First Corn Snake

New to the site, and to the "hobby". Hoping to learn a lot here.

I've been doing some reading for my first corn snake... or any snake, for that matter. Just have a couple questions that I can't seem to find the answer to.

First... I've been reading "20 gallon tank" is an appropriate size for a corn snake. But, while I have the ability to get larger (maybe a 55 gallon), I read one place that said you should stick to a 20 gallon and not larger, cause too large will stress the snake out. So... does it matter? Am I ok if I just keep the corn in a 20?

Second... where I plan on putting the tank is in a room where my 13-year-old has his drum set, and tends to practice often... few times a week. You think that's ok for the snake, or will that stress out the poor fella?

Hi and welcome!



The "too large cage" myth is one of many you'll hear regurgitated in the corn keeping world. The key is clutter. For a corn snake, open space is dangerous territory where they could be scooped up by a hawk or some other larger predator. A bigger cage will require more hides, but really the bigger the better IMO.

I haven't seen any strong evidence that excessive noise has a serious effect on snakes, but keeping in mind that they are quite sensitive to vibration, I don't think I would keep it in the same room as a drum set that gets used often. More of a personal preference I think.

The only problem with a huge tank for a baby is that you may have trouble finding them in there. I started my baby in a 20 gallon long and I'm moving her up to a 50 gallon as soon as I have help to move it into position.

I can't say whether the drums will stress the snake or not. I have my snakes in my bedroom and I don't worry about normal noises during the day. If I listen to music and stuff after dark in that room, I keep it toned down. But drums are really loud and cause a lot of vibration. Snakes do hear as well as feel vibrations through their body. I wouldn't put mine in with drums because it could cause stress, but I also don't have a definitive answer for you.

Welcome to the forum. If you think about snakes in the wild, they do not limit themselves to a couple square feet of territory, or they would soon starve. They roam in search of food, water, or to seek a heat gradient. Places to hide are easily found, even burrowing under leaves or hiding under logs. There's nothing wrong with a large tank, as long as you provide what the snake needs, proper heat, places to hide, food and water. Many recommend that you move a hatchling to a smaller, bare container to feed it, and I agree. But once the Corn attains a little size you can do other things. I have a friend who feeds her snake while it's in her lap. So much for stress. One of the funny things I've seen is when I bring thawed mice into my snake room and the snakes put their faces up to the holes in their rack containers and flick their tongues out through the holes.

I would not put your Corn in a room where the drumming takes place. Although they have no obvious outer ears, scientists say that they actually have two auditory systems and keenly pick up low frequency vibrations. No disrespect to drummers, but it would stress me out too.

Thanks for all the info. Ok, so need to work out the drum situation. And, maybe start the "little" guy out in a smaller tank, and eventually get him into the larger.