Common Name: Corn Snake, Red Rat Snake
Latin name: Pantherophis guttata
Native to: Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States.
Size: Hatchling corn snakes range in size from 9 - 14 inches in length. Adult corn snakes reach anywhere from 2 to five feet. Males tend to achieve a larger size than females.
Life span: 12 - 15 years, the captive record is 21 years.
General appearance: Corn snakes are a slender snake with black bordered, irregular red or rust colored dorsal blotches. Background color can range from brilliant orange to silvery gray. The belly is white with a black checkerboard pattern. Because of the trend to strive for odd color and pattern morphs in captivity, many strains of captive produced corn snakes vary in appearance from the above described traits.
Enclosure: Hatchlings do best in smaller enclosures like a plastic shoebox or critter keeper style cage about 12 x 6 inches in size. Adults will need larger enclosures similar in size to a 20 gallon long aquarium.
Temperature: Ambient air temperature should range between 75° - 80°F during the day and may drop to 65° - 70°F at night. Temperatures at the basking area should provide the snake with a constant hot spot of 85° - 90°F.
Sub-adult and adult corn snakes may voluntarily cease feeding during the cool winter months. This coincides with their natural winter dormant period. If the snake refuses food for two to three weeks during the winter and appears otherwise healthy, the temperature in the enclosure may be allowed to drop to 50 - 60°F for two to three months. If breeding is desired, this dormant period appears to increase fertile egg production.
Heat/Light: As stated earlier, corn snakes require a supplemental hot spot to adequately digest food and remain active. They should be provided with a heat pad or overhead incandescent light that will provide an area of about 1/3 of the enclosure that achieves a temperature of 85° - 90° F. Hot rocks are unstable and often get far too hot, therefore they are not recommended.
Substrate: Newspaper, butcher paper, paper towel, indoor/outdoor carpeting, aspen shavings and cypress mulch may all be used. Avoid any cedar based wood shavings, as they contain irritating and possibly toxic oils.
Environment: In captivity, corn snakes should be provided with a warm, dry enclosure and should always have clean, fresh water provided in an easily accessible bowl. Animals will become stressed if they are not provided with a shelter where they can conceal themselves from view.
Diet: Corn snakes of all ages will feed on captive produced laboratory rodents (mice and rats). It is highly recommended that keepers feed their animals only humanely pre-killed food items to eliminate the risk of injury to the snake from the bite of a rat or mouse and prevent unnecessary suffering of the food animal. Never leave live rodents with snakes unattended. If live food is offered and not eaten within 5-10 minutes, remove it. Baby corn snakes should be voluntarily feeding on pink or fuzzy mice prior to their sale in a retail outlet. As they grow corn snakes should be fed appropriately larger food items. A good rule of thumb for feeding all captive snakes is that the food item should not be larger than 1 and a half times the girth of the snake at its thickest point. Adult corn snakes can be adequately maintained on one adult mice or small rat a week.
Maintenance: Enclosures should be spot checked for fecal matter daily. It is recommended that carpet substrates be removed and washed at least weekly. Paper substrates should be changed weekly or after fowled. If conscientiously spot cleaned, wood based substrates can be replaced every 2 to 3 weeks. Water bowls should be cleaned and replaced at least weekly.
Other references or recommended reading:
The Corn Snake Manual By Kathy Love, Bill Love - BowTie Press (2005)
Corn Snakes in Captivity By Don Soderberg - E. C. O. Herpetological Publishing & Distribution (2006)
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