Basic Care
Housing - A lot of cornsnakes don't seem to climb that much, so length is more important than height in a tank. A 20 long will be an adequate size for most corns for many years. Depending on how big your corn gets, you may want to upgrade to a 40 gallon, but that is usually the biggest size you will need. Most of our adults are in 20 gallon tanks. Only a few of our biggest corns have 40 gallons. Be aware that new hatchlings may be intimidated by large tanks in the beginning. You can start small and upgrade as your snake grows. Remember, snakes are escape artists! Make sure you have a secure, tight-fitting lid. Snakes can fit through surprisingly small spaces and are usually stronger than you think. A locking lid keeps them from pushing up a corner and escaping.
Heating - Heating is the most important aspect to keeping your snake healthy. Since reptiles cannot produce their own body heat, it is critical that you provide the correct temperature range for proper health. Too cold and your snake will not digest its food properly. Too warm and your snake can overheat and die. Since corns spend the majority of their time on the bottom of their tank, a dependable under-the-tank reptile heating pad is the most important heating element you can purchase. Do not use heat rocks! They heat unevenly and can cause burns. Depending on how cool your house gets, you can also use a small heat lamp on top of the tank. It is important to provide a temperature range within the tank so your snake can regulate its body temperature properly. The cool area should be in the low 70's, while the warm area should be between 80-85. We recommend purchasing an inexpensive digital thermometer with a sensor probe that you can move around the tank and check the temperature. Even better is to purchase 2 and leave one in the cool area and one in the warm area.
Lighting - Cornsnakes do not have any specific UV lighting requirements like some reptiles. Any type of light to illuminate their tank is fine. Even indirect natural light is fine.
Substrate - Cornsnakes like to burrow into their substrate. We prefer aspen bedding. The pieces are small, not sharp, "fluffs up" so the snake can wiggle through it, and easy to spot clean. It is important to stay away from any aromatic wood bedding like cedar, pine, or fir - it can cause respiratory problems with snakes. They also do not have high humidity requirements so you want to avoid the tropical bedding like coconut bark that is designed to retain a lot of moisture. Too wet a tank can cause scale rot in a cornsnake. Sand or gravel is also not recommended. It is non-absorbent, which can encourage bacterial growth.
Decorations - Decorations are really up to personal taste, as long as it isn't something the snake can injure themselves on. The most important decor is something the snakes can hide under. Cornsnakes spend a lot of their time curled up safe and snug in a dark place. You can spend a lot of money on fancy hides, or use paper towel rolls and plastic bowls. Several choices are good to allow your snake options.
Feeding - Next to heating, feeding the proper size and type of food is essential to a healthy, happy corn. Feeding too small a prey size can lead to malnutrition. Feeding too large a prey size can lead to regurgitation, which can be dangerous to your snake. Hatchlings are usually fed one pinkie every 5 days. The "food lump" should be visible for 12-24 hours after feeding. If it is not, it is time to increase the prey size. If it is visible for longer than that, decrease the size of the prey. It is usually best to go to 2 pinkies, then to fuzzies. Fuzzies can be too big around for some hatchlings, even though they need the extra amount. A good rule of thumb is that the girth of the prey should be no larger than 1.5x the girth of the largest part of your snake. Adult corns can be fed every 7-10 days, depending on size and activity level. We recommend frozen/thawed or pre-killed mice. Too often we have seen or heard stories of snakes injured by live prey. Snakes have been blinded by biting prey, chewed on, or even killed. Luckily, most corns are not finicky eaters and accept frozen/thawed prey readily. Just make sure it is completely thawed through and warm in the center.
Shedding - As snakes grow, they shed their skin. Usually you can tell when this is going to happen because their eyes will look milky (known as "in blue" because the dark eyes look blue). Snakes with pink or red eyes do not turn blue so it can be harder to see when they are getting ready to shed. After about a week the eyes go back to clear and the snake will shed a few days later. Many snakes do not want to be held while in blue and will often refuse to feed. This is normal, and they will usually be hungry once they have shed! It is important to check your snake after a shed to make sure the layer over the eyes and the tip of the tail have come off. This can cause serious problems down the line if it happens - blindness or losing a tail tip. If a snake has trouble shedding (pieces remain stuck to the body) soak the snake in lukewarm water and let it slither through a warm, wet washcloth. That will usually do the trick. Never pull at the dry skin to "help" it along. This can injure the corn!
Handling - It is best to avoid handling your snake for 2-3 days after it has been fed to avoid stressing it and causing regurgitation. As stated above, many snakes prefer to be left alone while in blue. Other than that, enjoy taking your snake out! Cornsnakes tend to have very mellow personalities and seem to accept handling readily. Babies can be a little flighty and nervous, but with consistent handling usually calm down quickly. Activity level varies with individual snakes. Some are very active and want to explore, others are content to curl around your neck or wrist and soak up the warmth. Cornsnakes also seem to be fine with not being handled for a few days in a row. They do not become "less tame" if you do not handle them every day. They are very undemanding pets!
New Arrivals - It is important to allow your new snake to rest and recuperate from travel. It is best to leave your snake alone for 5-7 days after arrival. This allows your snake to rest, settle in, and de-stress. After 7 days, offer your new snake its first meal. Some may not want to eat at this point. Try again in 2-3 days. Sometimes snakes are more comfortable eating in the dark and without an audience!
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions! We are here to help.
Heating - Heating is the most important aspect to keeping your snake healthy. Since reptiles cannot produce their own body heat, it is critical that you provide the correct temperature range for proper health. Too cold and your snake will not digest its food properly. Too warm and your snake can overheat and die. Since corns spend the majority of their time on the bottom of their tank, a dependable under-the-tank reptile heating pad is the most important heating element you can purchase. Do not use heat rocks! They heat unevenly and can cause burns. Depending on how cool your house gets, you can also use a small heat lamp on top of the tank. It is important to provide a temperature range within the tank so your snake can regulate its body temperature properly. The cool area should be in the low 70's, while the warm area should be between 80-85. We recommend purchasing an inexpensive digital thermometer with a sensor probe that you can move around the tank and check the temperature. Even better is to purchase 2 and leave one in the cool area and one in the warm area.
Lighting - Cornsnakes do not have any specific UV lighting requirements like some reptiles. Any type of light to illuminate their tank is fine. Even indirect natural light is fine.
Substrate - Cornsnakes like to burrow into their substrate. We prefer aspen bedding. The pieces are small, not sharp, "fluffs up" so the snake can wiggle through it, and easy to spot clean. It is important to stay away from any aromatic wood bedding like cedar, pine, or fir - it can cause respiratory problems with snakes. They also do not have high humidity requirements so you want to avoid the tropical bedding like coconut bark that is designed to retain a lot of moisture. Too wet a tank can cause scale rot in a cornsnake. Sand or gravel is also not recommended. It is non-absorbent, which can encourage bacterial growth.
Decorations - Decorations are really up to personal taste, as long as it isn't something the snake can injure themselves on. The most important decor is something the snakes can hide under. Cornsnakes spend a lot of their time curled up safe and snug in a dark place. You can spend a lot of money on fancy hides, or use paper towel rolls and plastic bowls. Several choices are good to allow your snake options.
Feeding - Next to heating, feeding the proper size and type of food is essential to a healthy, happy corn. Feeding too small a prey size can lead to malnutrition. Feeding too large a prey size can lead to regurgitation, which can be dangerous to your snake. Hatchlings are usually fed one pinkie every 5 days. The "food lump" should be visible for 12-24 hours after feeding. If it is not, it is time to increase the prey size. If it is visible for longer than that, decrease the size of the prey. It is usually best to go to 2 pinkies, then to fuzzies. Fuzzies can be too big around for some hatchlings, even though they need the extra amount. A good rule of thumb is that the girth of the prey should be no larger than 1.5x the girth of the largest part of your snake. Adult corns can be fed every 7-10 days, depending on size and activity level. We recommend frozen/thawed or pre-killed mice. Too often we have seen or heard stories of snakes injured by live prey. Snakes have been blinded by biting prey, chewed on, or even killed. Luckily, most corns are not finicky eaters and accept frozen/thawed prey readily. Just make sure it is completely thawed through and warm in the center.
Shedding - As snakes grow, they shed their skin. Usually you can tell when this is going to happen because their eyes will look milky (known as "in blue" because the dark eyes look blue). Snakes with pink or red eyes do not turn blue so it can be harder to see when they are getting ready to shed. After about a week the eyes go back to clear and the snake will shed a few days later. Many snakes do not want to be held while in blue and will often refuse to feed. This is normal, and they will usually be hungry once they have shed! It is important to check your snake after a shed to make sure the layer over the eyes and the tip of the tail have come off. This can cause serious problems down the line if it happens - blindness or losing a tail tip. If a snake has trouble shedding (pieces remain stuck to the body) soak the snake in lukewarm water and let it slither through a warm, wet washcloth. That will usually do the trick. Never pull at the dry skin to "help" it along. This can injure the corn!
Handling - It is best to avoid handling your snake for 2-3 days after it has been fed to avoid stressing it and causing regurgitation. As stated above, many snakes prefer to be left alone while in blue. Other than that, enjoy taking your snake out! Cornsnakes tend to have very mellow personalities and seem to accept handling readily. Babies can be a little flighty and nervous, but with consistent handling usually calm down quickly. Activity level varies with individual snakes. Some are very active and want to explore, others are content to curl around your neck or wrist and soak up the warmth. Cornsnakes also seem to be fine with not being handled for a few days in a row. They do not become "less tame" if you do not handle them every day. They are very undemanding pets!
New Arrivals - It is important to allow your new snake to rest and recuperate from travel. It is best to leave your snake alone for 5-7 days after arrival. This allows your snake to rest, settle in, and de-stress. After 7 days, offer your new snake its first meal. Some may not want to eat at this point. Try again in 2-3 days. Sometimes snakes are more comfortable eating in the dark and without an audience!
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions! We are here to help.
