Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey I'm looking into getting a corn and wanted some good caresheets. I found a really nice one that's considered a baby though I'm not sure how old it is. I just wanted some info on raising them from youngsters such as what watt halogen lightbulbs to use for a 20g tank and if i should use an understank heater and a heatlamp or just one or the other.. as well as what type of substrate... and what to feed / when... and any other tips you can suggest!

Thanks a bunch!

Sean

Get your hands on the Corn Snake Manual by Bill & Kathy Love. Here's their site with a little bit of care info:
http://www.cornutopia.com/

Also:
http://www.cornsnake.net/new/care.php3
http://coloherp.org/careshts/snakes/cornsnake.php
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>>Hey I'm looking into getting a corn and wanted some good caresheets. I found a really nice one that's considered a baby though I'm not sure how old it is. I just wanted some info on raising them from youngsters such as what watt halogen lightbulbs to use for a 20g tank and if i should use an understank heater and a heatlamp or just one or the other.. as well as what type of substrate... and what to feed / when... and any other tips you can suggest!
>>
>>Thanks a bunch!
>>
>>Sean

Sean,
A 20 gallon tank will last a corn snake his entire life.
Yes, you want an undertank heater. place it under one end of the tank.
you will want to place a hide in both ends of the tank.
I usually use a water bowl with the holes in the side as a hide on the cool side and a box or home-made hide on the warm side.
I personally use aspen shavings. They act as a hide as well as a substrate. The snake can actually burrow under and through the aspen. Aspen is fairly cheap, easy to spot clean and looks pretty good in a natural style tank.
You need a good screen top with clips to secure it properly.
Corn snakes are escape artists so be carefull about this.
You can provide a branch for decoration and the occaisonal climbing.
You do not need halogen bulbs or special UV bulbs.
Just get your basic dome light fixture from your local hardware store and place either a 40 or 60 watt light bulb in it.
You now have a complete set up for your snake.
Once again, my personal recommendation is to feed once a week. So pick a day that is convenient for you and feed it every week on that day.
Feed the snake in a separate container.
Just place it and the food item in a separate container, such as a deli dish, place this back in the tank and leave it there until it eats.
It is best to find a snake that is already feeding on frozen/thawed but not critical.
They can usually be switched over easily.

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

Excellent advice. One more thing I would add...a thermometer, perhaps 2 (one for the warm side and one for the cool side). If you use a 20 gal "critter cottage" type of tank with half screen/half glass...make the screen side the warm side. (First time I set one up I put the undertank heater on the glass side and then I had to reach way into the cage to grab the water bowl-duh! We live and learn. Enjoy your new pal.
Janel

I've raised a few babies in 20 gallon tanks. I use newspaper substraight and a long hide that spans most of the tank. I put paper towels in the hide for the snake to tunnel through and to help it feel secure. The snake can thermoregulate anywhere in the hide giving it more than just hot and cold areas. The newspaper makes it easier to find the baby. (It is always on the paper in the hide). I don't move the baby when feeding. Just remove the hide and present the pinkie with a pair of tongs. My corns have almost always accepted the mouse in this maner and I've never had a problem with a snake striking me.

Sean,

I have a care sheet in the corn snake section of my website. A care sheet is a good guide to see if a particular animal is right for you, but if you decide to purchase, you also should get a book as well. Baby snakes generally do better in small enclosures and may not feel secure (or feed) in a 20 gallon setup.

Tim

Third Eye

Hi Sean,

Glad to hear you want to get a corn snake! I just got mine (Corny) at the end of May and I totally love her. Its my first snake, and according to my bf, much more friendly & active than other snakes like boas & pythons. Corn snakes are almost always great eaters. mine will take a fuzzy while i'm still holding her!

Anyways, I'm kinda new too and not a breeder, but here are the methods I've beed using and Corny has never had a problem:

I have my one snake in a 40 gallon breeder (20 gals are fine tho!)I want to "pamper" my snake, and I'm a little wacko too, so I will probably get her a larger cage when she is full grown.
My 40 gal is from glasscages.com, arcrylic, and is 3 feet long, 1 1/2 feet wide, and 13 inches tall. I use a silver clamp-lamp to house a 60 watt bulb which, from 13 inches away, gives me a hot spot of 85-90 degrees. I also give my snake a 2.0 %UVB striplight; although snakes don't NEED UV, it can't hurt, and there are experiments that say UV-exposed snakes are healthier, heal faster, and probably happier.

For my substrate I use carefresh bedding. it is found in the "small animal" department of petco and is gray, recycled material. My bf uses reptibark for his tegu & likes it, but i think corny prefers the softness of Carefresh.

I have a plastic vine, some driftwood & coral (bleached & rinsed of course!) as well as a hide cave in her hot spot and one in her cool spot. she also has some driftwood climbing sticks. My waterbowl is in the middle of the tank (actually i am needing a bigger one since your snake should be able to soak in it)and I have a screen top with no clips as of yet. But get cage clips or a velcro-on cage top.

If you are using tap water, make sure you put Reptisafe in the water to neutralize the chlorine & heavy metals.

I found it helps to have 2 thermometers in the tank, both about at ground level, at opposite ends, so you can measure the hot & cool zone. My cool zone is 74 degrees.

I also have a humidity gauge placed in the top-middle of the back wall. I live in CT and my humidity is usually 60% in winter and 80% in summer, which is great for corns. If you live on the west coast where there is no humidity, you may want to mist your tank.

Also, feed your snake 2 times per week as a baby and 1 time when it gets larger (mine is maybe 22 inches with a diameter of 1 1/2 cm, i feed her every 5-6 days). Be sure not to feed it right before you turn its lights off for the night. Your snake needs heat to properly digest the food, so either feed it in the middle of the day when the snake is warm & can continue to be warm, or feed it in the evening & plan on keeping the lights on an extra hour or two. Also, don't feed it first thing in the morning when you turn the lights on cuz the snake may be too cold to eat! this can lead to regurgitation or food rotting in its stomach, poisoning the snake!

Hope this helps!
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Melissa and Corny

First off...welcome to the colubrid world. Just a warning though...they're addictive!

I found a really nice one that's considered a baby though I'm not sure how old it is.

I like getting them as babies, for a few reasons. one is that breeders dont usually have the time needed to pay that much attention to the snakes, so if you get them young you can get them pretty "tame".

>>what watt halogen lightbulbs to use for a 20g tank

2 things on this. dont use halogen. They're too bright, and too hot. When you say 20 gallon, i presume you're talking about a 20 long? For that, it will be too hot as well. You also dont want to let a neonate (baby) corn loose in a bare 20 gallon long tank. It will stress the hell out of it. I reccomend putting it in a "kritter keeper" or "reptile ranch"...a small plastic enclosure, approx 8"x11". This has a firm fitting lid, and its nearly impossible for them to get out.

and if i should use an understank heater and a heatlamp or just one or the other..

lot of debate on this. i use only heat lights...they work fine.

as well as what type of substrate...

i use aspen. they like it, they can burrow easily in it.

and what to feed / when...

mice, every 5 days.

and any other tips you can suggest!

i wrote a basic care sheet @ students.uwf.edu/crt4/care.html
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