I'm not sure where to post this, but I guess this will do. I wrote up a care sheet to give away with any and every snake I sell. I read over many other carsheets first, and i think this is pretty thurough. I was thinking it might be helpful for me and others to read over my caresheet. The point of this is for all of you to tell me where I can improve or fix the caresheet, but please, feal free to use any part of it as your own. Any and all input is welcome. And thanks in advance for anyone who reads through any of it!!!!
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Cornsnake care sheet
- Thread starter tbtusk
- Start date
here's the text, plain and simple.
Care Sheet
***These are the basic necessities for a corn snake, but doing your own research as well is necessary and will greatly improve your ability to care for your corn snake.***
Corn Snakes:
Corn snakes are the most popular pet snake in the world, and that’s because they are perfectly suited to living in captivity. They are calm, easily handled, easily kept, and easily bred snakes. They grow to between 3.5 and 5 feet, although snakes over 5 feet are not uncommon. Their medium size makes keeping them simple and handling easy. They are wonderful snakes and the number of color morphs available makes them a colorful addition to any house or collection.
One Note about Your New Snake:
Your snake needs time to settle into its new home. Place your new snake in its fully set-up cage and restrain that urge to handle your new pet - we all know the urge - and let the snake have 3 days to itself without being handled. At that point offer it its first meal as described below. Following that meal you have to wait another 2 days before taking out your hatchling. I know, the agony! But it’s the best for the snake, and that’s what’s most important. After that first meal is down and digested properly care for your new snake and it will be a wonderful pet!
Housing:
A hatchling corn snake is comfortable in a 12” by 8” cage for at least the first year of its life, and often longer. For the rest of the snake’s life it needs a cage at least half the length of its body. A 20 gallon long cage is generally considered the minimum size cage for an adult corn snake to live in comfortably, and a slightly bigger vivarium is always a good idea. Corn snake hatchlings don’t enjoy wide open spaces in their cages, so if you are going to house a small hatchling in a 20 gallon cage to avoid buying a new cage in a year you will want to make sure there is plenty of décor and fake foliage (adults will quickly destroy live plants) to make the hatchling more comfortable and encourage it to explore.
Corn snakes are also great escape artists so make sure there is no way for your new hatchling to get out of its cage. Any hole larger than the snake’s snout will let the snake slip out. Corns will also push up a lid and slip out that way, so make sure the top of your cage is weighted down, clamped down, or otherwise secured. One of the best readily available tank for corns is the critter cage, which many pet stores including Petsmart and Petco carry. It closes securely with two clips and has two small slits in the back to allow for thermostat and thermometer probe cords, but are too small for even the smallest hatchling to slip out of. The cages also have a slot for a lock to further prevent escapes.
Corns need good ventilation but too much may cause problems with humidity or temperature. The best solution is to have a few large, screened holes in the cage or have the entire top screened off. Most cages, unless made entirely of screen, will work well.
The last, and probably one of the most important parts of housing corn snakes is that you must not house multiple snakes in one enclosure. The list of things that can go wrong is long, and includes pre-mature breeding (which can be deadly), stressing out the snakes, and cannibalism. There are a few people who will tell you there is nothing wrong with co-habitation, but the evidence to the contrary is overwhelming and almost all respectable breeders house corn snakes alone. Corns are not social creatures, and do not enjoy staying together. Keeping them together will only cause problems.
Substrate, water and hides:
Corns need a substrate that will absorb liquids to prevent bacteria growth and won’t harm the snake. The preferred substrate by many breeders and keepers is shredded aspen, but multiple layers of newspaper, coconut based beddings such as Eco Earth, some other shredded woods, and many commercial beddings work well too. DO NOT USE pine, cedar, fir, gravel or sand as they are either not absorbent or are toxic to the snake. I recommend aspen because corn snakes love to burrow in it, it is absorbent, covers up smell, and looks better than newspaper
Corn snakes need to have a water bowl in their enclosure, preferably big enough for the snake to soak in to cool off or to loosen skin prior to shedding. City tap water is often chlorinated, and because this can be harmful to the snake, it needs to be dechlorinated before use. Besides the chlorine, tap water that is safe to drink is also safe for your pet snake. Do not use distilled water as it does not contain the necessary minerals to keep the snake healthy. The water should be changed at least twice a week as well as whenever it appears cloudy or has been soiled.
The cage should have 2 hides to make the snake feel secure, as corns don’t have great eyesight and prefer to be able to hide in a small, dark house. There should be at least one hide on the warm side of the cage and one on the cool side (more on heating in the Heating section) to allow the snake to thermo-regulate. The hides should not be massive as corns enjoy curling up in a small place for comfort, but make sure the snake can comfortably fit in the hide and you will be able to remove the hide from above the snake to get access to your corn. Extra cover for hatchlings, as mentioned earlier is also important to make your young snake feel secure.
Although corn snakes often climb in the wild for a variety of reasons, they do not often make use of the height of a tank in captivity, and a stick or something else for the snake to climb on is not necessary. Many breeders have too little space and too many snakes to give each snake a lot of vertical space, but if possible I believe it is a good idea if only to give the snake the option to climb. The snake will be comfortable either way.
Heating and Humidity:
The preferred method for heating a corn snake’s cage is by using an under-tank heater (UTH) stuck to one end of the bottom of the tank. Make sure the heater covers no more than one half of the bottom of the tank so that the snake will have a warm area and a cool area to choose from when trying to find the right temperature. The UTH needs to be regulated, preferably by a thermostat although a rheostat works too, so that the UTH will not get excessively hot and harm your snake. Set the thermostat so that the temperature on the glass directly above the heat pad and under the substrate reads between 85 and 89 degrees Fahrenheit. I keep the warmest point above the UTH in my adults’ tanks at 88 degrees. This gives the snake a very warm spot to lie in if needed, but is not hot enough to hurt the snake. Temperatures above 90 degrees F should be carefully avoided for the safety of your snake. If temperatures are too low the snake may refuse to eat because the cage is not warm enough to allow easy digestion. The cool side needs no heating and preferably it should be in the mid to high 70’s. This set up will provide a comfortable home for your corn.
One common question is if a heat lamp or lighting is required. The answer is no, no heat lamp needs to be used and if it is used it will often lower the humidity considerably, and so should probably not be used at all. You can use a florescent light or other light in your snake’s cage, but it is not necessary and is only for better displaying the corn, not for the benefit of the snake. If a light is used make sure to turn off the light for a period of time each day (8 hours is probably a minimum, although I have never used lights) to allow for a night and day cycle.
The humidity in a corn snake’s cage should stay around 35%, but anywhere from 25% to 60% is absolutely fine, so for the most part you won’t need to pay any attention to humidity at all. If the humidity is too low then the snake will have a very hard time shedding which can lead to worse problems. When you notice your snake is in ‘blue’, looking dull in color, mist the cage about once a day until the snake sheds. That will ensure humidity is high enough to allow the snake to shed easily.
If the humidity is consistently too high your snake may develop a respiratory infection (RI), caused by the increased humidity. Immediately air out the cage to lower the humidity. There are treatments for RI which I will not go into here, but try to find a book on corn snakes (which I recommend buying when buying your snake) and contact a reptile veterinarian.
Feeding:
Hatchling corn snakes are fed as often as once every 4 days, and adults are normally fed once every 10 days on frozen/thawed mice. This varies greatly. While the hatchling is eating pinky mice, the smallest available size, it should be fed once every 4 or 5 days. When eating fuzzies and hoppers, the snake can be fed a little less often, about every 5-6 days. When the snake reaches the size to eat small mice/weaned mice the snake should be fed every 7 days. From there the snake will need slightly larger mice later on, but should be fed no more often than every 7 days. If the snake is gaining excess weight and has skin showing between its scales or has what many call ‘hips’ (excess fat that shows as a very sudden narrowing of the body at the cloaca) the feeding can be as seldom as once every 2 weeks. Remember this is just a guide-line. Each snake is different and you will need to adjust for your snake as it grows.
The best way to judge the size of the food item a snake should be fed is to judge the width of the mouse and the width of the snake at its widest point. The food item should be between 1 and 1.5 times the diameter of the snake’s thickest point. This, along with the suggested feeding frequencies above should keep your snake healthy, happy, and growing fast.
Feeding should occur a dusk, when corns are naturally more active and looking for food. The snake should be removed from his cage a put in a small container, like a plastic shoe box or Tupperware, for feeding, and the mouse should be heated up in hot water from the tap to around 100 degrees F. The mouse needs to warm to encourage the snake to eat and completely thawed. The mouse is then dropped into the container with the snake, the lid is put on, and the snake is left to eat in a dark, quite place. Check back on the snake after 15 minutes or so and see if the snake has eaten. If not, leave the snake for another 15 minutes and the snake should have finished off its meal. Once the snake has eaten and the mouse has moved a third of the way down its body gently move it back into its tank.
After feeding a snake needs time to digest the large meal, and so should not be handled or disturbed for at least 48 hours after feeding, at which time the snake has digested the mouse enough to be handled again. The main danger with handling a snake in this 48 hour period is that the snake may regurgitate its meal, which can be very hard on the snake’s system, especially if it regurgitates multiple meals in a row.
Breeding:
Breeding is a great, rewarding experience, and if one greatly enjoys keeping corns breeding them is 10 times as fun, if that’s possible. It’s a thrill to see the little snake noses poking out of an egg and taking care of the hatchlings is a great experience. All this said, you need to have a lot of knowledge on how to properly deal with adults, hatchlings, and how to breed corns. You need to understand the problems that can occur, and how to deal with one if it surfaces. I recommend researching breeding starting at least 6 months before the snakes will breed, and buying a book on keeping and breeding corns. Read the book three times over, and have it available to reference at all times. Taking care of corns should be second nature before attempting breeding, but it is a great experience and a fun project if you have the time and experience to do it properly. I won’t go into further detail here, but make sure to research the subject thoroughly before breeding corns.
Recommended Books:
Corn Snakes: The Comprehensive Owner’s Guide - By Bill and Kathy Love
Available at www.cornutopia.com
Corn Snakes in Captivity - By Don Soderberg
Available at www.cornsnakes.net
Cornsnake Morph Guide – By Charles Pritzel
Available at www.cornguide.com
I highly recommend buying either Don Soderberg’s or Kathy love’s book, if you don’t own one already, to learn the details of corn snake care.
Turner Bohlen
Hot Jupiter Herps
[email protected]
Care Sheet
***These are the basic necessities for a corn snake, but doing your own research as well is necessary and will greatly improve your ability to care for your corn snake.***
Corn Snakes:
Corn snakes are the most popular pet snake in the world, and that’s because they are perfectly suited to living in captivity. They are calm, easily handled, easily kept, and easily bred snakes. They grow to between 3.5 and 5 feet, although snakes over 5 feet are not uncommon. Their medium size makes keeping them simple and handling easy. They are wonderful snakes and the number of color morphs available makes them a colorful addition to any house or collection.
One Note about Your New Snake:
Your snake needs time to settle into its new home. Place your new snake in its fully set-up cage and restrain that urge to handle your new pet - we all know the urge - and let the snake have 3 days to itself without being handled. At that point offer it its first meal as described below. Following that meal you have to wait another 2 days before taking out your hatchling. I know, the agony! But it’s the best for the snake, and that’s what’s most important. After that first meal is down and digested properly care for your new snake and it will be a wonderful pet!
Housing:
A hatchling corn snake is comfortable in a 12” by 8” cage for at least the first year of its life, and often longer. For the rest of the snake’s life it needs a cage at least half the length of its body. A 20 gallon long cage is generally considered the minimum size cage for an adult corn snake to live in comfortably, and a slightly bigger vivarium is always a good idea. Corn snake hatchlings don’t enjoy wide open spaces in their cages, so if you are going to house a small hatchling in a 20 gallon cage to avoid buying a new cage in a year you will want to make sure there is plenty of décor and fake foliage (adults will quickly destroy live plants) to make the hatchling more comfortable and encourage it to explore.
Corn snakes are also great escape artists so make sure there is no way for your new hatchling to get out of its cage. Any hole larger than the snake’s snout will let the snake slip out. Corns will also push up a lid and slip out that way, so make sure the top of your cage is weighted down, clamped down, or otherwise secured. One of the best readily available tank for corns is the critter cage, which many pet stores including Petsmart and Petco carry. It closes securely with two clips and has two small slits in the back to allow for thermostat and thermometer probe cords, but are too small for even the smallest hatchling to slip out of. The cages also have a slot for a lock to further prevent escapes.
Corns need good ventilation but too much may cause problems with humidity or temperature. The best solution is to have a few large, screened holes in the cage or have the entire top screened off. Most cages, unless made entirely of screen, will work well.
The last, and probably one of the most important parts of housing corn snakes is that you must not house multiple snakes in one enclosure. The list of things that can go wrong is long, and includes pre-mature breeding (which can be deadly), stressing out the snakes, and cannibalism. There are a few people who will tell you there is nothing wrong with co-habitation, but the evidence to the contrary is overwhelming and almost all respectable breeders house corn snakes alone. Corns are not social creatures, and do not enjoy staying together. Keeping them together will only cause problems.
Substrate, water and hides:
Corns need a substrate that will absorb liquids to prevent bacteria growth and won’t harm the snake. The preferred substrate by many breeders and keepers is shredded aspen, but multiple layers of newspaper, coconut based beddings such as Eco Earth, some other shredded woods, and many commercial beddings work well too. DO NOT USE pine, cedar, fir, gravel or sand as they are either not absorbent or are toxic to the snake. I recommend aspen because corn snakes love to burrow in it, it is absorbent, covers up smell, and looks better than newspaper
Corn snakes need to have a water bowl in their enclosure, preferably big enough for the snake to soak in to cool off or to loosen skin prior to shedding. City tap water is often chlorinated, and because this can be harmful to the snake, it needs to be dechlorinated before use. Besides the chlorine, tap water that is safe to drink is also safe for your pet snake. Do not use distilled water as it does not contain the necessary minerals to keep the snake healthy. The water should be changed at least twice a week as well as whenever it appears cloudy or has been soiled.
The cage should have 2 hides to make the snake feel secure, as corns don’t have great eyesight and prefer to be able to hide in a small, dark house. There should be at least one hide on the warm side of the cage and one on the cool side (more on heating in the Heating section) to allow the snake to thermo-regulate. The hides should not be massive as corns enjoy curling up in a small place for comfort, but make sure the snake can comfortably fit in the hide and you will be able to remove the hide from above the snake to get access to your corn. Extra cover for hatchlings, as mentioned earlier is also important to make your young snake feel secure.
Although corn snakes often climb in the wild for a variety of reasons, they do not often make use of the height of a tank in captivity, and a stick or something else for the snake to climb on is not necessary. Many breeders have too little space and too many snakes to give each snake a lot of vertical space, but if possible I believe it is a good idea if only to give the snake the option to climb. The snake will be comfortable either way.
Heating and Humidity:
The preferred method for heating a corn snake’s cage is by using an under-tank heater (UTH) stuck to one end of the bottom of the tank. Make sure the heater covers no more than one half of the bottom of the tank so that the snake will have a warm area and a cool area to choose from when trying to find the right temperature. The UTH needs to be regulated, preferably by a thermostat although a rheostat works too, so that the UTH will not get excessively hot and harm your snake. Set the thermostat so that the temperature on the glass directly above the heat pad and under the substrate reads between 85 and 89 degrees Fahrenheit. I keep the warmest point above the UTH in my adults’ tanks at 88 degrees. This gives the snake a very warm spot to lie in if needed, but is not hot enough to hurt the snake. Temperatures above 90 degrees F should be carefully avoided for the safety of your snake. If temperatures are too low the snake may refuse to eat because the cage is not warm enough to allow easy digestion. The cool side needs no heating and preferably it should be in the mid to high 70’s. This set up will provide a comfortable home for your corn.
One common question is if a heat lamp or lighting is required. The answer is no, no heat lamp needs to be used and if it is used it will often lower the humidity considerably, and so should probably not be used at all. You can use a florescent light or other light in your snake’s cage, but it is not necessary and is only for better displaying the corn, not for the benefit of the snake. If a light is used make sure to turn off the light for a period of time each day (8 hours is probably a minimum, although I have never used lights) to allow for a night and day cycle.
The humidity in a corn snake’s cage should stay around 35%, but anywhere from 25% to 60% is absolutely fine, so for the most part you won’t need to pay any attention to humidity at all. If the humidity is too low then the snake will have a very hard time shedding which can lead to worse problems. When you notice your snake is in ‘blue’, looking dull in color, mist the cage about once a day until the snake sheds. That will ensure humidity is high enough to allow the snake to shed easily.
If the humidity is consistently too high your snake may develop a respiratory infection (RI), caused by the increased humidity. Immediately air out the cage to lower the humidity. There are treatments for RI which I will not go into here, but try to find a book on corn snakes (which I recommend buying when buying your snake) and contact a reptile veterinarian.
Feeding:
Hatchling corn snakes are fed as often as once every 4 days, and adults are normally fed once every 10 days on frozen/thawed mice. This varies greatly. While the hatchling is eating pinky mice, the smallest available size, it should be fed once every 4 or 5 days. When eating fuzzies and hoppers, the snake can be fed a little less often, about every 5-6 days. When the snake reaches the size to eat small mice/weaned mice the snake should be fed every 7 days. From there the snake will need slightly larger mice later on, but should be fed no more often than every 7 days. If the snake is gaining excess weight and has skin showing between its scales or has what many call ‘hips’ (excess fat that shows as a very sudden narrowing of the body at the cloaca) the feeding can be as seldom as once every 2 weeks. Remember this is just a guide-line. Each snake is different and you will need to adjust for your snake as it grows.
The best way to judge the size of the food item a snake should be fed is to judge the width of the mouse and the width of the snake at its widest point. The food item should be between 1 and 1.5 times the diameter of the snake’s thickest point. This, along with the suggested feeding frequencies above should keep your snake healthy, happy, and growing fast.
Feeding should occur a dusk, when corns are naturally more active and looking for food. The snake should be removed from his cage a put in a small container, like a plastic shoe box or Tupperware, for feeding, and the mouse should be heated up in hot water from the tap to around 100 degrees F. The mouse needs to warm to encourage the snake to eat and completely thawed. The mouse is then dropped into the container with the snake, the lid is put on, and the snake is left to eat in a dark, quite place. Check back on the snake after 15 minutes or so and see if the snake has eaten. If not, leave the snake for another 15 minutes and the snake should have finished off its meal. Once the snake has eaten and the mouse has moved a third of the way down its body gently move it back into its tank.
After feeding a snake needs time to digest the large meal, and so should not be handled or disturbed for at least 48 hours after feeding, at which time the snake has digested the mouse enough to be handled again. The main danger with handling a snake in this 48 hour period is that the snake may regurgitate its meal, which can be very hard on the snake’s system, especially if it regurgitates multiple meals in a row.
Breeding:
Breeding is a great, rewarding experience, and if one greatly enjoys keeping corns breeding them is 10 times as fun, if that’s possible. It’s a thrill to see the little snake noses poking out of an egg and taking care of the hatchlings is a great experience. All this said, you need to have a lot of knowledge on how to properly deal with adults, hatchlings, and how to breed corns. You need to understand the problems that can occur, and how to deal with one if it surfaces. I recommend researching breeding starting at least 6 months before the snakes will breed, and buying a book on keeping and breeding corns. Read the book three times over, and have it available to reference at all times. Taking care of corns should be second nature before attempting breeding, but it is a great experience and a fun project if you have the time and experience to do it properly. I won’t go into further detail here, but make sure to research the subject thoroughly before breeding corns.
Recommended Books:
Corn Snakes: The Comprehensive Owner’s Guide - By Bill and Kathy Love
Available at www.cornutopia.com
Corn Snakes in Captivity - By Don Soderberg
Available at www.cornsnakes.net
Cornsnake Morph Guide – By Charles Pritzel
Available at www.cornguide.com
I highly recommend buying either Don Soderberg’s or Kathy love’s book, if you don’t own one already, to learn the details of corn snake care.
Turner Bohlen
Hot Jupiter Herps
[email protected]
Jimmysan00
Cornsnake-aholic
i loved the in depth caresheet thanks
Jimmysan00
Cornsnake-aholic
I would if you don't mind and it's not too much trouble. Or you could send it to me via email or message. Thanks in advance for the hard work
so here it is. Really there are only some minor edits, but there you go. Glad this is helping you out. It should also soon be available on my website for anyone else who would like it.
PLEASE remember to cite me when ever using this information. The first post has a mistake in it that implies otherwise, but I can no longer edit. I'd prefer the citing to be the following:
Turner Bohlen
Hot Jupiter Herps
www.hotjupiterherps.com
Thanks
PLEASE remember to cite me when ever using this information. The first post has a mistake in it that implies otherwise, but I can no longer edit. I'd prefer the citing to be the following:
Turner Bohlen
Hot Jupiter Herps
www.hotjupiterherps.com
Thanks
Last edited:
Sarynkitamo
<3 Corn Snakes
I'll probably wind up printing off the text-version you posted, since I can't open Word Documents.
Vista sucks. Thasallimsaying.
In future, though, would it be possible for you to post them as a 'rich text' type of file?
Vista sucks. Thasallimsaying.
In future, though, would it be possible for you to post them as a 'rich text' type of file?
Sarynkitamo
<3 Corn Snakes
<3. Thank you!
Ok, so the server won't upload that format of document, and I have no idea why. I can email it to you if you'd like, but here is the full text version just copied and pasted in any case.
PLEASE remember to cite me when ever using this information. The first post has a mistake in it that implies otherwise, but I can no longer edit. I'd prefer the citing to be the following:
Turner Bohlen
Hot Jupiter Herps
www.hotjupiterherps.com
Thanks
Corn Snake Care Sheet
Corn Snakes:
Corn snakes are on of the most popular pet snakes in the world. They are ideally suited to life in captivity. Corns are calm, easily handled, simply cared for, and easily bred snakes. They commonly grow to between 3.5 and 5 feet in length, and weigh between 300 and 600 grams. This size makes the snakes easy to house as well as handle. Corn snakes are wonderful pets, and with a wide variety of color morphs available, they can suit anyone's preferences.
A Note about A newly bought Corn Snake:
After being moved to a new home, corn snakes need a few days to settle down from the stress of transportation, and settle in to there new home. Leave the new snake alone in its new vivarium for at least 3 days before handling or feeding it. Following that time period, you may handle your new pet and offer it its first meal, as described below.
Housing:
A hatchling corn snake may be comfortable in a 12” by 8” cage for the first few months of its life, but will soon require more room to roam. A 20 gallon long terrarium is generally considered the minimum size cage to house an adult corn snake. If possible, providing a larger terrarium is always recommended. If you are housing a small hatchling in a large cage, remember that many hatchlings are cautious of wide open spaces, and may be less inclined to explore the cage and generally show off. Including many hides and extra foliage in the set up will hopefully encourage your hatchling to venture out more often.
Most cages of the appropriate size will work very well as corn snake enclosures. A terrarium made entirely of screen should be avoided. The large amount of ventilation can cause problems when trying to maintain the correct temperature and humidity levels. This is not to say that in certain circumstances, screen enclosures can't be used successfully, but it may take more planning to keep a healthy corn in such an enclosure.
Another thing to look for in a cage is security. Corn snakes are great escape artists. Corns can sneak out of surprisingly small holes. Make sure screens are fine enough to contain the snake, and look for any holes around the edge of the tank meant for wiring that may be too large. These can be easily plugged if necessary. Corns can also easily lift an insecure lid from a tank. Weighing down the top is not a particularly good way of preventing escapes. Buy clips if you have to, or find a cage who's door latches into place.
The last, and probably one of the most important requirements for housing corn snakes is that you must never house multiple snakes in one enclosure. The list of negative results is long, and includes premature breeding (which can be deadly), unnecessary stress, and cannibalism. Corns are not social creatures, and do not need a “companion” to be content. He risks involved with cohabitation easily out weigh the few benefits.
Substrate, water, and cage furniture:
Corn snakes require a substrate that will absorb liquids to prevent bacteria growth, and will be harmless to the snake. The preferred substrate by many breeders and keepers is shredded aspen, but multiple layers of newspaper, coconut based beddings such as Eco Earth, some other shredded woods, and many commercial beddings work well too. Do NOT use pine, cedar, fir, gravel or sand as they can be very harmful to the snake, especially if ingested.
Corn snakes need to have a water bowl in their enclosure, preferably big enough for the snake to curl up and soak in. City tap water is often chlorinated, and because this can be harmful to the snake, it needs to be de-chlorinated before use. Other than this, there is no reason not to use your drinking water for your snake as well. Do not use distilled water as it does not contain the necessary minerals to keep the snake healthy. The water should be changed twice a week, and when ever it has been dirtied.
Corns enjoy small, dark hides where they can get away from the intimidating openness of a glass terrarium. Always provide two hides, one above the warm end of the tank, and one on the cold end. This will allow the snake to feel secure and at the same time thermo-regulate. Extra cover for hatchlings, as mentioned earlier, is important to make the young snake feel secure.
The above items are only what is required to keep a corn snake healthy and happy. Pieces of wood or rocks for climbing, fake plants, and many other items are well suited to a corn's home, and are welcome additions to any set up.
Heating and Humidity:
The preferred method for heating a corn snake’s cage is by using an under-tank heater (UTH). The UTH should cover a quarter to a third of the bottom of the tank. This limited warm space allows the snake to thermo-regulate between the warm and cool end of its tank. Many UTHs can heat up to well above a corn snake's comfort range. To prevent the snake from being burned, a thermostat or rheostat should be used to keep the temperature of the heating pad reasonable. Keeping the warmest point above the heater at 85 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. The cool side needs no heating and should preferably be in the mid 70’s, although if it drops below this, the snakes don't seem to be bothered.
Along with a UTH, many people wonder if a heat lamp or lighting is required for their corn snake. Corn snakes don't need additional lighting of any kind, and a UTH provides all the heating necessary. If you would like, you can light the cage for better viewing, but make sure to shut of the lights for a period of time each day to allow for a day and night cycle.
The humidity in a corn snake’s cage should stay around 35%, but anywhere from 20% to 50% is absolutely fine. For the most part, you do not need to worry about humidity in the terrarium. Excessively high or low humidity should be avoided if possible. If the humidity is especially low, provide a container of damp sphagnum moss or paper towels so that the snake can find a humid spot to hide in, and to help with shedding. With high humidity, air out the cage, set up a fan, or do what ever else you can to lower the humidity to a more suitable level.
Feeding:
Hatchling corn snakes are fed as often as once every 4 to 5 days, while adults only need a meal every 7 to 10 days. Frozen mice and rats are the preferred food item for corn snakes. Hatchlings will take pinky mice, the smallest available size. As the snake grows, it would be offered larger food items. The general rule of thumb for judging the proper size, is that the food item should be 1 to 1.5 times the diameter of the snake at its widest point. As you feed the snake larger items, you should offer them the food less often. By the time the snake is taking small or weaned mice, the meals should be 7 days apart. If the snake is gaining excess weight feedings should be spread out even more. A fat snake shows skin between its scales, or has what many call “hips”. Hips are a sudden narrowing of the body at the tail. Feedings can be given as seldom as once every 2 or 3 weeks.
Feeding should occur a dusk, when corns are naturally more active and looking for food. The snake should be removed from his cage a put in a small container, like a plastic shoe box or Tupperware. The frozen mouse needs to be heated in hot tap water until completely thawed and warm. Drop the mouse into the snake's container, and leave the snake alone in a dim room for at least 15 minutes. If the snake has not started eating, simply leave it alone for another 15 minutes or half an hour. Once the snake has finished swallowing, and the mouse has moved a third of the way down its body, gently move the corn back into its tank.
After feeding, a snake needs time to digest the large meal. Do not disturb the snake for 48 hours. After this time the snake has digested the mouse and can be handled like normal.
Breeding:
Breeding corn snakes is a great, rewarding experience, but also requires a lot of time and energy to do right. It’s a thrill to see the first little snake noses poking out of an egg, and caring for hatchlings is extraordinarily entertaining. All this said, hatchlings are time consuming, and one must have a large knowledge base in case something goes wrong. If you are interested in breeding corn snakes, buy one of the books recommended below, and read and reread the breeding section. The one bit of information to know right away is that corn snakes should not be bred before they are 3 years old, 300 grams, and 3 feet long. This rule can be stretched for males. For females, if two of the three criteria fit the snake may very well be able to breed, but care should be taken to make sure the snake is ready. Premature breeding, whether accidental or purposeful, can cause serious health issues and even death. Do your research, and should run into no problems and have tons of fun.
Recommended Books:
Corn Snakes: The Comprehensive Owner’s Guide - By Bill and Kathy Love
Available at www.cornutopia.com
Corn Snakes in Captivity - By Don Soderberg
Available at www.cornsnakes.net
Cornsnake Morph Guide – By Charles Pritzel
Available at www.cornguide.com
I highly recommend buying either Don Soderberg’s or Kathy love’s book, if you don’t own one already, to learn the details of corn snake care.
Turner Bohlen
Hot Jupiter Herps
www.hotjupiterherps.com
(508)-202-2866
PLEASE remember to cite me when ever using this information. The first post has a mistake in it that implies otherwise, but I can no longer edit. I'd prefer the citing to be the following:
Turner Bohlen
Hot Jupiter Herps
www.hotjupiterherps.com
Thanks
Corn Snake Care Sheet
Corn Snakes:
Corn snakes are on of the most popular pet snakes in the world. They are ideally suited to life in captivity. Corns are calm, easily handled, simply cared for, and easily bred snakes. They commonly grow to between 3.5 and 5 feet in length, and weigh between 300 and 600 grams. This size makes the snakes easy to house as well as handle. Corn snakes are wonderful pets, and with a wide variety of color morphs available, they can suit anyone's preferences.
A Note about A newly bought Corn Snake:
After being moved to a new home, corn snakes need a few days to settle down from the stress of transportation, and settle in to there new home. Leave the new snake alone in its new vivarium for at least 3 days before handling or feeding it. Following that time period, you may handle your new pet and offer it its first meal, as described below.
Housing:
A hatchling corn snake may be comfortable in a 12” by 8” cage for the first few months of its life, but will soon require more room to roam. A 20 gallon long terrarium is generally considered the minimum size cage to house an adult corn snake. If possible, providing a larger terrarium is always recommended. If you are housing a small hatchling in a large cage, remember that many hatchlings are cautious of wide open spaces, and may be less inclined to explore the cage and generally show off. Including many hides and extra foliage in the set up will hopefully encourage your hatchling to venture out more often.
Most cages of the appropriate size will work very well as corn snake enclosures. A terrarium made entirely of screen should be avoided. The large amount of ventilation can cause problems when trying to maintain the correct temperature and humidity levels. This is not to say that in certain circumstances, screen enclosures can't be used successfully, but it may take more planning to keep a healthy corn in such an enclosure.
Another thing to look for in a cage is security. Corn snakes are great escape artists. Corns can sneak out of surprisingly small holes. Make sure screens are fine enough to contain the snake, and look for any holes around the edge of the tank meant for wiring that may be too large. These can be easily plugged if necessary. Corns can also easily lift an insecure lid from a tank. Weighing down the top is not a particularly good way of preventing escapes. Buy clips if you have to, or find a cage who's door latches into place.
The last, and probably one of the most important requirements for housing corn snakes is that you must never house multiple snakes in one enclosure. The list of negative results is long, and includes premature breeding (which can be deadly), unnecessary stress, and cannibalism. Corns are not social creatures, and do not need a “companion” to be content. He risks involved with cohabitation easily out weigh the few benefits.
Substrate, water, and cage furniture:
Corn snakes require a substrate that will absorb liquids to prevent bacteria growth, and will be harmless to the snake. The preferred substrate by many breeders and keepers is shredded aspen, but multiple layers of newspaper, coconut based beddings such as Eco Earth, some other shredded woods, and many commercial beddings work well too. Do NOT use pine, cedar, fir, gravel or sand as they can be very harmful to the snake, especially if ingested.
Corn snakes need to have a water bowl in their enclosure, preferably big enough for the snake to curl up and soak in. City tap water is often chlorinated, and because this can be harmful to the snake, it needs to be de-chlorinated before use. Other than this, there is no reason not to use your drinking water for your snake as well. Do not use distilled water as it does not contain the necessary minerals to keep the snake healthy. The water should be changed twice a week, and when ever it has been dirtied.
Corns enjoy small, dark hides where they can get away from the intimidating openness of a glass terrarium. Always provide two hides, one above the warm end of the tank, and one on the cold end. This will allow the snake to feel secure and at the same time thermo-regulate. Extra cover for hatchlings, as mentioned earlier, is important to make the young snake feel secure.
The above items are only what is required to keep a corn snake healthy and happy. Pieces of wood or rocks for climbing, fake plants, and many other items are well suited to a corn's home, and are welcome additions to any set up.
Heating and Humidity:
The preferred method for heating a corn snake’s cage is by using an under-tank heater (UTH). The UTH should cover a quarter to a third of the bottom of the tank. This limited warm space allows the snake to thermo-regulate between the warm and cool end of its tank. Many UTHs can heat up to well above a corn snake's comfort range. To prevent the snake from being burned, a thermostat or rheostat should be used to keep the temperature of the heating pad reasonable. Keeping the warmest point above the heater at 85 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. The cool side needs no heating and should preferably be in the mid 70’s, although if it drops below this, the snakes don't seem to be bothered.
Along with a UTH, many people wonder if a heat lamp or lighting is required for their corn snake. Corn snakes don't need additional lighting of any kind, and a UTH provides all the heating necessary. If you would like, you can light the cage for better viewing, but make sure to shut of the lights for a period of time each day to allow for a day and night cycle.
The humidity in a corn snake’s cage should stay around 35%, but anywhere from 20% to 50% is absolutely fine. For the most part, you do not need to worry about humidity in the terrarium. Excessively high or low humidity should be avoided if possible. If the humidity is especially low, provide a container of damp sphagnum moss or paper towels so that the snake can find a humid spot to hide in, and to help with shedding. With high humidity, air out the cage, set up a fan, or do what ever else you can to lower the humidity to a more suitable level.
Feeding:
Hatchling corn snakes are fed as often as once every 4 to 5 days, while adults only need a meal every 7 to 10 days. Frozen mice and rats are the preferred food item for corn snakes. Hatchlings will take pinky mice, the smallest available size. As the snake grows, it would be offered larger food items. The general rule of thumb for judging the proper size, is that the food item should be 1 to 1.5 times the diameter of the snake at its widest point. As you feed the snake larger items, you should offer them the food less often. By the time the snake is taking small or weaned mice, the meals should be 7 days apart. If the snake is gaining excess weight feedings should be spread out even more. A fat snake shows skin between its scales, or has what many call “hips”. Hips are a sudden narrowing of the body at the tail. Feedings can be given as seldom as once every 2 or 3 weeks.
Feeding should occur a dusk, when corns are naturally more active and looking for food. The snake should be removed from his cage a put in a small container, like a plastic shoe box or Tupperware. The frozen mouse needs to be heated in hot tap water until completely thawed and warm. Drop the mouse into the snake's container, and leave the snake alone in a dim room for at least 15 minutes. If the snake has not started eating, simply leave it alone for another 15 minutes or half an hour. Once the snake has finished swallowing, and the mouse has moved a third of the way down its body, gently move the corn back into its tank.
After feeding, a snake needs time to digest the large meal. Do not disturb the snake for 48 hours. After this time the snake has digested the mouse and can be handled like normal.
Breeding:
Breeding corn snakes is a great, rewarding experience, but also requires a lot of time and energy to do right. It’s a thrill to see the first little snake noses poking out of an egg, and caring for hatchlings is extraordinarily entertaining. All this said, hatchlings are time consuming, and one must have a large knowledge base in case something goes wrong. If you are interested in breeding corn snakes, buy one of the books recommended below, and read and reread the breeding section. The one bit of information to know right away is that corn snakes should not be bred before they are 3 years old, 300 grams, and 3 feet long. This rule can be stretched for males. For females, if two of the three criteria fit the snake may very well be able to breed, but care should be taken to make sure the snake is ready. Premature breeding, whether accidental or purposeful, can cause serious health issues and even death. Do your research, and should run into no problems and have tons of fun.
Recommended Books:
Corn Snakes: The Comprehensive Owner’s Guide - By Bill and Kathy Love
Available at www.cornutopia.com
Corn Snakes in Captivity - By Don Soderberg
Available at www.cornsnakes.net
Cornsnake Morph Guide – By Charles Pritzel
Available at www.cornguide.com
I highly recommend buying either Don Soderberg’s or Kathy love’s book, if you don’t own one already, to learn the details of corn snake care.
Turner Bohlen
Hot Jupiter Herps
www.hotjupiterherps.com
(508)-202-2866
Last edited:
ziggybond_007
Team Laura
I used the Eco Earth for awhile, but I noticed that little tiny particles would be stuck in my snake's nose when I'd take him out. I just switched to shredded aspen, and he loves it... Straight away set to burrowing. I don't know if the particles in his nose would cause a respiratory problem, but it made me uncomfortable. Just be careful.
good to know, thanks. I used it for a while before switching to aspen. I switched because aspen was easier to clean, less dusty, and much cheaper. I didn't notice it getting in my snakes noses, but I did notice the dustiness of the stuff. I haven't heard of any serious problems yet though.