Posts Tagged ‘design’
Starter Kit
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
Which Cornsnake Starter Kit?
So you want to get a cornsnake, you have researched all their requirements, and are now confidant that you have all the necessary knowledge for their care! I salute your efforts! If you haven’t done these things, then come back to this later, since understanding the long term care of your cornsnake is essential before you begin thinking of buying one!
This article is aimed at those looking to get a hatchling cornsnake. Obviously, if you are about to get a moderate to large cornsnake, then the set up will need to be bigger, but the same basic principles apply!
The Cornsnake’s Vivarium
What sized vivarium are you going to need? It may be tempting to immediately buy a vivarium that is large enough for you cornsnake throughout its life, from hatchling to adult. There’s one problem with this. Cornsnakes are agoraphobic; they don’t like big open spaces! If you buy a hatchling, then you will not want to put it straight into a 36″ x 18″ x 18″ vivarium! For starters, it will be very hard to find a tiny hatchling in a vivarium this size, but also, unless the tank is very well stocked with plants and other hiding places, your cornsnake is going to feel insecure and stressed out. This can lead to psychological problems such as fasting, which is the last thing you want!
Although you don’t want a vivarium that is too small either. Remember cornsnakes grow very fast! The ideal sized vivarium to start off with, as agreed by most experts, is with around 18″ x 12″ floor space. This is usually big enough to house a hatchling cornsnake for around a year depending on the growth rate. The ideal time to upgrade to an adult sized vivarium will be when your cornsnake reaches about 2.5 feet long. The height of the vivarium is less important since cornsnakes will spend most of their lives on the ground.
Exo Terra’s large flat faunarium (PT-2310) is the most popular vivarium for hatchling cornsnakes and is found included in many starter kits.
Heating
This is probably one of the most important aspects of a cornsnake set up. Cornsnakes, like all reptiles, require a temperature gradient. Because they are cold blooded, the only way for them to regulate their body temperature is to move between warm areas to cool areas and vice versa.
There are several ways of providing your cornsnake with a temperature gradient though the cheapest, and simplest, way is with a heat mat. You need a heat mat that covers one third of the vivariums floor space, so if you have decided to go with a 18″ x 12″ vivarium, then you need a heat mat around 6″ x 12″. It doesn’t matter too much if it is an inch or two bigger or smaller but you definitely don’t want to cover more than half of the vivarium floor space, and no less than a third.
Place the heat mat under the vivarium on one side, so that side is warmer than the other.
The ideal temperature gradient you want to create for your cornsnake is 85F (30C) on the hot side (directly above the heat mat) and 75F (24C) on the cool side.
YOU NEED A THERMOSTAT!
Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! The surface temperature of an unregulated heat mat can go over 150F (60C)!!! Not only that, but indoor temperatures can vary by over 8 degrees Celsius. So for you and the cornsnake’s safety, please make sure that any starter kit you buy comes with a thermostat! This will reduce the risk of fire, the tank overheating, the base of your vivarium melting, and it will save you money in energy bills! Why wouldn’t you want a thermostat?!
Thermometer
A thermostat won’t be much use if you don’t have a thermometer to check the temperatures! Many reptile thermometers are designed to be stuck on the side of the vivarium. Unfortunately, this will only measure the air temperature, so it really needs to be laid on top of the substrate to get an accurate reading of your high and low temperatures.
Hides
You will need a cornsnake starter kit that contains at least two hides. As I mentioned earlier, cornsnakes are agoraphobic and so they don’t like to be left out in the open. If a starter kit only has one hide, then we have a problem, because as I also mentioned, the only way a cornsnake can regulate their body temperature is to move between the warm side and the cool side. If you only have one hide on one side of the vivarium, then how is your poor, vulnerable, little cornsnake going to hide when s/he needs to move to the other side? Common sense really; you need two hides.
Sphagnum Moss
Cornsnakes shed their skin on a fairly regular basis as they grow. To help them with this stressful process, it is a good idea to have one of the hides filled with moist sphagnum moss so that it stays humid. This will help loosen the skin as your cornsnake comes up to a shed.
Most good starter kits will have a packet of sphagnum moss included, though if it doesn’t, then it will need to be bought separately.
Water Bowl
An essential bit of kit that every cornsnake starter kit should have included!
Substrate
Substrate is the stuff that covers the bottom of the vivarium. There are a variety of substrates that can be used, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Beech chips are the most popular substrate.
Some people prefer to use Reptile Carpet, which is a coarse, felt-like, material which eliminates any ingestion problems though is not a very natural substrate and makes it impossible for your corn snake to burrow into the substrate.
Substrate isn’t an essential part of a cornsnake starter kit. In fact, many people prefer to use newspaper since it is easy to clean and eliminates the risk of your cornsnake accidentally swallowing it. However, it isn’t a very natural substrate and prevents your cornsnake from being able to burrow into it. It isn’t very pretty either!
Cornsnake Starter Kit Checklist
The essential componants you needs to look for in a cornsnake starter kit (for a hatchling) are:
Approx 18″ x 12″ vivarium
Approx 6″ x 12″ heat mat
Thermostat
Thermometer
Two hides
Sphagnum Moss
and a water bowl
You will also need food, and it is not unusual for starter kits to include a few frozen pinky mice to get you going!
The substrate is optional, and so is any extra décor, like artificial plants.
If you find a starter kit that contains all these things then you are on to a winner! But what about the price? Some shops will do a discount for everything bought together, but then again some shops will add a bit onto the price! There are some good deals out there though it is a good idea to price everything individually to see if you would save money by buying the kit, or buying it all separately.
So there you go! That is everything you need to know about choosing a cornsnake starter kit!
About the Author
Mike Hannon has been keeping reptiles for over 13 years and helped design Paws for Thought’s cornsnake starter kit.
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