Hey Guys! I just wanted to say thanks you all of you that replied to my posts. They really helped a lot. I went out and got a 40 gallon reptile aquarium for my new boa, and a 10 gallon for my corn snake. Don't worry, I will get a bigger one for my corn snake, thats just all I could afford for a while.

Now, I have another question. Has anyone had any problems with the shredded fir tree bedding with a corn snake? I have using bark, but I ended up with mites with the first bag I got. I've read that pine bedding can cause respiratory problems in corns, which I already have for my hamster, but I don't know that much about the fir.

And another question I have is how long is an appropriate amount of time to wait to hold my snake after it has eaten? I've been waiting about three days, but being as the corn is so young, I would like to hold it more often to get it used to me.

Thanks!

Definitely DON'T use pine with any snakes!! I'm not sure about shredded Fir: I think a lot of people recommend Aspen bedding or Orchid Bark.
For substrate, I use the Humus/coconut husk bricks that you add warm water to that makes a nice sterile soil.
If you use any kind of loose substrate, you must feed your snakes in a separate plastic container (like a sweater box) so they don't accidentally swallow substrate that gets stuck to the mouse or rat. This can cause serious impaction and possibly kill your snake.
Lots of people use paper towel or newspaper as a substrate: very easy clean up, but not particularly attractive. (We use paper towels in our chondro python terrariums since they mostly stay up on the branches; but I use soil for my ball python.)
I hope that helps.
PS -- I would not hold either snake any sooner than 3-5 days after eating. It depends a bit on the size of the food that you gave them, of course; but that's a general rule of thumb. Anything sooner and you risk having your snake "give you back" the mouse. It's not a pretty sight (or smell) and it can be very dangerous for your snake to regurgitate.
Play it safe. When it get's a older, you'll be able to feed once every 7-10 days or so and that'll give you more time for handling.
You could always try to smelly T-shirt trick: wear a T-shirt for a few days in a row and then put it into the snake's enclosure, preferably under it's hide box. That way it associates your smell with a cozy safe place to live. (I'm not sure if this sort of "imprinting" actually works long term, but it's worth a try.)
Change the T-shirt for a different one every now and then.
Good luck!

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Andrea

Thanks a lot for the suggestion. I'm not quite sure how to do the t shirt thing with my corn snake being as it is only 8 weeks old, and its hide is pretty small lol.

What kind of maintenance is involved with the soil? Do you have to mist it to keep it moist?

I basically need something that I can buy a lot of.

I'm pretty sure that the person we are getting the boa from has been using shredded pine bedding, and hasn't has any problems with it.

Is it stressful to the snake to change what type of bedding is used if it is used to another type?

It is not stressful for the snake to change its bedding: it IS VERY dangerous to keep it on pine!! The fumes are toxic for snakes (I'm pretty sure for most reptiles.) Do NOT use pine.
There is practically no maintenance with the soil. When it dries out, I pour a little warm water over it with a watering can and mix it around a bit. The bricks are about $4.00 a piece and they make about a gallon of soil. You can spot clean the soil (scoop out wet urates and poop) and then change it out completely once every 6-8 weeks or so.
If the snake is new, you might want to keep it on paper towel in the beginning until you've sent in a stool sample to the vet. (You don't want worms or other parasites infesting your nice fresh soil bedding.) Also if the snake has any external parasites like mites or ticks, they are easier to eradicate if you have a simple substrate. Once the snake has a clean bill of health from the vet, go for a soil or bark substrate.
(PS -- even if the person you are getting the boa from says he's healthy: get the stool checked anyway. You can ask for stool sample containers at the vet now, so you'll be ready when your new boa gives you his first "present".)

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Andrea

what's the price range for a vet visit to make sure its healthy?

how thick should the soil be in the bottom for the boa? the snake would really stand out against dark soil, so maybe i'll try that.

I wait 2 days after feeding to handle and have never had a regurge due to this. Granted you do not want to get too rough with it but that should be the rule with all your handling unless you have a desire to get bitten!

I use shredded aspen. It looks exactly like shredded pine and that may be what you are seeing at the other place. If its pine you will be able to tell as it has that distinctive pine odor.
I have not seen shredded fir but the reptile bark that a lot of people use is made from fir bark.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

I'm not sure what vet visits cost in the US (I live in Switzerland). You don't need to bring the snake to the vet unless it doesn't look well. Just go by and ask the vet for stool sample containers for a parasite check on a boa and they will give you the vials. Then you just have to scoop some fresh stool into the container, close it and bring it back to the vet to send into a lab for testing.
If the snake needs to be treated for worms or other parasites, then you'll probably want to bring him in for a check, but otherwise you should only have to pay for the lab tests. When you ask the vet office for the sample containers, you can ask what that costs and what a visit would cost. Find a vet that is experienced treating snakes.
The soil in my BP enclosure is about 3 inches deep -- but he doesn't burrow under it. My rainbow boa used to like to dig tunnels, so I made hers about 4-5inches deep.

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Andrea

Do you use this with all of your snakes?

Yes. And you can get it in a large bag that is compressed so it will last a while!

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

alright thanks.

another quick question: should there be an adjustment period before feeding the new snake? i am picking it up today and it is its normal feeding day.