Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pets

Join our community on the Pet forum to discuss anything related to pets.

Original poster

corn snakes

37 replies

dmo · 01/07/2007 17:13

has anybody got a corn snake?
i want to get one for my ds for christmas but want to reserch it first
are they ok to look after?
what do you need?
how big should their tank be?

many thanks

OP posts:
BBBee · 01/07/2007 22:56

urgh - get a goldfish!

TippiHedren · 01/07/2007 22:59

or a cat.........

BBBee · 01/07/2007 23:04

or a hole in the head?

bubblerock · 01/07/2007 23:10

I don't think they're too difficult, they seem to be pretty popular as pets, I've never really seen the point in them tbh although I thought that about budgies until I got 2 myself. A really fun pet that I quite fancy at the moment is the hermit crab, you can buy all sorts of decorated shells for them (ie football team colours) and they just move into them as they grow. They are very easy to look after too!
If I were to buy a reptile I'd have a bearded dragon. This isn't a very helpful post is it?

mummylin2495 · 01/07/2007 23:10

no no no !!!

WendyWeber · 01/07/2007 23:13

We have one - well it's DS2's, he's had it since he was about 9 (14 now).

Easy to look after although you do have to buy dead mice/baby rats to feed them on - or even tiny baby mice ("pinkies") if it's a small one. They are very undemanding, can be handled as much or as little as you like but obv the more you do the tamer and friendlier they are.

The most important thing is that it should be able to strike and then eat a mouse without having to be forced. DS2's was already close to grown when he got it, but I've seen absolutely teeny ones in the pet shop and they can be hard to feed.

You need a lidded tank (be very careful to make sure lid is always closed, they are brilliant escapologists), a heat mat, a water dish, something for it to hide under and something for it to climb on.

Read this about keeping.

His is like the bottom pic.

BBBee · 01/07/2007 23:16

(run away from WW)

WendyWeber · 01/07/2007 23:24

No really, he is lovely (as long as you don't let him round your neck and then tighten aaaargh)

BBBee · 01/07/2007 23:47
mummylin2495 · 01/07/2007 23:51

round your neck !!!! oh my god how awful.

Flamesparrow · 01/07/2007 23:52

Always wanted one as a kid... not sure I could do the feeding now though having had pet rats - I'd be like feeding Spike n Drew to snakes

WendyWeber · 01/07/2007 23:55

Funny you should say that, Flame - DS2 also has pet rats now, usually the frozen ones are albino but last time we went they were the exact same size and colour as his pet ones (white with brown head & shoulders) so we had to buy chicks instead.

mummylin2495 · 01/07/2007 23:57

snakes and rats too !!! you guys are weird

Flamesparrow · 02/07/2007 00:00

You could be describing Spike!!! He was the best rat in the world

Chicks is much more doable - never had a chick and eat em all the time

WendyWeber · 02/07/2007 00:11

They are fab, aren't they? Such fantastic personalities and so affectionate - I love the way they come galloping up the bars to say hello when you walk in, and whiffle in your ear when they're on your shoulder

(I just wish they wouldn't widdle all over you)

mummylin2495 · 02/07/2007 00:14

please desist you two, you are making me feel decidedly ill!whatever next rats ,snakes, rats wee, dead frozen chickens !!!

Flamesparrow · 02/07/2007 00:14

I had a hooded cardigan, and he would snuggle down into the hood whenever I was home (and once round the local corner shop because I forgot he was there ) - only had him a few months though. He was the runt of the litter - spent a fortune on antibiotics, but in the end he just gave up in my hands.

I remember sobbing down the phone to my mum as he was going that I didn't care if it was a bank holiday, I needed a vet NOW (she was very good and didn't use the phrase "only a rat").

We had others since (and his brother who lasted for a good couple of years), but none had the same bond.

(I sound sooo insane now, sobbing over my laptop about a rat who died 6 years ago )

WendyWeber · 02/07/2007 00:15
Sad
mummylin2495 · 02/07/2007 00:16

by the way how fast does a rat gallop

WendyWeber · 02/07/2007 00:21

Very

Gallop prob wrong word but they can fly up a 2-foot cage in about 0.5 secs.

They can also hurtle to the bottom in a similar fashion - we had musical beds at the weekend because of extra bodies in the house, DS2 was on the sofabed downstairs and asked me to tell the boys in his room to stop thudding about and go to sleep; but they were asleep, the thudding was the rats in the room next door

mummylin2495 · 02/07/2007 00:30

what you have flying rats too !!! this gets worse.

Gingerbear · 02/07/2007 00:35

My friend used to keep garter snakes - Syph and Liss
Sadly Syph died, and Liss was very lonely.

DD held a Corn Snake around her neck at a photo opportunity at an animal sanctuary- she loved it!

mummylin2495 · 02/07/2007 00:38

oh no not another story to give me nightmares!And did you have rats that flew and galloped too

Gingerbear · 02/07/2007 00:43

(have added corn snake pic to my profile)

WendyWeber · 02/07/2007 00:53

GB, I hope you mean like a necklace rather than a scarf!

mummylin, rats are wonderful pets (apart from the widdling and that's only boys) - they are very intelligent and very affectionate (unlike snakes which are as cool as you'd expect)

We have just got 2 more - rats not snakes - baby dumbo rats - they are adorable

Swipe left for the next trending thread