Rat, corn and king snakes all belong to the Colubridae family. They are native to temperate and subtropical areas of North America, Europe and Asia. These snakes are easier to care for than most species and come in a wide variety of colors and patterns, making them very popular as pets.

Terrestrial Frogs (Large)

Includes horned frogs and Afriacan bullfrogs

Average Size

Hatchlings are approximately 8 - 10". Adult typically reach 3 - 6' at maturity.

Life Span

Up to 15 years with proper care.

Feeding

Feed your snake an appropriately sized rodent weekly. By "appropriately sized" we mean prey items that are no bigger around than the snake at its largest point. These snakes can eat mice their entire lives - starting off with pinks & fuzzies as a hatchling & moving up in size as the animal grows. Do not handle your snake for at least a day after feeding, as this can lead to regurgitation. All of these snakes have GREAT feeding responses - be aware of this as you are feeding, as sometimes these snakes become over stimulated by the smell of food & may mistakenly bite a keeper in their excitement. Fortunately, due to their voracious appetites, corn snakes are generally pretty easy to convert to frozen/thawed or pre-killed rodents (see Snake Feeding care sheet). Never leave a live rodent unattended with ANY snake.

Housing

These small snakes prefer smaller enclosures that make them feel more secure; a small snake in a big cage can become overwhelmed & stressed. Enclosures can be as simple or elaborate as one is capable of caring for. Remember that the more "stuff" you put in a cage, the more "stuff" you have to clean & disinfect on a regular basis.

That said, there are many different enclosures that work extremely well, including but not limited to: plastic sweater boxes (i.e. Rubbermaid), melamine racks, Freedom Breeder cages, and any of the commercially available plastic-type reptile cages, (i.e. those from Vision Herp & other similar manufacturers).

Glass aquariums & tanks with screen tops also work quite well for corn snakes as they do not require higher humidity. Also refer to our Snake Caging care sheet for more information.

Juvenile corns, kings and ratsnakes seem to do well in exceptionally large or elaborate enclosures. A 36" x 18" x 12" enclosure will more than comfortably house an adult corn snake and still allow space for a nice display vivarium.

No matter what, the enclosure in which you keep your corn snake must be secure. Colubrids are extremely talented escape artists, and these are no exception. Ensure that your snake's cage is escape-proof before you start & save yourself the potential stress and heartache of never finding an adventurous snake on the lam. Also remember that ALL enclosures must allow for a proper thermal gradient that the snake can utilize, with a hot spot on one end and a cooler spot on the other.

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Maintenance

There are quite a few substrates that work especially well for these snakes, and choosing one is a matter of personal preference for your animal's setup. Aspen bedding works very well for corn snakes, as it packs down & the snakes seem to enjoy burrowing tunnels through the substrate.

Spot-clean your snake's enclosure as necessary. When feces/urates/uneaten prey items are present, remove them as soon as possible. Clean & disinfect the water bowl on a weekly basis. Depending on cage conditions, remove all substrate & cage furniture and completely disinfect using a commercially available cleaners approximately every 30 days. Rinse the enclosure thoroughly and allow to dry before replacing cage furniture & your snake.

Temperature

Provide your snake with a basking spot of 88-90° F and an ambient (background) temperature of 70 - 75° F. The ambient temperature should not fall below 70° F. It is vitally important to KNOW the temperatures at which you are keeping your snake(s). DO NOT GUESS!! A great way to monitor temps is to use a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer with a probe. Stick the thermometer to the inside of the cage on the cool end and place the probe on the warm end, and you'll have both sides covered at once.

There are several ways to go about heating the enclosure: undercage heating pads, ceramic heat emitters, basking bulbs (both regular daytime & red "night" bulbs) are just a few. Use thermostats, rheostats and/or timers to control your heat source. Do not use hot rocks with snakes as they often heat unevenly over too small of a surface area & can cause serious burns.

Humidity

Fortunately these snakes are very low-maintenance regarding humidity requirements. Normal household ambient humidity is fine for this species, however, if incomplete or stuck sheds are observed humidity can be raised slightly by providing a humidity box for the snake. This is as simple as packing a hut with damp sphagnum moss, giving the snake access to the humidity chamber when it so desires. This is really only necessary if your snake is experiencing trouble shedding, as an environment that is too damp can quickly cause respiratory problems for these types of snakes.

Lighting

A UVB bulb is recommended and should run on a 12/12 cycle, meaning 12 hours on & 12 hours off. Continuous bright, overhead lighting is stressful to snakes, especially if a hiding spot is not made available within the enclosure.

Water & Accessories

Always make fresh, water available to your corn in a clean water dish. This is not a species that soaks regularly, so the size of the water bowl is up to you & does not necessarily need to be large enough for the snake to climb into on a regular basis. Ensure that the bowl is not too deep for juvenile animals - 1" or so will suffice. Snakes of many

species may defecate in their water bowls from time to time, so be prepared for cleaning, disinfecting & a water change when necessary. It is often beneficial to have a spare water bowl for such occasions, so that one may be used while the other is being cleaned.

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