Care and Feeding of Your Corn Snake

You've finally picked out the perfect snake.  Corn snakes are, by far, the most delightful and easy to care for pets on the market!  Now what?  Hopefully you've done some research and know what you need.  Here are a few pointers:  

• Enclosure
• Enclosure Clips or other secure lock
• Substrate ( I like aspen)
• Water Dish (deep enough for a soak)
• Heat Mat with Thermostat
• Digital Thermometer 
• Appropriate Size Mice
• Hides on cool and warm sides
• Optional - Heat Lamp ( to increase ambient air temperature)
• Optional - Vines or branches (sterilized) for climbing - Yes!  Some corns climb!

Minimum Enclosure Size

Hatchling: 5-10 gallon tank  

Adolescent:  10-20 gallon tank  

Adult:  20+ gallon tank  

Enclosure Heat 

Cool side:  75-80 degrees  (if it’s less than 75 degrees, your snake may always be hiding) Correct this by covering your tank or a lamp

Warm side:  83-86 degrees

Enclosure Cleaning

Spot clean enclosure and clean water dish once or twice a week, complete change monthly or as needed

• No handling or feeding for the first 3-5 days
• First few feeds in a smaller container with air holes 
• No handling for 48 hours after a feed
• Be extra careful when handling - do not startle or handle while in blue
• New babies tend to be very quick, so sit while handling

 Feed your snake a frozen/thawed mouse that is approxiately 1½ times the size of your snake at it’s thickest point. I like using the weight of the snake in grams to take the guesswork out.