# Corn Snake housing



## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

Hello,

Can anyone please answer some questions for me?

I have a male '08 Corn, which is about 12 grams, 37 cm long (aprox).

I was told by the LRS that he was hatched late october last year.

Currently he is in a RUB (a 12Ltr one that he seems a little uneasy in, its about 2 to 3 times bigger than the small RUB he was in at the shop). He did eat on his 1st feed with us, taking 2 pinkies (we where advised that he was taking 2 a week).

Ive set up the rub with a heat mat under one end, with a hide at both ends. He always seems to be at the cold end during the day (although I could well miss his visits to the warm end as I am out at work for 9 hours or so).

The hot end is about 82 degrees.

Does that all seem ok?

I want to set up a nice viv for him to be in, and I also want to get a female partner for him.

However in the room i want to keep them in I am a bit limited on space.

I can fit a 32"x20"x20" viv and have gotten a quote for such a viv, but I am not sure if such a size viv would be big enough for 2 adult corns.

So i need to know if this would be big enough for the 2 adult corns, and at what age (or size) could they be moved into the viv.

Also What age can you introduce corns to sharing a viv together? I dont want any problems if I put them in together too early.

Thanks!
:mf_dribble:


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## prettymaids (Mar 18, 2009)

Hiya, my 08 corn is in a 9l RUB and thats plenty big enough for her, they don't feel secure with anything too big. Mine eats one rat pup every 7 days (she won't take mice) which is plenty for her to eat, I'm surprised she's eating 2 pinkies from what others have said on here about feeding. Her temps are 29 hot end and 21 cool, which should be about right, the range is usually 21 to 30 celcius.

I've also read on here that you shouldn't keep 2 corn snakes together, they're solitary reptiles, unless you want to breed them when they get to 3 years of age. Sorry i can't be of more help but I'm sure there will be people along to answer your questions fully soon.


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

I recall my brother keeping 2 together and they always seemed happy - So I thought it would be fine.

I would take them out to feed seperately in RUBs so they wouldnt be feed together to avoid problems there...

Edit: I googled up this - helpful but no info on size of viv:


Can I keep corn snakes together? Like a breeding pair all year round? Or maybe even a few females and one male?
Yes, you can keep a pair together all the time no problem - so long as they are roughly the same size... If you put a hatchling in with a full size adult, the hatchling would get eaten. Putting more than 3 together can be awkward - you'd need a really big vivarium. Say you had 6 snakes, 4 females and 2 males, then you'd be best off with 2 vivaria, with one male and two females in each. Two or more males together in springtime (whether females are around or not) will possibly get a bit argumentative until the dominant one is established. But other than that, corn snakes do get on together pretty well. They are mostly fairly friendly, mild mannered creatures - but I suppose, as in everything, there is bound to be the odd one or two with a bad attitude.


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## rantasam (Nov 28, 2006)

I would avoid keeping a non-sexually mature pair of corns together. Males become sexually active before females and may well rape the female to exhaustion. The other major risk is the female becomes gravid before she has reached a sufficient weight.. she is likely to become egg-bound which can be fatal.

In my opinion keeping snakes together has no benefit for the snakes - they are solitary animals in the wild and do NOT appreciate having a friend. There are many other associated health problems, risk of competition, dangers of disease transfer, lack of quarenteen procedures, not being able to tell who has pooed, shed, regurgitated etc etc etc

The only reason to keep snakes together is to save on space and cost for the owner, and in my opinion if you lack a sufficient amount of either then you shouldn't buy a second snake.

Also, can I ask if you have a thermostat attached to your heatmat?


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

Currently I dont, the RUB's been set up a week and the themomeater I got from the pet shop is reading about 82.

If stuck it about an inch up from the mat.

I think i have a few thermostat's in the loft from my brothers snake keeping days. 

They are pulse theremostats? I will get the name and modle and put it on here, prehaps that would be sutible?


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## Sprocket (Apr 21, 2008)

excession said:


> Currently I dont, the RUB's been set up a week and the themomeater I got from the pet shop is reading about 82.
> 
> If stuck it about an inch up from the mat.
> 
> ...


Can i ask which type of thermometer it is ?, you need to measure the temperatures at the level at which the snake spends most of its time.

What brands are the thermostat's ?, habistats should have the type on them i.e. pulse proportional ?


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

The thermometer is a strip one that is stuck to the side of the RUB.

The thermostat i am almost cirtain is a habistats pulse proportional (600w i recall?) it has a sensor, a plug to plug it into wall and a socket to plug the heat mat in.

Also i've been googling up info on keeping Corns together, seem to be a lot of different opionions on the matter!


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## rantasam (Nov 28, 2006)

There are conflicting opinions on many areas of the hobby.. all you can do is listen to them all, evaluate the reasons why people have the opinions they do and draw your own conclusions. : victory:


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

Anyone have any thoughts as to what size viv would be best for a pair of corns?


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## claire_e_dodd (Sep 18, 2007)

Whichever corn you get, it would not be suitable to co-habit

Co-habitation should only be done when you can ensure neither snake is at risk

All snakes should be quarunteened for at least 3 months before coming into contact with other snakes, to ensure they don't carry any diseases, so you would need two set ups to start anyway

Snakes should be at least 18 months old, as although cannibalism is rare it's a higher risk in young snakes

They need to be fed seperately, and you need a spare set up in case one becomes ill, so again, if you need two set ups to start is it worth it?

Co-habiting a male and female can only be done when the female is sexually mature and big enough to handle eggs, as they WILL reproduce, keeping them together all year round can cause uneccessary stress on the female and mating too often will reduce condition

Co-habiting two males can cause fighting, especially in the breeding season

As you already have one male, and no offense, but you don't seem too experienced, I would stronly reccomend you do not co-habit

However, if you must, a viv for 2 adult corns I would reccommend 4x2x2, hatchlings will need smaller enclosures though as too much space could stress them out, hence the recommendation for RUBs when younger


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## tishba (Nov 5, 2008)

all my corns live happilly in pairs


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

claire_e_dodd said:


> Whichever corn you get, it would not be suitable to co-habit
> 
> Co-habitation should only be done when you can ensure neither snake is at risk
> 
> ...


Thanks - some good advice.

From what I've been reading co-habiting two corns is possible, just needs to be approached in the right fashion. 

Keeping them in isolation for 3 months is fine, I will have RUBs to do this. 

I would need to look into what sized RUB would be needed for a corn of up to 18 - 24 months to ensure that the female wasn't to young to be housed with the male (I have a spare 12L rub and i think some 20L ones in the loft).

I aim to always feed in a separate RUB also, and would be able to isolate them in spare rubs for a short period after feeding.

Like I say it looks like it is possible - but its great getting peoples feedback on what problems you can face if you plan on doing it.

I would love to hear from more people who have more than 1 corn snake housed together and what there experiences have been.

No offence taken either  i do have some experience but its from about a decade ago so trying to re familiarise myself


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

Right,

Ive just read the epic thread that is http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/snakes/285696-who-keeps-snakes-together.html

I never realised that co-habiting was a bit of a taboo subject. I now do feel well informed about making a decision however


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## claire_e_dodd (Sep 18, 2007)

It's taboo depending on who you speak to, I prefer to advise of known risks, but i will admit I do not co-habit myself and have no experience of it myself, due to the research I have done, I do not feel I own any two snakes suitable to do so.

However if you are intent on doing it, there are some forum member who can provide sound advice on how to do this safely, but you will always get flamers on any thread warnign don't do it caus they've heard other people say it but they have no idea why, it's a jumping on the bandwaggon effect.

If you want to do this with a male and female, who would be kept seperate until sexually mature, they would need to be kept seperate in RUBs until this time, (as you have said you'll do). Sexually mature for females is often said to be 3 years old, 3 foot and 300g, however these are only guidlines and females have successfully bred before reashing this target, so it's really up to you on whether you want to risk it with a smaller snake. Males don't matter so much, but you would need to make sure he wasn't too much smaller than the female to reduce the chance of bullying. As you already have male, if you want to add a femal it might be worth getting one around 6 months older so she can be a bit bigger when they are introduced.

In terms of size of viv, as the snakes will be well grown on before being ready to introduce, I'd work up in RUBs when young and then go straigh to the full size viv, this won't be overly big for them at this age and could work out better as the extra space hopefully will provide more room so they don't 'get on top of each other' until they're used to it. 

Hope this helps


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

rantasam said:


> Also, can I ask if you have a thermostat attached to your heatmat?


Just info yes I do now.

Need to pick up a digital thermometer now also - the strip one I was sold seems useless....

LRS failed as I did ask directly if I needed to set it up on a thermostat.

Hard to have the right set up when pet shops give out poor advice.


It would be nice to see a thread stickied in the newbie section giving links to all the posts like the do I need a thermostat, and the co-habiting poll to make them easy to find.

After all the newbie section is where people are going to go to ask their questions!

Anyway cheers for response all


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## spudsgirl (Jan 29, 2009)

*I had 2 in together. x*

I housed Thunder and Lightening together as I bought them together sharing the same viv I have though on the advice of the people on this forum seperated them after a clutch of un wanted eggs. Both seem alot happier on thier own. When sold was told the usual :censor: and after seperating them was told to put them back together. Confused.com I was. To be safe rather than sorry hun I would just house the one and if you want get another then house seperatley just incase anything did happen and cause you out alot of the day its not something that you could stop if god forbid something did happen. Always best be safe than sorry. x x x x x x Good luck with your corn aint they lovely. x


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

Well we've decided on a plan of action.

We have gotten a second corn this evening (stunning little amel corn ).

We plan on housing them in separate viv's when they are big enough to leave their RUBS.

Here it is before it went in its new home


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## claire_e_dodd (Sep 18, 2007)

excession said:


> Well we've decided on a plan of action.
> 
> We have gotten a second corn this evening (stunning little amel corn ).
> 
> ...


That's pretty, have you had it sexed?


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

We got it from Cornmorphs on the forum. Its the Amel from his 2008 Hatchlings thread so was sexed by him


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## Grond (Jun 17, 2008)

excession said:


> Well we've decided on a plan of action.
> 
> We have gotten a second corn this evening (stunning little amel corn ).
> 
> ...


Nice corn! Good decision IMO!


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## Naughty2nice (Apr 16, 2009)

*viv sizes etc*

hi - in relation to your question on viv size this is what is on most corn snake sites for housing:
*Vivarium size (young)*: 18x12x12in for hatchlings and juveniles, increasing in size as the snakes grow, don't just put a juveniles corn snake in a vivarium the size that would suite an adult.
*Vivarium size (adult)*: 36x18x18in is the minimum for a single adult, more space is better. 
hope this helps you. 
in relation to housing the snakes together - i beleive its up to you - there are alot of people for and against. i have housed both seperate and together - i know people who ONLY would house seperate and then i know someone else who houses 5 corns and a rat snake together. i think you have to take on board that if they all live together there are several risks involved. 
kind regards Abby


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## xSophiex (Jun 9, 2010)

hi, i have got 2 corn snakes that i origionally thought were males, until one layed eggs :gasp: should i seperate them. in my opinion she is too small to be laying but how likely is it that she will become gravid again straight away? i'm really not sure what is best for her...:hmm:


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## xSophiex (Jun 9, 2010)

Dw i found my answer :blush:


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