More questions about Red...

[Elmolax]

MY corn snake.
The person I bought it fromm says to feed it a pinkie once a week.
So thats what im gonna do...
But How do I know if its getting sick? Or getting water? Or ready to shed? Male or Female?

 

[Bry]

The person I bought it fromm says to feed it a pinkie once a week.

Your corn looks like a young one, so yeah, a pinky mouse every 7 days will do.

But How do I know if its getting sick?

You'll see the signs: lethargy, not feeding, or something else doesn't look right...you'll know it when you see it...Don't freak out if it doesn't eat though. Snakes do skip meals for no apparent reason. Skipping a meal or two is no big deal for a snake...but when this lasts several months, then it's time to find out what the problem is, sometimes a perfectly healthy snake just doesn't like what you're offering (usually not a problem with any corn, unless you're offering crickets) or how you're offering it...Frequently skipped meals are generally a sign of an error in the setup: temps/humidity too high/low, feeling insecure due to lack of hides or being kept in high traffic areas (remember, a snake cannot use it's mouth, it's only defensive weapon, when that defensive weapon is full of rat)...

Or getting water?

Just make sure it always has clean water...I almost never see my snakes drink, but trust me, they do...A well-hydrated snake's skin rests nice and tight on the body...a dehydrated snake will have wrinkly skin...

Or ready to shed?

The snake probably will turn down food, colors will appear dull, eyes will look cloudy, and the skin may appear wrinkly due to the old skin being in the process of detaching itself from the new layer of skin underneath...a snake with cloudy eyes is considered "in blue"...when your snake is in blue, just bump up the humidity which aids in a perfect shed...at some point, the eyes will go clear, and you should see shed skin in a day or two...

Male or Female?

There are several methods, the most accurate method is to "probe" a snake. Basically, these are metal probes that you lubricate then "gently" insert them in the vent and gently push in towards the tail, then you count by the number of belly scutes (scales) that the probe is in...the probe will go in deeper for males than with females...

Another method is called "popping", where you rest a snake's tail in your hand, and gently rock your thumb against the underside of the tail in an attempt to evert the male's hemipenes...this works better with younger snakes as their muscles aren't as strong and well-developed yet...an adult male can easily clench his muscles to keep the hemipenes in, making it appear female... Do not, I repeat DO NOT, attempt either of the above methods without an experienced herper or herp vet to show you how it's done first...You can cause damage to the snake if they are done incorrectly...

Another way is to tell by the size of the snake and it's tail, this generally works better with colubrids than boids...For the most part, in colubrids, males are larger than females (including corns), and they have a thicker tail base and the tail tapers gradually towards the tip. Whereas the female has a slimmer tail base, and the tail tapers off rather quickly towards the end of the tail. An exception: I have a large bull dyke female corn that appears to be male. She is as big as you would find most males to be...and her tail has a thick tail base, but probing reveals that she is indeed female. As for boids, females are often larger than males. It varies with venomous, but I believe female viperids (vipers, rattlers, copperheads, etc.) are typically larger than males and the opposite is true for elapids (cobras, mambas, corals). There are exceptions to every rule, so it helps to know the particulars for the species in question.

Hope this helps.

 

[Elmolax]

thanks a bunch!
I dont want my 55$ snake dying on me =(