CORN SNAKE  

  • The colorful Corn Snake will tame down in a short time. Juveniles and babies tend to be more active and harder to hold until they are used to handling.
  • Found in North America. Specifically they are found in the southern and southeastern parts of the United States.
  • Will grow to a good size, between three and five feet. They can reach up six feet in the wild.
  • Corn snakes are available in a very wide variety of color morphs.

Diet

Your corn snake will eat one to two thawed mice once a week. You can tell whether your snake is hungry by watching its movements. A corn snake will emerge from its hiding spot to prowl its territory in search of food. When you see your snake begin to move, it is probably time to remove him from the cage to a separate feeding container with one or two appropriately sized thawed mice.

A dish of fresh water should be available at all times.

Housing  

A baby corn snake can live happily in a ten gallon tank, upgrading to a 20 long or 40 breeder tank when sub adult. Adult corn snakes will thrive in a 30 or 40 gallon breeder tank.

The tank should also be furnished with hide spots such as corkbark, driftwood, etc. Be sure no furniture can shift or topple and injure your snake. There should be a hiding spot in both the heated and cooler sections of the tank. A soil or bark based substrate should be used for bedding. ZooMed’s Forest Floor, Zilla Jungle Mix, or a mix of both are good substrate options for corn snakes.

Temperatures should be between 82 - 88º F during the day and at least 70ºF at night. Provide a thermal gradient by heating only one end of the tank with an under tank heater.

Handling & Care

Baby corn snakes tend to be nervous, but will quickly tame with small spurts of daily handling. Adults are generally very docile and easy to handle. Handling your snake soon after it eats may cause him to regurgitate his meal. Do not lift the snakes for a few days after they have eaten.

Spot cleaning by removing feces once a week will ensure a healthy, clean environment but bedding should be thrown away and the entire cage and decorations wiped clean once every month to two months.

Wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap after handling any animal.

Health

Mouth rot (infectious stomatitis) can occur if a snake's teeth are broken, the mouth lining is injured, or if a struggling rodent being constricted bites the snake. Respiratory distress can occur if the cage temperature changes radically or if humidity is high and the cage is damp. Left untreated, respiratory diseases can lead to mouth rot. Corn snakes are quite susceptible to blister disease. This can occur if the cage substrate is too wet, and especially if the cage is both wet and dirty. Corn snakes are also susceptible to scale rot, also caused by an environment that is too wet.