Need tips for keeping more than one snake :)

[hb24]

Well, you guys warned me that it was almost impossible to stop at just one, and you were right!

While I wasn’t planning on a second noodle this year, there’s a particular lavender that has been available multiple times this year that I’ve been obsessed with. Maybe you’ve seen him, produced by Chris Nicholas Reptiles originally, now under the care of Caryl at BrightHope Snakes. He’s GORGEOUS and upon a third time being available, I pounced on the opportunity to purchase him. Am I losing my mind getting a second hatchling as a new keeper? Maybe. But now friends, I need help preparing for him.

I’ve already ordered his enclosure and all the basics. My questions mainly center around habits of taking care of more than one. Please see my list below and thank you in advance!

-I’m trying to figure out what I need to order in terms of food. Noodle is 16 grams, 21 inches long, and on double pinks. My new guy is 19g, 17 inches, and I’m assuming also on double pinks. Assuming that’s true (I’ll confirm with Caryl shortly), how long do you guys think 2 hatchlings will be on pinkies? Being that I’ve never raised a hatchling, I’m not sure how long it typically takes them to reach fuzzy size. I’ve ordered small amounts for Noodle, but it’s cheaper to buy in bulk from what I can tell. And yes, I realize they all grow at their own speed, I’m just looking for typical stats so I can order accordingly.

-If I do order in bulk (wow, it’s so much cheaper!) and end up with leftovers, can they be donated to a reptile sanctuary or something similar? I guess I could sell them locally, but I’d much rather donate anything my guys don’t eat.

-I understand the need for quarantine when introducing new snakes to your collection. But being that I don’t have a collection and both of my boys are coming from the same person within a few months of each other, what lengths do I realistically need to go to?

The next questions are based on the assumption I don’t necessarily need to quarantine the new guy. However, if he does need to be quarantined, these questions are for the future when the need for quarantining is over.

-I feed Noodle outside of his enclosure so that there’s no risk of ingesting substrate. Can I use the same tub to feed my new guy in as well or is it better for each to have their own? I assume it’s ok, I mean, who has 38 separate tubs for each individual, right? But being that I’ve never had 2 before, I’m looking for guidance.

-Can I use the tank decorations interchangeably? Obviously they would have to be cleaned before changing things out, but everything has to be cleaned periodically anyways, so I don’t see it as a big deal. But maybe I’m missing something.

-Do y’all try to keep your collection on the same feeding schedule? Seems like it would be more convenient and easier to remember. If that is the case, any tips?

Alright, one final question. What did I miss??

Thank you all in advance!

[deanaii]

Both are ready for “peach” fuzzies now, but if you have pinks to use up, you can keep giving doubles until they’re about 25g and ready for a fuzzy weekly.

You can swap decor.

You can use the same feeding container. It’s probably best to clean between uses. If I had two corns, I’d stagger feeding so that I always had one who isn’t digesting to handle.

[caryl]

You were warned, they’re addictive - and we won’t help you get over that! Nah, you’re not losing your mind. You’re simply falling in love with these lovable creatures.

Your new boy who’s still here is currently getting large pinky/peach fuzzy mice or double pinkies. If recommend a single pinky for the first meal after shipping, just to be extra cautious following that stressor. Like @deanaii said, the boys will be ready for 3-5 g fuzzies at about 25 g. It’s fine to feed double pinks until they’re gone if you have them left. Do weigh the meals and be sure the grams are adequate. Sorry, I’m super bad at estimating how long growth will take. The early months are slower in weight gain since, even with the same percentage, the number of grams added are small. They’ll be gaining faster now with larger meals.

I can’t answer the question about donation of any leftovers of you have a bunch of those, but that’s a good idea. If you know if any local reptile sanctuaries, you might call and ask. If you don’t, perhaps your exotics vet might have an idea there. ( I have solved the potential problem of leftovers from bulk orders but having many snakes of many snakes’ sizes! )

I do recommend that you quarantine your new baby, even though he’s coming from the same place as your first snake. If I were handing him to you from across town, maybe you could skip it, but he’s not. Shipping is a stressor, and opportunistic microorganisms can sometimes flourish in a stressed animal. There are potentially new microorganisms in his new environs, to which he may need time to adjust. It’s just safer to quarantine unless they arrive together. Given that these two lived together here for a time, I would personally feel safe with an abbreviated, 30 day quarantine period.

Once the quarantine period is over, you don’t necessarily need separate things for feeding them. I’m sure you’ll wash items between feedings/animals, and that’s good enough. That’s what I do. I’m paranoid about biosecurity with new arrivals, but more relaxed with the home crew. Unless there’s a problem, I’m not going to disinfect myself to handle more than one. (Quarantinees are always last in the day, separate room, separate equipment, etc.)

Oh, and I totally agree with Dean again, stagger feedings so you’ll always have somebody to handle unless they’re both in shed at the same time! You can be more regimented about it, and I have been at times. That’s more of a personal choice and what works for you.

[hb24]

@deanaii

If I had two corns, I’d stagger feeding so that I always had one who isn’t digesting to handle.

I like the way you think This is exactly why I came here for advice. I’m definitely staggering my feeding schedule!

[caron]

@hb24 Welcome to the world of corn snake addiction! . You have chosen a stellar breeder (Caryl).

You are getting some excellent advice so I just popped in to say congratulations and try not to overthink things. . When you get this down you will be ready for #3. .

Just sayin……

[hb24]

@caryl

You were warned, they’re addictive - and we won’t help you get over that! Nah, you’re not losing your mind. You’re simply falling in love with these lovable creatures.

Thank goodness I’m not losing my mind They are very lovable and I guess I’m just joining the club!

@caryl

If recommend a single pinky for the first meal after shipping, just to be extra cautious following that stressor. Like @deanaii said, the boys will be ready for 3-5 g fuzzies at about 25 g. It’s fine to feed double pinks until they’re gone if you have them left.

Got it. That makes sense. I’ve got pinks to start him off with a smaller meal after travel. I’ve got a few weeks worth of pinks left so we’ll finish that off and get some fuzzies ordered.

@caryl

I can’t answer the question about donation of any leftovers of you have a bunch of those, but that’s a good idea. If you know if any local reptile sanctuaries, you might call and ask. If you don’t, perhaps your exotics vet might have an idea there. ( I have solved the potential problem of leftovers from bulk orders but having many snakes of many snakes’ sizes! )

I keep telling my hubby that I now understand why it’s easy to have so many. Buying in bulk is more cost effective and with more mouths to feed, nothing goes to waste. He was unimpressed by this argument, but seeing as how I’m going to be receiving the #2 that I thought he’d never agree to, there are no complaints here!

Good idea on the exotic vet! I was trying to figure out how to find a place for donations in the event I needed to and that’s a great place to start.

@caryl

I do recommend that you quarantine your new baby, even though he’s coming from the same place as your first snake. If I were handing him to you from across town, maybe you could skip it, but he’s not. Shipping is a stressor, and opportunistic microorganisms can sometimes flourish in a stressed animal. There are potentially new microorganisms in his new environs, to which he may need time to adjust. It’s just safer to quarantine unless they arrive together. Given that these two lived together here for a time, I would personally feel safe with an abbreviated, 30 day quarantine period.

Once the quarantine period is over, you don’t necessarily need separate things for feeding them. I’m sure you’ll wash items between feedings/animals, and that’s good enough. That’s what I do. I’m paranoid about biosecurity with new arrivals, but more relaxed with the home crew. Unless there’s a problem, I’m not going to disinfect myself to handle more than one. (Quarantinees are always last in the day, separate room, separate equipment, etc.)

Your words of wisdom are always appreciated! I will certainly quarantine for the recommended 30 days and do his ‘chores’ last with separate equipment. It’s kind of funny, I have a tad bit of medical training from way back when that was coming back to me as I was reading through your response. It was like a series of lightbulb moments all in a row. All makes sense and I appreciate the advice (and the memory jog)!

@caryl

Oh, and I totally agree with Dean again, stagger feedings so you’ll always have somebody to handle unless they’re both in shed at the same time! You can be more regimented about it, and I have been at times. That’s more of a personal choice and what works for you.

I have received some wonderful advice today, but I gotta admit, this is probably the thing I’m most excited about! I’m very much looking forward to more handling once my new guy is settled in and eating!

Might just be me, but it feels like Christmas in November!

[hb24]

@caron

@hb24 Welcome to the world of corn snake addiction! . You have chosen a stellar breeder (Caryl).

You are getting some excellent advice so I just popped in to say congratulations and try not to overthink things. . When you get this down you will be ready for #3. .

Just sayin……

Can’t say enough good things about Caryl, she truly is stellar!

My hubby isn’t a reptile guy. I never thought he’d agree to one, let alone two. He told me this is the last one, but he also said that about Noodle. So you see how that went, LOL. Plus our almost teen has expressed interest so I see more in our future, just may be a while before he’s ready for that. And with two super handsome boys, I’m content and happy to wait and see what the future brings!

[cmsreptiles]

I’ll have to say I’ve only ever kept one Corn Snake that ended up rehomed so I don’t have a whole lot of knowledge on them but all of the advice here sounds more than good.

I do agree with staggering the feeding, but if you do get into having a lot more in the future I’d start feeding all on the same day, its just so much easier than having to stagger feed 10+ snakes (I have 22 snakes total and its ROUGH having even a slight change to the care schedule that has them being taken care of on different days, that includes cleaning too).

I believe both of your Cornsnakes are ready to be eating small fuzzy mice, idk about donating uneaten food to rescues and rehab locations but I don’t think it ever hurts to call them and ask.

Even if your new Cornsnake came from the same breeder I’d still stay on the cautious side and quarantine for at least a month. A lot can happen in between the timeframe you’ve had the first snake and getting the second one.

I don’t really reccomend taking snakes out of their enclosures to feed, but thats just my opinion because it can cause more picky eaters to not want food. I used to do it in the past without issue until I actually got ahold of snakes that are hard to start on feed in a new home. If you’re worried about substrate ingestion you can offer their food on a little “plate” or something similar- I use small washed coffee bucket lids lol.

One more thing, with enclosure decor being swapped out… I think you will be fine doing so as long as they can be thoroughly cleaned, and I mean every surface inch. If its a decoration thats pourous I’d avoid switching it out since it has a lot of surface area that can’t be guaranteed to be cleaned. Otherwise having enclosure decor switched out is a great way to give your snakes enrichment as long as its not done too often.

[caryl]

@cmsreptiles

I don’t really reccomend taking snakes out of their enclosures to feed, but thats just my opinion because it can cause more picky eaters to not want food. I used to do it in the past without issue until I actually got ahold of snakes that are hard to start on feed in a new home. If you’re worried about substrate ingestion you can offer their food on a little “plate” or something similar- I use small washed coffee bucket lids lol.

This is decent advice for shy feeders, or for anybody who refuses a meal in a new space. I feed some of my bigger ones on newspaper in their enclosure. Gotta watch some of them, though. Some will strike, wrap, and drag their meal off into a hide, covering it substrate along the way. It comes down to knowing your animals’ individual personality, knowing what works for each.

@hb24 isn’t gonna need to worry about a shy feeder worry these two, though.

@cmsreptiles

One more thing, with enclosure decor being swapped out… I think you will be fine doing so as long as they can be thoroughly cleaned, and I mean every surface inch. If its a decoration thats pourous I’d avoid switching it out since it has a lot of surface area that can’t be guaranteed to be cleaned. Otherwise having enclosure decor switched out is a great way to give your snakes enrichment as long as its not done too often.

Great point! Switching stuff around give them something new to do. Even rearranging their own decor provides mental stimulation. I fluff bedding every time I spot clean, then they get busy rebuilding their tunnels.

[caron]

@caryl

I fluff bedding every time I spot clean, then they get busy rebuilding their tunnels.

Yeah, word’s gotten around that you are a “Tedious Terrible Tunnel Terminator” and the worker bees are planning a walk out! Or maybe a slither out!

[caryl]

Heheheh yeah, color me destructive. At least where tunnels are concerned.

Also color me pink because I’m seriously blushing over all the nice things y’all have said about me! Shucks and thank you so much!

[caron]

Are you getting the vapors?

[hb24]

@cmsreptiles

I do agree with staggering the feeding, but if you do get into having a lot more in the future I’d start feeding all on the same day, its just so much easier than having to stagger feed 10+ snakes (I have 22 snakes total and its ROUGH having even a slight change to the care schedule that has them being taken care of on different days, that includes cleaning too).

This is exactly what I was envisioning with a larger collection. For now it’s a dream, so two are easy to keep track of.

@cmsreptiles

I don’t really reccomend taking snakes out of their enclosures to feed, but thats just my opinion because it can cause more picky eaters to not want food. I used to do it in the past without issue until I actually got ahold of snakes that are hard to start on feed in a new home. If you’re worried about substrate ingestion you can offer their food on a little “plate” or something similar- I use small washed coffee bucket lids lol.

Interesting! I’ll keep that in mind for the future. Thankfully, as @caryl said, Noodle eats like a champ and I am quite certain the new guy will too.

@cmsreptiles

One more thing, with enclosure decor being swapped out… I think you will be fine doing so as long as they can be thoroughly cleaned, and I mean every surface inch. If its a decoration thats pourous I’d avoid switching it out since it has a lot of surface area that can’t be guaranteed to be cleaned. Otherwise having enclosure decor switched out is a great way to give your snakes enrichment as long as its not done too often.

Solid advice. I’ve got some driftwood that I’ve been using with Noodle. I ordered new ones for the new guy just because it seems like that would be a nightmare to try and disinfect between animals. I’m sure it can be done, but I’d rather not go through the hassel of trying.

[hb24]

@caron

@caryl

I fluff bedding every time I spot clean, then they get busy rebuilding their tunnels.

Yeah, word’s gotten around that you are a “Tedious Terrible Tunnel Terminator” and the worker bees are planning a walk out! Or maybe a slither out!

Y’all crack me up I too fluff the bedding during spot cleaning and I truly believe that sometimes it serves as motivation for Noodle to tunnel harder. I did a deep clean this past weekend and there are more tunnels than I’ve ever seen in little man’s enclosure. Someone needs to tell Noodle about the slither out because he just sees cleaning/fluffing as a dare to make more

[caron]

@hb24

Someone needs to tell Noodle about the slither out because he just sees cleaning/fluffing as a dare to make more

Well that’s definitely one of @caryl’s noodles for ya!

[gina5678]

Just wanted to add that I make it a point to keep records of feeding days, food refusals, shed dates, weights, etc with my ball pythons and hognose. If you don’t already do that, I think it’s very helpful to keep track of that stuff. I use a bare-bones simple app since I have a very small collection and I’m not a breeder. There also more in-depth apps/websites to use for recording this information, and it looks like Morphmarket has a tracker too now. Some people use pen and paper, it’s just a matter of preference. I mean, if you have 2 snakes now, you are at risk of acquiring another. And another. And we are the voices in your head, “definitely get another one…what’s one more”?.. HAHA! Bad influences, we are

[hb24]

@gina5678

Just wanted to add that I make it a point to keep records of feeding days, food refusals, shed dates, weights, etc with my ball pythons and hognose. If you don’t already do that, I think it’s very helpful to keep track of that stuff.

It’s very helpful to keep track of all those details! I’m a bit of a list maker, note taker so I actually have those details saved in a spreadsheet, written down in my paper calendar, and saved on my phone. I’ve already created new tabs for the new guy because I’m so darn excited he’s coming!

@gina5678

I mean, if you have 2 snakes now, you are at risk of acquiring another. And another. And we are the voices in your head, “definitely get another one…what’s one more”?.. HAHA! Bad influences, we are

Bad influences, LOL. The thing is, y’all can only be a bad influence if I keep coming back, right?

[caron]

Oh I believe you are hooked Heather! You will definitely be coming back!!!

[hb24]

I keep coming back to the same quandary. Ordering food for these fellas.

How long do these guys typically take small peach fuzzies? From what I’ve seen, I can order 50 small peach fuzzies for $85 or 100 for $50. Even if I went for the order of 50, that’s 25 meals each which is almost half a year at once fuzzy a week. Seems like they’ll likely be moving up in size before we finish those off - am I off on that?

I guess in the end, should I order a 10, 25, or 50 count?

Whew! I need more snakes so I can order in bulk

[solarserpents]

I feed peach fuzzies when the snake is between 15-25 grams (at 25 grams, I move to regular fuzzies), so it’s not a lot of peach fuzzies. I average under 10 peach fuzzies per snake before moving to the next size. But you could certainly feed them on that size a bit longer if you need to.

@hb24

Whew! I need more snakes so I can order in bulk

And you know we can help you out with that!