The corn snake is said to be one of the best pet snake in the entire world. The corn snake is known for their calm disposition around people and is not prone to biting. Their calm disposition means they really do not need to be tamed much. One thing to always remember about corn snakes is they are great escape artists.

LIFE EXPECTANCY: Corn snakes can live up to 20 years with proper care, generally 15 years.

SIZE, SHEDDING AND GROWTH: They grow to be 3 to 5 feet.

CAGE: For the cage you will need a glass aquarium with a screen lid. You will need clamps to keep the lid on the aquarium so your corn snake will not escape. For a juvenile corn snake you will need an aquarium at least as large as a ten-gallon aquarium, this is the minimum size. For a baby you can start off with a tank as small as 5 gallons, but they will out grow it in about 6 months. Do not start a baby in a cage larger than 10 gallons if possible. They will feel lost and may not eat. For small adults the size should at least a 20-gallon aquarium, however your corn snake would prefer a larger size. For the very large adults you will need an aquarium with the floor area of at least a 30-gallon aquarium.

SHELTERS: We recommend you get your snake a half log for hiding under. The half log will also give your snake something rough to climb on to help him with shedding.

BEDDING: We recommend aspen shavings for the bottom of your corn snakes cage. Aspen is easy to clean and very healthy for your corn snake. You can also use forest bark or jungle earth however corn snake do not need the higher level of moisture in their cage like other snakes that should use forest bark or jungle earth. The layer of bedding should be about one to two inches thick.

WATER DISH AND WATER: You will need a water dish inside your snake cage large enough for your snake to get their entire body into so they may soak in the water. Your snakes water dish should always be full of water and you will need to give them fresh water everyday.

TEMPERATURE, LIGHTING, AND THERMOMETOR: Your corn snake does not require high temperatures like other snakes and reptiles. In fact in the summer months if you do not have air conditioning you will need to turn of his basking light or it will be too warm for them.

You corn snakes ideal temperature is about 75 degrees, and a higher temperature in the basking area. The basking area should be one-third to one-half of the cage but no more than one-half. To create the basking area you will need to put a heating pad under the cage and it must be kept on all of the time. The basking area will need a clap lamp above the screen lid. You will need to use a thermometer to keep track of the temperature; sometimes only a heat pad will be needed. You will need a basking bulb in the clap light. The temperature in the basking area should be about 80 to 85 degrees.

WHAT, WHERE, AND WHEN TO FEED YOUR CORN SNAKE: First thing you should know is you should not feed your corn snake in its own cage. You should always remove him from his cage and place him in a paper bag or a shoebox for example, be sure when placing him in one of these that he cannot escape, remember these snakes are great escape artists.

It is always better to feed your snake dead mice rather then live ones. There is a big risk of a live mice carrying disease, possibly biting your snake and making your snake ill. Luckily corn snakes are not picky eaters and take to dead mice usually right when they are born.

You should feed your snake a mouse that is no bigger then the thickest part of its body (biggest girth part). You should feed your snake once a week and the mouse should be room temperature. Please remember after feeding your corn snake do not handle him until after the lump in his stomach is gone, if there is no lump then wait twenty-fours before handling him.

PROPER HANDLING: You must always handle your corn snake gently. During the initial handling keep him away from your face, until your snake is use to you. When reaching for your corn snake you should reach from behind him to pick him up and always remember to support his body. Corn snakes like all snakes, do not like to have their heads touched.