Corn Snake: (A note regarding the scientific names - elaphe was not an accepted name by many herpetologist and taxonomists, although some still use it. Pantherophis is the new name and used by the rest.)

Introduction: Looking for a snake that is relatively easy to care for and won't inflict serious harm if you're bitten but will probably rarely happen? Then a corn snake is definitely the perfect choice for you! Corn snakes make great beginner snakes. Their husbandry (general care) is not that complicated. They come in a huge array of color and patterns (more than 50 different corn snake morphs). They don't get very big (adults average about 3 feet, rare specimens have reached lengths of five). Best of all, they are certainly very affordable: $20 for a baby normal corn snake! One fallback, though I don't consider it to be a downfall at all, is their long lifespan. They live an average of 15-20 years; the longest living corn snake died at 32 years and 3 months old. So, if you plan to get a corn snake, you should definitely be prepared for a long-term commitment. However, I believe the rewards to be worth the trouble. Corns are very well tempered snakes, it's not very likely one will bite you. You will certainly enjoy your new long-term companion and I well tell you everything you need to know to provide proper care.

Natural Habitat: Corn snakes are commonly found in the southeastern part of the United States. Their range begins in New Jersey and goes as far south as the Keys in Florida; it then extends as far west as Texas. They are found in forests from Sea level to 6,000 feet. They are most commonly found in abandoned farmhouses, where rats and mice are found corn snakes can be found.

Enclosure requirements: It is easy and pretty affordable to provide enclosures for corn snakes. Babies (8 to 10 inches) to juveniles (10"-20") can be housed in Kritter Keepers or in 5½g aquariums (16"x8"x10"). When herpetoculturists start amassing large amounts of corn snakes they obtain racks and keep their small corns in shoe-sized plastic containers. I would always house them in their own cage; cannibalism, though rare, does happen at times. It is also dangerous to feed multiple snakes in the same cage.

Adults are just as easy to house. The specimens from 20" to 36" inches, or even the rare 4 feet some will get can be housed in 10g aquariums (20"x10"x12"), individually of course. The commercial keepers tend to use racks with adults as well, just using larger sweaterboxes.

Other enclosure necessities: It is important that you provide your corn snake with a place to hide, whether its cork-bark, a half-log or even a cardboard box, because it likes places to hide when it's stressed out or even to go to sleep. It's a better idea to have two, one on the warm side of the cage and the other on the cool side. You can also add plastic plants and wooden branches. Not only will it add to the enclosure's display, but will provide the snake with climbing and hiding spots. The branches will also help your snake shed when it comes time for it.

You should also place a large water dish in the cage; a dog's dish is a good size. It will add to the overall humidity, which will help with the snake's day-to-day survival but will also help the snake when it sheds. In addition, it provides the snake with the water it needs to survive. Misting the cage occasionally, about 3 times a week will add to overall humidity as well. You should mist the cage once a day when your snake is getting ready to shed which is pretty easy to tell. You will notice that when a snake is getting ready to shed, its eyes will become bluish and cloudy.

Substrate: Substrate is always a topic up for debate. No substrate is truly the right one. If you're looking for cheap and easy, go with newspapers or paper towels. If you're looking to setup a display for your corn snakes, use some kind of wood chips. I use cypress mulch for most of my reptiles but you can use repti-bark or even wood shavings, so long as the wood shavings aren't fir, pine or cedar. All of those wood shavings have chemicals that are poisonous to animals. If you want to use wood shavings, your safest bet is to go with aspen.

Heating requirements: The optimal temperature, on the hot end of the cage for corn snakes should be about 85°-88° Fahrenheit. The cooler end of the cage should be 5-10° cooler. To reach these temperatures, it is suggested to either use an under-tank (hereafter referred to as a UTH), basking lights or even ceramic heat emitters. If you use a UTH or a ceramic heat emitter it is suggested that a thermostat or a rheostat regulate them. It is always wise to have the temperatures in the cage gauged by some kind of thermometer.

Food: Corn snakes eat rodents, primarily rats and mice. The size of the food item is dependent upon the girth of the snake; it is not recommended you feed your corn snake anything bigger then the thickest part of its body. The food item should live a noticable lump in the snake; if there is no lump then the prey item was too small. This is recommended for ALL snakes. If your snake is a hatchling it should be fed every 5-6 days, but as it gets older its not really needed to feed as much since their fat stores have built up during the year. Every 10-12 days is good feeding for an adult corn snake is what some herpetoculturists do while others feed once a week.

Frozen/thawed, live, or pre-killed? Everyone has their own way and their own opinion on what state the prey item should be when it is offered to the snake. Personally, I agree with a lot of other keepers: frozen rodents that are thawed before being fed to the snake is a better method. It is much easier and more cost effective, you can purchase a bunch of rats or mice, store them in the freezer and then you won't have to leave every week or so to feed your snake. Most importantly, it is safer for the snake; the frozen mouse isn't going to chew on your juvenile corn in defense. Try for yourself and see what method works for you.

Tips on getting your snake to eat: If your corn snake isn't taking food, try looking at the temperatures of the enclosure; is his tank too big, are there enough hides? Did you try different colored mice? (If you were feeding white mice try feeding brown.) What time of day where you feeding the corn snakes? Some corn snakes only take food during the night, and then some don't care. One last thing to consider if your snake is not eating: if you are trying to feed frozen/thawed to a snake that has only been eating live it usually won't take it the first time.

Ailments: An important note -- I am not a veterinarian nor am I a medical reptile expert. The following information is based upon my experience and the experience of other reptile keepers. If your snake's health is ever in question, it should be taken to a vet as soon as possible.

Mite infestations: Mites are little (adults are the size of a dot, eggs and young aren't visible to the naked eye) black insects that get underneath snakes' scales and feed off of their blood. Mites have to come from a host; they don't come from things like dirty cages and squalid living conditions. You can usually see adult mites underneath the scales and crawling over the snakes. It's also easy to spot mites in their water dish; they will be little black specks with legs.

If a snake is found with mites there are several steps you need to go through to get rid of them and prevent them from coming back. It should be immediately quarantined to prevent the spread of the infestation. If one snake has mites it can easily spread throughout your entire collection.

Your snake should be soaked in lukewarm water that has some Reptile Relief (a commercially produced product) or dish soap in the water. Either of the two will kill the mites, don't be worried if the snake drinks the water. I'm never seen negative ramifications come of it. Soak the snake for about 30 minutes.

After you've soaked the snake take a towel and allow the snake to slither through the towel but wrap it tightly around the snake. This will remove any mites that are leftover. The snake's enclosure and all decorations should be cleaned thoroughly with a cleaning product and bleach. I also advise the use of a mite preventative such Provent-A-Mite or Reptile Relief. Provent-A-Mite is a lot stronger; it should only be used away from animals with adequate enough ventilation. After using the strong spray don't return the snake to its home for another 30 minutes. Reptile Relief is not nearly as strong, the snake can be returned shortly after the application. Make sure that, whichever one is used, it is sprayed evenly over the enclosure.

Shedding: Snakes shed on average once every 1-2 months. If a snake is injured physically, it will go into a shed cycle faster to repair the damage done. You can tell when your snake is going to shed from the dark and drab color of the scales and also from the bluish tint that comes over the snake's eyes. After the snake is in this stage, it should shed about 3-5 days afterward. If the conditions are good and there is enough furniture in the cage, your snake should have no problem shedding and should shed in one piece.

If your snake doesn't shed in one piece increase the amount of humidity either by misting the cage with a spray bottle or providing a larger water dish. If neither of those things work, try soaking the snake in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. That should loosen up any skin that hasn't come off.