Corn Snake Habitat Kit? The 111 Latest Answer

get a corn snake. I looked up pictures and information about the snake and wanted to learn how to take care of it because I am planning to get one. If my parents think I’m responsible enough, they’ll probably let me have one. That helped a lot. Thank you for the information.”

…”

“I’m an 11-year-old girl who loves snakes, so I took a test online about which snake to get and it told me to do it

As a pet owner, your top priority should always be to provide your pet with the best possible living space. If your pet is a snake, then this article is for you. Owning and caring for a snake is a major commitment and requires a unique habitat for the snake to grow and thrive. Over time, this commitment will only grow as the snake grows. There are many different species of snakes and each has their own specific habitat requirements. So be sure to speak to your local breeder or pet supply store about any specific adjustments that need to be made for your snake. Dive into this article to learn about the general requirements and supplies needed to properly care for your snake and provide it with the best possible habitat.

Start by choosing the right cage or tank for your snake. Snakes grow very quickly. Decide on a terrarium large enough for your snake breed. Small snakes should be placed in a 10-20 gallon terrarium and for other species like king snakes the structure should be around 30-55 gallons. For some species like Python or Boa you might want to build a custom structure or something fairly large. After choosing the right terrarium, add the right light or heat sources to regulate your snake’s temperature. The temperature around your snake is important to the animal’s overall health. Different species have different temperature requirements, but your terrarium needs to maintain a certain gradient to keep your snake healthy. Because snakes are thermoregulators, heat your cage using a series of incandescent lights, nocturnal incandescent lights, tank heaters, and ceramic radiant heaters. If it’s a very large room, you can use space heating outside to maintain the inside temperature. To create even hotter temperatures in certain areas of the cage, use sun lights to create a hotspot for your snake to relax. In addition to incandescent lights, make sure you use full-spectrum fluorescent lights to provide UVB light, which helps promote vitamin D3 synthesis. Always measure the humidity of the tank with a hygrometer to ensure the humidity is at the right level for your snake. Depending on what your snake needs, you may need to add an atomizer or fogger to keep the area humid. Finally, add substrate, plants, and decorations to create a healthy habitat for your snake. Some common substrates for snakes include newspaper, butcher paper, and cypress mulch. Other common decorations and accessories for snakes include a water bowl, lair, rocks, and branches. The rocks and branches will give your snake something to rub against when it sheds its skin.

Again, giving your snake the best habitat is highly dependent on the type of species. Consult the breeder or your local pet store to provide your snake with the best possible terrarium setup.

Natural History Corn snakes are a very common pet snake native to the southern United States. They got their name because they were commonly found in granaries hunting for mice. They are considered harmless to humans and play a very important role in controlling rodent populations, especially around farms. Arguably the most popular pet snake in the UK, corn snakes have been kept and bred for decades. They were originally red/orange and brown, but have since been selectively bred for a range of pattern and color combinations. Although they can grow quite long, they remain slim and easy to manage. They generally have a very passive disposition, making them a great choice for first-time keepers. Corn snakes’ natural habitat consists of overgrown fields, forest edges, flat plains with burrows, or abandoned buildings (especially barns and farmhouses).

Southern United States of America Southern United States of America

Popular products Popular products

Enclosure Corn snakes come from a warm environment, so they struggle with the cold and damp conditions of the UK. To guard against both of these factors, we recommend keeping the snake in a wooden vivarium. Because of the temperature gradient required, we typically choose a chassis at least 3 x 2 x 2 feet with large vents and sliding glass doors on the front. All of this ventilation should ensure that heat and moisture are dissipated from one side of the enclosure to the other, while keeping the basking spot itself at a consistent temperature. Corn snakes can be a bit shy when young. We’re still using the full-size case to ensure the right temperature gradient is in place, but we’ll provide more decorations first.

Heating Of course, corn snakes would be exposed to temperatures of around 90°C in the sun. We try to provide this heat over 1/3 of the case while allowing the rest of the case to cool down to 70° on the opposite side. To achieve this, we attach a sun lamp to the ceiling of the enclosure on one side. This is controlled by a dimming thermostat to ensure the temperature is maintained correctly throughout the day. Corn snakes can reach the top of their enclosure with no decoration to climb on, so the sunlamp must be surrounded by a keeper. The sun lamp is left on for 10-12 hours a day. At night, all lights should be off and the enclosure should be completely dark. This should ensure the snake has a clear day-night cycle. Although the sun has set by this time, there are still rocks, trails and roads that have warmed during the day and will radiate heat for much of the night. To provide this heat throughout the night without bringing light into the enclosure, we place a heat mat under the basking area. The heat mat warms objects around it and provides the corn snake with a warm floor to rest on. To ensure the heating mat stays at the correct temperature it is controlled by a simple on/off thermostat set at 80°C. The heating mat is buried under about 2.5 cm of bedding, the thermostat sensor is then placed on the bedding covering the heating mat so it can track the surface temperature of that piece of soil. During the day, your temperatures are way too warm and the ceramic lamp thermostat should turn it off automatically. The heating mat only starts to heat up when the temperatures have fallen below 80 °C at night. Although the thermostats we sell are very reliable, it is always best to monitor your temperatures with a thermometer. A 5 of variance on the sun spot isn’t a cause for concern as long as your cool side is still cool. A simple dial thermometer on each side should suffice, but digital stick thermometers are much more accurate.

Baby Corn Snake Baby Corn Snake Adult Corn Snake Adult Corn Snake

UVB Lighting Corn snakes don’t need UVB to use the calcium in their diet like other reptiles do, but it’s still a useful addition to the enclosure. The snake would naturally be exposed to UV light from sunlight in the wild and as we try to mimic nature in our enclosures we recommend providing some UVB. A 5% T8 UVB tube, 2-5% T5 UVB tube or a more powerful but smaller unit should suffice. The UV tube should be ceiling mounted at the back of the cabinet to provide a gradient of light parallel to the temperature gradient. There will be times when the snake will want less or no UVB, so partial and full covers should be placed across the full width of the enclosure.

Decoration Corn snakes thrive in a low-humidity environment with tough decorations to climb over and bask on. When choosing a bedding, we try to ensure that the pieces are not likely to increase humidity levels in the enclosure. In the store, we usually use a coarse beech wood chip because it is clean, cheap, easy to clean and dust-free. If you prefer a more natural decoration, an earth/clay mix would be perfect. If you plan on keeping the snake in a bioactive enclosure, a nutrient-rich soil and clay mix with some sand for aeration would be perfect. Corn snakes love the warmth emanating from their sunlamp, but they also appreciate the secondary abdominal warmth radiated from warm objects. Natural stones such as slate are perfect for this, as are heavy artificial ornaments. These decorations can be placed under and around the basking area and should be nice and warm. If the lamp is set too low, there is a chance that natural stones will get too hot. So it is best to check the surface temperature to avoid burns. As discussed in the lighting section, there will be times when the snake doesn’t want UV and needs some shade. To ensure the snake can escape the light if necessary, we recommend providing full and partial coverage throughout the enclosure. Examples of full-coverage decorations are caves, flat pieces of cork, or other ornaments that provide a shady place to rest. Examples of partial coverage would be tall plants, hanging plants.

Diet & Water Corn snakes are carnivores and should be fed frozen, thawed food. Although they are opportunists, we have found that mice are the best food for a corn snake. A particularly large corn snake may transition to the smaller rats once adult, but a rodent-only diet is best. As juveniles, corn snakes should be fed weekly with thawed small mice, as the snake grows the feed size should be increased until the snake takes large mice or even jumbos. Adult corn snakes can be fed every two weeks as they can become overweight if fed weekly. More exotic alternative diets such as gerbils, hamsters, multimummy mice or chicks could be used if the corn snake doesn’t tolerate anything else, but they are not as nutritious as the mice, they can be difficult to find in the required size and they are not always as available. We always place a medium or large bowl of water in the snake’s enclosure. You may notice that the snake uses it for bathing, usually to cool off or loosen its peeling skin. Both the water dish should be kept on the cool side of the enclosure to prevent it from increasing the humidity in the enclosure.

Breeding If you keep a male and a female together, they can reproduce. You don’t have to do anything to encourage this. Of course, as long as they are healthy and the conditions are good, it will happen. You must consider whether this is what you want before introducing the couple. What will you do with the babies when you hatch the eggs? A pregnant female should have access to a nest box to lay her eggs. The box should be big enough for her to turn completely inside. Inside the nest box we use a soil mix that is kept moist enough to hold its shape but not so wet that it saturates all of the eggs. We have found ProRep Spider Life to be perfect for this. After laying, the eggs should be incubated in an incubator at 84oF. We incubate our eggs in sealed boxes on a moisture rich substrate (like Hatchrite) to seal in the moisture around the eggs. After about 60 days the eggs will begin to hatch, the first babies to hatch will stimulate the rest of the eggs to hatch.

If you’re looking for a snake that is easy to care for and has one of the best temperaments of any snake species, look no further than the beautiful corn snake. Corn snakes rarely bite, and when they do, they do no serious harm. Corn snakes do not grow very large (3 to 5 feet) and live an average of 15 to 20 years. Not only are corn snakes easy to breed, but they come in a variety of designer colors. Milk snakes comprise some of the most beautiful subspecies of any genus and they are easy to keep in captivity, which explains why they are incredibly popular with reptile hobbyists. The milk snake genus contains an incredible variety of snakes that come in a wide range of sizes and habitats. Milk snakes come from grasslands, farmlands, pine and deciduous forests and generally reach an adult size of 2 to 5 feet. For these reasons, it’s difficult to provide a single care sheet for all milk snake species and subspecies, but below is a basic overview of how to keep your milk snake happy and healthy.

Click here for Snake Supplies

Housing

Baby and juvenile corn snakes can be housed in an enclosure as small as 10 gallons (20″ x 10″ x 12″H), but adults should be housed in a larger enclosure of 20 to 40 gallons (36″ x 18″ x 13″H). depending on their full adult size to allow for extra space and better design. Because corn snakes are escape artists like most snakes, a secure screen top is absolutely critical to preventing your snake from escaping the enclosure

You can house several corn snakes together in a larger enclosure, but you must feed each snake individually in a separate enclosure to avoid serious accidents. Finally, we recommend keeping corn snakes individually.

Click here for habitats and cages

substrate

Zoo Med Aspen Snake Bedding is generally the best substrate for corn snakes. Reptile keepers also use Zoo Med Repti Bark, Zoo Med Forest Floor Cypress Bedding, or Zoo Med Eco Earth. Baby corn snakes can also be kept on paper towels or similar products until they become hatchlings. Whatever you choose, stick to known products designed for use with reptiles and beware of some commercial aspen brands as these can contain large amounts of dust or other contaminants that may be harmful to your pet.

Click here for bed linen

heating

a

and

Like all reptiles, corn snakes require a thermal gradient consisting of a warm side (86°F) and a cool side (24°C). The best way to heat your corn snake’s enclosure is with a combination of heating mat and ceramic radiant heater. We recommend infrared ceramic heaters. The heating mat and ceramic radiant heater should be on one side while the other side should have no heat source. We recommend controlling the ceramic heater with a thermostat and monitoring the temperatures with a thermometer.

lighting

Corn snakes, like all snakes, do not require light or UV lamps. If you do decide to add a lightbulb to bring more light into your cage, make sure you maintain the right heat but don’t go above 88 degrees. F as it could harm your snake’s health.

Protection

Hiding places in their enclosure are essential for the well-being of your corn snakes. The shelter can be anything from a hide box to a decorative reptile shelter, hide hut or den. It’s always a good idea to have one shelter on the warm side and one on the cool side. If you decide to build a hide yourself, please make sure it is sturdy enough that your snake cannot collapse and get crushed.

Spill

Like all reptiles and amphibians, corn snakes shed all their skin at once. Babies shed more than adults because they outgrow their skin faster as babies. You’ll notice shed time when your snake’s eyes turn a shade of blue and cloudy.

Snakes usually shed their skin easily, but sometimes they have problems if they don’t have the right moisture when they shed their skin. Because of this, it’s important to maintain decent humidity in the cage by misting it a few times a day. This is especially true around the time of shedding. Providing a moist shelter is another way to ensure the necessary moisture during molting. Use moistened peat moss or Zoo Med Forest Floor Cypress in your snake’s skin.

You’ll need to check your snake after it’s skinned to make sure it’s been able to slough off all of the skin, especially around the eyes. If unhidden skin is not removed promptly, serious health problems can result. If your corn snake has retained skin after molting, you can place the snake in a plastic container lined with warm, damp paper towels with the container lid on, or soak the snake in warm water. Leave the snake in the container or warm water for about 30 minutes. The high humidity in the container or the soaking method should loosen the skin enough that you can easily remove it with tweezers. If the skin hasn’t loosened enough, reheat the paper towels with warm water and do another 30-minute session. NEVER use hot water as this can burn your snake.

Click here for bed linen

Click here for hideouts

Click here for Fog & Humidity

water

Be sure to provide your corn snake with a large bowl of water. The bowl should be big enough for the corn snake to suck up its entire body, but not so big that it might have a hard time getting in or out of the bowl. Place the water bowl on the cool side of the cage so it doesn’t evaporate quickly.

meal

Corn snakes eat mice and rats, so the size of the prey depends on the size of the snake. You should not feed your corn snake anything larger than the thickest part of its body. The prey should leave an easily recognizable lump in the snake. This is fairly normal for all snake species. Young snakes are typically fed every 5 days, while adults are typically fed every 10 days. However, it should be noted that some hobbyists feed adult snakes once a week.

Is live feeding or prekill better? Opinions on this issue differ, but we emphasize that thawed frozen rodents are a much better option. First, feeding thawed rodents is easier, and second, it’s a lot cheaper because you can buy rats or mice in bulk and then store them in the freezer. More importantly, it’s significantly safer for the snake. The bottom line is that a thawed prey mouse or rat will never bite or chew on your snake in defense. Nasty rodent bites were inflicted on snakes when fed live rodents. We encourage you to be smart and feed thawed prey.

vitamins

It’s important to feed your snake quality rodents, and it’s always a good idea to coat the rodent with some vitamin and calcium powder before feeding. We stock a full line of high quality reptile vitamins and calcium.

Click here for vitamins

Click here for all supplements

cage maintenance

require minimal maintenance as they typically excrete small amounts of semi-solid liquid. Aspen and similar substrates allow for quick cleaning of faeces and the use of one of ours

You can perform this task when the bowel movement occurs. All bedding should be discarded and the entire cage (including all accessories) washed with a mild detergent at least every four to five months. If you use paper towels, change all paper towels at least once a week.

corn snakes

hibernation

Hibernation, which is natural for corn snakes in the wild, is not necessary for pet corn snakes. We believe you should heat your corn snakes throughout the winter to keep them eating, drinking and active. A generally reduced eating behavior is normal in the winter months due to temperature fluctuations in your barn. As long as they maintain a fairly constant weight this is generally not a problem and normal feeding will usually resume in the spring.

Baby corn snakes, Elaphe guttata, are similar to adults in many ways, except they are much smaller, so they need less space and smaller meals.

Let’s take a closer look at where to buy a healthy pet and how to treat it once you bring it home.

Corn snake babies in a nutshell

You can buy corn snakes at reptile shows or online marketplaces like MorphMarket.

Feeding snakes need not and most of the time should not contain live prey.

A temperature gradient is essential in a baby corn snake’s enclosure.

Start baby corn snakes on small mice and increase the food size as the snake grows.

Where can you buy a baby corn snake?

In the past it has been quite difficult to find a reputable supplier of captive bred corn snakes.

Today things are MUCH simpler. Most corn snake breeders take great pride in their animals and breed many morphs.

Unfortunately, you cannot be assured that everyone who sells baby corn snakes has taken due care in selecting snakes that are unrelated and free of genetic defects.

So how do you find a reputable dealer who can sell you baby corn snakes?

Many pet stores have agreements with breeders and carry full displays of baby corn snakes and other pet snakes.

Not all pet shops are reputable, and some may value profit more than quality pet care.

The other downside to the pet store approach is that you usually can’t speak to the breeder in person, so you can’t gauge their expertise.

One of the BEST options is to travel to your next reptile convention.

Exhibitions and congresses feature hundreds of breeders who go through a thorough application process.

You can find everything from young corn snakes to adult corn snakes and other pet snakes like ball pythons or milk snakes.

Unfortunately, not everyone lives within walking distance of a reptile fair or exhibition. If you’re one of them, you still have options.

One of the best ways to buy your new corn snake is through an online reptile marketplace.

MorphMarket is an exceptionally good site stocking many different species of snakes including corn snakes.

If you buy a corn snake on this platform, your snake will be sent via express delivery and will usually get to you within 24 to 36 hours.

How much do baby corn snakes cost?

The price you pay for your new corn snake depends almost entirely on the morph you choose.

Rare morphs cost significantly more, while wildtype morphs are much cheaper.

For example, when we were writing this article, a basic Amel would cost you around $65. An albino corn snake costs about $40.

An Inferno Motley would cost you around $300, which is average for semi-casual morphs.

Rarer morphs like the palmetto can fetch anywhere from $600 to $750 depending on genetic potential.

The short answer is that the corn snakes are priced based on the appearance of the adult corn snakes of that morph.

Housing baby corn snakes

Housing a young corn snake is easy as long as you make sure their enclosure has a tight-fitting lid.

Most corn snakes are escape artists, happily escaping through any gap they can stick their heads in.

It is important that the enclosure you choose has a tight-fitting lid and mesh covers on any vents that the corn snake could escape through.

temperature and humidity

When setting the temperature for your corn snake enclosure, it’s important to create a warm end and a cool end.

This temperature gradient allows the snake to choose whether to raise or lower its body temperature.

For example, after feeding, the corn snake moves to the warm end, where the heat can help it digest its meal.

You can warm the warm side with a heating pad, heating mat, or heating tape. If you live in a really cold area, you can also warm the cool side, but to a lesser extent.

Aim for the following temperatures:

Warm End: 88-92°F

Cool End: 75-82°F

Ambient temperature: 80°F

You control the temperatures with three high-quality thermometers.

One on the cool side, one on the warm side and one in the middle of the case to measure the ambient temperature.

A corn snake prefers a relative humidity of 40-50%.

substrate

There are many different substrate options for your corn snake enclosure, but some are better than others.

The best option of all is aspen shavings. This affordable, lightweight substrate allows the corn snake to burrow like it would in the wild.

A baby corn snake will need about two to three inches of substrate, but a larger snake may benefit from deeper layers.

If you are using deep layers of bedding for the corn snake, consider using a sunlamp to allow the snake to warm to the surface.

Hidden

Your baby corn snake will need multiple skins to meet their needs.

While a deep bed layer offers the snake a lot of security, it may prefer to sleep in the enclosed spaces of a hideout.

Because a corn snake is exothermic, absorbing heat rather than producing it, their skins should be positioned to moderate their body heat.

Most snake owners offer three skins:

one on the hot side

one on the cool side

a humidity box when the snake begins to shed

How to deal with a baby corn snake

Handling a baby corn snake is easy, but requires some caution.

You can follow these steps when handling your snake:

Carefully lift your snake out of its enclosure. Top tip: If your snake is showing signs of stress or even minor aggression, skip the treatment. It’s better to build trust between you and your pet by allowing them to get used to you before attempting to handle them. Bring your hands together and let the snake slide around in your cupped hands. Your snake will likely scoot around while using its sense of smell to explore its surroundings. Make sure you always have your second hand in place to catch the snake if it moves away from your first hand. Try not to hold your baby corn snake for more than 10 minutes at a time. As it ages, it will settle down and settle down for prolonged handling.

Never attempt to touch your snake when it is about to molt, on a day you have fed it, or after handling mice and rats.

It can smell the rodent odor on your hands and think you came to feed it.

How often should I handle my baby corn snake?

You want to touch your baby corn snake often so that it can get used to you.

Handle your snake at least twice a week. However, never handle your snake more than once a day as it can become stressed.

What Should You Feed Baby Corn Snakes?

In the wild, an adult corn snake may eat birds, rats, mice, or any other live food it can catch. They also have a reputation for eating other snakes.

What do baby corn snakes eat?

In captivity, you should never feed your corn snakes or live rodents. These pets will readily eat most small prey items, making them easy to feed.

Remember that an unbalanced diet can lead to health problems, so ensure as much variety as possible that is safe.

Give your baby corn snake pinky mice and fuzzy rats to start with and increase the size of the meals as they grow.

Remember that your new pets don’t grow very large, so you will never feed them anything larger than an adult mouse.

Other potential food sources for baby corn snakes include small forage lizards and frogs.

These snakes don’t eat much, and you can expect to feed them a single meal every five to seven days. A pack of ten frozen little mice will last quite a while.

Does a corn snake bite hurt?

A corn snake bite is not common, and even large snakes rarely bite their owners.

When your baby snake attacks you, you probably won’t feel anything other than the sensation of something tapping against your skin.

Hatchlings have almost no teeth to speak of, so they are unlikely to be able to sink their teeth into you.

As the baby grows, so will its teeth, and a snake may latch on to you if it thinks you’re something to eat.

If your snake latches onto you, NEVER PULL its head back.

Not only can you snap the serpent’s fangs, but they will tear through your flesh, leaving a gash where you would otherwise have had only puncture marks.

Of course, if you wait a moment, the snake should let go of its jaws when it realizes it can’t eat you.

If the snake won’t let go, you can also drizzle cold water on the spot where the snake latched.

Since the snake cannot afford to lose body heat, it will quickly let you go.

Are Baby Corn Snakes Aggressive?

Young corn snakes and hatchlings are not aggressive at all.

As we mentioned earlier, these reptiles may strike playfully when young, but they are not aggressive.

When threatened, most young corn snakes will hide or attempt to flee. They tend to be shy and nervous creatures rather than aggressive.

Corn snake hatchling

Some new owners find the term hatchling confusing and are unsure of the difference between a hatchling and a baby.

Hatchling is simply the term for snakes that have recently hatched from their eggs and usually have not passed their first shed.

You can hatch a corn snake the same way you hatch a baby at a different age. They can accept food within hours of hatching, although some do not begin eating until after their first shed.

We hope you have found this article on baby corn snake care to be of value. As with any subject, there is still much more to learn.

Most grooming sheets cover the basics, so expand your research by reading some of our other articles.

If you’re unsure if a corn snake is right for you, read our Corn Snake vs Ball Python article to help you take an in-depth look.

You may also want to take a closer look at our detailed corn snake care sheet.

If you get a baby snake, what will you name your new pet? Let us know in the comments below.

It’s so exciting to bring home your new pet snake. However, you need to know that you will have to wait longer before handling your snake than it will take to move it to its new home.

Leave your new pet snake alone for at least seven days as transporting it to its new home is very stressful. Then feed your snake its first meal. To ensure your snake doesn’t throw up its meal due to stress, wait two more days before finally handling your new snake.

Next, we’ll examine why you should wait and what can happen if you don’t wait before handling your new pet snake. We also cover how to deal with a new snake once the week is up.

Why you should wait a week before handling your new pet snake

When you bring your new snake home and place it in its new tank, not only will it be disoriented by its travels, but its senses will be hyper-activated by all the new stimuli they will encounter in the tank.

As you can imagine, all of this is very stressful for your snake and it will need time to get used to its new surroundings and to have you around before you start handling it. This is because it can be very stressful for a Snake to be handled by someone, especially someone completely new to them.

The snake’s stress level is compounded when there are other pets around – whether the usual domesticated pets or exotic pets – or when the aquarium is misplaced or placed in the wrong place (e.g., near noise or in the sun) .

By waiting a week you will ensure that your snake has become accustomed to its new environment and does not find it stressful to be handled by you and does not see you as a threat it needs to protect itself from.

What can happen if you don’t wait a week before handling your new pet snake?

If you don’t wait a week to handle your new pet snake, you risk creating a stress cycle in which your snake will be stressed out about being handled by you, and possibly even scared of you.

This is especially true if you don’t give your snake time to slowly get used to and bond with you. Read on to find out how!

Not only is this stress bad for you because it can lead to your snake biting you because it is stressed and trying to protect itself. It’s also really bad for your snake’s health.

Just as stress takes its toll on the human body and immune system when it is part of a prolonged cycle, your snake’s immune system will also be weakened by the stress they are subjected to from being suddenly held by a stranger in a strange place.

In turn, your snake’s weakened immune system can lead to many health problems and even early death due to these diseases.

These stress levels can be easily overcome by handling (or not handling) your snake properly from the day you get it.

How should you start dealing with your new pet snake?

Next, we’ll walk you through the handling process step-by-step so you can bond with your new snake in the least stressful way possible.

The day you bring home your new pet snake

Of course, you need to treat your snake the day you bring it home and put it in the tank. However, you must also check your snake’s general health before placing it in the tank.

When you take them out of the temporary container, check them for signs of mites, mucus around the mouth area, signs of sores, etc. If they’re in the blue their eyes won’t be bright, but otherwise they shouldn’t be glowing. I don’t have dull eyes.

Note! When your snake checks out, place it in its new tank immediately and leave it alone to explore its new home. If they seem a bit off, contact the breeder immediately, as well as your local vet who can work with snakes.

The 7 days after you bring home your new pet snake

Don’t touch her for the first week that you have your new snake, but do the following:

Clean your tank every day,

Check them for signs of illness or injury,

Check their shedding if they shed the same week you get them. But don’t pull on the skin! Let it pass on its own or contact your vet if you find anything is wrong.

What to do when your new snake doesn’t eat its first meal

On the seventh day you have your snake, offer it its first meal after handling it for a minute or two. If they don’t take the food, try again later in the day. If they still won’t take the food, wait a week (don’t worry, they won’t starve) before trying again.

What to do when your new snake won’t eat its second meal

If you offer the second meal a week later and your snake still won’t take it, you will need to contact the breeder, the vet, or both to find out what to do next and if you should take your snake to the vet.

After your new snake has had its first meal

After your new snake has had its first meal, again avoid touching it for 24-48 hours. This is to ensure that they do not regurgitate (vomit) their meal.

Note! If your snake regurgitates its food, you can’t feed it for two weeks because you need to give its esophagus time to heal.

After this time, begin handling your snake for a few minutes each day, slowly increasing the steps until you are handling your snake for between 15 and 20 minutes. However, try not to let them out of their tank for more than 30 minutes as the humidity and temperature outside the tank are not ideal.

More precautions to take when handling your new pet snake

When handling your snake, always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after handling them. This will ensure you don’t pick up germs from them.

You should also put your snake back in its tank if it becomes restless or stressed about you handling it, as it may bite you if you continue to handle it. You could also lose the bond and trust you’ve built with your snake if you handle it for too long.

Do some snake breeds adjust to their new homes faster than other breeds? Do their personalities matter?

It seems ball pythons take longer to adjust to their new homes, but a snake’s personality plays a big part in whether they adapt quickly or take a little more time.

A “shyer” snake may be one of those who will refuse their first meal and only eat after two weeks of acclimatization to their new home and you. Other, more “extroverted” snakes may interact easily with you while you’re cleaning the tank a few days after you get them.

But whether your snake is an introvert or an extrovert, you should respect them and move on, whether they are willing to be handled, etc. rather than forcing them.

Conclusion

When you get a new snake you need to leave it alone for a week before you feed it and handle it to allow it to get used to its new home.

You should also heed their cues on whether or not to handle your snake, and not force them to be handled for any length of time — or at all — if they’re not ready.

One of the reasons corn snakes make such spectacular pets for beginners is that they’re one of the few reptile species hardy (and patient) enough to put up with regular handling. Read on to learn everything you need to know about handling corn snakes.

How to tame a corn snake

After bringing your new pet home, you will have to wait a while for them to settle in. This usually lasts about 2 weeks, but you should not start handling until it is eating regularly.

Once your corn snake is ready to be handled, take it slow at first—just like in any relationship. Start with short handling sessions (no longer than 5 minutes) and do not return the snake until it is calm. This teaches your pet how to behave during handling using rudimentary positive reinforcement. Once this is achieved you can work up to 10 minutes and gradually longer from there.

Corn snakes should be handled at least once or twice a week, but not more than once a day. Snakes don’t need social interaction for their sanity, but handling helps the snake stay tame and can also be a good opportunity for exercise. For more information on snake taming and training, I recommend checking out Lori Torrini’s YouTube channel.

How to keep your corn snake

Before picking your corn snake up, make sure she’s awake by patting her gently with a paper towel roll or petting her body with a snake hook. This will help him realize that it’s time for handling and not eating. As soon as its tongue starts to flick, you know the snake is awake. If you’re worried about being bitten, wear a pair of lightweight gloves.

Use your hand(s) to approach your snake from the side – approaching from above can trigger defensive instincts, as predators in the wild often attack from above. When lifting, hold as much of his body as possible and avoid grabbing his tail or holding his head.

Once the snake is in your hands and out of its enclosure, hold it close to your body and gently guide its movements with your hands. Corn snakes like to explore, so expect her to start climbing up your arms. Many like to drape around their owner’s neck or try to climb up their owner’s facial features (I’ve heard goggles are particularly popular for some reason). If this makes you uncomfortable, use one hand to gently guide the snake’s head away from your face.

When NOT to keep your corn snake

If your snake has eaten a meal in the last 48 hours, it’s not a good idea to start a treatment session. At worst, handling shortly after a meal can cause belching, which is very stressful and can even kill the snake. At best, it’s a very uncomfortable experience.

If your snake is in the shed, wait to handle the corn snake. A snake “in the blue” appears to have bluish, cloudy eyes, meaning they can be particularly defensive because they can’t see well. Wait for your pet to molt, then resume normal treatment.

will it bite me

Any animal with a mouth can and will bite with enough provocation – even I would bite someone if it were bothersome enough!

Cubs and young hatchlings are very nervous and defensive (actually a bit like a Napoleon complex) at this stage of life and will lash out at everything. This can be intimidating, but don’t get discouraged – you probably won’t even feel it.

Even adult bites aren’t severe or very painful, so you really don’t need to worry.

If the snake doesn’t “slam and let go,” resist the urge to pluck it off you. This puts her in danger of having her teeth ripped out, which can lead to a nasty infection from the snake. Instead, pour some cold water or a little Listerine mouthwash over your head and it should work itself out. Treat the “wound” with soap and water and you will be like a rain shower.

Body language of the corn snake

Corn snake body language is very simple, but there are a few pointers you should know in order to create the best possible relationship with your pet.

Tongue flicks in and out: Snake “smells” the air. That’s how it knows when prey or a human is nearby. Also signals that the snake is awake.

No movement or tongue flicking: Snake is probably asleep (they don’t have eyelids to close). Proceed carefully.

Head tucked in, neck coiled in an S-shape: Snake feels threatened and prepares to defend himself if necessary. Can also prepare to attack prey.

Hiss: Snake tells you to “go away”.

Tail shake/rattle: Snake feels threatened and tries to shoo away perceived predator.

Musky/Feces During Handling: Snake perceives you as a predator and uses feces or an unpleasant smelling musk to escape.

Cloudy/bluish eyes: Snake is preparing to cast off. Can be particularly defensive due to lack of sight.

At the end of the day, respect your snake’s mood. If they seem moody or uncomfortable, leave them alone.

PRO TIP: Wash your hands after handling prey or food for your other animals, as the smell could lead the snake to mistake your hands for food.

Continue reading:

Do you think you know snakes? Take our snake quiz

Although corn snakes are often confused with the venomous copperhead due to their slightly similar patterns, they do not possess venom that harms humans or other animals. They are neither poisonous nor dangerous. Aside from their completely harmless nature, corn snakes are actually good for the environment. Because the primary prey for corn snakes are rodents, which are often considered ferocious pests in crops and plantations, many farmers thank corn snakes for controlling rodent populations.

The corn snake is a species of rat snake native to North America. It has no venom, is not equipped with sharp fangs, and is not large enough to constrict large animals or humans. Corn snakes are docile and are usually reluctant to bite humans, making them harmless. These snakes are also often kept as pets because of their shy demeanor. Plus, they’re easy to care for as most of their diet comes only from rodents!

Do corn snakes bite?

Corn snakes will bite, but they are usually docile. Kurit afshen/Shutterstock.com 10,397 people failed this quiz. Do you think you can? Take our brand new A-Z Animals Snakes Quiz

Corn snakes will bite, but it’s nothing to be afraid of. They are usually docile and will only bite when threatened. Corn snake bites are relatively harmless, and since they do not have venom, their bites leave no more than shallow bite marks. If a corn snake bites you, it can cause mild pain, but nothing unbearable. Corn snake bites usually feel like a pinch and draw little to no blood.

Corn snake bites are not harmful and do not cause more than a little discomfort. Being bitten by a dog would be even more painful than being bitten by a corn snake. Because of their shy and friendly nature, corn snakes make the best pets for both novice and advanced snake owners. You wouldn’t have to worry about your pet corn snake biting you. If so, it must have been a rare and extreme circumstance and the corn snake may have viewed you as a threat.

Corn snakes have teeth but no fangs. Since they don’t need to inject venom through their fangs, their fangs are primarily used to grab their prey before swallowing it whole. Although corn snakes have teeth, don’t worry about their bites. People often mistake corn snakes for venomous copperheads, so most think corn snake bites are dangerous. In contrast, corn snakes lack fangs and cause no symptoms. Corn snakes are good for the environment and for farmers. Since they feed mainly on rodents, they help in pest control.

Are corn snakes dangerous to humans?

Because corn snakes are one of the least harmful species of snakes in the world, they are not dangerous to humans. iStock.com/Vagengeym_Elena

Corn snakes are one of the least harmful species of snakes on the planet. They are docile and not dangerous to humans. They help people, especially farmers, to control pests like rodents in farms, crops and plantations. Although they can bite, their bites are nearly painless and cause no symptoms. Captive corn snakes are even more docile and safe to handle. Corn snakes can sometimes carry bacteria in their mouths that could cause your wound infection, so it’s best to disinfect after a corn snake bite.

Because corn snakes are non-venomous, they use their bodies to coil around and constrict small prey. Corn snakes can grow up to 6 feet long, but they aren’t strong or aggressive enough to snare humans. When threatened by predators in the wild, corn snakes may bite as a last resort, but would scoot away and hide instead. If, on a rare occasion, a corn snake has bitten you, it must have viewed you as a threat.

Corn snakes can cling to your skin when they bite you because that’s the natural way they bite their prey. Do not pluck the snake off in this case, as the corn snake’s tooth structure will injure you worse and deepen the corn snake’s wound. The corn snake’s teeth are angled inward, preventing its prey from escaping. Peeling the snake from your skin will do more harm than good. It’s best to relax and wait for the corn snake to detach.

Are corn snakes poisonous?

Corn snakes are neither poisonous nor dangerous. Enrique Ramos/Shutterstock.com

Corn snakes are neither poisonous nor poisonous. In other words, corn snakes can’t hurt you, and while they’re constrictors, they wouldn’t squirm around humans because they don’t see us as a natural part of their diet. Corn snakes can sometimes carry bacteria in their mouths that can cause a mild infection when they bite. But other than that, corn snakes are generally harmless and non-venomous. Corn snakes are good for the environment and should not be killed or disturbed.

Unlike most venomous snake bites, which cause symptoms when envenomed, corn snake bites leave nothing but light marks. Since they don’t have fangs and their teeth are so tiny, corn snake bites wouldn’t hurt very much and wouldn’t leave two swollen puncture marks. Their bites will not give you any symptoms either. It’s like being bitten by a random pet! A corn snake’s bite only feels like a pinch, and often a little blood comes out. But since they don’t have any anticoagulant venom either, the bleeding usually stops after a while.

How to avoid corn snake bites

Corn snakes will only bite if they see you as a threat. Even then, they’d rather hide and roll around. If cornered, they can strike as a last resort, but it’s worth noting that these snakes have no intention of biting you if that happens. They want to warn you to back off. Corn snakes are safe to handle, and as long as you handle them carefully, they won’t bite. If you are bitten by a corn snake, make sure you disinfect the wound to get rid of any bacteria it may have transmitted to you.

If you’re looking for a snake that is easy to care for and has one of the best temperaments of any snake species, look no further than the beautiful corn snake. Corn snakes rarely bite, and when they do, they do no serious harm. Corn snakes do not grow very large (3 to 5 feet) and live an average of 15 to 20 years. Not only are corn snakes easy to breed, but they come in a variety of designer colors. Milk snakes comprise some of the most beautiful subspecies of any genus and they are easy to keep in captivity, which explains why they are incredibly popular with reptile hobbyists. The milk snake genus contains an incredible variety of snakes that come in a wide range of sizes and habitats. Milk snakes come from grasslands, farmlands, pine and deciduous forests and generally reach an adult size of 2 to 5 feet. For these reasons, it’s difficult to provide a single care sheet for all milk snake species and subspecies, but below is a basic overview of how to keep your milk snake happy and healthy.

Click here for Snake Supplies

Housing

Baby and juvenile corn snakes can be housed in an enclosure as small as 10 gallons (20″ x 10″ x 12″H), but adults should be housed in a larger enclosure of 20 to 40 gallons (36″ x 18″ x 13″H). depending on their full adult size to allow for extra space and better design. Because corn snakes are escape artists like most snakes, a secure screen top is absolutely critical to preventing your snake from escaping the enclosure

You can house several corn snakes together in a larger enclosure, but you must feed each snake individually in a separate enclosure to avoid serious accidents. Finally, we recommend keeping corn snakes individually.

Click here for habitats and cages

substrate

Zoo Med Aspen Snake Bedding is generally the best substrate for corn snakes. Reptile keepers also use Zoo Med Repti Bark, Zoo Med Forest Floor Cypress Bedding, or Zoo Med Eco Earth. Baby corn snakes can also be kept on paper towels or similar products until they become hatchlings. Whatever you choose, stick to known products designed for use with reptiles and beware of some commercial aspen brands as these can contain large amounts of dust or other contaminants that may be harmful to your pet.

Click here for bed linen

heating

a

and

Like all reptiles, corn snakes require a thermal gradient consisting of a warm side (86°F) and a cool side (24°C). The best way to heat your corn snake’s enclosure is with a combination of heating mat and ceramic radiant heater. We recommend infrared ceramic heaters. The heating mat and ceramic radiant heater should be on one side while the other side should have no heat source. We recommend controlling the ceramic heater with a thermostat and monitoring the temperatures with a thermometer.

lighting

Corn snakes, like all snakes, do not require light or UV lamps. If you do decide to add a lightbulb to bring more light into your cage, make sure you maintain the right heat but don’t go above 88 degrees. F as it could harm your snake’s health.

Protection

Hiding places in their enclosure are essential for the well-being of your corn snakes. The shelter can be anything from a hide box to a decorative reptile shelter, hide hut or den. It’s always a good idea to have one shelter on the warm side and one on the cool side. If you decide to build a hide yourself, please make sure it is sturdy enough that your snake cannot collapse and get crushed.

Spill

Like all reptiles and amphibians, corn snakes shed all their skin at once. Babies shed more than adults because they outgrow their skin faster as babies. You’ll notice shed time when your snake’s eyes turn a shade of blue and cloudy.

Snakes usually shed their skin easily, but sometimes they have problems if they don’t have the right moisture when they shed their skin. Because of this, it’s important to maintain decent humidity in the cage by misting it a few times a day. This is especially true around the time of shedding. Providing a moist shelter is another way to ensure the necessary moisture during molting. Use moistened peat moss or Zoo Med Forest Floor Cypress in your snake’s skin.

You’ll need to check your snake after it’s skinned to make sure it’s been able to slough off all of the skin, especially around the eyes. If unhidden skin is not removed promptly, serious health problems can result. If your corn snake has retained skin after molting, you can place the snake in a plastic container lined with warm, damp paper towels with the container lid on, or soak the snake in warm water. Leave the snake in the container or warm water for about 30 minutes. The high humidity in the container or the soaking method should loosen the skin enough that you can easily remove it with tweezers. If the skin hasn’t loosened enough, reheat the paper towels with warm water and do another 30-minute session. NEVER use hot water as this can burn your snake.

Click here for bed linen

Click here for hideouts

Click here for Fog & Humidity

water

Be sure to provide your corn snake with a large bowl of water. The bowl should be big enough for the corn snake to suck up its entire body, but not so big that it might have a hard time getting in or out of the bowl. Place the water bowl on the cool side of the cage so it doesn’t evaporate quickly.

meal

Corn snakes eat mice and rats, so the size of the prey depends on the size of the snake. You should not feed your corn snake anything larger than the thickest part of its body. The prey should leave an easily recognizable lump in the snake. This is fairly normal for all snake species. Young snakes are typically fed every 5 days, while adults are typically fed every 10 days. However, it should be noted that some hobbyists feed adult snakes once a week.

Is live feeding or prekill better? Opinions on this issue differ, but we emphasize that thawed frozen rodents are a much better option. First, feeding thawed rodents is easier, and second, it’s a lot cheaper because you can buy rats or mice in bulk and then store them in the freezer. More importantly, it’s significantly safer for the snake. The bottom line is that a thawed prey mouse or rat will never bite or chew on your snake in defense. Nasty rodent bites were inflicted on snakes when fed live rodents. We encourage you to be smart and feed thawed prey.

vitamins

It’s important to feed your snake quality rodents, and it’s always a good idea to coat the rodent with some vitamin and calcium powder before feeding. We stock a full line of high quality reptile vitamins and calcium.

Click here for vitamins

Click here for all supplements

cage maintenance

require minimal maintenance as they typically excrete small amounts of semi-solid liquid. Aspen and similar substrates allow for quick cleaning of faeces and the use of one of ours

You can perform this task when the bowel movement occurs. All bedding should be discarded and the entire cage (including all accessories) washed with a mild detergent at least every four to five months. If you use paper towels, change all paper towels at least once a week.

corn snakes

hibernation

Hibernation, which is natural for corn snakes in the wild, is not necessary for pet corn snakes. We believe you should heat your corn snakes throughout the winter to keep them eating, drinking and active. A generally reduced eating behavior is normal in the winter months due to temperature fluctuations in your barn. As long as they maintain a fairly constant weight this is generally not a problem and normal feeding will usually resume in the spring.

To heat up your corn snake’s enclosure:

Heat is a type of energy called infrared. Infrared is invisible to humans and most reptiles (certain snakes being the exception). Just as there are different types of ultraviolet light, there are also different types of infrared: IR-A, IR-B, and IR-C.

IR-A is the strongest infrared wavelength. It is able to penetrate the deepest of animal tissues, making it particularly effective in delivering energy to ectotherms such as reptiles. It also has healing properties and is used clinically as a form of therapy. IR-A is present in large amounts in sunlight.

is the strongest wavelength of infrared. It is able to penetrate the deepest of animal tissues, making it particularly effective in delivering energy to ectotherms such as reptiles. It also has healing properties and is used clinically as a form of therapy. IR-A is present in large amounts in sunlight. IR-B is the second strongest wavelength of infrared. It penetrates less deeply than IR-A and is less effective, but can still be considered “high quality” heat. IR-B is also present in significant amounts in sunlight.

is the second strongest wavelength of infrared. It penetrates less deeply than IR-A and is less effective, but can still be considered “high quality” heat. IR-B is also present in significant amounts in sunlight. IR-C is the weakest wavelength of infrared. It does not penetrate above the skin, making it the least efficient source of heat for sunbathing. It is present in very small amounts in sunlight and is more commonly perceived as radiant heat from sun-heated objects such as rocks and asphalt.

The goal of providing heat in a reptile enclosure is to mimic as closely as possible the forms of heat it would experience in the wild. For more information, I recommend reading Next Level Heating: Why Infrared Wavelengths Matter by Roman Muryn.

BEST: heat lamps

In nature, heat comes from the sun (above), not from the ground (below). In fact, reptiles retreat underground to escape the sun and become cooler, not warmer. Applying heat from below, like a heat mat, is therefore unnatural and encourages unnatural behavior. Heat lamps solve this problem by mimicking the action of the sun, heating both the air and the ground below.

Of course, there are different types of heat lamps:

Halogen and incandescent lamps mainly produce IR-A and IR-B.

Deep heat projectors and other carbon filament lamps produce primarily IR-B and IR-C.

Ceramic radiant heaters mainly produce IR-C.

Given that the goal is to replicate sunlight as the primary heat source in a corn snake’s environment, we recommend using halogen floodlights as the most effective method of providing heat to your corn snake. There are many different types of heat bulbs on the market, from reptile-specific brands to ordinary bulbs available at your local hardware store. Reptile brand halogen bulbs can work well, but they tend to be short-lived. Personally, I’ve had the best experience with the Philips 90W Halogen PAR38 Flood Lamp.

For best results, get 2 bulbs and mount them in a Zoo Med Mini Combo Deep Dome Light or two 5.5″ dome lights. For safety reasons, the lamp socket must be made of ceramic, not plastic. I also recommend getting some plug-in lamp dimmers like the Lutron Credenza so you can dim the bulbs if they get too hot. Alternatively, invest in a proportional (dimming) thermostat like the Herpstat 2, which will do this for you automatically.

Place the heat lamps over the sun’s surface, which should be the same thick branch that is placed under the UVB lamp. I recommend using two heat bulbs instead of just one as this allows for more even heating of your snake’s body, which is better for circulation and overall health. Using a bulb is not a problem when your snake is still a hatchling, but as it grows it becomes a problem.

If you’re worried about “stomach heat,” here’s good news: the branch naturally absorbs heat from the heat lamp, warming the snake from underneath as it sits on it.

GOOD: heating mats

Heat mats are still the most common method of heating corn snakes. While they have proven effective in keeping the snakes alive and reproducing, they are not optimal. Heat mats only produce IR-C, the weakest form of heat, resulting in inefficient sunbathing. The snakes have to lie on the mats for a long time to collect the heat energy they need. In addition, they do little to heat the air in the case. For these reasons, I do not recommend using a heat mat as your snake’s primary heat source.

However, heating mats can be a good secondary heat source. When connected to a thermostat for safety and programmed to sun temperature, they can be used to create a nice warm hiding place for your snake, comparable to a sun-warmed burrow in the wild.

To do this, choose a quality heat mat that is about the same size as your snake’s warm fur. Trusted brands of heat blankets include Fluker’s and Ultratherm. Place mat under skin covered by about 2″ of substrate. Then insert the mat into a thermostat and place the thermostat probe inside the skin on the substrate. Regularly check the placement of the probe.

Heat mats are only safe to use when paired with a thermostat, a device that regulates how hot the mat gets. Even though the heating mat claims not to need a thermostat because it only reaches a certain advertised temperature, believe me – it still needs a thermostat. Quite a few snakes have been boiled to death due to malfunctioning heating mats!

Thermostats vary in quality and price (lower price usually means lower quality). Herpstat is the best and most reliable, but if you’re on a tight budget, Inkbird and the Exo Terra Thermostat are budget options. Make sure you buy a thermostat that is appropriate for the wattage of your heating mat.

DO NOT USE HEATING STONES!

Heat stones (aka hot stones/stone heaters/etc.) are manufactured and sold under the same premises as an electric blanket – convenient warmth whenever your reptile needs it. Sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it? However, heat stones are notoriously unreliable, and many reptiles have lost their lives due to severe burns inflicted by these devices. Also, they are not a good choice for heating your enclosure as they only heat the surface of the rock, not the surrounding air.