If I am mistaken in my information below (which I gathered from the internet and experience, so it should be accurate) or you have helpful tips or suggestions, please email me at the_cornsnake_site@yahoo.com.

Care sheet

General

Corn snakes are very interesting and surprisingly loving snakes. They will almost never bite you (unless provoked or are afraid), and are very easy to care for. If you are a corn snake owner, or are aspiring to be one, I wish you the best of luck and congratulate you for picking what many people believe to be the best pet snake out there! Also, please do not rely solely on this page! Research your pet, and even ask your local breeders any questions you might have. To see why this is important, go to this page.


Stats

Adult corns will grow to be 3 to 5 feet long. The longest ever recorded is 6 feet, so don't be surprised if your snake gets larger than the average. It takes them about four years or so to get this length, but they are always growing.

Corn snakes will live anywhere from 15 to 20 years, if they are cared for in the proper way.

Their natural range is Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and the rest of the southeastern US.

Corns are constrictors and do not have venom or fangs, but they do have teeth.

They are 'handling pets', which means they can be held often and seem to enjoy it. They do not get stressed by constant handling.


Housing

Corn snakes will do well in almost any container, provided it is big enough. Baby corn snakes can live in a 5- or 10-gallon tank (however, you will need to purchase a larger housing area as they grow). Breeders, who house hundreds of snakes at a time, use plastic sweater boxes. Juveniles are happy in 10-15 gallon tanks or sweater boxes. Adults can be housed in 20-25 gallon tanks, or sweater boxes. For the hobbyist, however, sweater boxes are not needed, and it is easier to have glass tank. And, as always MAKE SURE IT IS ESCAPE-PROOF!!!

There are five basic things a corn snake needs in his house:
-A secure lid
-A hide area
-A clean water dish
-Bedding
-Stable temperature

Secure Lid
Corn snakes are escape artists. They are naturally curious creatures and poke their nose into every nook and cranny. If there is a way to escape, they will find it. There are many options for cage lids, such as screen top with clips or a heavy object placed on it, a locked lid, a clip lid, etc.
 
Hide Box
Corn snakes like to hide, and almost anything will please them. A hide box can be many things: modified yogurt/ice cream containers, coconut halves (small snakes), hollow logs, nature-like plastic hide areas, etc; anything the snake can coil under. Also, babies like snug fitting boxes with low tops.

Water Dish
Corn snakes need water in their tank all the time. If it gets dry or soiled, it needs to be cleaned immediately. Water dishes come in handy during shedding, because the snake will submerge itself right before. Therefore, the dish should be big enough so the snake can submerge its whole body. Also make sure you wipe out your dish every time you clean it. Bacteria in your cage love the water dish. Even though it’s not immediately harmful (because it comes from the snake) if it is given a chance to grow, it might eventually hurt the animal. I often notice a pinkish residue on my dish, and wipe it off. DO NOT disinfect the dish unless it is thoroughly rinsed afterwards. Soaps can soak into some types of plastic or clay dishes and leech out into the water later.

Bedding
Bedding for a corn snake can be newspaper, aspen shavings, Astroturf, carpet, or paper towels. Gravel and sand are not good for bedding because they take moisture out of your snake's skin and can clog the nose or throat. Cedar shavings SHOULD NOT be used because they cause respiratory problems, because of its dusty nature. Also, bedding from the forest or yard should not be used because it may cause respiratory or mite problems. If you buy bedding from a store, make sure it doesn't give off any dust. This will cause breathing problems.

Temperature
There is a lot of controversy over whether or not your snake needs a temperature gradient. I've heard some experienced breeders say you don't need a temperature gradient, but the temperature should be constant (the latter is the most important). Fluctuating temperatures definitely cause a high amount of stress for your snake. For babies, the temperature should be 80-85. Older snakes will do ok in 73-80 degrees. If you would like to provide a gradient, go ahead! The temps should be no more then 77-85 in the warm end and no less than 70-77 in the cool end. Snakes like to choose their own temperature. But, if you do, make sure to provide a hide box in both ends because shy snakes will stick with their hide box even if it is too hot. Corn snakes are very adaptable creatures; they live in a large range, and can take many temperature gradients. If you live in the south, the daytime temperatures should be all right, as long as the snake isn't baking in the sun or freezing by the air vent.


Feeding

A healthy corn snake diet consists of only mice. They get all the nutrition they need in a mouse. I feed my snake thawed, pre-killed mice for two reasons. One, live mice can kill a snake. I have seen gruesome pictures of pythons chewed on by a mouse. This happens because the owner dropped in a mouse, expecting the snake to be hungry, when it wasn't. If the snake isn't hungry for the mouse, it will ignore it. So what do mice do best? Chew on things. It’s not pretty. Another reason to feed pre-killed is the cost and maintenance. Buying mice every week can get annoying. Plus, the stores have to raise prices in order to make a profit. The solution? Buy a pack of 100 frozen mice once every two years offline. Go to my links page to find some frozen food dealers.

Thawing Frozen Food: Fuzzies, Hoppers, and Adults
I've heard many rumors going around that micro waving your snakes food can do harm to it. This is usually not possible, unless you actually cook the mouse. Snakes do not cope well with thoroughly cooked food. To prevent this, I warm mine in the following manner. Note: this is the 'recipe' for the bigger mice, like fuzzies, hoppers, and adults. You do not have to microwave your pinkies. See the next subtitle on how to warm them.

I first set my microwave on one of the lower settings, such as 'defrost'. Then I microwave for 5 seconds at a time, or until the tail begins to pop, pausing in between and flipping it around, to get it thawed evenly. I do this until the whole mouse is WARM to the touch, not steaming hot (yes, you have to touch it). In my microwave, in order to get the mouse evenly warmed, I have to turn it and you may have to also. I've had my snakes for a few years, and they are doing well. And remember, don't literally cook the mouse, just warm it. (All micro waved mice are pre-killed... Just in case you were wondering.) The heads are usually the last parts to thaw, and sometimes it stays a little cool. My snakes seem to accept them like that.

Thawing Frozen Food: Pinkies
Thawing pinkies is much simpler than thawing larger mice. One way of thawing pinkies is: directly out of the freezer, put the pinky (or pinkies) that you want warmed into a small Ziploc bag and seal it. Then fill a cup with hot water (the hotter the better) and stick the plastic bag with the mice into it. Check back in about 5 minutes to see if they are warm and defrosted. Take the mice out of the bag (they will be a little soggy because the water that was melted had nowhere to go) and feed at will. This procedure prevents cooking the little pinks, which is very easy to do.
DO NOT let your mice thaw on the counter. This is not sanitary for humans, and bacteria is more likely to grow on the mice when they re sitting for hours.

Feeding Babies
Baby corn snakes have eyes bigger than their stomachs, and if you over feed them it will cause problems later in their life. So you should feed them about 1 or 2 pinkies (depending on size) every week after their first shed. If you are having problems with regurgitation, try raising the temperature. If this does not work, pierce the skull of the pinkie with a pin and squeeze out some blood. If that does not work, go to this page for some other ideas.

Feeding Juveniles
Juvenile snakes are snakes that are too big for pinkies, but too small for adult mice. The mice that are given to a juvenile are called fuzzies or hoppers (hoppers being larger). The width of the mouse should be no bigger then the widest part in the snake’s body. This will prevent the snake from regurgitating or the mouse from rotting in the snake's stomach because its not digesting fast enough.

Feeding Adults
Adults should be fed adult mice once, twice, or even three times (depending on size) every 1 to 2 weeks. Remember to stay with pre-killed, because if your snake is left alone with an adult mouse and the snake won't eat it, the mouse could possibly kill the snake.


Exercise

Like all pets, snakes enjoy exercise. I take Xena outside, where she loves to sit around my neck and smell the air. Warm days are the best because your snake can feel comfortable, and have a higher metabolism and therefore enjoy its time outside. I take her outside and let her crawl in the grass, keeping a close eye on her. They are very fast when they want to be. If you have a small corn snake, don’t let it crawl in the grass. They like to weave in and out of the roots, and little snakes can get lost.