Husbandry and Care Instructions
Corn snakes are a relatively low-maintenance pet. Here are
their basic needs and care instructions:
What you will need for your pet snake:
An escape-proof cage (corn snake are escape artists!)
Bedding / Substrate Material
A water bowl
A hide
A heat source to provide a temperature gradient (recommended)
Food (frozen / thawed or live mice)
Cage Selection
As long as the cage is secure you have a lot of options to choose from-
I have seen very basic to very elaborate. Most 'breeders' or 'collectors' use some
form of Sterilite or Rubbermaid boxes/tubs in a rack system. (To see rack systems I use visit: www.animalplastics.com
)
For those with fewer snakes, glass aquariums
with a secure "lock tight" lid will also work very well. Homemade cages are also fine, provided that wood is sealed and the cage is
escape proof. Some vendors make furniture quality vivariums (cages)
as well - a web search can supply you with ideas.
Size: Most adult corn snakes can be housed in 20 gallon long aquariums, larger
cages are also fine, but not necessary. All-Glass
makes 'Critter Cages' that have a sliding lid with back latches that work great.
If you choose to go with Sterilite or Rubbermaid tubs, adults can be housed in
28qt sweater boxes and hatchlings through yearlings in boxes ranging from 6qts
to 12qts. You can find these at Wal-Mart or Target.
*Note: If you have more than 1
snake, please plan to house your snakes separately. This will allow
you to determine any health problems more easily, prevent unplanned pregnancy
(snakes can breed too young and die from becoming egg bound) and will also
reduce the stress level on both animals .
Substrate
I recommend Aspen. It is inexpensive, safe, and easy to find (all pet
stores and Wal-mart carry Aspen).
Other suitable forms of substrate include but are not limited to Reptibark,
newspaper, paper towels, Eco-earth and cypress mulch. Do not use cedar, pine, sand, gravel, or carpet. Cedar and pine have oils
that are toxic to small animals and the others are either irritating to the
snake or harbor bacteria and are very difficult to clean.
*Note about substrate- If you are using any substrate that can stick to the
mice, you will want to feed the snake in a separate container. Ingesting the substrate and
can cause an impaction that can lead to the injury or death of your snake.
I recommend using a Tupper-ware container or a sterilite box (mentioned about)
to feed your snake in.
Heat Source
Maintaining the cage at the correct temperature is vital to care of any reptile.
A temperature gradient of about 72-85 F (21-29 C) should be maintained in the
cage. Under tank heat pads or heat tape can be used, but place only under half
the tank so there is a gradient from cooler to warmer. Be sure to use a thermometer to get an accurate
temperature reading at the hottest spot in the cage at snake level (in the
substrate). I recommend using an inexpensive indoor/outdoor thermometer
with a probe. Put the probe on the warm side in the substrate. Temps
on the warm side should be 80-85 degrees. On the cool side 72-80 degrees.
Try to avoid temperatures below 70F and above 90F.
Hot rocks should never be used; they
fluctuate too much, and too many reptiles suffer severe ventral burns.
*Please avoid stick on thermometers...
These measure ambient air temperature and have no relevance to the temperature
where your snake is.
*Note about UTH's - these can get VERY hot (up to 110+ degrees). If
you use a UTH please get an accurate temperature reading and also use a
rheostat or thermostat to regulate the temperature to a safe level.
Humidity
Corn snakes do not requite high humidity to thrive and will do quite well with
average humidity. 40-50% will do just fine. If humidity levels are
too low your snake may have difficulty shedding. To raise humidity in the
cage - simply add a larger water bowl and /or cover part of the top of the cage
to help hold in moisture. Other ways to increase humidity are: add a
moist hide (a hide box with damp moss or paper towels) or misting the substrate
lightly once or twice a day when you notice the snake is coming into shed.
Water bowl
For hatchlings be sure they can get to the water easily. The water should
be kept meticulously clean. Snakes often defecate in their water, in which case
it should be immediately cleaned. A heavy dish several inches in diameter makes
a good water source. You may find you snake soaking in the dish, particularly
before a shed.
A hide
Hiding spots should be provided - a hide box should be provided that is
just large enough for the snake to curl up in (if it is too large the snake will
not feel as secure). Pieced of bark can also provide hiding spots if on a
substrate that allows them to burrow under them. Ideally, a hiding place should
be available in both the cooler and warmer ends of the cage. A branch can also
be provided for climbing.
Cage Decoration
Avoids things with strong plastic smells and sharp edges and small holes. Fake
silk plants work very well, but can be difficult to clean. Half logs found at
pet stores work great for hides and add a natural look to cages. Most pet stores
also sell branches or vines that you can use if you wish. Just remember,
anything you find outside must be disinfected with either a bleach solution,
baking in the oven on low temperatures, or both.
Cleaning the Cage
You can use a bleach solution (capful or two of bleach mixed with a gallon of
water) and soaking very well afterwards, or by using Nolovsan, or it's generic
counterpart. Nolovsan is a veterinary disinfectant that is safe for reptiles.
Some good places to get quality herp supplies are:
(www.beanfarm.com)
(www.bigappleherps.com)
Feeding
Corn snakes eat appropriately sized mice and rats - only!
Please do not
try to feed your corn snake crickets or any other insect!
Corn snakes should be fed pre-killed mice or small rats (small rats are only
suitable for larger corn snakes). Hatchlings are started out on pinkie mice for
feedings and the size of the prey is increased as the snake grows. The prey item
can be as wide or a little wider than the snakes head. Young growing snakes
should be fed a couple of times a week, while adults need only be fed one
appropriately sized prey item every week or 10 days.
It is not unusual for the appetite to decline
around the time of a shed, so feeding frequency can be reduced if the appetite
diminishes.
Our snakes are typically fed frozen / thawed mice. Hatchlings are fed 1-2
pinkie mice every 5 days. As the snake grows, the food item will increase
in size and the time between feeding will increase. Adults are fed 1-2
adult mice every 7-10 days.
An "appropriately sized" food item should not exceed 1.5 time the
width of the (widest part) of your snake. I prefer to feed items that are
slightly smaller than the maximum size. I also use kitchen shears to cut
through the skin on the back of the pinkie / mouse 3-4 times before
feeding. This helps the snake digest its meal more fully and actually
helps your hatchling absorb more food and grow more quickly.
Our hatchlings are taken out of their cages and put in a small deli cup with the
pinkie mouse for feeding. This helps eliminate distractions. They
are left in the cup for several hours or until they have eaten the
pinkie.
The different mice sizes are:
Pinkie (1-2 day old) , Large Pinkie (3-5 day old), Fuzzy, Crawler, Hopper, Small
Adult, Adult. If you would like to see size comparisons and weight, please
visit: www.rodentpro.com.
Many local herp / pet stores will carry frozen feeder mice.
My preferred source for frozen mice is: www.bigcheeserodents.com
Handling
When receiving your new snake, give it time to settle into its new home.
Everything has changed for it and it should have time to adjust. Wait 3-5
days before attempting to feed it the first time. Try to use the same technique
and schedule the previous owner used to help the snake with its first few
feedings.
Do not handle the snake for 2-3 days following it's feeding, while it is
digesting its food. Handling too much or too early after feeding can
stress the snake and cause it to regurgitate its meal. Your new snake may
hide a lot for the first month that you have it. It will eventually adjust
and begin coming out and will likely get more social as it grows.
(Remember hatchlings in the wild are a great prey item and instinct tells them
to stay out of sight!)
Shedding
As your snake grows it will need to
shed its old skin. Hatchlings grow quickly and will shed usually every 3-5
weeks. As the snakes growth slows, the shed will become less
frequent. Adults will shed just a few times a year. Some snakes will
stop eating when they shed, some you may never even notice when they are 'in
shed' until you find the old skin in the cage. Each snake is
different. Most of the time you will know a shed is coming when you see
the eyes cloud over and turn 'blue', (their colors will usually appear dull as
well). You will be surprised at how much a hatchlings colors change with
each shed as they grow.
For
additional information on Health Issues and Feeding Problems -
please see this excellent FAQ.
All our animals are guaranteed to be in excellent heath and to be eating
regularly. If you have any questions or concerns - please contact us:
Send e- mail to
debcash@kcorns.com or call me at
336-391-3123
