How to Care for a Corn Snake

Co-authored by Jaime Nalezny, DVM

Last Updated: October 12, 2024 Approved

Corn snakes are highly recommended for any snake lover because they make great pets for people of all ages. Native to the USA and Mexico, they are docile, hardy, attractive, and are easy to care for.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Setting up the Habitat

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Corn snake adults can get to be as big as 5 feet (1.4m) long. You may not need a 20 gallon (75.7 L) enclosure for a hatchling, but eventually you will. The enclosure can be either a tank or vivarium. When the snake is small, it is ok to start your pet off in a smaller tank such as a Living World Faunarium or similar product. For a large snake, the vivarium should be around 30–50 inches (76.2–127.0 cm) long but there's no real limit on size, just make sure it's large enough for the snake. ^{[1]
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Tip: The length of the cage needs to be at least 2/3 of your snake's full length when it's extended. As your snake grows, you'll likely need to upgrade your tank.
2
Give your corn snake enough heat. Provide a basking bulb that covers about 1/3 of the tank to provide a proper heat gradient. Position the bulb over one side of the tank to get a gradient temperature. Temperatures should be about 75-85 degrees F, 23-29 degrees C, with the higher temperature on the warm area of the tank at one side. ^{[2]
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- You can also use a heat mat, but it may put your snake at risk of a burn. If you use a heat mat, it must be thermostatically controlled because they reach in excess of 250 degrees F (121 degrees C) which will severely burn the snake. Place the mat under 1/3 of the cage.
- Hot rocks are never suitable for any pet as they provide a localized source of heat that is too hot. A cold snake may curl around it, seriously burning itself.
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You should provide some places for you snake to hide in to feel secure. Put at least 1 hiding spot in the warm area and 1 in the cool area. If you like, it's okay to add additional hiding spots if the habitat is large enough. Hides can be anything from shop-bought ones to Lego pieces. Be creative here but make sure your materials are non-toxic, not edible, and not ingestible. ^{[3]
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4
Provide your snake with a branch for climbing. Your snake will want to explore its habitat, so include at least 1 branch for it to slither up. Look for a sturdy branch, which can be store bought. Securely install the branch in the tank so your snake can safely crawl up and down it. ^{[4]
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- Check for climbing branches at a local pet store or online.
- If you find a branch in nature, clean it well and make sure it's free of bugs before you put it in your snake's habitat.
5
Cover your tank or vivarium with substrate. There are many, many different floor coverings commercially available for corn snakes but your best options are repticarpet, cypress chips, plain paper towels, and newspaper. Newspaper is the best as it is very absorbent and easy to replace. ^{[5]
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- While practical, newspaper is not very aesthetically pleasing.
- If you want a decorative substrate, use bark or cypress mulch. Do not use cedar shavings in a snake habitat, as it is toxic to reptiles.
6
catch a wild corn snake. Corn snakes are becoming more and more easy to obtain, but that doesn't mean you should seek them out. Wild ones do not adjust well to captivity and have a low survival rate. Captive bred ones have been in captivity for many generations and have become very domesticated. Find a good breeder, either through a forum or other source. Pet shops are not good as you cannot be sure if the snake comes from a reputable source. ^{[6]
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- Once you have your snake, leave it 5 days before feeding or handling it so it can settle in.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Taking Care of Your Snake Day to Day

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You should provide a bowl of water for your snake, big enough for it to soak if it wishes. Change the water twice a week. The bowl can be on either the cool or warm side. Be aware that a bowl on the warm side will increase the humidity. ^{[7]
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Tip: To further increase the moisture in the tank, place moist spaghnum moss in the warm area of the tank. Wet and wring out the moss daily to keep it moist. As the moss evaporates, it'll add humidity to the air. Additionally, placing the moss near a rock or wooden branch that your snake can rub against will help with shedding.
You should provide the snake with a natural light cycle (12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark). You do not need UV lights or calcium supplements like you do in other reptiles that eat insects. Snakes DO in fact use UV to synthesize vitamin D3 but in captivity they don't need it because they receive vitamin D3 from the mice they eat. They also get calcium too. Vitamin D is in the liver of mice and calcium is in the bones.
3
Avoid keeping a pair of corn snakes together if possible. Corn snakes are a solitary species and prefer their own territory. Keeping two snakes together can increase their stress. Corn snakes in captivity (especially hatchlings) have been known on occasion to eat one another, with both snakes involved dying.
- The main exception is a breeding pair. If you wish to breed, check that your female is 300g, 3 feet (0.9 m) long and 3 years old (333 rule) and consult a good book. Do not cohabit your breeding pair until you know that they and you are ready. Do not house them together permanently. Research breeding thoroughly, breeding can cause complications with the female. Inbreeding is best avoided.
- It is possible to keep two corn snakes together if you introduce them carefully and provide a large enough vivarium with extra supplies, but remove the newcomer as soon as you notice bullying behavior. Ideally, keep the two snakes in separate vivariums or ask an expert on the best way to keep two corn snakes together. ^{[8]
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4
Get the correct size of frozen mice for your snake. It is best to feed your snake on frozen/thawed mice as they will not injure your snake and it's much more humane. It's safe to store frozen mice in your freezer for up to 6 months. Give your corn snake mice that are no bigger than the widest part of their body. Baby corn snakes are started on pinkie size mice and progress up the sizes of pinkie mice, fuzzy mice, small mice (hoppers), medium mice (weaned), large mice (adult) and extra large (jumbo adult) as they grow. Here is a rough guide of what to feed a snake:
- Snake: 4-15g — Mouse: Pinkie;
- Snake: 16-30g — Mouse: Pinkie x2;
- Snake: 30-50g — Fuzzy;
- Snake: 51-90g — Mouse: Hopper/Small;
- Snake: 90-170g — Mouse: weaned/medium;
- Snake: 170-400g — Mouse: Adult/large;
- Snake: 400g+ — Mouse: jumbo adult/large.
Tip: Be careful when increasing the size of the mouse, as feeding your snake a mouse that is too large can harm it. Your snake might suffer broken ribs or could have trouble digesting its food.
5
Feed your snake one mouse per week. Adults only need to be fed once every 10-14 days. Feed your snake inside its enclosure. To feed, hold the prey item in the tweezers and wiggle it in front of your snake. It will strike and possibly constrict then swallow its food whole.
- Cage aggression is a myth and won’t happen with consistent handling.
- Feeding outside of the tank can cause regurgitation (which is very bad) and stress.
- You might use a feeding enclosure that you can place inside the tank if you don't want to handle your snake.
- Do not handle your snake after a feed, as it can regurgitate its meal. Wait 48 hours before holding your snake again!
6
Keep your snake happy in its home. Snake droppings aren’t very big so cage cleaning doesn’t need to happen often. It will need to be cleaned about every 3 or so weeks but scoop out fresh excrement where possible. ^{[9]
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Research source} Feed your snake weekly and give it a change of scene once in a while and it will be happy in its new home.
- For instance, you might switch out the enclosure items for a change of scenery, add climbing items, put in knobs or pegs, or place items scented like prey animals inside the cage for your snake to investigate.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Handling and Shedding

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Pick your snake up by the middle of the body and support it with both hands. When holding your snake, hold it away from your face. Pet it in the way the scales go; they don't like it the other way around. Do not handle a snake after it’s eaten for 48 hours. Wash your hands after handling your snake.
2
Know when snakes shed. When your snake’s eyes glass over it’s time for it to shed. ^{[10]
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Research source} Your snake should not be handled at this stage; as they may resort to self-defense, wait until after the shed.
- Corn snakes do not require misting or a humid hide to have a good shed. However, if they get stuck shed or they don’t shed in one piece it’s best to mist and provide a humid hide then.
- After a few days, your snake's eyes will return to normal and a few days after that the shed will happen. You may want to measure and laminate the shed as a record.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Can I refreeze the mouse if my snake refuses to eat it?

Jaime Nalezny, DVM
Exotic Animal Veterinarian
Dr. Jaime Nalezny is an exotic animal veterinarian with over 15 years of experience, focusing on the care of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and exotic small mammals. Dr. Nalezny founded The Iguana Relocation Network and is on the board of directors for Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services. She graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005.

Jaime Nalezny, DVM

Exotic Animal Veterinarian

Expert Answer

It's not a good idea to refreeze prey that you've thawed out. Your snake could get sick if it eats prey that you've previously thawed and refrozen.

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NEVER pick up your corn snake by the head, neck, or tail. ^{[11]
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Heat mats WILL rise to over 120°F. A thermostat is NEVER, NEVER optional! It is essential to the survival of your corn. Place the thermostat about 1 in (2.5 cm) above the substrate where your snake spends the most time. Look for a digital thermometer or hygrometer that's made to measure tank temperatures.

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Don't take your eyes off your snake when playing with it outside its vivarium. They love to hide.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you lose your corn snake and cannot find it, a good thing to try is to: find a bottle, cut the tip off, invert it, and place it back inside the bottle. Then, place the snake's food inside the bottle and set it down on the ground. When your snake senses the prey, it will find and enter the bottle. And once it is in the bottle, it won't be able to exit until you let it out.
Don't be scared of being bit; acting calm and confident helps prevent bites. If you do get bit, try not to stress, as the shock is usually greater than the bite itself. Simply clean the bite spot with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
Don't pick up your snake if it's hiding under something - this probably means that it needs some alone time and it might become aggressive if you pick it up.

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Warnings

Some people will advise that feeding your corn snake more or more often will make it grow faster. While true, this will most likely cause your snake to die 25%-75% earlier.

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If you can’t find your corn snake, look under the substrate. Corns are burrowers.

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Be careful! Reptile bark can be lethal if ingested.

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If your snake is breathing through its mouth or hanging upside-down by the wall, it may have respiratory problems!

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When a snake vibrates its tail and positions itself in an 'S' shape, it is agitated and may strike.

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Keep your snake away from other pets, such as dogs, so it won't be stressed or become aggressive!

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How to Care for a Corn Snake

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Setting up the Habitat

Taking Care of Your Snake Day to Day

Handling and Shedding

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Warnings

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