Corn Snake care
Common Name: corn snake
Scientific Name: Pantherophis guttatus (formally Elaphe guttata)
General Characteristics:
Corn snakes are what most people think a snake looks like. Corn snakes are slender and relatively active serpents. There is some variation in length of adults, but you can expect a full grown adult to be 36” to 60” (3 to 5 foot long.) They grow very fast for there first two years of life, but just like all reptiles, corn snakes continue growing throughout their entire lives. Corn snakes in captivity, if well cared for can live 20 years or more! Corn snakes are adept climbers, and excellent swimmers, found in just about any type of environment, from swamps to grasslands. Corn snakes ability to adapt to many different situations, makes them a hardy, easy to care for pet.
Handling (fun):
Corn snakes are generally happy snakes, which seem to enjoy being out of their enclosure and don’t mind being handled. Let the snake move about you while always supporting its body. Don’t restrain the snake, or grab the head or vent area of the tail roughly. Don’t hold the snake after handling rodents, or when the snake is about to shed its skin, as it can’t see well. Small juveniles or baby corn snakes should be held very gently for short periods of time, they are nervous and easily stressed out when they are so small. If the snake does bite don’t do anything, it will let go! Yanking or pulling the snake off can result in a more painful wound for you, and maybe broken teeth or jaws for the snake. After handling your snake or cleaning its cage you should wash your hands. Corn snakes, like all other reptiles might carry Salmonella, although most reptile to human cases involve turtles, wash your hands as a precaution.
Feeding:
Corn snakes are very easy to feed in captivity. Young corn snakes eat pinkies (baby mice) every 4 to 7 days. Adults eat adult mice, or if your snake is large, small rats every 7 to 14 days. Always feed dead rodents, it’s easier, safer, and more humane for the rodent. You can buy frozen mice at most pet stores or order through the Internet. Defrost by placing them in a sealed plastic bag, (so they will not get wet) in warm water until completely defrosted and soft throughout their body. Or just leave them out to defrost, just make sure they are soft throughout there body. Place an appropriate sized rodent in your snake’s cage and you are done! Occasionally some snakes can be shy and like to eat in their hide, or at night. You can also use tongs to tease (wiggle it around) feed your snake. With corn snakes this usually is not necessary.
If you must feed live rodents, never leave them unattended for any period of time, rodents have been known to attack and harm or even kill snakes!
Enclosure Requirements:
1.Must be completely escape proof:
Corn snakes are escape artists they are incredibly strong and agile. Lids need to be locked in place, never use weights to secure a cage top. Any gaps even if they look small need to be filled or covered. Aquariums with a locking screen lid work well, a plastic reptile specific cage, and home made caging. Floor space is the most important; juveniles do well in a ten gallon sized cage, while an adult needs at least a twenty-gallon.
2. Heat:
All reptiles are cold blooded and use their environment to maintain their body temperature. They need an ambient temperature of 82-86 degrees F. The best way to do this is by placing the heat source at one end of the cage to create a hot spot that is a few degrees warmer then the ambient temperature (i.e. 88 degrees F.) and allowing the snake to move away or towards the heat as it needs to. This is called thermoregulation. Heat sources can be: lamps for reptiles or under tank heat pads or tapes. Never use hot rocks or allow any type of heating to come in direct contact with the snake, to avoid injuries. Always check temps. with a thermometer, never guess.
3.Humidity:
Corn snakes need proper humidity levels to shed correctly and to stay healthy. The humidity should be 50% to 75%. Too low and shedding problems will occur, too high and the snake might develop blisters and sores, and respiratory infection. Unless you are living in extremely dry or humid conditions this humidity range will never be a problem.
4.Substrate:
Newspaper, plain paper towels work well are easy to clean and inexpensive, but don’t look as good as natural substrates. Aspen or cypress are very good substrates. Never use sand, small rocks, pine or cedar. Pine and cedar oils are harmful to reptiles and sand and small rock could be ingested and cause impaction to the snakes digestive tract. Clean weekly or whenever your snake defecates.
5.Enclosure Furniture:
All corn snakes need a water dish, and at least one hide. Climbing branch is optional. The water dish should be heavy to prevent tipping. The hide(s) should be large enough for the entire snake to coil in as well as dark. The hide prevents stress and gives your snake some privacy. Corn snakes are great climbers and will if provided with a sturdy branch, but this doesn’t seem necessary for their well-being.
Conclusion
If you want to have a pet snake, the corn snake is the species I always recommend corn snakes as the best first snake. With there typical serpentine looks, endless and amazing morphs, and docile nature, you can't go wrong with a corn snake. Did I mention ease of feeding, shedding, housing, and overall health. Never enough can be said about the great qualities of corn snakes!
Scientific Name: Pantherophis guttatus (formally Elaphe guttata)
General Characteristics:
Corn snakes are what most people think a snake looks like. Corn snakes are slender and relatively active serpents. There is some variation in length of adults, but you can expect a full grown adult to be 36” to 60” (3 to 5 foot long.) They grow very fast for there first two years of life, but just like all reptiles, corn snakes continue growing throughout their entire lives. Corn snakes in captivity, if well cared for can live 20 years or more! Corn snakes are adept climbers, and excellent swimmers, found in just about any type of environment, from swamps to grasslands. Corn snakes ability to adapt to many different situations, makes them a hardy, easy to care for pet.
Handling (fun):
Corn snakes are generally happy snakes, which seem to enjoy being out of their enclosure and don’t mind being handled. Let the snake move about you while always supporting its body. Don’t restrain the snake, or grab the head or vent area of the tail roughly. Don’t hold the snake after handling rodents, or when the snake is about to shed its skin, as it can’t see well. Small juveniles or baby corn snakes should be held very gently for short periods of time, they are nervous and easily stressed out when they are so small. If the snake does bite don’t do anything, it will let go! Yanking or pulling the snake off can result in a more painful wound for you, and maybe broken teeth or jaws for the snake. After handling your snake or cleaning its cage you should wash your hands. Corn snakes, like all other reptiles might carry Salmonella, although most reptile to human cases involve turtles, wash your hands as a precaution.
Feeding:
Corn snakes are very easy to feed in captivity. Young corn snakes eat pinkies (baby mice) every 4 to 7 days. Adults eat adult mice, or if your snake is large, small rats every 7 to 14 days. Always feed dead rodents, it’s easier, safer, and more humane for the rodent. You can buy frozen mice at most pet stores or order through the Internet. Defrost by placing them in a sealed plastic bag, (so they will not get wet) in warm water until completely defrosted and soft throughout their body. Or just leave them out to defrost, just make sure they are soft throughout there body. Place an appropriate sized rodent in your snake’s cage and you are done! Occasionally some snakes can be shy and like to eat in their hide, or at night. You can also use tongs to tease (wiggle it around) feed your snake. With corn snakes this usually is not necessary.
If you must feed live rodents, never leave them unattended for any period of time, rodents have been known to attack and harm or even kill snakes!
Enclosure Requirements:
1.Must be completely escape proof:
Corn snakes are escape artists they are incredibly strong and agile. Lids need to be locked in place, never use weights to secure a cage top. Any gaps even if they look small need to be filled or covered. Aquariums with a locking screen lid work well, a plastic reptile specific cage, and home made caging. Floor space is the most important; juveniles do well in a ten gallon sized cage, while an adult needs at least a twenty-gallon.
2. Heat:
All reptiles are cold blooded and use their environment to maintain their body temperature. They need an ambient temperature of 82-86 degrees F. The best way to do this is by placing the heat source at one end of the cage to create a hot spot that is a few degrees warmer then the ambient temperature (i.e. 88 degrees F.) and allowing the snake to move away or towards the heat as it needs to. This is called thermoregulation. Heat sources can be: lamps for reptiles or under tank heat pads or tapes. Never use hot rocks or allow any type of heating to come in direct contact with the snake, to avoid injuries. Always check temps. with a thermometer, never guess.
3.Humidity:
Corn snakes need proper humidity levels to shed correctly and to stay healthy. The humidity should be 50% to 75%. Too low and shedding problems will occur, too high and the snake might develop blisters and sores, and respiratory infection. Unless you are living in extremely dry or humid conditions this humidity range will never be a problem.
4.Substrate:
Newspaper, plain paper towels work well are easy to clean and inexpensive, but don’t look as good as natural substrates. Aspen or cypress are very good substrates. Never use sand, small rocks, pine or cedar. Pine and cedar oils are harmful to reptiles and sand and small rock could be ingested and cause impaction to the snakes digestive tract. Clean weekly or whenever your snake defecates.
5.Enclosure Furniture:
All corn snakes need a water dish, and at least one hide. Climbing branch is optional. The water dish should be heavy to prevent tipping. The hide(s) should be large enough for the entire snake to coil in as well as dark. The hide prevents stress and gives your snake some privacy. Corn snakes are great climbers and will if provided with a sturdy branch, but this doesn’t seem necessary for their well-being.
Conclusion
If you want to have a pet snake, the corn snake is the species I always recommend corn snakes as the best first snake. With there typical serpentine looks, endless and amazing morphs, and docile nature, you can't go wrong with a corn snake. Did I mention ease of feeding, shedding, housing, and overall health. Never enough can be said about the great qualities of corn snakes!
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