Over the weekend Daddy took the kids to Petco to spend the gift cards they received for Christmas. They were supposed to be used just for fish but decided on Galactic instead.
I handled snake a lot in a previous life as a zoo docent so I think he’s great! He (could be she, we really don’t know, it’s not that easy to find out) is a hatchling red albino corn snake. He’s tiny, about the size of a large earthworm.
We’ve been learning lots about snakes in general, and corn snakes in particular. Like all snakes, Galactic is cold-blooded so it’s very important he has proper heat provided in his tank. We started off with heat lamps (recommended by the pet store) but soon found out an under tank heater is better for corn snakes.
It’s also important for corn snakes to have a few hides in various areas of the tank. Hides can be purchased from the pet store or made using egg cartons or tp tubes(at least for a snake as small as Galactic). Corns like to hide and it’s important that he can be comfortable in all areas of the tank so he can self-regulate his temperature by moving around. We have the skull seen in the above picture, a cave, two sea shells and Galactic can fit under his water bowl. Plenty of place for him to hang-out.
Corn snakes are nocturnal so they are most active at night. Galactic seems to be settling into a pattern where he comes out around 6pm each evening, explores his tank for a while, including climbing up the thermometer probe wire to see if there’s any chance of escape.
I’m looking forward to this weekend when we feed him for the first time (they eat every seven days and he was fed at the store before he came home), and the first time he sheds.
Since corn snakes can live 20+ years in captivity, Galactic will provide years of observation.
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