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Corn Snake
(Pantherophis Guttatus Guttatus)
The corn snake is one of the
best starter snakes for anyone that is interested in the hobby of keeping and/or
breeding snakes. Corn Snakes belong to the Colubridae family of snakes, and the
full genetic family name is Pantherophis
Guttatus Guttatus. These snakes are native to
the United States and can be found in most of the mid eastern states, which
include North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, Virginia,
West Virginia, and others in this area. Now, they have become quite a commodity
and captive bred specimens can be purchased in all 50 states, Canada, Europe,
Asia, and most other places in the world. They are probably one of the most
interesting family of snakes as there is a wide range of color variations in the
captive bred community (which will be discussed later on in this
care sheet).
Purchasing your first Corn Snake
The purchase of your first corn snake can be a large decision or can be as easy
as going to your nearest pet/reptile store. Most people recommend that you
purchase your corn directly from a breeder so that you will have accurate
information regarding the history of the snake. This info will include genetics,
feedings, sheds, temperament, and any other information that the breeder may
have. Buying from the breeder will also give you access to answers of questions
you may have on the care and keeping of your new corn snake.
Purchasing from a pet/reptile store may be cheaper, but you will be dealing with
an animal that wasn’t handled very often, may not have been fed correctly,
possibly exposed to illnesses carried by other animals in the store, etc.
Although, buying from a pet/reptile store can be just as rewarding when you find
the rare morph that you have been looking for, or when you get a very strong
animal. So, the decision is yours as to where you purchase your new snake from.
Housing your Corn Snake
Space
Space is a requirement as you will need to decide on the type of housing based on the space
that is available. Space will also determine the type of enclosure that you will
use and the number of snakes you can keep.
Enclosures can be anything that is secure. Most people use glass aquariums with a locking
screen lid. Others use Bins like Sterilite or Rubbermaid. While others will
spend time building a custom enclosure for their animals.
The size of the enclosure that you need for each snake is dependent on the size of the
snake. A hatchling corn up to about 6 months old, can live comfortably in a 10
gallon aquarium. 6 months to 2 years will most likely need to be housed in a 20
gallon long aquarium. And, 3 years to end of life may require something larger
than a 20 gallon long depending on the length of the snake. The rule of thumb is
that the snake should be able to stretch the length of the enclosure.
Temperature
The Ambient temperature of your house will dictate which room you will keep your snake in.
The normal temperature requirement for a corn snake is to have a heat gradient in your
enclosure. You will want to warm side of between 83 and 87 degrees F and a
cooler side of between 78 and 82 degrees. You will also want a hide of some sort
on both sides, and the water bowl will be placed on the cooler side.
Area Traffic and Noise
The more traffic and noise around your new snake enclosure can cause a lot of stress on
the poor little guy or girl. Snakes are very secretive animals and do a lot of
hiding to keep away from predators. When there is a lot of noise and traffic,
then they may not feel hidden enough and start to get stressed which can lead to
aggression, infrequent feeding, and other problems.
Humidity
Most reptiles need to have a certain humidity level to live comfortably. Corns, not being of
the Tropical family of snakes, can live on normal humid conditions. Too high
humidity can cause respiratory infections, and scale/skin problems in corn
snakes. A humidity of around 50 to 60 % will be sufficient to house your corns.
Space vs. Number of Snakes
As you can probably guess, housing single snakes in aquariums can take up a lot of space.
This is where the Sterilite and Rubbermaid containers come in handy. There are 2
main sizes to get to keep snakes in. from hatchling to yearlings, you can keep
your snake in a 12 qt container, and 1 year and older can be kept in 24 qt
containers. Housing your snakes this way will allow you to keep more animals in
a smaller amount of space.
Heating your Corn Snake
Corn snakes need to have proper heating because of the fact that they are cold
blooded animals. All cold blooded animals use their environment to
thermo-regulate (control their body temp). This aids in the digestion of food,
the speed of movement, and the regular activity of the snake. As stated above,
your corn will require a heat gradient consisting of a warm side of around 85*F
and a cool side around 80*F. This will allow the snake to find the correct temp
for them to regulate to for comfort.
The heat gradient can be achieved in many different ways. And the choice that
you use will depend on the type of enclosure that you choose. There are Under
Tank Heaters (UTH), Heat Lamps, Heat Tape, Heat Rope, and heat rocks.
NOTE: IT
IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO USE HEAT ROCKS AS A HEAT SOURCE FOR ANY REPTILES AS THEY
CAN OVER HEAT AND CAUSE NASTY BURNS. ALSO, THE HEAT IS LOCALIZED AND NOT SPREAD
THROUGH OUT THE ENCLOSURE.
Under Tank Heaters (UTH) are a pad that you place under the tank
(usually glass) that when plugged into a power source, produce heat. UTH’s are
not regulated and therefore can attain very high temps. So, to avoid possible
burns to your snake, you should invest in a control for the UTH, which can be a
simple rheostat or a full blown thermostat. UTH’s provide Belly heat and also heat the substrate.
Heat Lamps are just what the name says. They are a Spot Light Bulb
that produces more heat than a normal light. These lights will simulate the sun
in that they are high in the air and usually on for specific times during the
day.Heat Lamps provide ambient temp increases.
Heat Tape and Heat Rope are exactly like the UTH other than the fact
that they are strips and can be used in long lengths. Heat tape and heat rope
are great for use with a Rack system.Just like a UTH, heat tape and heat rope require a control to
keep them from attaining very high temps.
Heat Rocks are sold to be used for basking lizards. A heat rock is
basically a UTH that is made to look like a rock. You sit this item in the
enclosure and plug it in and it heats up. However, the rock only provides
localized heat and will attain temps suitable to burn and even kill your snakes
and lizards. It is highly recommended that you do not use them for any kind of
animal.
Substrates
Substrates are the bedding in which the snake will live. You will want at least
an inch of bedding on the bottom of the enclosure as corn snakes like to borrow.
There are a great many types of substrates to choose from. You can get
everything from sand to recycled paper to mulch and even stuff that will
resemble the exact floor of the forest. Each substrate has its pros and cons and
I will talk about a few of them here.
Shredded Aspen
Pros:
*Good substrate
*Promotes borrowing
*Helps with shedding
*Stays relatively dry
Cons:
*In Dry climates, can possibly lead to drier enclosures
*When wet, it need to be replaced
*Because of borrowing, snakes are not always visible
*Sometimes messy when dropped on the floor
Forest Bark and Forest Bedding
Pros:
*Bought in a hard brick that you moisten to break apart
*Helps to retain humidity
*Easy to borrow in
*Simulates the natural environment the best
*Can be baked, re-moistened and reused
Cons:
*Hard to spot clean
*Can harbor insects
*Can cause the humidity to be too high
Sand (Includes any kind of sand)
Pros:
*Cheap
*Easy to spot clean
*Can be baked and reused
Cons:
*Dries out the animals
*Gets stuck between scales
*Clogs up the Vent of animals
*Causes impaction in the intestines
*Irritating (think of what sand in your shoes and clothes feels like)
ReptiBark (and Equivalents)
Pros:
*Good substrate
*Promotes borrowing
*Helps with shedding
*Stays relatively dry
Cons:
*Very dark and hard to spot clean
*Insects have been found in packages bought new from store
*Expensive
*Will mold when wet
Pine and Cedar shavings
Pros:
*Smells good
Cons:
*The tar and scents are toxic to reptiles
*May cause respiratory infections and even death
Feeding your snake
Feeding your snake can be a very educational thing to watch. It is very
interesting to see how an animal with out hands and feet can eat something that
is bigger than they are most of the time.All captive bred corn snakes are sold eating on rodents, which will include
mice, rats, and sometimes day old chicks. In the wild, corns will start of
eating lizards, toads, birds, eggs, and pinky mice right out of the egg, and
moving on towards larger food items as the snake grows. When you purchase your
snake, you will want to get some food items that are the appropriate size for
your snake. Hatchling snakes will want to eat pinky mice (baby mice without fur)
after 3 to 6 months, you will want to move your snake up to eating fuzzies
(larger than pinks, and completely covered in fur), then after about 8 to 9
months, you will want to start feeding your snake crawlers and hoppers (mice
with eyes fully open, and moving around), after about a year and a half to two
years, you will want to start feeding them full grown adult mice. The rule of
thumb for the size of the mouse to feed your snake is that the food item must be
no larger than 1 ½ times bigger than the largest girth point of the snake.
When feeding your snake, you will want to place the snake into a separate
container with no substrate. Then place the food item in and leave the snake
alone. Some snakes will eat with an audience and some won’t, so you will just
have to figure out what your snake wants. To be safe you will need to feed your
snake Frozen/Thawed (F/T) mice. These are mass produced and frozen in bulk
quantities by a few companies in the US. Feeding this way will save you from
stressing your snake, and you will loose the risk that an adult mouse or rat
will attack your snake and possibly kill it.
Water
Water is very important to a snake’s health. You will want a water dish that is
large enough for the snake to get his or her whole body in and submerse
themselves if need be. This will help out greatly when the snake is shedding.
Also, you will want to watch the water for signs of stagnation. This is when you
will want to change it. Usually about ever 2 to 3 days you will need to change
your water. If your snake doesn’t defecate in the water or add substrate to it,
you can probably stretch out the changing to once a week. But please watch the
water for signs of algae, mold and other bacteria.
Shedding
Any Animal with scales for skin will shed. Snakes are no exception. As your
snake grows, the outer layer of skin will get too tight. When the skin gets
tight enough, the snake will automatically shed and newer brighter skin will be
reveled. Most of the time, snakes do not need any help with the shedding
process. That is, as long as the proper husbandry (housing) is practiced.
If your snake has a bad shed (shed comes off in pieces) then you will need to
look at the way that you are keeping your snake and make sure that everything is
correct. Most of the time this is due to a lack in humidity, which can be caused
by using heat lamps, the type of substrate you are using, and the ambient
humidity of your house. To raise the humidity, you can mist the enclosure with a
bottle mister or place a few damp paper towels in one of the hides.
Caring for Hatchlings
Most of the time when you buy a corn snake, you will end up with a snake that is
under a year old. This age is called Hatchling age. When a snake is this small
they are very shy and easily stressed. When you first bring home a
hatchling,
you should have your enclosure set up exactly how you want it, and introduce the
snake to his or her new home. Then, leave the snake alone for at least 7 days to
get accustom to the new surroundings. During this time, the only thing that you
should be doing is changing the water in the water dish. After the first week is
up, you can start handling your snake and getting to know him or her. Start with
short periods of handling so that you don’t stress them out, and gradually move
the amount of time up. Also after the first week, you should offer your snake
its first meal. Remember that the meal needs to be the correct size for the
snake. If the snake eats, you need to leave him or her along for at least 24
hours for proper digestion.
Finally
This care sheet is only provided to get you started on your way to keeping a
healthy corn snake. In no way does this cover everything that you will
need to know. have a book out called "The Corn Snake Manual"
and this will provide you with just about anything that you ever wanted to know
about keeping a corn snake. Thanks for taking the time to read this
care sheet,
and if you have any questions or concerns, please contact Paul at
Paul@pcarsreptiles.com and I will try and answer any questions you might
have. I hope that you enjoy your Corn Snake and that he or she lives a long and
healthy life with you.
Copyright © 2005-2006 PCar's Reptiles
J&M Herp Shack has written permission to use this Care Sheet.
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