Corn snakes are one of the most easily kept and bred snakes in captivity, yet one of the most rewarding. With a little time and effort, and a small budget, a corn snake could live happily for up to 20 years. I hope this will provide you will all the information you need:
General Care for Corn Snakes
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The actual 'house' for a corn snake can vary greatly depending on the size and the owners situation. It is usually called a vivarium. The most important feature of your vivarium is that it is escape proof. Never underestimate the ability of a corn to fit through impossibly small gaps or lift impossibly heavy lids. A vivarium can be anything from a plastic 'critter keeper' style tank, an all glass fish tank, storage box, or wooden sided vivarium. The glass fish tanks usually need a well ventilated lid added to them, which locks on to stop escapes. Wooden vivariums are usually wooden on 3 sides, and the front has sliding glass doors with locks fitted onto them. (usually bought seperately) The cheapest type of vivarium to go for is probably a storage box style, and the most expensive is the wooden.
Storage boxes usually aren't that big, easy to see through, ventilated or secure. If using a storage box try to find ones with clip on tops. Wooden vivariums are easy to get into and easy to see the snake through, as well as making an attractive addition to a room. In my experience I think it is definetely worth getting at least a glass tank, unless you are planning to do large scale breeding with many snakes. The top picture is of a small sweater style storage box with ventilation holes drilled into it being used. I only use these for brumating my snakes, but it gives you a good idea of how it looks. The middle picture is the 1st tank I had for Electra, its nicely decorated but the lid isn't so attractive looking. The bottom picture (not very clear) shows a wooden vivarium with sliding glass doors.They can be made or bought to match furniture e.g. beech finish like in the picture.
Size. Having a tank 12" x 8" is the minimum size for a hatchling or young corn snake up to 24" long. There are upper limits too, as young snakes won't feel very secure if there is a lot of big open space. For adults a tank 24" x 18" is the minimum, but one between 36" and 48" long is much more ideal. Try to provide height too, as corn snakes love to climb. If looking volume, a 20 gallon would be the minimum size for adults. The most ideal set-up is a large one, with lots of plants / hides for your snake.
As for bedding, there are many options here too. Bedding is usually referred to as substrate with corn snakes. Using paper-towels or newspaper is perfectly sufficient for your snake, and are very cheap & easily replaced. They are not very appealing though. The most commonly used substrate with corn snakes is aspen shavings. It absorbs damp and odour, smells quite pleasant itself, is dust & toxin free and is reasonably cheap and easy to clean. Loose substrates like aspen can be cleaned simply by lifting any faeces and the substrate directly around it. The entire substrate only needs replaced every 3 months or so. Other loose substrates suitable for snakes include cyprus mulch, coconut shavings and a few bark chips e.g. beech. There are many barks and wood substrates not suitable for corns that you may see in shops still: Pine, fir and cedar are all toxic to corn snakes if they get wet. Also, sand is not a suitable substrate even though this is used in many pet shops. Astroturf/reptile carpet is nice, but expensive & hard to clean. Other than bedding, there are a couple other vital things you need for a corn snake. A water dish, perferably large enough for the corn to soak in, is a must have. The water should be changed at least every other day. Water conditioners are available but tap water should be fine most of the time. Corn snakes will drink often but you might not see this. They also might soak in the water dish to cool down, or aid skin shedding. If your corn snake spends alot of time in the water dish it could be a sign of mites, or a much too high temperature.
At least 2 hides should be provided. One on the warmer side and one on the cooler side of the tank (explained in heating section) A hide can be something simple like a cardboard box, or an upturned flower pot with a hole cut in it. As long as the hide is big enough to fit your corn snake, but small enough to provide security it doesn't matter to the snake what it looks like. There should be no sharp edges and it should be disinfected. To disinfect things before I put them into the vivarium I soak them in a sinkful of hot water with a small amout of bleach poured in (around 1-2 tablespoons) for 15 minutes, and then rinse thoroughly and allow to dry. Shop bought hides look very attractive but can be expensive also. Check out my homemade hides in the shop for cheap, secure & attractive snake caves. Plants also look great in a vivarium. I would advise against real plants generally as they are less sterile, and take alot of work. If you get a real plant make sure it is one that likes high temperatures, change all the soil to new compost, and then put a layer of disinfected gravel over the
top soil. This should prevent bacteria growth. Remember to water it at least twice a week to keep it alive! False plants are easier to keep sterile and more flexible in where they can go. Other than plants; stones, driftwood & branches can be added to a vivarium. (Remember to disinfect first) All these decoartions make it a more interesting and natural habitat for you and your corn snake, and provides shelter and climbing material which you help keep your corn amused and exercised. The 2 pictures above are a couple of my set-ups and how natural hides and decoration can really improve the look of a vivarium.
Methods of heating:
1) Light bulbs - The cheapest yet least effective way of heating. Light bulbs get very hot and could burn your snake so a light gaurd is a must. There is no way of controlling how hot the vivarium gets - lightbulbs cannot be connected to thermostats unless you can afford to change the bulb everyday! Temperature would need to be monitored very closely for a lightbulb to be used. It would be too easy for it to get way too hot or too cold. Bulbs heat the ambient air temperature so with larger set-ups a low wattage bulb could boost the ambient temperature if used carefully. Generally I wouldn't advise one - certainly not as the sole method of heating anyway.
2) Ceramic bulbs - Like lightbulbs these are very hot and need to be guarded to avoid burns. These just heat and have no light so doesn't disturb your snake, and they can be connected to thermostats to be controlled - so all in all they are a good method heating but quite expensive.
3) Heat mats - The most common and best method of heating. They are usually placed under the glass or plastic tank, or with a wooden vivarium under the substrate or on the side. Heat mats do not raise the ambient air temperature very much, making it easy to provide a gradient. Instead they heat objects directly over them. Corn snakes prefer underbelly heat as they can escape it easily, or lie right at the warmest spot. Heat mats can be easily controlled with a thermostat, are low wattage, and very effective. Generally speaking, a heat mat should cover about 1/3 of the tanks base (same size needed even if placed on side.) They are also fairly cheap.
4) Heat rocks - You may these in pet shops. These are generally not at all suitable for corn snakes as they can get far too hot. A corn snake will sometimes lie somewhere too hot without realising, and burn itself badly.
temperature is the most important one and should be controlled using a thermostat with the thermostat probe on the hottest spot your snake could be. Remember when using loose substrate, the thermostat and thermometer probes should be underneath it on the heat mat, because your snake could burrow. Having different day and night temperatures is possible using a day/night thermostat but is not necessary. Usually the natural night time drop is sufficient. Artificial light is not needed for corn snakes. Natural light during the day is sufficient, unnatural light all night long will only disturb your snake. Most people light their tanks to make them more visually attractive. UVB bulbs simulate natural sunlight during the day but for corn snakes this is again unnecessary.
Thermostats:
A thermostat controls how hot your heating device makes the tank. They work by setting the temperature to what you want, plug in your heating device to the thermostat, and place the thermostat probe on the hot spot. Once it reaches the temperature set the thermostat cuts off power to the heating device, and once it gets below temperature it turns it back on. This is a simple on/off thermostat and is most common. Thermostats aren't completely necessary if you know how hot your tank is with which heating devices, but this is unlikely and unreliable. So if you have the budget to do so, I advise buying one. They are around £30 for a good one.
Example heating set-ups:
In a very large vivarium (around 4 x 2 x 2') a large heat mat 17 x 17" at one end connected to a thermostat kept at approx. 89F could be used with a low wattage e.g. 40W light bulb in the middle of the tank. The heat mat is left on with the thermostat 24 hours a day, whereas the bulb which boosts the ambient air temperature during the day, gets switched off each night. In a small vivarium (less than 3 x 1 x 1) a light bulb would be much too hot left on all day, so it is best just keeping a heat mat covering 1/3 of the tank around 11 x 11" for the dimensions above. The temperature on the thermostat could be lowered a few degrees at night, but this is not vital.
Ideal Temperatures:
A temperature gradient is ideal, although not totally necessary. This means making one side hotter than the other, so your snake can thermoregulate. Temperatures too hot could stress and burn your snake, temperatures too cold could lead to digestion problems. This is why it is important to provide hides at different temperatures as corns may sooner hide than find the right temperature. The best way to measure temperature at certain spots is to get a digital thermometer with a probe, and a cheaper annalogue thermometer will do for ambient temperature. The hot end of the tank should be about 85 - 89F / 29 - 31C (The thermometer probe is placed directly on the heat mat surface inside the tank, or directly on the surface above heat mat if using tank with heat mat underneath.) The ambient temperature should be about 75 - 79F / 22 - 26C. The hot end
Corn snakes eat rodents in the wild. Occasionally they would eat birds eggs or lizards. In captivity corn snakes should be fed captive bred rodents only. Wild lizards, birds and rodents can transfer parasites to your snake. Hatchling corn snakes will eat one mouse pinky (newborn mouse) once or twice a week. They will often accept more, but intense feeding is not beneficial and the snake could get overweight or grow too fast. Snakes that have been grown to adult size too quickly generally have a lower life expectancy. A rule of thumb regarding the size you feed is that the "lump" from the prey item should be visible for 12 to 24 hours after feeding. If it is not visible during this time, you may need to move up to the next size rodent. If the "lump" is still visible after this time, it might be advisable to reduce the size of the prey. This rule doesn't really apply to large adults, where the lump is barely visible with prey size. Adults usually get fed every 10 days or so, with a large or jumbo mouse. After newborn mice (pinkies) the sizes are generally as follows - fuzzies, small adult, large adult and somethings jumbo mice. Prey items that are too large can result in regurgitation as the prey decomposes before it can be digested. This can be quite serious and its best to do alot of research to get advice if you experience one. After a regurgitation do not attempt a feed for 10 days, and attempt a smaller prey item next time. Also find the cause of the regurtitation so it doesn't happen again (likely to be prey size, stress or temperature). I advise feeding f/t (frozen & thawed) by defrosting the prey in warm water until it is thoroughly thawed before offering. Don't feed in the snake's home. Not only is there a risk of the snake ingesting substrate, it may associate the tank being opened and your hand with food. Place the snake in a feeding box (a simple cardboard box will do if you can watch to make sure it doesn't escape) The feeding box is usually smaller than the tank. Dangle your prey item in with a pair of tongs and wait for the snake to strike at it. It may grab the prey and constrict it, before eating. Some snakes do not like to be watched, will not strike or constrict, and some will only accept warm prey. Some snakes need left overnight in a feeding box with their prey (usually young hatchling snakes)
Occasionally snakes seem to just be problem or fussy eaters. There is alot of advise online about fussy eaters, with young snakes I find tease feeding to be very efficient or anole scenting. 'Braining' the prey or soaking in chicken broth are other suggestions.
Don't handle your snake for at least 48 hours after eating. This could lead to a regurgitation.
How much you handle your snake is up to you. I try to handle mine regularily. (Do not handle after eating for 48 hours, or when about to shed.) Lift your snake gently, your hands approaching from the side and hold one hand about 1/3 down its body, and the other 2/3 down. Keep handling sessions short, 5 - 10 minutes is plently. Nervous snakes may rattle thier tails or even try to strike at you. Try to ignore this, it will only encourage these habits if you put the snake back every time he gets aggressive. Tail rattling is only a warning, and on the rare chance your snake strikes at you, it is much more startling than sore. Gloves could always be worn if you are scared of being bitten of course. Handling snakes over a bed or sofa is a good idea, it is nice & soft if they fall.
How often a snake will shed its skin depends on many factors, mostly age. Hatchling corn snakes will shed every month or so, and some fully grown adults only shed a few times a year. About 3 or 4 days before a snake sheds it will go 'blue' where it will look dull coloured and have cloudy eyes. This 'blue' look clears after a couple days and then within the next couple days the snake will shed. Once the snake has shed check the shed skin to see if it is complete, looking especially for the tail tip and eye caps. If the shed is in many pieces try increasing humidity by misting tank with warm water when your snake is 'blue.' Shedding more often than expected could be a sign of mites or skin conditions.