>I have one Corn Snake, a 42 inch Normal Phase, adult (I *think* Male.)
I would like to buy him a mate sometime in the near future, and I had a few questions...
I'm afraid the answers will be rather short, as my time here is short, too.
>1. If it best to house them together, or separately?
Separately.
>2. How big/old should a female Corn be before she is bred?
At least second spring (1.5-2 years old). 30 inches long is the smallest female corn I've heard of breeding. Closer to 36 inches is better.
>3. Is size difference something I should worry about, or should I try and find a female that is close to my male's size?
Don't worry about size. I had a four foot long male mate with a three foot female successfully.
>4. Are Corn snakes fairly easy to breed, and do they mate all year round, so only in certian months?
Fairly easy to breed if you know what you are doing. Knowing what you are doing involves daily temperature cycles and following the photoperiod. It may also require winter brumation. And lots of patience on your part. Don't expect to just put them together and have them breed.
Spring breeding, late spring to early summer laying, late summer to early fall hatching.
>5. How many eggs will she lay? and how long does it take them to hatch?
Number of eggs varies with mother's size. Figure somewhere in the 6-20 range. Hatching takes 55-80 days, with somewhere in the low 60s most common. Incubation temperature affects hatching time.
>6. My snake is a Normal, if I mate him with something different, (like maybe a Snow, an Amel, or an Albino) what phase will the babies be? Will half of them be normals, and half of them be whatever phase the mother is?
All babies will be normal looking. They will carry one or more mutant genes, depending on what mutants the mother shows.
This is just the barest info. Get yourself a copy of Bill and Kathy Love's The Corn Snake Manual. It has much more information that this, info that you need. Good luck.
Paul Hollander
