9 Posts |
 Posted - 28/11/2010 : 15:04:04
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Hi everyone. This is my first post. My son is 16 and has had a cornsnake for 6 years now. Setup is as follows
huge fish aquariam
aspen substrate
hide
basking log
under tank heater
ceramic heat emitter
1 frozen fuzzy or small mouse every 7-10 days
Butch has been fine in the setup for years now. However, he doesn't want to eat. My son is getting very concerned as he has not eaten in 2 weeks now. It seems Butch did this last year as well. Could he be brumating?
I had my son give him a lukewarm 5 minute bath last night as my son mentioned he looked "kinda gray". I figured maybe he is going thru a bad shed and told my son that the warm water would help hydrate him and help him shed. Son said that is really "calmed Butch down" after his bath.
I have no idea on his weight at the moment. I need to pick up a scale in order to weigh him.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We are very attached to Butch and don't want anything to be wrong with him.
Thanks! |
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gmac
The Scottish Admin
United Kingdom
5319 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 15:18:32
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| 2 weeks is nothing to worry about for corns not eating. there may be a few possibilities for the not eating, as you mentioned he may be going to shed and he may not want to eat, an other one could be the season where he may have laddies on his mind. Either way as mentioned as its only 2 weeks there is absolutely nothing to worry about corns are very hardy creatures and in some instances can go months without eating. |
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Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 15:24:51
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| Is the snake about 6years old and does he normally eat fuzzies or small mice? |
   
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
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SexyBear77
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3796 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 16:12:53
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As gmac said. Also, is your heat source statted?
How big is he? At 6 years old I would expect him to be on large mice at least. |
9.11 Cornsnakes
1.1 Hogg island boas
1.0 Dwarf Burmese python
Location: Watford
Website- http://rassnakes.yolasite.com/ |
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n/a
deleted
9 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 16:30:17
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What do you mean by the heat source being statted?
Yes, he only eats small mice or larger size fuzzy's. I think he is rather small for 6 years old.
I will try to get a pic posted shortly. Same as posting in other forums...photobucket and upload the image??
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gmac
The Scottish Admin
United Kingdom
5319 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 16:33:42
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do you use a thermostat to regulate the heat sources?.
and yes photobucket is fine |
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herriotfan
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
5853 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 16:39:20
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It could well be to do with the much colder weather and they seem to have an inbuilt season sensor!
Is the mat working on a thermostat so that you can regulate/set the temperature?
Try not to worry too much, snakes can go a long time without feeding.
I would be a great help if you could post some photos with the snake against a ruler so we can give you a good idea what size mice would be correct, the ones he's on sound rather small for a six year old male.  |
Husband....Very Understanding!!! (Phil)
Son & Daughter (Kevin & Carol)
Granddaughter (Eva)
3.4.0 Cornsnakes Amel (Sidney) Caramel Stripe (Sultan) Amber (Cleo) Carolina (Phoebe) Anery Motley Stripe (Penny) Snow (Lily) Caramel (Holmes)
1.2.0 Royal Pythons(Peeps, Pandora & Pepsi)
1.0.0 Hognose (Hudson)
2.1.0 Dogs (Dillon, Alfie, Ellie)
0.1.0 Senegal Parrot (Peanut)
1.1.0 Bearded Dragons (Bonnie & Clyde)
1.0.0 Crested Geckos (Echo)
0.2.1 Hermanns Tortoises (Ebbie, Rosie & Twiglet)
0.1.0 Guinea Pig (Dolly-Pipsqueak)
0.1.9 Tarantulas (Poppy, Gypsy, Bumble, Insey Winsey, Sonic, Cookie, Raven, Fudge, Titch & Sox)
??? Foster animals
Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex
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Edited by - herriotfan on 28/11/2010 16:41:02 |
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lotabob
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
4334 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 16:48:31
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Question to the experienced.
Could the small food size combined with a drop in temperature trigger an almost hibernation state?
Would the solution be increase size or frequency of feeding and increase temperatures?
(sorry thread-jacking, but best to ask if its somewhere near relevant). |
Anery Corn snake SPOT. Royal Python, DUKE. Hogg Island Boa, SANKE. Albino House Snake, HAL.
Harlequin Crested Gecko HARLEY
Albino Horned Frog WAKA
Chilean Rose Tarantula TRIXIE. Brazilian Salmon Pink Bird-eating Tarantula SAM. Orange Baboon Tarantula BORIS.
Giant Asian Forest Scorpion, SALLY.
Giant African Land Snails, SHELDON & MICHELLE.
Budwing Mantis, MAIA
Dubia Roach Colony. Silkworm Colony. Mealworm Colony. Waxworm Colony. Fruit Beetle Colony.
MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL http://www.youtube.com/user/alocheeky |
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n/a
deleted
9 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 16:53:16
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We assume he's male. I don't know how to sex a snake. He could be a Butchette :-)
The under tank heater is a zoo-med 6x8 inches and is on one side of the tank. I do not have a thermometer in the tank. I have one two on order for my beardie tank so I will take one of those when it arrives and put it in Butch's tank. What's the best location in the tank to place the thermometer?
Pictures coming shortly..charging my camera battery now. |
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lotabob
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
4334 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 16:58:22
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| You'd need more than 1 thermometer ideally, to monitor the hot end and cold end, the MOST important bit is a thermostat though to regulate how hot the mat can get. Without they can get too hot, leading to anything from a snake who is constantly in the cold end to an overheating mat catching fire. I tested my mat and just plugged it in and watched how hot in went, it hit 38 degrees in half an hour, about 10 degrees too hot for a corn snake. How have you managed without a thermometer for 6 years? |
Anery Corn snake SPOT. Royal Python, DUKE. Hogg Island Boa, SANKE. Albino House Snake, HAL.
Harlequin Crested Gecko HARLEY
Albino Horned Frog WAKA
Chilean Rose Tarantula TRIXIE. Brazilian Salmon Pink Bird-eating Tarantula SAM. Orange Baboon Tarantula BORIS.
Giant Asian Forest Scorpion, SALLY.
Giant African Land Snails, SHELDON & MICHELLE.
Budwing Mantis, MAIA
Dubia Roach Colony. Silkworm Colony. Mealworm Colony. Waxworm Colony. Fruit Beetle Colony.
MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL http://www.youtube.com/user/alocheeky |
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Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 17:14:04
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I think one thermometer is enough for a corn, just need one in the hot end. It's not like you can do a lot with the cool end temp that is room temperature anyway. Maybe if you have a stack of viv's then maybe since of the whole heat rising.
It's also easy to manage without a proper therometre and a proper stat, I managed for 8/9 years.
Best place to put the thermometer is inside the tank since it's glass, lying direct on the glass on the side which the heatmat is on. |
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
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gmac
The Scottish Admin
United Kingdom
5319 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 17:16:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Butchsgrandma
The under tank heater is a zoo-med 6x8 inches and is on one side of the tank. I do not have a thermometer in the tank. I have one two on order for my beardie tank so I will take one of those when it arrives and put it in Butch's tank. What's the best location in the tank to place the thermometer?
if you only have one thermometer, i would keep it in the hot end on the substrate, not much you can do about the cool end temps as they will more than likely be at room temp.
and to just check you also say you have a ceramic heat bulb, do you use a thermostat to regulate either of these heat sources. |
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n/a
deleted
9 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 17:35:28
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Ok...he is 32 inches long. he wouldnt stay stretched out long enough to get a picture of his length though. His eyes look cloudy. what could that be? |
Edited by - gmac on 28/11/2010 17:41:35 |
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deleted
9 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 17:38:44
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Oh for Pete's sake...I started a new thread called Pics instead of replying here. Can a Mod move that to this thread please?
* sorted |
Edited by - gmac on 28/11/2010 17:42:29 |
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gmac
The Scottish Admin
United Kingdom
5319 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 17:48:50
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does crtainly look large enough to be taking bigger prey, when he is eating again try moving him up food sizes slowly. Ideally you want to feed prey that will leave a bump in his bely, I would be surprised if there is one with feeding fuzzies and smalls.
Also in that last photo he is very much in blue, was this taken today? |
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Edited by - gmac on 28/11/2010 17:49:45 |
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Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 17:51:59
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| Looks like he's getting ready to shed to me :) he is quite a tiny boy for his age but I still think he could manage a medium mouse easily! He has a very sweet face though! :) what side is the heat mat on? The substrate looks quite thick everywhere, just wondering if he can't get to enough heat with lots of it there and he's trying to hibernate? |
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
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n/a
deleted
9 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 17:56:00
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Pictures were taken less than an hour ago.
Substrate is thick, yes. He likes to burrow and make lots of tunnels. His tunnels go all the way down to the glass bottom so I don't think that is an issue but then again, I don't know which is why I am here. :-) |
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deleted
9 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 17:57:34
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| UTH is on the left side of the tank. |
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SexyBear77
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3796 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 18:17:24
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Whoa, he's a weeny boy for 6!
I would definitely thin out the substrate a fair bit over that mat. The heat from the mat might be blocking and building under all that, which means that when Butch burrows he might run the risk of getting burnt.
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9.11 Cornsnakes
1.1 Hogg island boas
1.0 Dwarf Burmese python
Location: Watford
Website- http://rassnakes.yolasite.com/ |
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n/a
deleted
9 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 19:27:55
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| Ok..we will thin the substrate out. Can someone post a pic for me of what a 6 yr old corn should look like? |
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Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 19:33:58
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| They can vary greatly in size, I think 3ft-6ft with 4-5 being the average. |
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
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Is setup ok? He won't eat
