Corn Snake Care Guide

Get to Know Your Corn Snake

Basic Information

Common Name

Corn Snake

Scientific Name

Elaphe guttata

Distribution

Eastern to Central United States

Size

3’-6’

Life span

15-20 Years (Average)

Checklist for Your Corn Snake

Food

Habitat with lid

Lighting

Heat lamps

Substrate

Large shallow water bowl

Thermometer

Humidity Gauge

Water conditioner

Moss

Decorations — hides, plants, climbing source

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Feeding Your Corn Snake

Corn Snakes eat rodents
Young snakes should be fed once to twice weekly. Adults can be fed every once a week.
Frozen mice or rats are preferred as live can lead to aggression.
Use hot water to thaw, do not microwave.
The rodent should be at body temperature (98-99 degrees).
When picking a rodent, it should be no larger in diameter than the girth of the snake.
Provide clean, dechlorinated fresh water always.

Corn Snake Habitat

Young snakes can be housed in a 20-gallon terrarium. Adults minimum of 40-gallon terrarium.
Snakes must have a lid-they will get out! Or an enclosure with a lid.
Large water bowl for the snake to submerge in.
Provide two hides for the snake to snuggle up inside securely.
Snake bedding can be aspen, recycled newspaper, artificial turf, and reptile bark.
Pre-moistened moss is suggested for one hide to create humidity which will support the snake when shedding. Humidity should be around 50-60%.

Lighting and Temperature

Reptiles are cold blooded. They will need to absorb heat from their environment.
Use 75W basking light with fixture or a light that will provide a basking temperature of 85°-88°. The cooler side of the cage should be 75°-80°.
Place a thermometer at both sides of the cage to monitor.
Snakes do not require UVB however in captivity there are great benefits and will bring out the colors in the Corn Snake.

Handling Your Corn Snake

Corn snakes are the most popular pet snake in the world.
They are a little squirmier than the ball pythons, but they are just as friendly.
Growing to lengths up to 4 feet, corn snakes come in a wide variety of color morphs and locales (patterns/colors that are specific to a certain geographic area).
They get their name from their belly scales that are colored, similar to Indian Corn (maize).
The corn snake is quite affordable and makes a great pet for beginners.
Some hobbyists will refer to the corn snake as a red rat snake.
It is recommended to house snakes individually, but if not, they need to be separated for feeding.
Important: do not handle snakes immediately after feeding. It is best to give them 24-48 hours to completely digest their meal before handling.