If you like reptiles, you’ll love corn snakes. They originated from eastern United States and are so common that you can find them nearly everywhere! In fact, corn snakes can easily be caught and are often kept as pets by those children whose parents didn’t freak out at the thought of them!
A corn snake is a type of rat snake that is harmless. They are found all over North America and prey primarily on mice, rats, and other pesky rodents that many people hate to deal with. Corn snakes resemble a venomous snake called the Copperhead, but they differ by being non-poisonous.
Corn snakes are easygoing reptiles that prefer to live in habitats like vast, overgrown fields and forest openings. The remainder of this article will highlight everything you need to know about owning a corn snake!
Corn Snake Characteristics and Care
Corn snakes are primarily orange-ish brown, with red patches down their backs. They grow to be about five feet (1.5 m) long and can weigh up to three pounds (1.4 kg) when they mature. The longest a corn snake has ever lived (in captivity) was over thirty years, but their standard lifespan is closer to fifteen to twenty years.
Corn snakes are harmless creatures, despite looking so similar to the Copperhead. Their survival adaptations include rattling their tail in leaves to mimic the threatening sound of a rattlesnake and camouflaged scales to make it easy for them to hide on forest floors.
These snakes are constrictors, meaning they coil around their prey and squeeze them to death before eating them.
Corn snakes make excellent pets because they’re relatively tame. They can be easily handled and don’t require high-maintenance care. However, they’re notorious for attempting to escape, so ensure their tank has a properly fitted lid! If there’s any chance to slither away, your snake will take it!
To properly care for a corn snake, you’ll need the following items:
- A large glass tank.
- A heat lamp. Corn snakes prefer temperatures between 75 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit (23.8-32.2 degrees Celsius).
- An adequately sized cave or enclosure. This is to allow your corn snake to hide and burrow.
- A branch. Your corn snake will need something to climb and bask on.
- Wood shavings or newspaper lining. This is to keep the bottom of your snake’s tank clean.
- A water dish.
Corn snakes enjoy basking in warm light, so a heating or basking lamp is a mandatory purchase. You can place it in the enclosure or outside it, but it’s wise to position it near the climbing branch so your snake can really relax!
Food and Water
Your grown corn snake must eat at most once every two weeks. If it has yet to mature, you’ll need to feed it twice a week. Considering they prey on mice, rats, and other rodents in the wild, you should feed your pet corn snake frozen (and thawed) pinkie mice that are the size of your snake’s head (or slightly larger).
Corn snakes also drink from a water dish, believe it or not, so you’ll need to include a small, shallow water dish for them. It’s important to note that snakes will sometimes bathe or defecate into their water dishes, and you’ll need to empty the water and refill it whenever this happens.
Taking care of a corn snake is simple — once its habitat is set up, there isn’t much you need to worry about other than cleaning and maintaining its tank and hanging out with your new pet!
Tank Cleaning and Maintenance
You must be mindful about keeping your snake’s tank clean. The following are frequently asked questions about maintaining your corn snake’s habitat.
How Often Should I Clean My Corn Snake Cage?
You should clean your corn snake cage daily. Corn snakes, surprisingly, thrive in very clean environments. Therefore, you should do a light, general cleaning that involves changing out its water, replacing any dirtied bedding, and removing snake skin (when your new pet sheds).
Additionally, you should do a complete tank cleaning once every month. To ensure your snake’s tank is clean, consider the following:
- Remove your snake and place it in a secure container. This is always the first step to cleaning its tank. Ensure you have a lid for the container to prevent your snake from slithering away!
- Remove all accessories. Place them in a container and soak them in hot water and soap.
- Remove bedding. Replace it with fresh bedding when you’re done cleaning.
- Use dish soap and hot water. Scrub the inside of your snake’s tank with a metal scrub. Let the tank dry before returning its contents and owner.
Should I Mist My Corn Snake’s Enclosure?
You should mist your corn snake’s enclosure to maintain a level of humidity that your reptile will love you for! Using a handheld spray bottle, mist your snake’s enclosure twice a day with room-temperature water.
Mist the snake’s entire cage, accessories, and even the snake itself! This will make your corn snake very content, as long as you’re simply dampening the enclosure — it doesn’t need to be moist or soaking.
How Do You Clean a Corn Snake Habitat?
You clean a corn snake habitat by removing the snake and the snake tank’s contents and scrubbing the inside of the tank with hot water and dish soap. You should do this once a month and perform lighter cleaning once a day.
You can also let the tank’s contents soak in a container of hot water and soap — if they’re plastic or tolerant of sitting in water. You don’t need harsh disinfectants to clean your snake’s tank and accessories. Soaking them in hot water will help remove debris. Rinse them off afterward, and they’re ready!
How Often Should I Handle My Corn Snake?
You should handle your corn snake once a day, once to twice a week. For the most part, snakes do not need social interaction with their owners. They are lone reptiles that prefer to be alone. However, handling them can ensure they are used to people picking them up, which makes for a tamer snake.
Another benefit to handling your snake is that it can provide them with movement and exercise they don’t usually get in their enclosures. Here are a few tips for handling your corn snake with care:
- Lift them by the neck (slightly lower than the head) and just above their tail. Never move quickly when lifting your snake, and do not grab them with a tight grip as it will scare the snake and potentially make it attack.
- Handle your snake for a maximum of fifteen minutes. A snake’s body temperature can vary drastically, and having it outside its tank for longer than twenty minutes will lower its body temperature.
- If your snake’s neck makes the shape of an ‘S,’ avoid handling them. Corn snakes will rear their heads back when threatened and poised to attack, and this action makes the shape of an S.
- If your snake is hungry or scared, it will bite. Luckily, corn snakes do not produce venom; the bite will likely feel like an uncomfortable pinch.
- The smell of food will cause the snake to bite. Beware if you are handling your snake right after handling some delicious, frozen mice and haven’t yet washed your hands. The snake will smell the mice and is likely to bite in hopes of catching food.
Should I Bathe My Corn Snake?
You should allow your corn snake to bathe as they enjoy bath time, especially when shedding their skin. They sometimes bathe in their water dishes. The best thing to do is provide your snake with a dish of warm water that can fully submerge their bodies.
Snakes also love regular misting periods. Corn snakes originated from humid habitats, which is why they enjoy warmth, whether in the form of a warm bath, a warm basking lamp, or warm periods of misting.
How Often Should I Change My Corn Snake’s Bedding?
You should change your corn snake’s bedding once a month. It’s easiest to do this during the tank’s monthly cleaning. The best type of bedding for a corn snake consists of wood shavings that are odorless and inkless.
The safest type of wood to use is aspen because it won’t splinter or give off harmful toxins. You can also use newspapers, but it doesn’t look as aesthetically pleasing. However, newspapers are the least expensive option because you can take them off your doorstep every morning! You can also shred the newspaper up to use as bedding.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, corn snakes are docile, generally passive reptiles that prove easy and fun to care for! They like to hide away in their enclosures, bask in the sunlight, climb, and bathe in relaxing warm baths. They will swallow a few thawed pinkie mice up to twice a week, depending on how old they are.
Overall, they are amazing reptiles to keep as pets!
