Corn Snakes and Their Care

 

Corn Snakes and Their Care

The colorful, gentle corn snake is an excellent choice for a beginner since it enjoys being handled, is hardy, and develops to between 3 and 5 feet in length, making it an appropriate size for a pet.

These snakes are available in a range of colors and designs, making them an appealing addition to any home. They can live up to 20 years if properly tended for, offering you years of enjoyment.

Choose Your Snake:

Always choose a captive-bred corn snake (Elaphe guttata) among the several options available. Examine the specimens carefully and choose one with clear eyes, a flicking tongue, and alertness. 

Its body should be clear of wounds and scrapes and not slender; look for evidence of mites or ticks, and make sure the snake's vent is clean. Handle the snake and inspect it properly from head to tail before deciding if it is the right snake for you.

Housing:

Corn snake care begins with the environment in which they are housed. Despite being one of the smaller pet snakes, they require a terrarium or vivarium that is appropriate for their size. A 10-gallon tank will suffice for a baby snake, while a twenty-gallon tank will suffice for an adult snake. 

Always keep in mind that snakes can get out of even the tiniest of gaps, so a tight-fitting shirt is vital. For the bottom of your terrarium, you'll need a suitable substrate; newspaper or paper towels can be used, but they're unsightly, whereas reptile bark is more appealing, safe, and readily accessible from your provider.

Snakes should be kept away from wood shavings and corn cob bedding. Another vital requirement is to provide hiding spaces for your snake; premade ones are available, but you could just use a piece of bark hidden in the substrate.

They must be large enough for the snake to curl up out of sight, but not too huge for the snake to feel insecure, whatever option is chosen. 

These hiding spots should be placed in your snake's home's warm and cold sections. A climbing branch is also a lovely accent. To avoid any health risks, the enclosure should be kept very clean.

Self-regulation for keeping your snake warm:

When caring for corn snakes, keep in mind that snakes cannot regulate their internal core temperature and must rely on ambient temperature for this vital function. In order to preserve maximum digestive and immune system function, the enclosure must have both warm and cold places. 

Snakes should be able to warm up to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and cool down to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Use under-tank heating pads to generate this temperature gradient, or place an overhead lamp with a reflector over one side of the tank to achieve this range. Because of the risk of burning the snake's skin, do not use direct heating that your snake can come into contact with.

Feeding:

Corn snakes are easy to care for because they are not picky eaters. Young snakes are fed baby mice (pickling mice) once or twice a week, while adults require adult mice every 10 days or so. These are purchased frozen and defrosted before use. 

One thing to keep in mind is that snakes will stop eating shortly before they shed their skin, which is very normal. You must always have clean, fresh water on hand because they will need to drink it frequently. This water should be checked frequently since they may defecate in it, and if this happens, it should be replaced right away.

More information:

There are numerous wonderful sources of information about keeping snakes on the internet, and you may wish to join a local enthusiast organization in your region. 

Corn snakes and other members of this complex reptile family have some good reference books, and your supplier will be a wealth of information.

Mark Huyton has always maintained reptiles as pets, but after discovering how difficult it was to get pet supplies from pet stores, he decided to create his own business offering everything needed to keep reptiles happy, from live food to the ideal reptile habitat.

Since adding an online purchasing capability to his website two years ago, his firm has risen from strength to strength. Exotic pet supplies may now be ordered and delivered with the push of a few clicks. 

Mark, who is considered an expert in his profession, is always prepared to offer advice on the optimum habitat for domesticated reptiles and their nutritional requirements.