Temperament
Corn snakes are generally very docile but can become timid if not handled on a regular basis. Baby Corn Snakes however are always very timid and need time to adjust to their surroundings so please handle with care. Nothing very problematic with them. Very good temperament for a beginner!
Venomous?
NO
Habitat & Temperatures
North American native species of rat snakes & can be found through out the south eastern United States.
Ambient temperatures between 75 - 85 degrees F.
Basking area surface temperature of 90 degrees F
Ambient temperatures between 75 - 85 degrees F.
Basking area surface temperature of 90 degrees F
Humidity
40 - 50%
Life Span
Corn Snakes can live anywhere from 6 - 8 years in good living conditions.
Size
Corn snakes hatch at roughly 8 - 12 inches in length and can grow anywhere from 4 - 6 feet in length
and weigh from 750g - 1000g.
and weigh from 750g - 1000g.
Where to Buy?
You can find corn snakes at any of the major pet stores such as PetsMart in North America. Any local reptile stores or breeders should also have some in stock. Many online retailers should also have them readily available to be shipped to you directly with a live arrival guarantee.
Morphs
Albino Corn Snake - lack melanin so they typically have orange, red or pink eyes matched with yellow & white
Okeetee Corn Snake - rich & vibrant orange & red patterns with black outlines.
Black Corn Snake - missing certain pigments causes their scales to become a rich black.
Snow Corn Snake - pink eyes contrasted with dark pink pupils & comes in a variety of colours such as yellow, green, pink beige or ivory patterns.
Lavender Corn Snake - dark purple or pink eyes contrasted with a lavender body and dark purple grey patterns.
Okeetee Corn Snake - rich & vibrant orange & red patterns with black outlines.
Black Corn Snake - missing certain pigments causes their scales to become a rich black.
Snow Corn Snake - pink eyes contrasted with dark pink pupils & comes in a variety of colours such as yellow, green, pink beige or ivory patterns.
Lavender Corn Snake - dark purple or pink eyes contrasted with a lavender body and dark purple grey patterns.
Special Note:
"Some corn snake morphs can be mistaken for the dangerous & venomous copperhead!"
What is your Corn Snake currently being fed?
If you're buying a Corn Snake from a local breeder, pet store or online retailer you should double check what your snake is currently being fed and how often, as this can affect it's diet. For example if you try to switch a snake from pinky rats to rat pinkies or vice versa it may refuse to accept the prey. Most snakes are creatures of habit when kept in captivity and tend to become picky eaters over time. Please take the time to do the appropriate research.
What size feeders? How often should I feed?
Corn Snakes can generally eat 1 - 1.25x the widest part of there body. However if your feeding 1.25x it's girth it's recommended that you make your feedings less frequent. Be careful of what you feed your snake as certain rodents can have green belly, mites and other diseases if they weren't properly raised & euthanized before packaging.
Available Premium Feeders:
We offer premium zoo quality veterinarian raised feeders such as Rats & Mice here in Canada but there are many other reputable suppliers if your located outside of the country.
Available Premium Feeders:
We offer premium zoo quality veterinarian raised feeders such as Rats & Mice here in Canada but there are many other reputable suppliers if your located outside of the country.
Feeding live vs frozen?
This goes for all reptiles and not just Corn Snake species, feeding live rodents to captive bred reptiles who haven't gained the same instincts that they normally would in the wild is a recipe for disaster. Rodents can be very aggressive when cornered and can easily injure and some times fatally harm even a larger snake in captivity. Live rodents can also carry disease that frozen rodents wouldn't normally have since the temperature helps to pause or prevent growth of any pathogens or harmful diseases. Make sure to thaw out your frozen rodents in a bucket of luke - warm water for 15 minutes and not in the microwave unless you want a mess.
How to thaw frozen feeders?
DO NOT use a microwave to thaw out frozen rodents as it can cause harmful bacteria to start growing inside them which can be detrimental to your Corn Snakes health! Cooking your rodent in the microwave can also take away from the nutritional value of the rodent itself.
Step 1
Find a zip lock bag.
Step 2
Place feeder inside bag and seal it shut.
Step 3
Place bag in a bucket of warm water, make sure it's NOT boiling hot.
Step 4
Leave bag in bucket for about 10 - 15 minutes or until the rodent feels squishy.
step 5
Make sure the rodent isn't cold to the touch as digesting cold feeders can be very harmful to your cold blooded Corn Snake that can't regulate its own body temperature like we can.
Step 6
Grab a pair of tongs and swing the meal back in forth in front of the Corn Snake in order to get its attention. No need to cut up the mice into smaller pieces as the snakes are completely fine eating pinky mice whole.
Step 1
Find a zip lock bag.
Step 2
Place feeder inside bag and seal it shut.
Step 3
Place bag in a bucket of warm water, make sure it's NOT boiling hot.
Step 4
Leave bag in bucket for about 10 - 15 minutes or until the rodent feels squishy.
step 5
Make sure the rodent isn't cold to the touch as digesting cold feeders can be very harmful to your cold blooded Corn Snake that can't regulate its own body temperature like we can.
Step 6
Grab a pair of tongs and swing the meal back in forth in front of the Corn Snake in order to get its attention. No need to cut up the mice into smaller pieces as the snakes are completely fine eating pinky mice whole.
