Stop… Dinner time!
First start with a bowl of water. Use fresh tap water every day in a bowl just big enough for your snake to slither into. Your corn snake will spend most of its time on dry land, but every now and then a dip in the water dish is a good thing.

Vegetarians may have a hard time keeping a corn snake since they are carnivorous or only eat meat. When these snakes are young they will eat pinky mice (1-2 day old, furless mice) about twice a week. As they grow, larger mice can be fed and corn snake adults will eat full size mice once a week. Never feed a snake directly from your hands; always use tongs to offer their
food. Choosing a food that is no wider than the widest portion of your animal will ensure they can swallow and digest their meal. Don’t worry if their mouth looks a little small; corn snakes can actually unhinge their jaws to stretch around their food! Remove any food they don’t eat after a day.

Feeder mice are usually sold frozen and then thawed out a few at a time. Be careful to never feed a frozen mouse to a snake; it could cause harm or food regurgitation. Before bringing a corn snake home, make sure you can get a varied supply of mice from your pet store or through the mail. You may also want to ask your family if keeping frozen mice in the fridge is OK with them.

A healthy pet is a happy pet.
While most veterinarians are wonderful with cats and dogs, you may have to look around for someone with the right snake experience. Making calls to your area vets and asking about their reptile and snake clients will let you find the right place to go if there is a problem.

While many people may go many years without a vet visit for their snake, always look for signs that your pet may be ill. If any of the below symptoms arise, then scheduling an appointment with an experienced veterinarian is advised.
• Tiny insects covering your animals body
• Redness, swelling and irritation on your snakes body
• No food/water consumption

Beauty School
Snakes don’t need brushing or soapy baths. Snakes simply make new “skin” when they need it! This is called shedding, and it’s a very interesting part of owning a snake. Several times a year your pet will leave behind its old scales and grow into larger, cleaner scales. A healthy snake should shed its scales in a long piece that looks like a tube.

Could I have some space please?
While a corn snake cage at a pet store may look simple, they need the correct heat, space, and humidity to maintain good health.

First the space, usually a glass aquarium or special reptile box, needs to be about 20 gallons for an adult and could be slightly larger. It is very important that the space is closed with a tightly locking lid because corn snakes can escape through very tiny openings. Place newspaper or butcher paper along the bottom of the cage to add a removable/cleanable bottom. Some people use specially bought reptile bark or mulch. This may look nicer, but is more expensive and it not a necessity.

Now it is time to add some hiding space and things to climb around. A “hide box” is important to keep your corn snake feeling safe. These can be made from cardboard or specially bought from a pet store and made of plastic or wood. Make sure there are a couple of places for you snake to hide on both the warm and cool side of the tank during the day or any time it feels
stressed or scared. Adding rocks and pieces of wood is important too. Being able to crawl on and around these objects help your pet start shedding and make the space more interesting. It will also make your snake’s home look more natural for your enjoyment. Take the whole cage and find an area of your house without too much direct sun light to set up.

Adding a heat source is very important for a snake’s health. Pad heaters or lights keep the temperature correct and provide“hot spots.” Since snakes can not make their own body heat like us, they need to absorb it from around them. Using a large, flat heating pad is a great option and can be placed underneath your cage. Don’t use hot rock type heaters as they can over heat one space and leave the rest too cold. A pad heater made for reptiles that can keep a range of heat in the tank from 65- 90º F is best. Heat lights may work too, but always check many spots for temperature. A space that is too hot or too cold can harm your animal. Placing a thermometer in your tank will ensure a good heat range of about 80-85º F.

Humidity, or the moisture in the air, is important too. Since a snake relies on moisture to shed properly, keeping a minimum humidity of about 30% will prevent health problems. A device called a hygrometer will monitor this and can be found combined with thermometers at your local pet store. There are many ways to raise and control humidity, from large humidifiers for your whole house to making a small container with wet peat moss for a snake to hide in. If your snake’s area is too dry, find a way to control humidity that works best for you.

Finally, cleaning should include a water change every day and spot cleaning for any snake messes. Special cleaning products, like Nolvasan or special reptile cleaners, are perfect for cleaning tanks as they only need to be wiped dry to do their job. Once a month or so a total clean of the tank will keep things sanitary and odor-free.