My corn snake...

Question
I know that corn snakes aren't your category but it seems that you're the only one I can actually ask. I have more than just a few questions...

I'm 13 years old and I bought my corn snake from the pet shop two months ago. I never even thought to ask his age, but they said he was almost an adult. He's around 3-4 ft long, maybe more. They said he already ate and shed and everything. In those two months, he's shed twice and hasn't eaten anything. And I think he did poop once. I'm worried because he won't eat.. and I'm worried because I don't know if his enviroment is right or not.

The first week I had substrate in the cage with a water bowl made for snakes and two pieces of store-bought driftwood. After that, I just put newspaper down. I changed the snake water bowl for a deeper plastic bowl because I thought it might be too shallow for him to soak in. And for a week or two I had outside wood in his cage, and I didn't know I was supposed to sterilize it first. When I did find out, I took it out. A week ago I made him two hide boxes from cardboard, one for the warm side of the cage and one for the cool side. -His water bowl is in the middle along with a piece of driftwood- and he seems to like them. Also, I don't have an actual under tank heating pad, lamp, or thermometer. I have to go back and get those things when I have the money. Right now, he has a heating pad under the tank, but it's the kind you put in the bed. I have one of those office lamps with a bending neck on top of his tank. His vivarium is 55 gallons... it's big. But he has three places to hide in there. I can't really tell you what temperature his tank is until I get a thermometer. I know it's really important that I get one and I'm trying to get down there. I'm just wondering if any of those things might have pushed his eating off of schedule, and maybe I made it worse trying to figure it out?

Also, the two times that he shed it came in pieces. Like, four or five big pieces along with smaller pieces. And I read on this site that he was supposed to shed one big piece.

I also have one question that might help me figure out why he's not eating. How long do they wait before the actually attack and eat their prey? Do they sit there for hours and stare at it, or do they go for it right away? I just think little details like that might help me find out when he's hungry and when he isn't. Because once or twice when I put the mouse in there, he seemed to be following it around the cage. I bought two mice, I don't know what kind they are, but the are what the employees at the exotic pet shop have been feeding him. Maybe they're too big for him to eat now, because I think they grew a little bit...

Answer
Hi Chance.  Sounds to me like you have too much heat in your cage for him.  If he isn't shedding completely that is because he needs more humidity.  So to do that, put a small bowl inside one of his hide boxes on the cool side of the cage with some damp vermucilite or sphagnum moss in it.  That way he can go in their to get moisture which in turn will help him shed completely. You definitely need to purchase a heating pad and/or lamp made for reptiles.  The items you are using are not good for him and that is most likely why he isn't eating well.  Proper heat with regulate his body temperature which in turn will cause him to have a regular eating habit.  A 3-4 foot cornsnake is at least 2 years old or more.  He should be eating adult mice.  But you might want to try a hopper once a week until he eats.  Here is a great site on the care of cornsnakes.  Copy and paste into your web browser.  Good luck and thanks for writing :-)

http://www.kingsnake.com/rockymountain/RMHPages/RMHnewpage11.htm