Corn Snakes in general are the most commonly kept captive bred snake species. They are also extremely easy to look after and are very placid which makes them a low maintenance pet and a great beginners snake.

Origination: South East USA and North Eastern Mexico

Life Expectancy: 15 – 30 years

Adult Length: 120cm – 150cm

Corn Snake Care Sheet :

• Housing

The most important thing is to make sure they can’t get out of their cage, corn snakes are incredibly good escape artists. Hatchlings can use plastic reptile cages at first and as they get older a proper reptile cage is the best. It’s advisable to buy a cage that will be suitable for them when they are fully grown, so a 90 x 45cm or a 125 x 45cm vivarium would be perfect. Newspaper, sawdust or astro turf makes a great substrate for the bottom of the cages and paper towel for hatchlings in their plastic reptile cages is best. Hiding area’s are very important for corn snakes because they are shy animals, it’s best to have one on the cooler part of the cage and one on the warm part so they can choose where they would like to lie. Branches and rocks make ideal practical decorations for the cage and they help in aiding with shedding. It’s important that their water dish is solid, shallow and big enough for them to lie in completely. They tend to go to the toilet in the water so you should supply them with clean water often.

• Lighting/ Heating

Lighting is not necessary, but if used a 40 watt tube or bulb will be sufficient. Any lighting must be turned off at night, and a 14 hour daytime regime is ideal for the summer.

Heating is essential as they are cold blooded and therefore they need the heat to help them digest their food. The temperature should range between 25°C and 30°C. This is easily achieved by one of the many heating devices on the market like heating cables, pads, rocks or ceramic heaters. It’s advisable to use a thermostat with all heating devices so you can control the temperature and to use one or two thermometers to check that it’s working. It’s also good to have a cooler area in the cage where the snake can go if it feels like it and its best not to put the water dish right on the heating device as this will cause it to evaporate and to make the cage extremely humid.

• Feeding

Hatchling corn snakes eat one pink mouse (new born mice) every 5-7 days. Over the next few months they will then eat two pink mice at a time and then move on to fuzzy (baby mice with hair) mice when they are about 6 months old or when they are the correct size. As they get older they will start to eat two fuzzies and then eventually weaner mice and then two weaner mice and then adult mice. A good guide line of the size of food you should be feeding is the food should be about 1.5 times the diameter of the snake’s body size. Adult snakes eating weaner and adult mice should only be feed once a week. You should not handle your snake after it has eaten for a day or two to allow them to digest there food, they might regurgitate there food if they are handled.

• Health

Every time the snake grows it sheds its skin (removes its skin). The first signs that they are going to shed are a loss of appetite, a dull appearance and cloudy eyes. They might also spend some time in their water bowl at this time as well. The whole phase takes a couple of days but the actual shed takes a few minutes. You must make sure there is something they can rub against to start the shed off like a branch or rock. A healthy snake should shed all there skin in one piece so always check the shedding. If they have shed in pieces this could be because of a lack of humidity. Pay special attention to the tip of the tail and the eyes, if they have not shed try and remove it your self or seek professional help.

If your snake has something wrong with it or has not eaten for more than three weeks and is not shedding, seek professional help either from a Vet or a pet shop that deals with snakes.

• Sexing

Sexing of hatchlings can be done by popping them; this should only be done by someone with experience. Adults will have to be probed buy either a vet or an experienced snake handler.