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Care Sheet for Cornsnakes |
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Housing : For hatchlings its best to have a 10 gallon tank, with a tight fitting screen top for ventilation. Secure locks or wieghts need to be used to keep your cornsnake from escaping. A under heat mat or lighting can be used for keeping temperatures in your tank in the temperature range from 80 degrees warm end 75 degrees cool end. Two hides are best one on each end of your tank. A clean water bowl should be provided for your new cornsnake. Your water bowl should be changed daily, to advoid the effects of bacteria buildup. A cornsnake can be housed in a 10 gallon tank up to a year. Older snake require larger tanks 20'' gallon tanks are perfect for older snakes. |
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Substrates: Is the bedding you use inside your vivarium/tank. Aspen bedding, Paper towel, Cypress Mulch or Newspaper is best. Never use Cedar of any kind. Pine or anytype of Sand. |
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Heating: Two temperature gauges on each side of your vivarium is recommend for best temperature readings. One that measures heat the other humdity. Under tank heaters and lighting is the best way to keep your temperatures in the 75 cool end and 80 degrees for the warm end. Retrostats that control temperatures automaticly are effiecent and also cost effective. Never use heat rocks for your reptiles they can cause injury or even death. |
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Accessories: Providing hide for your snake gives your pet security. Always provide atleast two hides for your snake. One on the cool end the other warm end. Plastic plants are good for decoration and can be used. A water bowl that is large enough for your snake to soak in is best. Vines and branches are a good addtion to your vivarium. If you use live branches never use Cedar, Pine. Bake your live branch in the oven at 250 for 3 hours to kill any parisites and bacteria that may inhabit your decorations.
For live plants a safe listing: Pothos(Epipremnum aureum), English Ivy(Hedera helix L.) African Violets(Saintpaulia ionantha) Umbrella Plant(Schefflera digitata) Dumbcane(Dieffenbachia) Arrowhead Vine(Syngonium podophyllum) Peace Lily(Spathiphyllum clevelandii) |
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Feeding:
Cornsnakes eat rodents. Hatchlings start our on eating frozen thawed pinkies, in the wild they eat lizards. Some hatchlings will refuse baby mice, and anole scented mice helps get them to eat. Never purchase a cornsnake that has not shed and has not eaten atleast 3 times on its own. You will have problems in feeding.
As your hatchling grows they need larger prey. Never feed your cornsnake on substrate other then newspaper or papertowels.
Its best to feed hatchlings every 5 to 7 days a prey item that makes a nice size bulge that disappears in 48 hours.
After feeding your snake leave it alone to diegest its meal, atleast for 48 hours, to prevent regurgitations.
It is a good idea to start a �Feeding Card� or chart to help you remember when you last fed your snake and what size prey you fed it last.
The feeding cards help to keep track of when individual snakes were fed, what they were fed as well as when they shed, eliminate and if they regurgitate. This is an important tool in establishing the health of your snake. |
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Keeping a cornsnake is good for beginners who are interested in keeping reptiles. Keeping your reptile healthy
your Reptile needs to be taken into the Vet for a regular check-up on a yearly basis. During this routine check-up, it is standard for the Vet to do a fecal exam to check for parasites.
For listings for reptile vets in your area: Herp Vet Connection http://www.herpvetconnection.com/
Proper diet and frequent cage cleanings is a good way to avoid having to see your local vet, other then routine check ups.
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