Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I am a big reptile lover who currently owns a 1.2 set of leopard geckos. Ive been wanting to get a snake for a bit and have pretty much decided on a corn. So here I am. Im looking for the definitive corn care sheet. I have found alot of them on the internet but just wanted to know from the people who know which are the better ones out there. Also in general how are corn snake temperments. Are they generally handleable? Do they vary in temper by sex greatly? What are common ailments that one might come across? Do I need to look for anything out of the ordinary when purchasing a baby? Thats pretty much all I can think of off the bat. Thanks in advance this community is awesome

>>Hi,
>> I am a big reptile lover who currently owns a 1.2 set of leopard geckos. Ive been wanting to get a snake for a bit and have pretty much decided on a corn. So here I am. Im looking for the definitive corn care sheet. I have found alot of them on the internet but just wanted to know from the people who know which are the better ones out there. Also in general how are corn snake temperments. Are they generally handleable? Do they vary in temper by sex greatly? What are common ailments that one might come across? Do I need to look for anything out of the ordinary when purchasing a baby? Thats pretty much all I can think of off the bat. Thanks in advance this community is awesome

Ok first let me say that a corn snake is an excellent choice.
They are easy to care for.
The prices can be very reasonable depending on morph.
It is always possible to get that one in a million corn snake with a bad attitude but in general they are very docile and make excellent pets. I have never seen a difference between males and females when all of my snakes are compared. They can all have their own special temperament but I have never seen anything gender specific except maybe a male refusing food in the spring when "mating fever" hits but not as far as temperament

If you go to the main cornsnake forum page and click on the link to Kathy Love's CornUtopia or Don Soderberg's South Mountain Reptiles you will find excellent information.
I will also recommend you buy Kathy Love's book
"Corn Snakes The Comprehensive Owner's Guide."
Great book.
When selecting your baby the first rule is get what appeals to you. Don't get a specific morph because someone says it is the most popular or could bring you the most money if you ever decide to breed. Go with what YOU like.
Although not as complete as Don's or Kathy's I will also provide a link to my care sheet.

members.tripod.com/~Draybar/caresheets.html
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes

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awesome info thanks a ton. Im super hyped about going to the reptile show here saturday and picking out a cool corn!!

A corn is without a doubt one of the best choices you can make if it happens to be your first snake, or your thirty first. Very docile, hardy, almost every color of the rainbow. Have fun at the show, and post pics of your new addition. Check out the cornsnake photo album here on KS, or check out the photos of corns on Don Soderberg's and Kathy Love's websites. Great resource for seeing what the different morphs look like as adults. Also check out Draybar's picture page on his website. He has some outstanding looking breeders. His post above me should have a link.
Steve

these are awesome animals. Probably the best and easy to maintain of all the snakes. I highly recommend The Corn Snake Manual by Cathy Love. You can find it in any pet store or on her web site, http://www.corn-utopia.com/.

Corn snakes are generally considered the best pet snakes. They've got everything going for them: Ideal size, great temperament and a variety of colors and patterns.

While a care sheet is a good way to determine if a particular pet is right for you, for ownership I highly recommend getting a book - which can get into more detail on enclosures, substrates, diseases & parasites, etc.

Having said that, be sure to check out the corn snake care sheet on my website!

Tim

Third Eye Corn Snake Care Sheet

thanks for the info again folks. Another question came to me today at work, its about handling corns. How often is it ok to handle them? Are they very flighty generally when being handled? Is it easy to tell when they aren't in the mood to be handled? Thanks in advance.

>>thanks for the info again folks. Another question came to me today at work, its about handling corns. How often is it ok to handle them? Are they very flighty generally when being handled? Is it easy to tell when they aren't in the mood to be handled? Thanks in advance.

Well there are a lot of supposed "rules" about handling your snakes.
Other then giving them a few days to settle in when you first bring them home,
I personally say handle them whenever you want.
"What, no waiting after they eat?"
Use your own discretion and learn how your snake responds.
After I feed my snakes if I want to handle them the next day, I do. I just make sure to handle them gently and not as long as usual.
Look for signs.
If you handle your snake the day after it eats and it regurgitates its food. Wait next time.
If it doesn't have a regurge then you know you didn't stress it.
BUT, be careful. Get a good idea when it poops after eating.
If you notice a trend where it poops three days or four days after feeding be very careful on those days or you could get pooped on.
If you happen to be handling your snake during a time when it should be about time for it to poop stay close to its enclosure and watch closely. If you notice a bulge near the cloacae be careful it is probably about to go.
If you notice its tail stiffen and lift slightly.....RUN...lol no you don't really have to run but you will probably want to put it back it's about to "blow".
If the snake acts cranky when you want to handle it, too bad, handle it.
Get it used to being handled. Handle it regularly and you be the boss. It will learn and it will be a perfectly calm snake you will never be afraid to handle as it grows and matures.

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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes

_____

You also may not want to handle your corn when it is just about to shed. (At least during the stage of shed when the eyeskin has grown completely opague). Being unable to see makes some corns testy (and probably makes handling more stressful). Usually these are the same corns who will reject food during a shed.
Corinne