maybe getting a corn snake

[halfwaynowhere]

My sister and her hubby breed snakes, and last saturday, a clutch of 5 baby corns hatched. The first one to hatch has a kink in her tail, she was pretty big when she hatched, so the reptile store won't buy her. She is the one that I want. I like her coloring the best. They are all creamsicle, but they all have slightly different coloring. 1 has the most red, she's pretty. I have a name picked out for her, but I'm not saying it yet, because its still a maybe. I have to get permission from my mom, first.
I bought a book on corns, and I have been doing plenty of research. I still haven't decided whether I want to feed f/t or live, I've been weighing the pros and cons of both. I think ultimately it will depend on whether I can deal with handling a dead mouse long enough to thaw it and everything, I get pretty squeamish about dead things... My BIL feeds live, so thats all that I'm used to. I like the idea of frozen better, because its safer for the snake, though. I've been bitten by mice, and I know how bad it can hurt. I'm leaning towards frozen, but again, I want to be able to feed my snake, and not get all freaked out because I have to touch a dead mouse...
Anyways, I just wanted to share, I'm excited about everything... I can't wait to get the ok from my mom, and then be able to bring home my little baby!

[Dragonrain]

I use to have a corn snake, they're kewl.

I thought I would have a problem feeding dead mice too but it's really not that bad. I just took it out to dethaw it on like a paper plat or something - it's not like you have to watch it dethaw Then I would use tongs to pick it up and feed it to the snake - so I never even actually touched any of the frozen mice.

[halfwaynowhere]

I have cats and a really big dog who would just eat it up if I left it on the counter to defrost... I'd have to bring it in my room, and it would really gross me out... I don't know, I'd have to try it... right now she is eating live because thats what my BIL uses, but she's only eaten once so far, and a newborn pink doesn't really move a whole lot, so I don't think it would be too hard to switch just yet...

I know that you should use a seperate feeding tank, so they don't associate their home with eating, but when they are still really little, does it really matter? at what age does it really start to make a difference?

[Dragonrain]

I defrosted the mice in my room too - it's really not as bad as you think. I thought it would really bother me and it was alittle gross at first, but I got use to it and it was nothing.

If you don't want it sitting out defrosting, you can seal the frozen mouse in a bag (so no water can get in the bag) and soak it in hot water or sit it in the sink under hot running water. It defrosts much faster that way so you don't have to leave it sitting out.

I always suggest feeding frozen thawed mice because while a pinky can't hurt the snake, when it moves up to bigger mice the mice will try to bite back!

[matt377]

i think thawed would be best