Post by Natalie on Sept 8, 2010 14:47:58 GMT -5
Latin name: Elaphe Guttata
Other names: Corn snake, red rat snake
Ease of care: Very easy
Size: 4-6'
Housing:
Young ones should be housed in 6-10 gallon aquariums or plastic tubs. Large tanks and snakes do not mix well: they stress them out, especially young ones, so the housing must be small. A 3' snake would go well in a 20g and anything over 4' can be housed in either a 20 or 30g. A large one can settle for a 40g.
Use aspen chips as a substrate. Substartes to avoid include cedar chips, sand, mulch or any kind of dusty substrate (like wood shavings) so the snake does not develop any kind of RI or blockage in the stomach. 3 inches is ideal since corn snakes love to burrow.
Suit the snake with a water bowl large enough for the snake to soak in and 2 hides: one on the 'warm' side and one on the 'cool' side. These hides can be home-made from various items (including yogurt containers, tissue boxes, etc) as long as it is well rinsed (if it held a food product) and no sharp edges remain.
The snake should have a heat pad as well, stuck to the back of the 'warm' side which is opposite of the water bowl. The thermometer on this side should read roughly 75-80*F (around 10-20*C).
The cool side needs no heating and should be the side in which you place the water bowl. This can be as low as 65*F but don't let it drop lower than that. 70*F is ideal.
During shed, spray the snake's tank with water OR give it a bath in warm water every 2 days until it sheds. This will help the snake shed. Also suit the snake with something rough to rub against and loosen the skin.
If the snake is having a bad shed, give it a bath for about 15 minutes and try to ease the skin off WIHOUT pulling (so no damage to the scales is caused) and if it does not come off then, let the snake slither around in a damp towel. Check every shed (a proper shed is shed in one piece) for eye-caps. If the snake shed properly, the eye-caps should be on. If not, you must remove them which includes soaking the snake's eye and gently picking it off, which is risky (making high humidity a must)
Feeding is easy since corn snakes are easy to feed but shoudl never be fed live! Frozen food is cheap and readily sold. Heat up a mouse of the appropriate size (about as big as your snake's girth) by putting it in a bowl of hot water. Never microwave. Once the rodent is warm, dangle it above the snake, which should be fed in a different container. Once the snake has eaten, move him back to his home and do not handle for 2 days while your snake digests.
Breeding corn snakes is easy but also expensive and time consuming so breeding is not reccomended to beginners.
-Note from a corn snake owner-
My corn snake is easy to feed, handle and care for. I would reccomend corn snakes to anyone! They come in tons of colors and are just overall great snakes.
Hope this helps anyone wishing to get a corn snake as a pet.
~Nat~
Other names: Corn snake, red rat snake
Ease of care: Very easy
Size: 4-6'
Housing:
Young ones should be housed in 6-10 gallon aquariums or plastic tubs. Large tanks and snakes do not mix well: they stress them out, especially young ones, so the housing must be small. A 3' snake would go well in a 20g and anything over 4' can be housed in either a 20 or 30g. A large one can settle for a 40g.
Use aspen chips as a substrate. Substartes to avoid include cedar chips, sand, mulch or any kind of dusty substrate (like wood shavings) so the snake does not develop any kind of RI or blockage in the stomach. 3 inches is ideal since corn snakes love to burrow.
Suit the snake with a water bowl large enough for the snake to soak in and 2 hides: one on the 'warm' side and one on the 'cool' side. These hides can be home-made from various items (including yogurt containers, tissue boxes, etc) as long as it is well rinsed (if it held a food product) and no sharp edges remain.
The snake should have a heat pad as well, stuck to the back of the 'warm' side which is opposite of the water bowl. The thermometer on this side should read roughly 75-80*F (around 10-20*C).
The cool side needs no heating and should be the side in which you place the water bowl. This can be as low as 65*F but don't let it drop lower than that. 70*F is ideal.
During shed, spray the snake's tank with water OR give it a bath in warm water every 2 days until it sheds. This will help the snake shed. Also suit the snake with something rough to rub against and loosen the skin.
If the snake is having a bad shed, give it a bath for about 15 minutes and try to ease the skin off WIHOUT pulling (so no damage to the scales is caused) and if it does not come off then, let the snake slither around in a damp towel. Check every shed (a proper shed is shed in one piece) for eye-caps. If the snake shed properly, the eye-caps should be on. If not, you must remove them which includes soaking the snake's eye and gently picking it off, which is risky (making high humidity a must)
Feeding is easy since corn snakes are easy to feed but shoudl never be fed live! Frozen food is cheap and readily sold. Heat up a mouse of the appropriate size (about as big as your snake's girth) by putting it in a bowl of hot water. Never microwave. Once the rodent is warm, dangle it above the snake, which should be fed in a different container. Once the snake has eaten, move him back to his home and do not handle for 2 days while your snake digests.
Breeding corn snakes is easy but also expensive and time consuming so breeding is not reccomended to beginners.
-Note from a corn snake owner-
My corn snake is easy to feed, handle and care for. I would reccomend corn snakes to anyone! They come in tons of colors and are just overall great snakes.
Hope this helps anyone wishing to get a corn snake as a pet.
~Nat~
