Scientific Name: Elaphe guttata guttata
Common Name:
Corn Snake.
Size:
Hatchlings 7-14", adults up to 5 ft.
Life Expectancy:
± 20 years
Color: Many
colors and pattern morphs are available in the pet trade.
Do they make good pets? Excellent. They’re great for a first
time snake owner. They are inexpensive, feed well, have a great temperament and
come in attractive colors.
Housing:
Aquarium or cage with a tight-fitting screened lid. 24L x 24H x 18D is
adequate, but 30L x 24H x 18D would allow the animal to be comfortable through
adulthood.
Temperature:
75-85° F day, 65-75° F at night. Place a temperature strip 1 or 2
inches above the floor of the tank. The use of a heating pad (or heat tape)
under the tank for
heat is usually not necessary. If your tank gets too cold at
night, then it would be required. I do not recommend using heat rocks.
Humidity:
Usually not a problem, but if it gets too dry they may have shedding problems
and will soak in their water bowl. I usually mist the cage under the heat lamp
every
morning with a water bottle. This keeps the humidity up so they can shed
easily.
Lighting:
Incandescent, shine onto basking area. I use an inexpensive clamp light with a
regular light bulb. About 14 hours light, 10 hours dark under normal summertime
conditions.
Furniture: Hide box, water bowl, large enough for
soaking (add fresh water often or any time there is feces in the water,
disinfect before putting back in the cage), basking branch, thermometer. Corn snakes, like most snakes, like to feel secure in their environment. One
way of providing for this need is to put hiding spots in the enclosure. Hiding
spots can be made of anything, as long as the snake can completely fit inside
the area and hide itself from view. Cheap plastic bowls with a notch cut out
are easy to get but so are many of the commercially manufactured hiding spots
available in pet stores. A hiding spot should be placed both on the warm end
and the cool end of the cage, so that the animal can feel secure in any spot.
Corn snakes kept without appropriate hiding areas become stressed and may
refuse to eat.
Substrate:
Use Newspaper, Paper Towels or the Green Carpet sold in Pet stores for the
first year so there’s no chance of the babies swallowing the bedding. Or you
can use the bedding and feed them outside the tank. They cannot digest or pass
this at an early age. Clean shredded barks, cypress mulch, shredded aspen. Keep
bedding clean and dry. Remove feces at least weekly. Remove sheds when you see
them.
Diet: Mice, Hatchling chicks (don't have as much calcium as mice).
Larger specimens can eat small rats. Choose rodents that are slightly wider
than your snake's body. Always offer food with tongs, never feed rodents to
your snake with your fingers. Hatchling corn snakes
begin eating pinky mice, and progress up to adult mice once they are mature. A
good rule of thumb is to feed the snake a food item that is the same, or close
to, the snake's diameter. Feed an item that is too large, and the snake will
often regurgitate it. Snakes will also regurgitate if they do not have a warm
area or if they are handled too soon after they eat. You should give them 2-3
days to digest their food before handling them. Corn snakes can be fed two
times a week, but once is usually enough. Clean water should be available at
all times, corn snakes drink often.
Feeding Tip: Remove
your Snake from his tank, place the food in and then put him back in. This will
make sure he doesn’t associate your hand entering the tank for feeding time.
Sexual Maturity: Corn snake reach sexual maturity at approximately 2 years of age.
Sexing Your Snake: Sexing your snake is fairly easy. I recommend going to Kathy Love’s Website and watching her ‘Popping’ and ‘Probing’ videos. I have provided the Links below.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Corn Snakes are a great pet. Hold them often, keep them warm,
feed them, love them and they will love you right back. Enjoy your new pet.