Common Name: Corn Snake
Latin name: Elaphe guttata 

Introduction

Corn snakes make an excellent first snake, as they generally have very good dispositions. These snakes are also very capable of withstanding a large temperature range so they is very hardy making it an excellent first snake.

Care of your snake

Juvenile Corn Snakes can be easily housed in a 10 Gallon Aquarium a 20 or 30 Gallon Long Aquarium makes a great home for adult snakes..

Temperature should be 80-85 F (27-30 C) during the day at the hot end of the vivarium, with a 5-10 F drop at night. It is best to have two thermometers, one at each end of the vivarium so you know the temperature at the hot and cold ends.

Your aquarium can be heated by many methods but the key thing to remember is that your heat source should be well guarded so that the snake can't get too close and burn itself. There are two main sources of heating commonly used for reptiles. The first are heatmats, and rocks which are placed in or ideally under the Aquarium. This type of heating only heats the area they actually cover. This doesn't help the rest of your aquarium, so is best used in areas which don't get too cold. The second are bulbs and ceramic heaters. These warm the snake more naturally by raising the air temperature. Ideally you would like to keep your corn snakes using both methods, an Exo-Terra Sun Glo Daylight Bulb makes a great basking area for your Corn Snake.

Furnishing your vivarium

Aspen Shavings, Exo-Terra Forest Bark or Zilla Terrarium Liner make great substrates for your Corn Snake's home. Terrarium Liner would be the easiest to clean. Don't use pine or cedar as well as sand or saw dust as there can be problems with your snake ingesting these which can mean a trip to the vet or worse. Your snake will need somthing to hide under. This can be any thing from an old box, to a flower pot or a piece of cork. We offer a nice selection of hiding areas for your snake. Your Corn snake will also need a water bowl big enough for it to fit in, as they like to soak. This should be cleaned every two to three days or if soiled.

Feeding

Cornsnakes should be eating mice or rats. Young corn snakes should be fed every four to five days, decreasing to every seven to fourteen days for adults. The food it eats should be as thick as the snake at its thickest part so if your snake is thumb thickness so should the food be. If you keep more than one corn snake in the same Aquarium you must feed them separately as they may fight or even eat each other.

Recommended Products:
Zilla Terrarium Liner
Exo-Terra Forest Bark
Exo-Terra Sun Glo Daylight Heat Bulbs
Exo-Terra Thermometer
Four Paws Nature's Vitamin Reptile Spray
Live rodents