snakeman405
New member
hey everyone, first time post here so thought i would share how i care for my corn! and soon to be, corns!
well here goes
Corn snake care sheet
Sexing: I cant personally tell you how to tell the sex of your corn, the pet store i bought mine at popped them and told me the sex and that's how i remember.
I suggest you go to a reptile vet or well trusted reptile store to tell your snakes sex.
Most Active During: Night
Substrate and water needs: for substrate i use aspen snake bedding by zoo med, you can use whatever you like, except pine or cedar as these are rumored to have toxic oils which can kill your snake, ive never used them never will, but that is what i have heard.
For water i replace it every 4 days or whenever it is below half full/ dryed up.
just make sure the bowl is big enough so your snake can fully submerge itself in.
Lighting and uvb: Corn snakes dont need uvb, it makes them look better but they get all the vitamins and minerals they need from mice/rats.
for lighting you can just use a standard flourescent fixture.
Temperatures and Humidity: I keep my corn snake with a cool side of 75 and a warm side of 85. This is so your snake can thermoregulate its body temperature.
Heating and Equipment: i dont use heat mats, i never have and never will because they are unnatural. Let me tell you why, in the wild snakes burrow to escape heat, the further they burrow, the cooler it gets, so if your cage is too hot the snake will just burrow down into your aspen or whatever your using, and he will just go toward the heat source, leaving him no way to cool down.
i use a 50 watt bulb on one side of the cage.
Caging: caging is pretty simple i use a 20 gallon critter condo for my baby corn, i have a rule of my own which you can follow or not follow, again it works for me. if my snake cannot fully stretch out the cage is too small, you must remember snakes have only 1 lung and if they are too cramped they may get stressed and die.
so that means if you have a 5 foot cornsnake, you should buy a 5 foot cage, if you have a 1 foot cornsnake, then a 1 foot cage is fine, i use this rule for all snakes.
feeding: feed babies every 5 days and adults once a week, i dont handle my corn snake after feeding because im afraid he might regurgitate, i only handle before feeding.
it is okay to feed inside the cage as long as the mouse is not on the substrate and on a platter or rock of some sort. i hand feed my cornsnake inside the cage, this way he knows its feeding time when he doesnt leave the cage, and its handling time when i take him out.
setting up your cage:
put 1 hide box on the warm side and the water bowl on the cool side, i have a cliimbing branch in my cage purely for aesthetics, he uses it and its quite fun to watch him climb.
use 1 hide box and 1 hide box only because if he likes the other a tiny bit better he may just stay in that one regardless the temperature of your cage.
maintenance: spot clean whenever you see feces or whatever, clean the cage once a month, replace susbtrate every 3 months
well here goes
Corn snake care sheet
Sexing: I cant personally tell you how to tell the sex of your corn, the pet store i bought mine at popped them and told me the sex and that's how i remember.
I suggest you go to a reptile vet or well trusted reptile store to tell your snakes sex.
Most Active During: Night
Substrate and water needs: for substrate i use aspen snake bedding by zoo med, you can use whatever you like, except pine or cedar as these are rumored to have toxic oils which can kill your snake, ive never used them never will, but that is what i have heard.
For water i replace it every 4 days or whenever it is below half full/ dryed up.
just make sure the bowl is big enough so your snake can fully submerge itself in.
Lighting and uvb: Corn snakes dont need uvb, it makes them look better but they get all the vitamins and minerals they need from mice/rats.
for lighting you can just use a standard flourescent fixture.
Temperatures and Humidity: I keep my corn snake with a cool side of 75 and a warm side of 85. This is so your snake can thermoregulate its body temperature.
Heating and Equipment: i dont use heat mats, i never have and never will because they are unnatural. Let me tell you why, in the wild snakes burrow to escape heat, the further they burrow, the cooler it gets, so if your cage is too hot the snake will just burrow down into your aspen or whatever your using, and he will just go toward the heat source, leaving him no way to cool down.
i use a 50 watt bulb on one side of the cage.
Caging: caging is pretty simple i use a 20 gallon critter condo for my baby corn, i have a rule of my own which you can follow or not follow, again it works for me. if my snake cannot fully stretch out the cage is too small, you must remember snakes have only 1 lung and if they are too cramped they may get stressed and die.
so that means if you have a 5 foot cornsnake, you should buy a 5 foot cage, if you have a 1 foot cornsnake, then a 1 foot cage is fine, i use this rule for all snakes.
feeding: feed babies every 5 days and adults once a week, i dont handle my corn snake after feeding because im afraid he might regurgitate, i only handle before feeding.
it is okay to feed inside the cage as long as the mouse is not on the substrate and on a platter or rock of some sort. i hand feed my cornsnake inside the cage, this way he knows its feeding time when he doesnt leave the cage, and its handling time when i take him out.
setting up your cage:
put 1 hide box on the warm side and the water bowl on the cool side, i have a cliimbing branch in my cage purely for aesthetics, he uses it and its quite fun to watch him climb.
use 1 hide box and 1 hide box only because if he likes the other a tiny bit better he may just stay in that one regardless the temperature of your cage.
maintenance: spot clean whenever you see feces or whatever, clean the cage once a month, replace susbtrate every 3 months
