Is It A Corn Or A Rat!?
Corn and Rat snakes both belong to the genus Elaphe; Corns belong to the species Elaphe guttata; many of the rat snakes are subspecies of Elaphe obsoleta. For a full list of the Elaphe species, see the EMBL Database: Colubridae: Elaphe.
The Latin word elaphe means deerskin; guttata means speckled or spotted. Both terms apply to corns and rats: in most species, their skin feels like finely tanned deerskin, while the patterns on their back create spots or speckles. Some people see the patterning of the belly scales as resembling maize, a colorful ancestor of our modern day corn. Another theory relating to how corn snakes got their name comes from the early Europeans settlers. They frequently found these snakes in their corn fields and corn cribs, and thought they were eating the corn! In fact, the corn snakes were, and remain, very helpful to farmers as they help keep down the rodent population. Amelanistic corns (those lacking the black and brown skin coloring) are sometimes called "red rat snakes" because of their red-to-orange coloring.
There are presently two subspecies of corns, E. g. gutatta and E. g. meahllmorum.
The care information below discusses corns. The same information applies to rat snakes, as well, other than that species whose overall length and size are larger than corns will require larger enclosures and larger prey.
Natural History
Corns are commonly found in deciduous forests, pine barrens, rocky hillsides and farm areas over a broad swath of the United States (Alabama, Arkansas, West central/Southeast Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Southern Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Eastern Utah, Virginia). They have also been reported in Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, North Durango, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas) and the Cayman Islands.
Corns are most active at night or in the hours of dawn and dusk (crepuscular). While they are primarily ground-dwellers, some are semi-arboreal. While the Elaphes feed on everything ranging from fish to frogs to rodents to mammals, wild Corns start off feeding on small invertebrates and vertebrates, such as crickets. Corns lay eggs, becoming sexually mature at around two years of age.
Personal Statistics
Hatchlings range in size from 9-14 inches (22-36 cm); adults are generally 2.5 to 5 feet 76-152 cm) in length; most are in the 3-4 foot (91-122 cm) range. The average life span of these snakes is 10 years, although one was documented to be 21 years old.
In the wild, hatchlings feed largely on small lizards and tree frogs, while adults feed on small rodents and birds, killing their prey by constriction. In captivity, hatchlings Corns can easily be started on pinkie mice (1-2 day old), quickly moving up the prey scale, to fuzzies, crews and small adult mice. Both hatchlings and adults can be fed prekilled rodents.
When selecting a corn or rat snake, look for a well-fleshed body, no visible cuts or abrasions, clear, alert eyes, tongue flicking, no signs of mites or ticks. The vent should be clean.
It is always recommended to obtain captive bred, rather than wild-caught, corns. Captive bred ones have become very popular because of all the exotic colors and patterns they "come in". Unfortunately, those morphs are caused by intense inbreeding. As a result, corns are increasingly exhibiting morbitidy and mortality problems as a result of undesireable genes being bred along with the ones for color and pattern. Failure/Inability to feed and sudden, inexplicable death are the two most common problems that have been increasing over that past several years.
Growth
Many people believe that a reptile will not grow any larger that its tank. THIS IS NOT TRUE! The reptile keeps growing and will become miserable, and probably ill, if the proper tank size is not provided. The only way to "stunt" a reptile's is to not feed it enough; assuming you do not want a dead reptile, this is not something you should do. Always find out the adult size of an animal before you buy it. Note that many pet stores intentionally stunt a reptile's growth; they find it's easier to sell a cute young reptile to someone who does not know what they are looking at than an older, bigger animal. Always inquire how old the animal is, when it was acquired, etc. Be a knowledgeable consumer, not an impulse buyer.
Setting Up Your Snake's New Home
Enclosure
Corns must be housed in at least a 20 gallon tank. The tank must have a secure top. A determined snake can push against screen or glass until it finds an opening big enough for its head; where its head goes, so goes its body. Some snakes will constantly rub their nose against the screened top of the tank in an effort to find a way out. The resulting abrasions should be treated with an antiseptic and antibiotic ointment. The furnishings in the enclosure should then be evaluated to provide a more natural environment.
Provide a Hiding Place
A hide box of some sort should be provided, and an interesting branch for climbing and resting. Branches collected from the wild will need to be debugged by soaking first in chlorine/water solution, then rinsed thoroughly, soaked in clean water, then left to dry in the sun. No special lighting is required.
Substrate
With corn snakes, there are a couple of different substrates that can be used, such as pine chips (not cedar chips, are toxic), indoor/outdoor carpeting and "Astroturf". If you use the carpeting or Astroturf, you must wash it then let it dry thoroughly before it can be used in the tank again; have two pieces on hand which can be rotated. The snakes will often burrow under the chips or carpet/turf, so don't be surprised if they are not always in view. If you use pine or aspen shavings or cypress mulch, the urine and feces can be scooped out with a cat litter scoop, with fresh chips added as needed. Be sure to remove soiled substrate as soon as possible; urine-soaked material become a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. If you use this type of substrate you will have to place your snake in a secure area to feed it; you do not want it to ingest any chips.
Temperature
An undertank heat pad is placed under one-half of the tank; this leaves one side cooler so that your snake can regulate its body temperature as needed. A heating pad made for people can be purchased at any drug store; set it at medium or low depending upon the ambient air temperature. To maintain health, corn snakes must be kept at 75-85 F, the higher temperature being necessary to digest its food. Temperatures can fall to the lower range at night. To easily monitor temperature, inexpensive aquarium self-stick thermometers can be purchased and applied about an inch above the bottom of the tank on the warm side.
Hot rocks should never be used; they fluctuate too much, and too many reptiles suffer severe ventral burns.
An incandescent light bulb in a reflector shield may be set just outside the tank to heat up a basking area; appliance timers can be set to turn the light on and off at set times during the day. Reset the hours of operation to adjust for seasonal fluctuations in ambient air temperature.
Feeding
An active snake will happily eat every 10 days or so. They will eat, and should only be fed, killed prey. A snake who is not hungry when live prey is introduced into the enclosure often finds itself becoming the meal, especially if the prey is a rat.
To economize, you can buy in bulk and freeze them. Contact your local herpetology society; many members breed mice and rats, and most will pre-kill them for you. Remove the prey item from the freezer and allow to defrost at room temperature. When defrosted, use forceps or tongs to pick up the rodent by the tail, and hold the prey in front of the snake for the snake to strike at.
Many snakes will eat prey that is just placed in the tank. Occasionally, a quail egg can be offered to wild-caught specimens. If the snake likes it, one can be offered every couple of weeks. (Since quail eggs purchased in stores or from hatcheries are unlikely to be fertilized, they should not form a regular part of the main diet.)
Start hatchlings off with pinkie mice. As your snake grows, gradually increase the prey size by offering fuzzies, crews, then small adult mice or rat pinkies. A full-grown Corn or Rat can eat a medium to large mouse; large Rat snakes can eat small rats. If you feed too much at one feeding session, or feed a prey item that is too large, your snake may regurgitate it.
Water
A bowl of fresh water must always be available at all times. It will be used for drinking and sometimes for bathing. If the snake defecates in it, the bowl must be cleaned and disinfected immediately.
Handling
Corns do not wrap snugly around your arm like pythons or kings. They tend to pick a direction and go for it. Though they are relatively small in body mass, they are quite strong. Always support the body and give free rein to the head. If the head starts going somewhere you don't want it to go, gently guide it into another direction. Many snakes are nervous when introduced into a new situation with new people. Give them a couple of days to settle down before letting new people handle them.
Shedding
As a reptile grows, its old skin become too tight and worn. A new skin awaits just below the old. As a snake gets ready to shed, its eyes will turn a milky blue over the course of several days, and the body color will start to dull and develop a whitish sheen. Once the eyes have cleared, the snake is ready to shed. To assure proper hydration, soak the snake in warmish water after the eyes clear; this should enable to snake to shed easily within the next 24 hours.
Veterinary Care
All newly acquired reptiles should have fecal exams done by an experienced reptile vet to check for bacteria, protozoa and worms. Many of the parasites, bacteria and protozoans can be transmitted to humans and other reptiles. Left untreated, these infestations can ultimately kill your reptile. Medications are available to treat these conditions. When your snake first defecates, collect the feces in a clean plastic bag, seal it, label it with your name, phone number, date and your snake's name, then take it and your snake to a reptile vet.
Signs of ill-health
Snakes, like all other animals, do get sick. Listlessness, failure to eat over several weeks or regurgitating meals can be signs of bacterial or endoparasite infection. Take these animals to a reptile vet, with a fecal or vomitus sample enclosed in a ziplock bag. Ectoparasites, such as ticks and mites, must also be dealt with. With proper instruction, this is something you can do yourself if the infestation is mild. Allowed to escalate, ectoparasites can kill their host. If the skin around the neck forms wrinkles and puckers, the snake is severely dehydrated and you must see a vet. The vet will either administer subcutaneous fluids or show you how to force fluids. Animals cannot digest food when dehydrated, so emaciation will set in if the condition is allowed to continue untreated. Then, respiratory infections, parasites and other problems, and possibly death, will occur. Thin, stringy mucous coming out of nose or mouth or changes in feces or urates (different color, consistency, frequency) signal a disease or infection. Observe your snake every day to be sure to catch any problems early. Treat the problem as soon as it is noticed to prevent other health problems and vet bills.
Places to Go, Things to Learn
Check out your local herpetological society and find others with similar interests and a good place for information on local resources.
Books to read
Keeping and Breeding Corn Snakes, by Michael J. McEachern, 1992. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Lakeside CA.
Rat Snakes, by Ray Staszko and Jerry G. Walls. 1994. TFH Publishing, Neptune City, NJ.
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Corn Snake Care Sheet
Corn snakes, Elaphe guttata guttata are one of the hardiest species of snake to keep in captivity. Corn snakes come in a huge variety of colors and patterns and as Joe Pierce of Snakes Alive! says "They are the guppies of the snake world". Corns snakes are bred by the tens of thousands each year by private breeders and hobbiests and I STRONGLY recommend that you buy a captive born animal. This not only helps the survival of the species in the wild, it also greatly increases your chances of getting a healthy, feeding animal.
Basic Setup
I'm going to give you two pieces of information. The first is what is essential to keep your snake healthy. The second is what would be ideal for your snake. The first thing you need is a cage with a SECURE lid. Corn snakes are good climbers and escape artists. For baby corn snakes I use plastic shoeboxes that I buy at Target. With a soldering iron I burn small holes every centimeter on all four sides of the box for ventilation. These cages are not very aesthetically pleasing, but they suit the purpose and are useful when you have multiple animals to take care of. Be sure to tape the lid down with duct tape so that there are no escapes. A five gallon aquarium with a locking lid also works well for young snakes and looks better in your living room. Medium sized snakes can be kept in sweater boxes.For adult snakes I have 1'x2'x1' cages, but if you only have a few animals my suggestion is to get a 20 gallon aquarium with a locking lid. This will provide all of the room your snake will need. As a substrate for the cages I use newspaper because it is clean, it is cheap, and it is easy to change. Newspaper is not aesthetically pleasing either so alternatives include pine shavings (NOT CEDAR) and outdoor carpeting. The pine shavings are easy to clean just by scooping out any that is soiled by waste. The carpeting will need to be washed, but if you keep an extra piece on hand this should not be a problem. Each cage should also contain a water dish that is large enough for the snake to sumerge itself. This will be very important during shedding. The water should be changed at least once a week or sooner if it gets soiled. Probably the most important thing in the cage, at least for hatchling snakes, is a hide box. This can be as simple as a piece of bark or an empty macaroni and cheese box, or you can go to the store and spend $20 on some fancy ceramic hide box. If you don't have much money, remember, the snake doesn't care what its cage looks like as long as you meet its basic needs. The final thing in the cage, and I admit I don't have one in all my cages is a branck for climbing. Corn snakes love to climg and if a branch is provided they will often be seen climbing on it. Also realize that the snake will use the branch as an opportunity to get closer to the lid and as something to brace itself against as it tries to open the lid.
Heating
Heating is a situation where much confusion seems to arise. Cornsnakes live in Florida, granted, but they also live in temperate zones like Kentucky. I have been keeping and breeding corns snakes for seven years now under a variety of conditions. Every book swears that corn snakes need a temperature gradient to thrive. This is not true. Corn snakes prefer a temperature gradient, as do we all (everyone likes to choose how hot or cold their environment is), but it is not essential. If it is within your means to provide a temperature gradient then by all means do so, but don't have a heart attack if you can't. There are two common way of providing a temperature gradient. One is to put an under tank heater or heat tape under part of the cage so that one part of the floor of the cage is warmer than the other. I do not recommend heating pads because they were not designed to be left on all the time and may be a fire hazard. I also do not recommend a hot rock because they have a tendancy to bake animals. You should not make the mistake of putting the hide box on the warm side of the cage so that a shy snake will stay on the warm side whether it wants to or not. The same is true for the cold side. Either put the hide box in the middle, or better yet, provide two hide boxes. A second method of heating is to shine a lamp or a spotlight or a heat emitter into one side of the cage. If you choose to provide a temperature gradient, or ANY supplemental heat for the snake, ALWAYS have a thermometer in the cage to warn you if the cage is becoming too hot. They have very nice digital remote thermometers at Radio Shack for about $25; I highly recommend them. So what temperature is right for your corn? Adult corn snakes will do very well at temperatures between 75-85 F (25-30 C). They will tolerate temperatures as low as 70 F (21 F), but at this temperature they probably will not eat very well. Baby corn snakes prefer a temperature slightly warmer in the 80-90 F (26-32 C) but again will tolerate cooler temperatures. I believe it is best to keep smaller corns as warm as possible to insure good feeding and digestion habits. A common cause of regurgitation in young corn snakes is a cage that is too cool for the snake to properly digest its meal. When I lived in an apartment I kept all of my corn snakes (juvenile and adults) at a temperature of 73-75 F. This was the temperature for the whole apartment and I did not have supplemental heating for the snakes. I did not lose a single snake, but it took up to three years for the snakes to reach proper breeding size. I currently keep my corn snakes at approximately 80-85 F during the day and 75-80 F during the night. I do not provide my corn snakes with a temperature gradient. Despite what some people would lead you to believe, corn snakes do not require UV light to thrive. Incandescent light and a healthy diet are all they require.
Feeding
The proper diet for a corn snake is dependent upon the age and size of the snake. Corn snakes will eat mice, rats, lizards, and small birds, but it is not necessary to feed them all of these types of food. I will begin with what I consider to be a good diet for hatchlings. Hatchling corn snakes should be fed one to two pinkie (newborn) mice per week. Hatchlings will probably accept up to four or five pinkie mice per week, but this is probably too much food and can lead to some problems later. As the corn snake increases in size, the one to two mice per week should be increased in size proportionately. The mouse fed to your snake should not be so large that it makes a huge bulge in the belly of the snake. If a food item is too large, the snake will have problems digesting it and it may be regurgitated. It is much better to feed two small mice than one big mouse because it will be easier for the snake to digest the smaller mice. When possible, feed your snake pre-killed food items in order to avoid injury to your snake. A frightened mouse can do considerable damage to a snake that is not hungry. Obviously, snakes in the wild are not eating thawed frozen mice, but rarely in the wild do you find corn snakes that do not have a few battle scars. There are a ew exceptions to the above feeding rule. The first exception is for males during the spring breeding season. Male corn snakes will often lose interest in food during the breeding season, especially when a receptive female is present. The second exception is for gravid females. Gravid females should be fed up to three or four small mice each week prior to egg laying. Females may quit eating prior to egg laying. It is also essential to boost the food supply of females who have just layed their eggs. Remember, in order for corn snakes to properly digest their food they need some heat. The higher the temperature in the cage (see above) the better your corn snake will digest its food and the more willing it will be to eat again. A common cause of regurgitation in corn snakes is that the cage was kept too cool.
Breeding
Corn snakes are a very easy species to breed. Every breeder has his or her own recipe for success. I'm going to give you mine. On Nov. 1 I stop feeding the corns I intend to breed the following season. On Nov. 15, the corns are places in a small sweater box (no matter their size) with a newspaper substrate, a large water bowl and a hide box. The corns are placed in a corner of my basement where it stays between 55 and 65 degrees F. There is some natural sunlight, but for the most part the room is dim. The corns are left in this room until February 14. I like to bring my snakes out of brumation on the most romantic day of the year so they will know what to do. It is very important to make sure the water does not spill or dry up or get contaminated with feces during the brumation. It is also good to keep the temp above 50 degrees F. If you don't have a room cold enough, try to keep the snakes as cool as possible, but slip them a few meals if they are in a room that is 70 degrees or above. (Remember that corns reproduce in the Florida Keys where there is very little seasonal change in temp. There, corns may rely on other cues such as seasonal changes in day length.) After the corns are warmed up I immediately start feeding them as much as they will eat without regurgitating. Sometimes the males will refuse food, but the females usually never do. As soon as the females go through their first shed I put the male in their cage. Some people put the female in the male's cage, but I haven't seen a difference between these two methods in my collection. Both snakes may start twitching and you may be able to witness copulation, but I have had snakes that I have never witnessed breeding produce offspring year after year, so don't panic. After 3-5 days I remove the male. Just to be safe I add the male back to the female's cage after a week and I leave him there for the next three days. Once breeding has taken place the female will start eating like crazy for a period of two to three weeks and then just stop completely. Don't try to feed a female you suspect is gravid. Sometimes you can feel the eggs as the female glides over your hand, other times you will notice that her cross sectional shape has become triagular where the eggs push up on the spine. The time between breeding and egg laying is 3-4 weeks. For laying, I use a plastic shoebox with one inch of moist vermiculite and one inch of sphagnum moss. The females usually lay 8-14 days after their post mating shed. I keep the eggs half buried in moist vermiculite in a closed tupperware container at a constant temp of 83 degrees F in a hovabator incubator. I also fill the bottom of the hovabator with water to raise the relative humidity. The eggs generally hatch in 45-50 days and the babies are kept together in a sweater bow with a large bowl of water until their first shed, which happens in 7-10 days.
Commonly encountered problems
The most commonly encountered problem that I hear about is regugitation. THere are a number of causes for this. The most common cause is that the cage is not warm enough. The prey item can literally rot in the stomach of the snake, and this causes the snake to regugitate. The second most common cause is that the prey was too big. Corns have appetites that are sometimes bigger than their stomachs. The obvious solutions to these problems are to turn up the heat and feed smaller prey items. The second most commonly encountered problem is that the corn refuses to eat. Both of the above causes can be the cause of your snake not eating, and again, the solutions are stated above. Another reason for a corn not eating is that it is either in a mating cycle or a brumation cycle. Male corns especially will stop eating after coming out of brumation if they think there will be some hanky-panky going on. Females will stop eating if they are full of eggs. Both males and females may stop feeding if there has been a steady drop in the average temperature in their cage, or if there has been a progressive decline in day length. This is especially true for wild caught corn snakes and emoryi rat snakes. I would not worry about a healthy corn snake that has not eaten for a month, and I would probably not start worrying until about two months. The last reason for a corn to not eat, aisde from medical reasons that I won't even try to describe, is that it does not feel secure in its surroundings. Baby corns will often refuse to eat when they have been removed from one cage and placed in a new one or a larger one. The solution is to provide the corn with a hide box, or more thatn one hide box. Try feeding dead prey, then live prey. Try feeding during the day, then at night. Try putting a towel over the cage for feeding. My last resort, which works 75% of the time for hatchling corns that won't eat, is to cut open the brain of a pinkie, squeeze out some blood, then try feeding this to the corn.
Good Luck, and remember, there is no substitute for research. Do not rely solely on this page. Find other care sheets, buy some books and ask some questions.
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he Ubiquetous Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata guttata)
by Petra Spiess-Rocky Mountain Herpetoculture
Introduction
Corn snakes (Elaphe guttata guttata) are one of the most available snakes in the pet trade today. Vast numbers of corn snakes are captive bred annually, and are justifiably one of the most popular snakes of all time. Corn snakes are relatively small, rarely exceeding five feet in length, active feeders, tolerate a wide variety of environmental conditions, come in a dazzling arry of color morphs, and are very easy to breed. All of these factors combined make the corn snake an excellent choice for both the beginning and advanced reptile hobbyist.
Enclosure Size
Corn snakes are relatively small, and as such, they do not require large enclosures. A baby corn snake can happily live in a ten gallon aquarium or enclosure of similar size. Some people choose to keep baby corn snakes in plastic shoeboxes with holes punched in the side. This type of enclosure is acceptable as long as appropriate heating is provided. Upon reaching full adult size (about three to four years), a corn snake will require an enclosure with the minimum dimensions of a standard twenty gallon long aquarium. Larger aquariums such as a thirty gallon breeder or fifty-five gallon tank are also appropriate. No matter whether your corn snake lives in a humble home or a palace, there are several important details to keep in mind when setting up your new pet.
Substrate
The substrate of a cage is the material that is on the bottom. There are appropriate and not so appropriate choices of substrate in corn snake housing. Cedar shavings are unacceptable as they cause respiratory problems in snakes. I personally do not recommend pine for the same reason, but others have used this substrate without any problems. Corn cob bedding (manufactured for use with birds) should not be used as a substrate because it causes excessive drying of dermal tissues and can cause serious intestinal blockage if swallowed. Acceptable substrates include reptile bark, butcher paper, paper towels and Astroturf.
Reptile bark can be purchased in pet stores, and is attractive and natural-looking. Butcher paper can be acquired in many places such as home depot or art supply stores. This substrate, while not particularly attractive, allows one to keep the cage very clean by continuously replacing the soiled paper. Paper towels have the same advantages and disadvantages of butcher paper. Astroturf can be used, but it does tend to rot easily if wetted, so it is best to have several pieces cut to fit the cage so you can rotate dirty and clean pieces.
Appropriate Heating
There are several choices for appropriate corn snake heating. Whatever choice of heating is used, it is very important to provide one area of the cage where the ambient (air) temperature is 80-85 degrees F. Corn snakes, like all reptiles, do not make their own body heat and rely on a behavioral mechanism called thermoregualtion to regulate their body temperature. Thermoregulation means that when a reptile is too cool, it moves to an area to warm itself, and when it is too hot, it moves to a cooler area. Access to warm areas are critically important to the health of your snake. Appropriate heating is required for proper digestion and the effective functioning of the immune system.
If the tank has a screen top, a shop light or metal reflector may be placed on top of the cage, to one side, with a heating bulb inside to create a basking area of 80-85 degrees F. Another method of heating is the use of quality undertank heating pads. Undertank heaters are plastic with one adhesive side. The adhesive side of the heater is used to attach it to the bottom of the outside of the tank, on one side of the cage. These heaters can only be used with certain types of cages, so check the directions before purchase. Hot rocks are not recommended for corn snake heating for several reasons.
Hot rocks provide a localized heat source that is often too hot. As a result, the snake will curl itself about the rock in an attempt to raise its body temperature, this can result in serious thermal burns. Think about this from the snake's point of view. One tiny area of the cage is 100 degrees F, and the rest of the cage is freezing. Without some type of heat, reptiles will get sick, so the animal will use whatever source of heat is provided, even if it is too hot. Some of the new hot rocks that have thermostats are a much better choice if a hot rock must be used. If not, at least burying the hot rock in some substrate will help to diffuse the heat. It is much better to provide indirect heating, or heating that the animal has no direct access to. This will prevent thermal burns from occurring.
Feeding
Corn snakes are rarely picky eaters if they have the proper heat and enclosure. One important aspect of feeding that is often overlooked is the addition of hiding areas to the cage. Corn snakes, like most snakes, like to feel secure in their environment. One way of providing for this need to is put hiding spots in the enclosure. Hiding spots can be made of anything, as long as the snake can completely fit inside the area and hide itself from view. Old cardboard boxes are good for this, but so are many of the commercially manufactured hiding spots available in pet stores. A hiding spot should be placed both on the warm end and the cool end of the cage, so that the animal can feel secure in any spot. Corn snakes kept without appropriate hiding areas become stressed and may refuse to eat.
Hatchling corn snakes begin eating pinky mice, and progress up to adult mice once they are mature. A good rule of thumb is to feed the snake a food item that is the same, or close to, the snake's diameter. Feed an item that is too large, and the snake will often regurgitate it. Snakes will also regurgitate if they do not have a warm area or if they are handled too soon after they eat. Corn snakes can be fed two times a week, but once is usually enough. Clean water should be available at all times, corn snakes drink often.
Conclusion
Corn snakes are justifiably one of the most popular pet snakes of all time. Corn snakes come in many beautiful colors, and are hardy and docile. This care sheet is not all of the information required to care for a corn snake properly, but it is a start. If you own a corn snake or plan on purchasing one, it is YOUR responsibility to thoroughly research the needs of your pet, doing so will make both your lives easier.
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Corn Snakes make wonderful pets for beginners. This care guide will help you to look after your Corn Snake properly. Please do not copy this text and put it elsewhere without my permission but you may use it as a reference!.
Genus - Elaphe guttata guttata
I am presuming that this snake that you are buying is being bought from the pet store. If not, the handling and maybe the eating section may be wrong. Please seek advice on how to handle snakes caught in the wild, elsewhere (in my snake specialist, there is a section on handling and feeding).
Selection of your snake
Healthy snakes are alert. It will watch all movement in and near its cage, and its eyes will be bright and clear. Beware of sluggish, unresponsive specimens.
Examine the snake's skin carefully, especially the spaces under the scales, for this is where ticks and mites are often hiding. Snake ticks are big, appearing as bumps protruding from beneath the scales. Mites are tiny and bright red, like grains of paprika. Avoid any snake with these external parasites (see snake specialist for more information).
Look at the snout and mouth. Any red or swollen areas indicate possible mouth rot, and curing this is often a long and difficult process, so avoid any snakes so infected.
Always ask the shop owner (persons who look after the snakes) if the snake has been eating and when did it last eat. Pet shops sometimes starve the snakes to make them seem slimmer.
If your snake has passed these tests then it is probably a good, healthy snake. Internal problems such as intestinal worms are hard to tell but usually some of the external problems will occur.
Handling your snake
The handling of snakes requires a firm but gentle touch, but after a while you will get used to it.
First, enter the room slowly and let the snake see that you are in the room. Never appear out of anywhere and grab the snake!! Reach in slowly and grasp the mid-body gently. Always remember to support the midsection of the snake since it is the heaviest! The snake should coil around your fingers (or arm for larger snakes) and can then be picked up. Remember that even tame snakes may bite you if you smell like "dinner". If you have been handling the snakes food (rodents I presume), the smell of the rodent may excite the snake into striking. Always wash your hands with mild soap before and after handling your snake.
After a while, the owner and the snake will have gotten used to the handling. Snakes will relish on your body heat and may stay there for hours on end!
Please do not take a Corn snake and stuff it into someone's face. Most people go into hysterics! This is a very stressful thing for the snake.
Housing your snake
The Corn snake is easily housed. The easiest cage to obtain is an all-glass aquarium, available from most pet shops. The tank should be at least twice as long as the snake and as high as 1/2 the snakes length. Always remember to give extra room to allow the snake to grow!
The cage should be placed away from windows or any other drafty areas, as an inadvertent chill is detrimental to all herptiles, which may also cause respiratory infections in snakes. Porches and garages temperatures change dramatically, so place the tank somewhere where the temperature will remain fairly stable.
Snakes are active and agile, and can squeeze through incredibly small spaces. The cage MUST have a tight fitting lid!! Clips and lock (other devices welcome) must be used to secure the lid. The cage must be well ventilated with metal mesh screening. Don't use window screening, as the mesh is too thin and snakes usually rub their noses raw. For all but the smallest species, 1/4-inch mesh is ideal.
Now, what goes inside of the cage (excluding the snake)? The cage needs some substrate that is easy to dispose of and clean. The snake will periodically defecate, so you want to be able to clean the substrate quickly, to discourage bacteria and fungi, plus to keep the cage smelling clean. The easiest to clean and to get hold of is newspaper. Unfortunately, it doesn't look very appealing. Many snake keepers will point you towards using Astroturf or other types on indoor/outdoor plastic carpeting. Corncob bedding is also used, is cheap, absorbent and disposable. Sand is not a very good substrate. If you use it, remember that it does require some extra work to keep clean. There are many different types available. I would advise either Astroturf or Corncob.
When the snake defecates, remove the corncob and a few centimeters around it. Replace with clean corncob. This also applies to sand. If you are using Astroturf, you have to remove the snake and bedding. Thoroughly clean out the Astroturf and allow for at least one day to dry. People who use Astroturf usually have two sheets so that when one is busy being cleaned the other one is being used.
The décor should be simple, to facilitate cleaning. You can put some flat rocks for hiding purposes, also make sure that you include wood branches to let the Corn Snake climb since they are slightly arboreal. If you find rocks and branches from outside, soak in hot water and scrub them (don't forget to use a mild soap) because going after such trouble selecting a parasite free snake you don't want to introduce other parasites!
I would advise you to never put live plants in the snake's cage. You will have enough trouble looking after the snake and you don't want to look after a plant too, plus snakes usually crawl over and squash them.
Snakes also need someplace to "get away from it all". Yes, they need a hiding place! You can cut a shoebox down to size and make a hole in one of the sides. Cut the box (or whatever) so that the snake can fit tightly into it (to make it feel safe), it should be able to touch all the sides. Please don't forget to clean it out every now and then!! It would also be a good idea if you can use a rock on the other side of the tank as another hiding place.
The water bowl should be heavy enough so that the snake cannot lift it up to make it spill. The snake should NOT be allowed to fit under it. The bowl shouldn't be too big because snakes like to bathe (which isn't so bad) but some will make it a habit. After a while they will become chilled, catch pneumonia, or develop fungal infections. Monitor the water level, and give the snake clean, fresh water every two or three days. Before you feed your snake, give it clean water and then feed it. A Corn snake consumes a large amount of water after eating its prey.
I clean my tank out once a month, scrub it with hot water and a detergent, and let it dry completely and then put the snake back in.
Light and Heating
Snakes are "cold-blooded" creatures, an unfortunate term indeed, since the blood of an active snake may be as warm or even warmer than your own! Reptiles control their own temperature, which means that they move between hot and cold spaces to maintain an average internal temperature (known as thermoregulators). We use this knowledge to our advantage when planning the lighting and heating system. What I mean is that one side of the tank must be warm and the other side will be cool and the distance between them will be somewhat in-between. At one end of the tank, place an incandescent lamp (about a 40 to 60 watt light bulb works well) out side of the cage just above the mesh top. Directly below, inside the cage, should be a large flat rock used as a basking surface. NEVER use a hot rock because snakes lie on them and get burnt badly, they don't know until it is too late and because it is not natural to receive heat from below (see Snake Specialist under Heating). A better alternative to a hot rock is a underground heater or heating pad. Place this under a part of the tank. I leave mine on during the night when its cold and in winter leave it on during the day as well if its really cold.
At the other end of the tank place the hiding box, well away from the heated source. Using a thermometer, you should find that the temperature over the heated area should be around 28 degrees C and inside the hiding box 23 degrees C. Now your snake can easily regulate its temperature by moving back and forth between the cool and warm spots.
For Corn snakes, ten to twelve hours of lighting per day is sufficient. Timers are great for helping keep the heating sources on a regular schedule. At night you should let the temperature drop at least 3-4 degrees C, this is healthy for a snake since it is what happens in the wild! Snakes often suffer heat stress if you don't do this, this can kill the male's sperm.
Feeding your snake
We already know that snakes don't use food to warm their bodies, so a snake needs less food than a mammal of the same size. But we also know that a snake's blood is far from cold, and it does take food to maintain activity, so don't underestimate the amount of food your Corn snake needs. Corn snakes may not take their prey either because the temperature in the tank is too cold or to hot or if there is not a sufficient hiding place.
How often to feed a snake? Well, it depends on the snake's size. A small Corn snake is usually more active than a larger one, and will tend to take small meals frequently. A large snake will be less active so it will take larger meals less frequently.
You should keep track of how often your snake defecates. When a snake voids waste it has more or less completely digested its last meal. Soon you know your snake's individual feeding schedule, and timing feedings will be second nature.
I have found that if you have purchased a juvenile or captured a wild Corn snake, put a live Pinky mouse in the tank in the evening, switch off the lights and cover the tank with a towel during the night, and try not to disturb it for the first couple of feedings. Corn snake babies get "put off" eating if you sit there and watch them eat. They will refuse to eat if you are there because you are just a predator to them and they are most vulnerable when they are constricting the Pinky (or older mice). After a while you may start watching the snake. Remember not to move!!
Now, for the debate for feeding live or dead rodents. I give my Corn snakes live Pinky mice or Fuzzies. I find it more natural! You may want to give your Corn snakes dead (properly thawed) adult mice. I would NEVER give my snake a live (adult) mouse and just leave it there. I usually knock the mouse out first so that there is no danger of hurting the snake. I achieve this by (not too hard) hitting it over the head. Reluctant lab mice often bite and badly injure snakes. It's completely up to you. The snake really doesn't mind. I suppose that the type (alive or dead) of mouse that is mostly available is the one that you should opt for.
Remember to leave the snake alone for at least 3 days to let it digests the rodent. If you disturb it, it will regurgitate its meal. If you watch the snake after it has eaten the rodent, the snake will retreat to the warm side of the tank to digest its meal.
Never feed rodents that are too large for the snake to fit into its mouth. They usually dislocate their jaws in order to swallow the prey. Feed items no more than 1 1/2 to 2 times the width of the snake's head.
The Conclusion
Corn snakes make wonderful pets for beginners. My first snake was a Corn snake. They are easy to care for and easy to get feeding. I would be neglectant if I did not mention the topics of collecting and conservation. Collecting wild snakes is generally to be discouraged; there are plenty in pet stores!! Also make sure that you are allowed to keep Corn snakes in your area and remember to only take ONE snake to start with.
I have not spoken about the different types of Corn snakes, like the "Amelanistic" Corn, "Snow" Corn snake or "Ghost" Corn. I have not dealt with them as such; all that I know is that they do not like bright lights. They can be kept the same way as normal Corn snakes though.
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Housing
Most adult Corn Snakes will live comfortably in a 20-gallon tank provided that you let them out for exercise. Bigger is always better in this case though and a 30-gallon or larger would be very nice. The tank must have a locking screen top. This is very important. Most pet stores sell clips that lock the top down securely. Buying 4 clips will ensure that you won't be doing any "snake hunting" around the house. People will tell you to just stack books on top, but beware, snakes are escape artists that can wriggle through a very small hole. Enough said.
Snake Home Interiors
Some good substrates for the bottom of the tank are newspaper, pine bark chips (from a pet store, no pesticides), or aspen bedding. Newspaper is probably the best substrate available. It is clean and cheap. When it gets soiled just crumple it up and throw it away. Although seemingly perfect in every way, unfortunately newsprint is not very eye appealing. This is where pine bark chips come in. If properly obtained (through a reputable pet store) they are relatively clean. The soiled pieces can be scooped out as they appear and the whole tank can be emptied on a regular basis and disinfected. Aspen bedding is my personal favorite. The manufacturers claim the pieces are small enough so that if ingestion occurs no harm will come to the animal. In fact, I have seen all my snakes ingest the Aspen at one time or another. I have used it successfully for several years now.
Pine shavings, corncob, and sand are no good because they can easily become ingested and lead to impaction. Dirt from outside is not suitable because it has bacteria and could have parasites in it. (Dirt can be used in emergency situations, although I can't imagine what that could be. Just put the dirt in a pan and bake it at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes. Let it cool first before putting it into the cage, obviously.)
Your Corn Snake needs a hide box in which to feel secure. I have used many different objects for this purpose. Half a log, a small cardboard box with a hole cut in the side, various fake logs from the pet store, and even a heavy plastic cup if there's nothing else around. The shelter should be slightly larger than the animal so it can touch all the sides and feel cozy. Whatever you choose it should be easily cleaned or disposed of (in the case of the box) when soiled.
A Corn Snake of all snakes definitely needs a climbing branch. (If the branch comes from outside you may either bake it in the oven like the dirt, see above, or you may pour boiling water over the branch outside. Baking is more thorough.) The best way to secure the branch is to extend it from the bottom of one corner diagonally to the opposite corner near the top. (By the way, be careful when opening the top that your snake is not perched on top between the cage and the screen. You don't want to squish anyone!) Aside from the branch other decorations can be used like plastic trees and such. Just make sure they are easy to clean.
Water!
Your Corn Snake is going to need a water dish filled with clean water at all times. It should be big enough for him to get his whole body into. Yes, they like to "take a bath" once in a while. Many times when your snake is going to shed he will take a dip in his water dish to help the skin come off. Unfortunately most snakes also like to relieve themselves while in water also. This is just a fact of life and you must be prepared to change the water frequently. Actually it makes cage cleanup very easy when they go in the water. I've had some snakes that go every time in their water and I've had others who never go near the water except to drink. Go figure.
Heating
All snakes are Poikilothermic (cold-blooded). This means that they cannot regulate their body temperature like we can. Without proper heating their tank can get too cold and they can die. If their tank gets too hot they can die from overheating, as they have no way to lower their body temperature. Corn Snakes are from North America so obviously they come across cold temperatures. Out in the wild they hibernate. If you don't keep a constant temperature year-round in your Corn Snake's cage he too will go into hibernation.
If you want to cool your snakes down for breeding you need to let them get all the food out of their systems first. Don't feed them for a couple of weeks prior to cooling and make sure that they defecate also. This is so the food doesn't just rot in their stomach. Obviously you do not want to feed them while they are cooled down. If on an off chance they took the food they wouldn't be able to digest it without proper heat. Personally I recommend keeping your Corn Snake at an even temperature year round. 75 degrees is a nice average temperature that they seem to be happy at.
One of the best types of heat that I have used for Corn Snakes is the undertank pad from Repti-therm or heat tape manufactured just for the herpetological community. The Repti-therms have always worked well for me but I've heard on a few occasions that they have gotten hot enough to crack the bottom of the tank. Obviously this is not good. If you choose the Repti-therms please check them out from time to time to see that they are not getting too hot. Basically, if you cannot hold your hand on the heater it is too hot. For safety I usually put newspaper down under the bark chips or aspen bedding. This dissipates the heat so as not to burn your snake. Many times snakes aren't bright enough to realize they are getting burnt and will stay on the hot area until much damage has occurred.
The heat tapes as far as I know don't get as hot as the Repti-therms. You can buy the heat tape in strips that are 3" or 11" wide and as long as you want. This is ideal when more than one tank is going to be heated. In any case your snake needs a temperature variant. Place the heating pad at one end of the tank not in the center. This allows the snake to sit on the heat, near the heat, or away from the heat. A good variant for a Corn Snake is from 65-82 degrees (room temp. at one end with the heating pad at the other end). This is a natural variant the snake would find in the wild on a nice July day. 82 degrees in the sun and 65 down in the shade under some leaves. The 3" heat tape can be use similarly by letting it run along the backside under the tank. (11" tape would be too wide for a 20-gallon tank.)
Feeding
Your Corn Snake will eat approximately one mouse per week depending on the size of the snake and the size of the feeder mouse. As a rule don't feed rodents that are more than 1 1/2 times the width of your snake's head. While it is possible for your snake to eat bigger mice than that it is also possible for him to choke on it. Better safe than sorry.
Now for the live versus dead debate: I am wholeheartedly for feeding dead food to snakes and lizards. Corn Snakes in general adapt well to eating pre-killed rodents. The reasons for feeding pre-killed are simple. Live mice and rats can and will bite your snake. If your snake is not hungry for whatever reason an unattended mouse can do major damage to the captive snake. Constrictor snakes, of which your Corn Snake is one, don't really have much in the way of defense. In the wild if threatened chances are they will flee. There is nowhere to flee to in your snake's tank. Another reason not to feed live is to alleviate unnecessary suffering in the food animal. Usually feeder rodents are killed with a swift blow to the head that results in instant death. I feel that this is far more humane than letting the snake slowly suffocate the animal. Dead animals are also easier to coat with vitamins and calcium. In the event of any reptile illness it is also much easier to stick medication in the dead animal's mouth than into a live one's.
The animals that I have are all eating pre-killed frozen rodents. There are quite a few places to get frozen feeder rodents. They are shipped overnight express with dry ice. If you order in bulk (50 or more) the extra cost of overnight shipping divided over the number of rodents is insignificant when compared to the cost of individuals at a pet store that you have to kill yourself. With any luck there is a herp show near you at some point in the year at which you should be able to purchase frozen feeder mice in quantity. When you buy at the shows large mice are about $.50 each as compared to at leat $2.00 each for a live mouse at the pet store. You do the math!
Handling
Baby Corn Snakes tame down VERY quickly. All it takes is some daily handling for about a week and they become very "friendly". An adult that hasn't been handled much will tame down also although maybe not so fast. Babies may nip at you at first but that should end quickly. It doesn't hurt much anyway.
When picking up a Corn Snake you want to be gentle but firm. A small snake or a baby can be picked up with one hand. A larger one needs to be supported with both hands. Don't just pick up an adult by either end while letting the other end dangle. If the snake feels unsupported it might thrash around and injure itself.
Let a baby Corn Snake slither through your fingers, back and forth between your hands. Just keep letting him crawl around. He may be fast at first but once he figures out that you don't want to hurt him or eat him he will calm down. Corn Snakes don't calm down as much as the Pythons or Boas. It is just their nature to be more active. Don't expect to be able to walk around the house with your adult Corn Snake wrapped around your neck. It is more likely that he will be crawling all over the place and attempting to wrap around anything you walk near.
Never walk around in public with your snake wrapped around your neck or wrapped around anything else for that matter. The snake probably doesn't enjoy it all that much. There are also a lot of people that are already afraid of them and don't need to be surprised by one roaming the streets. Snake-a-phobes already think we are crazy to keep these great creatures. We don't need to dangle them in their faces.
Conclusion
With the proper care as outlined above your Corn Snake should live a long, happy life with you. They are clean, quiet, hypoallergenic, beautiful creatures are easy to take care of and don't care if you go off on vacation for the weekend or several weeks!