Any snake keepers in here?

[VictoriaBR]

And, not to spam this thread, but your evaluation of your snake as "regular" and "boring old" is off base. My personal favorite snake species is a colubrid (same family as your corn snake) -- Lampropeltis knoblochi -- because they're intelligent and calm and curious and trusting and drop dead gorgeous, five characteristics that don't exist together in any of the other species I keep. I suspect your corn snake has those qualities too.

Unfortunately, corn snakes suffered the tragedy of popularity (same as some other really cool reptiles like green iguanas and ball pythons did) and now people look down on them. Wrongly. I've not owned a corn, but they sound like excellent snakes.

Oh don’t get me wrong I absolutely love him, and if I ever got another one it would be a corn snake. I just meant that to people that are really into snakes, they don’t usually get excited about corns because they are so common.
The last forum I was in they were kinda snobby towards him and the fact I had a corn. They couldn’t understand why I would spend so much money on having a custom tank built at the size it is and spend money on decorating it when all that was going in it was a regular corn snake. No fancy morph or rare colour etc. At least I don’t think he is, I’ve no idea what morph he is.
So my earlier statement was my fault for assuming the people in this forum would be the same as the last one and not really keen to help me out with my danger noodle. If I remember rightly a couple of them called him a kids pet and no serious reptile owner would buy such a thing.
Kinda sad really I thought, because I really enjoy having him. I’d never in a million years have bought myself a snake and only agreed to take him for a month or two whilst my brother moved house and got settled with a new baby, 7 years later he’s still lodging with me and he will until he passes away.
He’s totally changed my outlook on all reptiles to be honest! Not that I never disliked snakes, I just was always more of a fluffy pet kind of girl. Thanks to this corn snake I now have a spider and beetle collection as well and would love to add a few other reptiles I’ve seen can be kept as pets.
People don’t think snakes have personalities, and seen as I’ve only got this one I don’t know if he acts like other corn snakes. He’s a very friendly snake and when I let him out of his tank he always comes over the sofa where I’m sat and comes to interact with me. I know a lot of people think that’s just him seeking out heat but I like to think it’s because he’s curious and doesn’t hate my presence and is happy to crawl all over me and sit on my knees.
He’s very inquisitive and watching him explore things both inside and outside his tank is great to see. He’s always comes out of his daytime hides to have a look if I’m at that side of the room where his tank is.
The kids on the estate are always asking if they can come see him and they all gasp and wow at him which I think is just great! A couple of them have even got their own snakes now because they had such positive encounters with him (Sid is his name by the way).
So I totally wasn’t looking down on him, I assumed people in here would which was wrong on my part, I apologise.

 

[Westicles]

She sounds like a feisty lady indeed! What is she?

An albino B. constrictor imperator

 

[VictoriaBR]

An albino B. constrictor imperator

I had to google that But wow, if she’s anything like the google pictures she’s a big girl.

 

[Westicles]

I had to google that But wow, if she’s anything like the google pictures she’s a big girl.

She's about 3 or so, so not too big yet!

 

[Westicles]

Oh don’t get me wrong I absolutely love him, and if I ever got another one it would be a corn snake. I just meant that to people that are really into snakes, they don’t usually get excited about corns because they are so common.
The last forum I was in they were kinda snobby towards him and the fact I had a corn. They couldn’t understand why I would spend so much money on having a custom tank built at the size it is and spend money on decorating it when all that was going in it was a regular corn snake. No fancy morph or rare colour etc. At least I don’t think he is, I’ve no idea what morph he is.
So my earlier statement was my fault for assuming the people in this forum would be the same as the last one and not really keen to help me out with my danger noodle. If I remember rightly a couple of them called him a kids pet and no serious reptile owner would buy such a thing.
Kinda sad really I thought, because I really enjoy having him. I’d never in a million years have bought myself a snake and only agreed to take him for a month or two whilst my brother moved house and got settled with a new baby, 7 years later he’s still lodging with me and he will until he passes away.
He’s totally changed my outlook on all reptiles to be honest! Not that I never disliked snakes, I just was always more of a fluffy pet kind of girl. Thanks to this corn snake I now have a spider and beetle collection as well and would love to add a few other reptiles I’ve seen can be kept as pets.
People don’t think snakes have personalities, and seen as I’ve only got this one I don’t know if he acts like other corn snakes. He’s a very friendly snake and when I let him out of his tank he always comes over the sofa where I’m sat and comes to interact with me. I know a lot of people think that’s just him seeking out heat but I like to think it’s because he’s curious and doesn’t hate my presence and is happy to crawl all over me and sit on my knees.
He’s very inquisitive and watching him explore things both inside and outside his tank is great to see. He’s always comes out of his daytime hides to have a look if I’m at that side of the room where his tank is.
The kids on the estate are always asking if they can come see him and they all gasp and wow at him which I think is just great! A couple of them have even got their own snakes now because they had such positive encounters with him (Sid is his name by the way).
So I totally wasn’t looking down on him, I assumed people in here would which was wrong on my part, I apologise.

No ma'am, corns will never go out of style! Like I said, they will always remain one of my personal faves, along with plenty of other people!

 

[Malum Argenteum]

So I totally wasn’t looking down on him, I assumed people in here would which was wrong on my part, I apologise.

I took your comments as repeating what ignoramuses had said to you, and hoped you wouldn't continue to repeat it lest you start believing it yourself. Glad you know the true value of your pet.

 

[VictoriaBR]

She's about 3 or so, so not too big yet!

Are all albino boa constrictor females spicy like her? Or is that just her individual personality?

 

[Westicles]

Are all albino boa constrictor females spicy like her? Or is that just her individual personality?

She just has an extremely strong feeding response. I have an older larger normal male who has never given me a bit of trouble. Like any other animal, personality and behavior differs. Once I get her out, she's perfectly fine

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

I don't see anything wrong with the set-up. Maybe corns are not particularly arboreal, I've never really researched them much, but they are rat-snakes at the end of the day, and they can and will climb if they feel like it. If the snake does not want to climb it won't and you have an attractive vivarium.
I lean a little more towards minimalism, just to simplify cleaning. Not boring and bare, but not what I'd call naturalistic.

I don't know that the red light full-time could be a problem, but I sort of doubt it. Having said that, I'd prefer a daylight bulb on mine during the day and red at night if needed. Better still, a ceramic heat bulb for night, that way the snake would get a complete day-night cycle. But I don't think it is that big of a deal Keep in mind though that even if a light is red, it is still visible to most creatures., just not as red, if I understand correctly. Which I may not, I've also never researched the colour detection abilities in regard to reptiles.* But like a previous poster commented, if it works for your snake, no need to change it.

On the subject of ceramic bulbs...they are more economical. They cost more at the start, but I replaced the incandescent heat bulb on one of my enclosures with a ceramic. About 4 years ago. it still works. I had to replace "regular" heat bulbs frequently. Part of that is due to having them on a thermostat though. The frequent on-off cycle shortens the bulb's life. I was replacing them every three months or so. So over 4 years, the ceramic has more than paid for itself. I think mine (100 watts) was 35 dollars. It is on a thermostat to turn it off and on and that has no effect on its life, maybe it will be shortened, but if a single bulb lasts four or five years in any event, I'm okay with that.
One should be sure to make sure it is turned off when setting it somewhere. I don't think it would be difficult to set it on something flammable, get distracted and not realize - or just forget - that it is on. I'm really pretty paranoid about fires because I can be a bit absent-minded a lot of the time.

*Well, until just now, that is. Here are a couple links.

Colors Animals See | Ask A Biologist

How Do You Know If an Animal Can See Color?

askabiologist.asu.edu

Birds and other animals may see colours that we cannot even imagine

Experiments with wild hummingbirds suggest that they perceive four so-called non-spectral colours that the cells in our eyes make it impossible for us to see

www.newscientist.com

These quotes from from the second link are sort of interesting. Well, all of it is, but this is relative. Sort of. Okay, it is relative to MY comment, anyway.


"Birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish also have an ultraviolet cone in their eyes. Stoddard thinks this means they might see five non-spectral colours. They may see “ultraviolet plus yellow”, for instance, when the ultraviolet, green and red cones, but not the blue cone, are stimulated."

And
"
Birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish may see kinds of colours we can’t even imagine, say researchers whose experiments with wild hummingbirds show they perceive five so-called non-spectral colours.


Sorry. Wandered off-topic a bit. I tend to do that.






Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/articl...rs-that-we-cannot-even-imagine/#ixzz761hkmBPQ

 

[Westicles]

I also keep my snakes in a more minimalist set up for the same reason. If I just had one it would probably be different. Anyhow, through the years, I've found radiant heat panels are top notch for creating the warm end. Between the panel itself and a descent thermostat, it's a little costly upfront, but well worth it. One of mine has been going strong for 7 or 8 yrs.

 

[Westicles]

I don't see anything wrong with the set-up. Maybe corns are not particularly arboreal, I've never really researched them much, but they are rat-snakes at the end of the day, and they can and will climb if they feel like it. If the snake does not want to climb it won't and you have an attractive vivarium.
I lean a little more towards minimalism, just to simplify cleaning. Not boring and bare, but not what I'd call naturalistic.

I don't know that the red light full-time could be a problem, but I sort of doubt it. Having said that, I'd prefer a daylight bulb on mine during the day and red at night if needed. Better still, a ceramic heat bulb for night, that way the snake would get a complete day-night cycle. But I don't think it is that big of a deal Keep in mind though that even if a light is red, it is still visible to most creatures., just not as red, if I understand correctly. Which I may not, I've also never researched the colour detection abilities in regard to reptiles.* But like a previous poster commented, if it works for your snake, no need to change it.

On the subject of ceramic bulbs...they are more economical. They cost more at the start, but I replaced the incandescent heat bulb on one of my enclosures with a ceramic. About 4 years ago. it still works. I had to replace "regular" heat bulbs frequently. Part of that is due to having them on a thermostat though. The frequent on-off cycle shortens the bulb's life. I was replacing them every three months or so. So over 4 years, the ceramic has more than paid for itself. I think mine (100 watts) was 35 dollars. It is on a thermostat to turn it off and on and that has no effect on its life, maybe it will be shortened, but if a single bulb lasts four or five years in any event, I'm okay with that.
One should be sure to make sure it is turned off when setting it somewhere. I don't think it would be difficult to set it on something flammable, get distracted and not realize - or just forget - that it is on. I'm really pretty paranoid about fires because I can be a bit absent-minded a lot of the time.

*Well, until just now, that is. Here are a couple links.

Colors Animals See | Ask A Biologist

How Do You Know If an Animal Can See Color?

askabiologist.asu.edu

Birds and other animals may see colours that we cannot even imagine

Experiments with wild hummingbirds suggest that they perceive four so-called non-spectral colours that the cells in our eyes make it impossible for us to see

www.newscientist.com

These quotes from from the second link are sort of interesting. Well, all of it is, but this is relative. Sort of. Okay, it is relative to MY comment, anyway.


"Birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish also have an ultraviolet cone in their eyes. Stoddard thinks this means they might see five non-spectral colours. They may see “ultraviolet plus yellow”, for instance, when the ultraviolet, green and red cones, but not the blue cone, are stimulated."

And
"
Birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish may see kinds of colours we can’t even imagine, say researchers whose experiments with wild hummingbirds show they perceive five so-called non-spectral colours.


Sorry. Wandered off-topic a bit. I tend to do that.






Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/articl...rs-that-we-cannot-even-imagine/#ixzz761hkmBPQ

Interesting articles!

 

[VictoriaBR]

No ma'am, corns will never go out of style! Like I said, they will always remain one of my personal faves, along with plenty of other people!

Are you good at telling the different Morphs? He was just sold to my brother as “fancy”, which if I understand correctly means a snake with no traceable bloodlines to determine what he is? But I think he may be a Carolina? Would love to find someone who could tell me what he is from a picture?

 

[VictoriaBR]

She just has an extremely strong feeding response. I have an older larger normal male who has never given me a bit of trouble. Like any other animal, personality and behavior differs. Once I get her out, she's perfectly fine

Girl after my own heart being a food lover!

 

[VictoriaBR]

I took your comments as repeating what ignoramuses had said to you, and hoped you wouldn't continue to repeat it lest you start believing it yourself. Glad you know the true value of your pet.

I do yes, thank you. He may not be rare or expensive, but he’s definitely special to me.

 

[Westicles]

Are you good at telling the different Morphs? He was just sold to my brother as “fancy”, which if I understand correctly means a snake with no traceable bloodlines to determine what he is? But I think he may be a Carolina? Would love to find someone who could tell me what he is from a picture?

Post a pic and we'll see

 

[VictoriaBR]

Post a pic and we'll see

Not sure if you see properly?

 

[Westicles]

K

Not sure if you see properly?

Kinda looks like a normal phase. There's so many different morphs, it's hard to say, but looks a normal one to me. Very pretty nonetheless!

 

[Ian14]

Perfectly normal wild type corn.

 

[VictoriaBR]

K

Kinda looks like a normal phase. There's so many different morphs, it's hard to say, but looks a normal one to me. Very pretty nonetheless!

Fab thank you, I did think he was just classed as a ‘fancy’ but wasn’t sure. I’d look at all the morphs and then be left scratching my head I don’t know some of the breeders can just get a glimpse of a snake hatching and be able to tell immediately. There’s just so many!
And I agree with your assessment of him being pretty he also thinks he’s pretty.

 

[VictoriaBR]

Perfectly normal wild type corn.

Thank you. Not that I care what he is but it’s nice to know for sure and gain some knowledge on the subject. I love that they come in so many morphs, and scaleless as well. That blew my mind when I came across those!