Mary Allen
Corn snakes are the most commonly kept snakes in the terrarium because they are easy to care for and also very peaceful.
Characteristics
What do corn snakes look like?
Corn snakes are climbing snakes. They are not poisonous and are usually 60 to 130 centimeters, sometimes even up to 180 centimeters long. Like all reptiles, they are cold-blooded and have round pupils; a trait that all snakes share with one another. Corn snakes are very slender and their small head is clearly set off from the body.
Because corn snakes have long been bred by snake lovers, they come in many different colors. That’s why they are so popular: most are orange to gray on the upper side and patterned with brown to red roundish-oval spots with dark edges. But some are also strong orange-red to brick-red or reddish-brown.
And there are even black and white animals or all-white albino corn snakes. Breeding has also resulted in very different patterns: instead of spots, some animals have vertical stripes or a zigzag pattern. However, they always have a narrow, slanting stripe on their eyes that extends to the corners of their mouths. The underside of the corn snake is usually cream-colored with a grey-blue checkerboard pattern.
Where do corn snakes live?
Corn snakes come from the southern and eastern United States and northern Mexico. In their homeland, corn snakes live in forests, overgrown plantations, but also between rocks, on walls, or on roadsides. They can also be found in cornfields – hence their name.
What types of corn snakes are there?
The climbing snakes, which also include the corn snake, include many well-known species such as the Aesculapian snake from southern Europe, the four-lined snake, the leopard snake, or the shrewd snake. There are now many different colored and patterned breeds of the corn snake itself.
How old do corn snakes get?
Corn snakes kept in terrariums live up to 12 to 15 years, a few even up to 25 years.
Behave
How do corn snakes live?
Corn snakes are excellent climbers, although they generally live on the ground. They are rarely seen in the wild because they usually hide in the underground burrows of rodents. In summer, corn snakes only really wake up in the evening, while in spring they are already active during the day. Because corn snakes hail from a temperate climate region, they are used to hibernating during the cold season.
They spend this time hiding in burrows, in leaves, or in crevices in rocks. On the other hand, animals from warmer climate zones – such as Mexico – only have a very short winter rest. In the terrarium, it is usually sufficient to lower the temperature for a few weeks and shorten the lighting period. In the spring, the heat increases again and the corn snakes wake up and become active again.
Corn snakes can smell very well. They often recognize their prey by smell. Like most snakes, corn snakes lick their tongues, picking up scents from their surroundings. When they withdraw their tongues, the tip of their tongues is guided into what is known as Jacobson’s organ in the throat – this is the snake’s olfactory organ.
Corn snakes also have fairly good sight but little hearing. Above all, they perceive vibrations. Young corn snakes molt about eight to twelve times a year, adult animals don’t have to molt as often because they don’t grow as fast. You can tell a corn snake is about to shed its skin by the pale color of its skin and its milky eyes. The best thing to do is just leave the snake alone.
Friends and foes of the corn snake
Birds of prey and small predators sometimes prey on corn snakes.
How do corn snakes reproduce?
Corn snakes can reproduce for the first time at around two to three years of age. But they only do that if they have kept their hibernation. To do this, the snakes choose a hiding place. During this time – around mid-December – she should no longer be fed. In addition, the temperature in the terrarium should be reduced to around 20° Celsius and the lighting should not be switched on for so long. The snake then hibernates for about six to eight weeks.
The mating season begins when the corn snakes molt for the first time after hibernation. Now the snakes crawl through their enclosure almost constantly. Then the males start fighting for a female. The male that wins the fight eventually mates with the female. 40 to 60 days later, the female lays about five to 15, sometimes up to 35 elongated eggs, each up to four centimeters long.
It is best to place a container filled with peat or moss in the terrarium. The eggs laid in the container must be kept at 27 to 28 degrees Celsius and 90 to 100 percent humidity. After 60 to 70 days, the 20 to 24 centimeter-long snake babies finally hatch.
How do corn snakes hunt?
Wild corn snakes prey on small rodents, young rats, birds, lizards, and frogs. They climb up to the top treetops. Corn snakes strangle and swallow their prey.
Care
What Do Corn Snakes Eat?
In captivity, corn snakes are usually fed mice and young rats. If they do not accept dead animals for food, live mice are given to them as soon as it is dark.
Young animals hatched in terrariums often do not accept mice because in nature they only feed on frogs at first. With a few tricks, however, you can get them used to young mice. For this reason, young corn snakes should only be kept by people who already have a lot of experience with keeping snakes.
Husbandry of corn snakes
Adult corn snakes are the easiest snakes to keep in the terrarium. Very young corn snakes need a tank that is only 30 by 20 centimeters in size, while adults need a terrarium that is 100 centimeters long, 50 centimeters deep, and 50 to 80 centimeters high.
Corn snakes like it quite warm during the day: the temperature in the terrarium must be 24 to 27° Celsius and around 19 to 22° Celsius at night. It is best to heat the pool with heating mats hidden on the floor and with the light bulbs required for lighting. The terrarium should have some branches because corn snakes like to climb. They also need a small pool of water to drink from.
Pieces of bark or inverted vessels are also important as hiding places. If such hiding places are missing, to which the animals can withdraw from time to time, they suffer from stress. Warning: corn snakes are true escape artists! For this reason, the lid of the terrarium must always be secured with a lock, as the animals can even lift panes of glass and escape.