# Anyone own a corn snake?



## Midelaye (Aug 29, 2013)

I'd love to get one in a couple of years once I move out of residence. It's really just a passing fancy right now (ferrets and hedgehogs are also high on my list; a dog may be a bit too much of a daily time commitment while I'm still in school), and if I decide to go ahead with it I will definitely do a ton of research so I know what I'm getting myself into. But at the moment I was just wondering if anyone had any tips or advice, or would just like to share their experiences with their snakes. I've handled a couple in the past and they seem like fantastic animals.


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## fawx (Aug 21, 2013)

I've had reptiles in general, so there aren't too many differences.
You have to buy a solar light, and the worst thing about them is they make your room really bright when you shut off the lights. I'm imagining you'd feed them mice? So that's not too bad. I had lizards and oh my god crickets were always everywhere haha. I think it would make a good pet, reptiles are pretty cool.


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## Finlovesme (Oct 21, 2013)

I have an amel corn snake, captive bred, named Cornelius Fudge! They are the easiest pets to take care of! 

The best part is they are native to our temperate climate, so you don't have to get any special humidifiers or climate adjusters. I just use a simple 45 watt heating lamp in the winter months. 

Feed frozen/thawed mice. (Also, the easiest). You will avoid painful lacerations to your snake from the fighting mice if you choose not to live feed.


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## isntanything (Dec 9, 2013)

We had one for many years, and they are fantastic pets (if you like snakes).

Docile, friendly, easy to handle and very easy to keep.

Would definitely recommend.


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## eatmice2010 (Jan 1, 2013)

I have a creamsicle corn, he is 8. But they are definitely the easiest snakes to have. Getting them yung is your best bet, they grow to know you and you can teach them to be nice. 

Tank:
Corns are very active snakes, so proper tank size is needed.
I usually go about it this way:
1' - 10g
2' - 20g
3' - 30g
And ect.
They will need a hiding place, use a hut or box that is enough room for them to coil up into(if there's to much room they won't use it.)
You will need a water dish.
Bedding: you can use newspaper or aspan (what most corn owners recommend)


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## BettaNubRandyLove (Apr 8, 2013)

I dont personally own them but I'm one of the caretakers and its handeler at the nature center I volunteer at. He's a cute little (not so little anymore) albino corn snake. He always tries to crawl up my shirt its adorable.


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## haveyouhadyourteayet (Jan 14, 2014)

Snakes are chill. I think they're great 'busy people' pets.


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## JellOh (Mar 13, 2013)

I've always been told that heating pads are exponentially better than lights because snakes prefer belly heat, unlike some other reptiles like Bearded Dragons. Make sure you have all the proper equipment to regulate their heating pad, regular gauge thermometers are usually very inaccurate and shouldn't be used. Other tips:
- Only feed frozen/thawed food; it's better for both the snake and rodent
- Never cohabitate two snakes, one could easily turn into a little cannibal and it will stress them both out to no end
- Always leave them alone for 24-48 hours after they eat to avoid regurgitation 
- They might be a bit argumentative while shedding, it's best to leave them alone 
- Always leave a fresh bowl of water in their tank that is big enough for them to sit
- Clean any messes as soon as you see them, it's very important to maintain good hygiene 
Make sure you do your research beyond this though. Snakes can be very fun, but they do need specific conditions in their habitats in order to thrive.


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## xStatic (Jun 11, 2013)

Corns are great snakes! They are extremely docile and friendly little snakes 

They should be kept with a heating pad rather than a heat lamp, although some people do use lamps. Heat pads are just safer, provide good belly heat for snakes, and don't dry out the tank humidity so much. If you have a heat pad make sure to get a thermostat to control the heat output. At least one thermometer is important too (get the digital ones with a probe and place it under the aspen over where the heat pad is - do not use those cheap dial thermometers that stick onto surfaces because they are never accurate).

Adult corn snakes should be housed in a 20 gal long tank or larger. Aspen is the most popular bedding choice, but carefresh works well too. 

You need to set up a temperature gradient in the tank. The "hot side" should be between 82-85*F and the "cool side" should be in the mid to high 70s. 

Keep the water bowl on the cool side, make sure clean water is available 24/7. Most people chance out the water every day or every other day. If people try to tell you that their corns would only eat live it's probably because their husbandry was not good enough and their snakes were not happy. Also, a lot of new owners panic if their snakes don't eat for one or two weeks. Corns can go months without eating and be just fine. Their are lots of techniques you can use to entice a picky eater to take frozen thawed mice. Feeding live mice should be an absolutely last resort.

They need at least two hiding places, one on the warm side and one on the cool side.

Feed frozen/thawed mice! Corn snakes almost always (like 99.99%) accept and thrive on frozen thawed mice. It reduces the change of injury to the snake and it more humane for the mouse. It also reduced risks of parasite transmission. Snakes DO NOT need to "play out" their hunting instincts. They do really well on frozen thawed! 

Feed adults corns every week or every other week - be aware of obesity problems. Young snakes usually eat every 5-7 weeks. Invest in a good gram scale and follow something called the "Munson Plan" (google it!) for feeding snakes. 

I think that's about it!


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