Making The Right Decision – Exotic Pets

condominiums Most families at some point decide to introduce a pet or animal to their family home at some point in their lives. Although cats, dogs, rabbits, gerbils, fish and other small animals are the most common family pet it is becoming less unusual for families to look at bringing home exotic pets.

juegos When to feed a corn snake and how much
Hatchlings are started out with pinkie mice for feedings and as the snake grows, gradually increase the size of the prey by offering fuzzies, crews, then small adult mice or rat pinkies.

FSBO Heating
Corn snakes, like all reptiles, cannot maintain their internal body heat. Thus, maintaining the cage at the proper temperature is vital to care of corn snakes. A temperature gradient from 70 – 75 ºF on one end of the cage to 80 – 85 ºF on the other should be maintained to allow the snake to regulate its body temperature by moving from one part of the cage to the other.

The heat mat is the best way to heat the corn snake’s cage. These are rectangular electrical heating pads, sealed in laminated plastic with the electrical cable coming out at one edge. Available in various sizes for different cages and can be purchased at reptile pet shops.

The heat pad should be placed under one-half of the cage, covering roughly half the floor area, thus giving the corn snake a choice of warm and cool areas. To easily monitor temperature, inexpensive self-sticks thermometers can be purchased and applied about an inch above the bottom of the cage on the warm side. A thermostat and heat sensor need to be incorporated in the system, to automatically switch the heat pad on and off as necessary. All items for snake cage can be purchased at a good reptile pet shop.

Lighting
Corn snakes do not need a light in order to survive. In fact, they would probably prefer no light. But most reptile pet owners prefer to put some kind of light in the cage, to see the pet better. An ordinary 60 watt household bulb will be quite adequate. It is not too bright and creating too much heat. The light must be placed at the same end as the heat pad. A mesh guard should be fitted around the light bulb, otherwise the snakes will put their noses right up to the light bulb and burn themselves.

After a several more weeks of one fuzzy, repeat the process you did with pinkies. When your corn snake swallows a fuzzy easily, then try to feed it with two. And after a few feedings with two fuzzies, try it with small adult mice. A full grown Corn snake can eat a medium to large mouse.

Substrate
A variety of materials can be used for substrate. Newspaper is the effective choice – it is very easy to clean up, but the look in the cage leaves a little to be desired. Indoor/outdoor carpeting and “Astroturf” (plastic lawn) can be used, and if you cut two pieces you can rotate them by swapping the clean one for the dirty one at cleaning time, and thoroughly washing and drying the soiled one. Pine bark chips are another good choice – the chips soiled with feces can simple be scooped out, and a thorough cleaning done as needed. Aspen shaving can be used in a similar manner, although it is probably a good idea to move the corn snake to a separate container for feeding so that the shavings are not inadvertently ingested.

The pets are depending on their owners. Always keep in mind that the cage for pet corn snake should provide the same environmental conditions that the corn snake needs in order to survive. Make sure that you find the right place in your house where you will place the cage You can be published without charge. You can to republish this article in your website or blog. Please provide links Active.