Wait... This Site is Dedicated to Herping... Why are you starting a Series of Care Guides?If herpetology is botany, than herp husbandry is horticulture. - Ty Smith 2024 This is a bit outta left field I am sure, but we have all been to numerous facilities such as museums, parks, and nature centers and have sometimes been amazed and sometimes horrified of exhibits. These education exhibits are often people's first, real introduction at a species. These experiences are crucial to educating people on these animals, and how important they are to the ecosystem. For snakes especially, this is one of, if not the best way, to get people over their fears and to stop the vilification of snakes. That said, there has been a huge disconnect between people who care for these animals, and people who find these animals in the wild. There are many ways to display an animal and give it all it needs. That said, we need to make sure we are telling the story that we want to tell. For example, a glass box with two inches of aspen shavings, a cat's water bowl, two black-plastic hides, and a plastic bin (with a hole cut in) full of wet sphagnum moss provides pretty much all of a Cornsnake's "needs" (I will go more in depth later), but does it make a connection with nature? I do not think it does. The reaction from guest is often, "Oh, cool! They have a pet snake." What we want, is people to see that animal as if it was in nature. This isn't a "pet" but a piece of what nature has to offer. We want people to be awestruck about a beautiful animal in a beautiful setting. Now, I will say straight forward, all care guides, including mine, are mostly opinion. Sure, they are all backed-up by facts. For example: In my opinion you should provide a water bowl, because the fact is your animal will die without water. You don't have to follow my advice to a "T", but at least listen to the reasoning behind it and account for these considerations accordingly. I am writing these not only to give guidance on displaying animals, but because care has changed a lot in even the last ten years. I have worked for state parks, and I see animals pretty much passed down to "generations" of new rangers as well as the care information. Often rangers are trained to care for the animal as part of their job, but often we see rangers are listening to what they were taught, and not exploring newer care information. This is why I have been places, not just state parks, and have seen care guides from 1992 laying around offices. Almost all of the science of the 90's for herp care was pretty much: "I did this, and it died. Don't do that. I did this, and it didn't die. This is okay." Now we have learned more, and we understand these animals so much more. There is still a lot of trial and error studies, but it is not as dangerous to the animals and we have had over 30 years worth of learning since then. The internet has made care information so much more available as well. What makes me very angry however, is going to a big-box store and seeing a outdated, minimalistic care guide because they want to sell an animal to a child. It truly bothers me when these store treat animals this way. Many are very anti-breeding of the animals they are selling, yet they are usually buying them from "farms" which are usually the the equivalent to puppy mills but for reptiles. On top of this, activist groups support these places because of the general misinformation they are fed by the media and these chains. Get your animals from a reputable breeder, or good local pet store that buys from breeders or wholesalers that buy from breeders. These people care about the animals, care for the animals enough to answer your questions, if they have employees they are well trained and versed in the care of that animal, and are not hiring 16-year-olds that wanted a first job and thought hamsters are cute so now they are in the reptile section. I really don't want to see educators get turned on by animal advocacy groups or worse, face charges for animal neglect. There is always some self-righteous individual who wants you to lose your animals. Sometimes you can do things perfectly, but they don't think animals should be kept as pets or they just want to troll. I hope to share some tips to keep you out of legal trouble. That said, some people are delusional, and will provoke situations out of such delusions or, worse yet, for fun. A lot of snake keepers stopped selling snake sheds (usually to jewelry makers), because activism groups would buy them and stage them in malls, mailboxes, and other public spaces in hopes that the public outrage of a large or venomous animal on the loose would lead to the banning of the reptile keeping hobby. This is the same type of misinformation pushing that leads people to think all of the Burmese Pythons in Florida are discarded pets; for context, a single research facility got destroyed in Hurricane Andrew, and all of the DNA test on pythons in Florida, point to them all being descendants of the hundreds of snakes lost in that disaster. That is not what the hobby is about, and while there is a few bad apples, most people strive to keep their animals happy and healthy. Drunk drivers kill many people in the US every year, but we don't ban drinking or driving because not everyone who drinks alcohol or (notice I said "or" and not "and") drives a car is a hurting anyone or anything. We want to keep this kind of drama out of our nature centers. We want to be the most professional and safest "drivers" on the reptile-keeping road. Introduction to the Cornsnake
Their other name is/was the Red Ratsnake, which I think was much better, but what do I know... Speaking of names, you may see in some places the scientific name is Elaphe guttata, which sorta rhymes with "Hakuna Matata", but unfortunately after some genetic research scientist discovered that North American, Central American, and Eurasian Ratsnakes are not that closely related, and evolving to hunt rats and birds is a very common evolutionary path for colubrid snakes to take... So, in short, Elaphe now only contains the Eurasian or "Northern Ratsnakes" while our Eastern US species are all now of the genus Pantherophis. While Pantherophis guttatus is definitely harder to substitute into late 90's Disney songs than the old name, it is the current scientific name of the Cornsnake. That said, let's debunk more throughout the care guide. EnclosureThe first infuriating piece of old information I want to... well, vent about for a second is the enclosure size. There are old and "current" care guides that will say the minimum enclosure size is a 20 gallon long. I never understood this after I got my first Cornsnake, and yes this was the "correct" way of thinking ten years ago. Cornsnakes often get around four feet in length, with males averaging slightly longer than the heavier females. Keep in mind that is the baseline average and is the equivalent of saying the average US male is 5'9". There are cases of captive and wild Cornsnakes reaching six feet in length. Now, you mean to tell me a snake four or more feet in length, should ever be kept in a glass box measuring 30"x12"x12" (we measure enclosures length x width x height)? Doesn't that feels like stuffing a 5'9" man in a 3'6" coffin? Granted the way snakes are built, a large Cornsanke is not really a large animal, and can easily curl-up under a baseball cap. The thought was as that, being a snake, they weren't very active (funny how being kept in a small, glass box with no stimulation can make an intelligent animal inactive).
I recommend no less than a 4'x2'x2' (this is a 120 gallon equivalent) enclosure for an adult Cornsnake. This still might sound small, but when your see how big this size enclosure is and how small a large Cornsnake is, it does work. That said, more is always better. At least the snake will have close to six feet across the diagonals to stretch out. This size enclosure is easy to find online, and I am not the only person suggestion this be the minimum. Cornsnakes are also semi-arboreal. I fully believe if you have the space to go 4'x2'x4' you will be surprised how much they enjoy climbing. Despite what we thought in the 1990's, Cornsnakes are very active and curious snakes. For hatchling Cornsnakes, I do however recommend a 20 gallon long. There is a newer thought that upgrading enclosures for reptiles as they grow is somewhat unnecessary, and for many herps (like Bearded Dragons) I agree, but I totally disagree with this on Colubrids. It is not because a baby Cornsnake cannot get from warm, to cool, and to the water bowl fast enough to not die, because they are fast little noodles. It is for three reasons though. First, unless you use newspaper for substrate, good luck finding a ten inch snake (less than the width of a pencil) in a 1,152 square inch enclosure when it is swimming away from you in the bedding. Second, to feel secure you will need several small hides for your snake. Snakes like snug-fitting hides, and it is so difficult to fill a 120 gallon equivalent with baby Cornsnake-size hides. Large, open spaces will make the young snake feel exposed and stressed. Third, these enclosures are meant for larger animals, and may have gaps for cords that a "spaghetti noodle" can escape through. Oh, and I forgot to say it earlier, but a good, secure, screen lid with some kind of locking mechanism is a 100% must have. Some enclosures have the lid built in that is unremovable. I like this. Two "doors" are harder to remember to keep locked than one. The enclosure shouldn't feel like a prison cell, but it should be more secure than a prison cell.
Now, most snakes, while enjoying to peep out of their window and see you, like privacy. We jokingly call snakes noodles, and I am sure hawks, raccoons, foxes, and other predators do as well, but for different reasons... Being afraid of predators is a natural, subconscious feeling. We has humans in Virginia have no predators. That said, why are so many people afraid of what hides in the dark? Are they subconsciously afraid of hidden predators even though they, nor their parents, nor even their grandparents probably had to fight off an animal trying to eat them... Other than maybe mosquitoes... but our pets have the same fears. How do we mitigate these fears? First, hawks, foxes, and Bobcats will all dive on a snake. So, in a snake's mind, death hails from above. It is quite scary for the animal to have a giant towering over them and suddenly they are grabbed from above. Not everything coming from the ground level is a threat for a snake. Front opening enclosures have, in my experience, alway yielded less defensive snakes, and snakes more willing to "come out to play". We have to remember, snakes have emotions. They may not be as complex as ours, but they are used to convey how that animal is feeling. Fear and frustration are bad emotions we are going to address all through this article. A fearful snake can be a defensive snake, and a defensive snake is not great to handle. We can also help keep these animals more comfortable by blacking out all but the front of the enclosure. Then, they can see out, you can see in, but they don't feel like they are being as watched. Would you rather live near a highway in a house that the only window is a picture window, or an all glass house? Also, make sure the enclosure has ample ventilation. Mold is not caused by humidity solely, but humidity and stagnant air. SubstrateConventional care guides are going to give your conventional substrates for Cornsnakes, but you are an educator that is displaying the habitat of a local snake in a local habitat. So, I am throwing aspen shavings and newspaper out of the equation and we are talking bioactive. This means we are creating a micro-ecosystem in the substrate to help with keep it natural and cleaner than you would normally have at a petstore. First and foremost, you will need real soil. Not coconut husk, not mulch. I hate hearing people say how "natural" mulch is. Where have you ever visited and found the ground to be 100% mulch? A flowerbed? A playground? Loggers chip and mulch clear-cuts. These don't sound very natural do they? It is almost like the microbes in the soil digest natural mulch very quickly, giving it to the soil... Passive-aggressiveness aside, you can buy Reptisoil at a petstore, or you can use organic potting soil. If you use reptisoil (which cost more), I recommend mixing organic compost (another expense) into it. I just like to cut cost and use a high-quality organic potting soil. I like to put a good amount in a bucket, and mix it with a ratio of about 3:1 soil to sand; not that I measure it... I am kind of like your grandma baking a cake with it... Nature doesn't have perfect, equal blend so don't feel bad. You can also mix some desert substrate in, like Exo Terra "Desert Stone". To replicate the clay and stones found in your soils. I personally like to mix in some lump charcoal (not briquettes as they are bound by toxic chemicals to encourage combustion), to cut down on the smell and add a different source of carbon for the clean-up crew. Mix it in a your bucket and then spread it in the enclosure. You don't have to mix it perfect. Rocks and soils erode and shift meaning not all areas are perfectly blended. I recommend a good 2-3 inches of soil at least, deeper for live plants. When placing plants or decor in the enclosure, now is a good time. Then I like to crunch dry leaves into tiny pieces for the clean-up crew, and sprinkle them around the enclosure as well as a little bit of untreated cypress mulch. Then I like to rake all of it into the soil with my fingers. Now we can add the botanicals. These can be collected from the forest near you that you know is pesticide-free. You can sterilize these of pest and fungi in an oven on low heat (research this practice so you don't burn your house down). Leaf litter, twigs, mosses (don't sterilize moss in the oven, but you can soak it in water for a day to kill mites), spent seed pods (Trumpet Creeper, Magnolia, Eastern Redbud, pine cones, etc.), or the like are all good choices. Avoid cedar, as it is toxic. Collected leaves should be dropped autumn leaves and not freshly picked. This is to help your clean-up crew, as they chemistry of these leaves are different. Variety is the spice of life. I have never been in a natural forest and seen one type of leaf on the ground. Leaves blow around and mix as well. That said, leaf piles are not all perfect mixtures, so a large "accent leaf" can be quite aesthetically appealing. If using decor like cork rounds, I will sprinkle some extra mulch in and around them to replicate deteriorating wood.
You can now safely release your clean-up crew, and I suggest temperate springtails and isopods. You can sometimes find these at pet stores, but definitely online. So, what do these guys do? Springtails feed mainly on mold, feces, and decomposing leaves. Having a strong springtail colony will help keep mold outbreaks at bay. If your colony is large enough, they can outcompete Fungus Gnats, which are an annoying little pest... They probably already live in your home, but you will find out as soon as you have a potted plant or box of soil with with an animal living in it. Anyway, the springtails will also clean-up after the isopods as well. So, what kind of isopods should you use? Well, you can't go wrong with Porcellionides pruinosus. Many call this species the "Powdered Blue Isopod", particularly the wild-type, but "Powdered orange", "Oreo Crumble", "White-out", and "Orange Cream" are some of the well known morphs of this species. Some Porcellio species may do better due to their higher tolerance to dry conditions. That said, no isopods will survive if there is not a moist, mossy area at all times. I currently am using Porcellio laevis 'Dairy Cow' (scientific name subject to change) and have had no issues. This species is known to be an aggressive eater, and many fear they may nibble on their animals, but I have never seen them chew on any type of animal material that was alive. That said, they will demolish a shed in hours, as will the Powdered Blues if in high numbers. This means, if you are partial to keeping a shed, you may want to remove the shedding snake and put it in a temporary bin to shed. Both of these species are active, and "protein-loving". In other words, though they will stay near their humid area most of the time, they will be drawn out to the other side for a delicious meal of... well, snake poop... I would not recommend the Dwarf White Isopod (Trichorhina tomentosa), because they are small and more fossorial, meaning you will get a good colony under your humid spot, but not on the dry end. They are so small, that they aren't going to run to the other end to feed. If you really want to use this species, I recommend putting at least six-eight inches of soil to get a good moisture gradient on the dry end. This will allow them to move up and down in the soil a few inches for food and moisture, and not several feet across the enclosure. By the way, if any of these invertebrates escape, they will die quickly without a wet spot, meaning these will not run-loose and take over the building in which they are kept. Heating and LightingLet's just knock the controversial part out real quick. Here are some quick facts. Consnakes do not need UVB lighting to live a full life. UVB lighting has been shown to help boost the levels of vitamin D3 of Cornsnakes astronomically. D3 is very important for the calcium intake of the animal. Calcium is very important for not just the bones, but blood, muscle growth, metabolism, and general pH balance of the animal. There is a huge debate over if UVB lighting is therefore essential or just beneficial for these animals. Now, in my opinion, no matter where you fall in this debate, it seems you should give your animal access to UVB. They are in our care, and we love them, so why not give them something that benefits them greatly, when there is zero evidence it will harm them. I recommend a T5 bulb marketed as a "shade dweller" or "tropical". I will recommend something else here, that someone will get upset about, but hear me out. Many people will recommend for most reptiles to have a UVB that extends the full length of the enclosure. I don't recommend that. This advice is a bit outdated, as our bulbs used to be far weaker, and in order to get enough exposure, keepers had to make sure their animals were in UVB continuously. In nature animals bask in direct UVB for a few minutes/hours, and then they go about their day (many avoiding the sun and heat altogether). Have you ever been riding in a car, and noticed though the thermometer read a comfortable temperature in your car, it felt 10-20 degrees fahrenheit hotter. That is UV and other radioactive wavelength exposure from the sun. Getting out of the UV exposure at times is important for your animal, and if the entire enclosure is UV light, they will stay in their hides or under the substrate constantly. Many people argue that there is UV in the shade as well, and their is, but it is a lot less and there is none under leaves, rocks, logs, and underground. The animal knows how to balance its UV intake, and if it needs UV, it will sit in the UV light. So, I recommend keeping a two-foot UVB strip on the "warm-side" of the enclosure. With Cornsnakes, you can get away with a coil as well, as long as it is in a cage in the enclosure so the snake can "coil" in the UBV projection. That said, a tube or halogen is much better. Now, when I say warm-side, it is common knowledge that most reptiles need a thermogradient, and we dumb-it-down to a "warm-side" (with a basking site) and a "cool-side" (with a humid site) with a spectrum in-between. I like to have the basking site somewhere within a foot of the sidewall of the enclosure. There is two ways to handle this. First, you can use a heat lamp. If you go this route, I recommend having it in a light cage in the enclosure, or hanging over the screen-top a few inches. The domes concentrate the heat downwards, and that is fine, but the snake can get too close to the bulb and burn itself. This can happen with a light dome that sits on the screen. In a lightcage, there is no dome, so it radiates evenly and means a snake can get closer before it gets burned, but can't get that close due to the cage around the bulb. You can also use a heat pad under the enclosure. This simplifies things a bit, but does not offer natural lighting. Either route you go, heat sources should be kept on a thermostat.
Nighttime temperatures can drop to 72-62 F. My house typically cools to 68 or so at night, and while it is argued if they need or just benefit from a nighttime temperature drop, it often just happens in buildings. Now, don't stress about temperatures too much. If you check the temperature and it is 89 F on the basking site, you are not abusing your animal. In nature, there is no such thing as a constant temperature. If you have your energy gradient throughout the enclosure, your snake will find a comfortable place for it. As long as it is not so hot that your animal would get burned, don't panic. If you use a light, cut it on in the morning, and check the temperature of the basking site after an hour it may be 83 F. If you check it when you turn-it-off at night, the site may be 88 F. This is normal. The temperatures tend to get hotter as the day progresses, and as long as there is a cooler retreat, your snake is fine. Once again, it isn't that the air is getting warmer but the basking site is absorbing energy throughout the day. If you see after an hour it is 86 F and when you check it before turning-off the light at night and it is 92 F, repeat it a couple more days. If after three days, it is consistently high, dial down the thermostat a couple degrees and check it for a few more days. Now, radical activist are a real concern. I don't mean your typical animal lovers, but the "animals in captivity is slavery" people. Many of these people do not understand how care works in depth, and they will google temperature parameters when they see a thermometer displayed in the enclosure. At 86 F they may use it as a reason to become confrontational or file a complaint. Furthermore, those "disk" thermometers/hygrometers that suction-cup to the glass are notoriously inaccurate. To make it worse, people often hang them on the glass in a random part of the enclosure away from where the animal would be... If you know your basking and cool-side temperatures, there is no real need to know what is in-between. I recommend just buying a temp-gun. If you go the digital route, place the probe on the cool side, and keep the outputs somewhere guest cannot see, but you can. Check the warmside with a temp-gun. The temp-gun is just better for the warm side reading, so I feel it is unnecessary to buy a digital thermometer unless it is a smart thermometer that you can access from your phone. I like using these, as if I am at work or away, I can see if something is not right. Other than that, temp-guns are inexpensive, and one will service all of your enclosures' warm and cool ends. Digital thermometers currently run $6-$10 on Amazon, while temp-guns run about $15 and can be found online or at a hardware store. After setting up the lighting, you will notice that half of the enclosure is not lit. Your snake does not care, and in all actuality, probably loves this shady area. If you can't stand it, or want to grow plants on the cool-side, you can supplement light with a grow-light for plants or a LED. Grow-lights can be intense, but the plants will give shade for your snake. LEDs are great for lighting (and work very well for most plants too), but I would still set-up your decor with some shade in mind. Some people like to keep lights on a timer, and some people like to cut them on and off themselves to make sure they are monitoring the enclosure daily. Do what suits you, but a consistent 10-14 hour day-time period is important. These snakes are active in Virginia from April through October. You can use the light outside as guidance if you like, or maybe you want to see your snake at 10pm and you aren't worried about seeing it at 8 am and you can adjust accordingly. What I wouldn't recommend is cutting it on and off at random times. For example don't cut it on 10am-8pm one day and then 8am-7pm the next. Give the animal a consistent cycle. You can shorten or lengthen it a few minutes at a time (like the real sun) to imitate the seasons. This may be beneficial, though it's probably not necessary unless you are torporing or breeding your animal. Humidity and WaterCornsnakes are generally found in dry areas, but this doesn't mean they like it bone dry. Granted, too much moisture will cause scale rot. Luckily, like in nature, these snakes are not mindless machines and can regulate their humidity needs as they can heat if given options. I keep most of the enclosure (2/3rds) dry. This replicates the surface of their natural habitat. That said, there are microhabitats in their general habitat that hold more moisture like leaves, tunnels, rotting logs, and under rocks. I have noticed the large rock next to Ash's basking site naturally holds moisture under it, and even though it is 80 degrees, it is still humid enough from my occasional mistings for the isopods to hang-out as well as Ash will burrow under there occasionally. General wisdom has said to keep a humid hide on the cool-side, but when we are herping, we find sometimes snakes want warmer, humid places. So, a warm, humid microhabitat can be just as desired by the snake depending on its circumstances. I think it is optimal to do both a humid hide on the warm-side and the cool-side. Keep in mind that hatchlings are much quicker to dry-out (and die) than adults. Humid hides can be as simple or complex as you want to make it. You can cut a hole in a tub, fill it with damp sphagnum, and bury it in a corner to hide it. You can take a normal hide and fill it with sphagnum. I like to put some sphagnum or peat in the soil in a corner, and put a pile of leaves over it on the cool-side for the isopods and the snake. If you have a live plant that needs good moisture, you can mix sphagnum or peat in the soil around it and cover the soil with leaves, and this will also make a very natural humid refuge. You can take a cork-round and fill it with damp cypress mulch to replicate a rotting log. There is just so much you can do. Just monitor these and make sure they stay moist (not soggy) and don't start growing mold.
For water, conventional wisdom will say to give them a bowl big enough to soak their whole body in. This information predates the humid hide, as the snake would soak in the water dish to aid with shedding. That said, I have never seen a Cornsnake that seemed to prefer soaking in a water dish over laying in a moist log. I think it may well be unnecessary to have a bowl that large for this species, but I do it anyway. In nature, if they wanted to soak they can, and it doesn't hurt anything in the enclosure, so why not... Now, if I were to see my Cornsnake soaking, I would check it for mites. Often, snakes soak to drown mites, and you will want to treat your snake if this is the case. There are many naturalistic water bowls on the market, so find one that fits your build the best. Keep clean water in the enclosure at all times. Also, change the water every couple of days. They really seem to prefer new water over two day old water. Ambient humidity is important for many reptiles, but I don't think Cornsnakes are too picky. When I Googled "ambient humidity for Cornsnake", the top three answers are "65-75%", "40-60%", and "30-40%"... Well, our average humidity in VA is about 78%. Cornsnakes can be found in many humid and drier places in the eastern US, so I feel these numbers are pretty much taken from people who care for these animals, and more along the lines of "reports" than real guidelines. Many people probably keep their Cornsnakes at 30-40% with a humid hide, and have no problems, and others probably keep them at 70-80% also with no issues. If you are in Cornsnake range, your ambient humidity is probably fine unless you are running a dehumidifier. I have never dwelled on ambient humidity for this species, and I have never had an issue with respiratory infections or poor shedding. I like to mist the enclosure every-so-often. You probably want me to say to mist x number of times per week, but that is not exactly how it should work. I probe the humid hides with my fingers, and if the feel like they are getting too dry, I spritze them with water. Never allow the hides to dry out completely, but don't keep them soggy. When it rains, I like to mist the whole enclosure just to simulate the moisture and humidity that comes with the change in air pressure. That said, if it rains for days at a time, I only mist it once, as to not oversaturate the enclosure. This also gives the isopods some time that they can travel out of their hides to clean-up scraps. DecorCornsnakes come in contact with a lot of textures in nature. It is a good idea to give many different items for your snake to interact with in its enclosure. Cork-rounds are excellent hides as well as climbing surfaces. They are mold-resistant, and can be stuffed with humid materials too. These can be stood up, to look like stumps or laid-over like logs. There are many plastic rocks and logs on the market as well that do fine. Real rocks and logs can be collected from your local forest and sanitized in the oven at low heat.
Feeding and HealthI believe the dietary needs Cornsnakes are far more complicated that people suggest. We talk about how important a varied diet is in every reptile except for snakes. Almost every guide will just suggest feeding these snakes straight mice. What do they eat in the wild? Well, the majority of their adult diet is small mammals and most sources will say "rodents". While rodents such as mice, rats, voles, and chipmunks are on the table, other mammals such as moles, shrews, and roosting bats are common prey items as well. That is not to mention bird eggs and chicks, and lizards. In fact, some sources suggest juvenile Cornsnakes primarily feed on lizards. While I can't find any real percentages, I would be shocked if more than 80% of the Cornsnake diet was small mammals, and maybe 40% actual mice. Now, don't get me wrong, that is a huge chunk of the diet, but that is also a huge chunk we are missing. Adult mice are incredibly fatty compared to lizards and birds. I don't even know where shrews fall dietarily, but they have an incredibly high metabolism, so they are probably quite lean... I always believe, when it comes to organisms that eat a variety of prey items, variety is the spice of life. Also, I doubt a fat, captive House Mouse is leaner than a wild White-footed Mouse... To me, it seems these fatty foods are part of why Cornsnakes get so obese in captivity.
Quail eggs can be a really good treat once in a while. I do it between feedings as well, as even though they are packed with protein, calcium, and other good stuff, they are not really meal-sized. I used to feed live mice, but I have switched to purely frozen-thawed. I could hand-feed every Cornsnake I have ever feed frozen-thawed prey without fear of getting bitten (but I don't recommend you try). The live-prey-fed snakes will strike and constrict anything mistaken for food. Frozen-thawed prey will not defend itself either. Now, if you lose power for an extended time, throw-out the frozen mice if they thawed. I once had two snakes die after a feeding, and all I could figure is when we had lost power one of four times earlier that year, we missed some bad mice in the freezer and fed them to the snakes unknowingly. I was heart-broken, and I am now paranoid about this. We keep all of our frozen mice in a plastic bin now, and if we lose power, it gets dumped.
When a snake eats a large prey item, you can often see the whitish skin between the scales in that bulge. If you are seeing the skin without feeding the snake, your snake is pretty obese, and you should cut back on feeding. I feed babies every four days until they are about 20 inches, and then I cut back to seven days. Once your snake slows down on growth and starts to bulk-up, you can cut back to 10-14 days depending on your snake. This is a guide, not a rule. Use common sense and judgement. If your snake is too thin, feed it more often. If it is too thick, cut-back. It can be really hard to judge a snake to determine if it is obese. One must pay close attention to the fine details until he/she has seen enough to really make a judgement right away. It's infuriating though when someone looks at a healthy animal and claims they are too skinny. If you keep any animals, you will hear this eventually. There is a large group of people that think if an animal isn't obese, it's underweight. Think of the dogs where people grimace at the sight of seeing the dogs ribs. You are supposed to be able to see a dog's ribs. It is when you can see the vertebra and other bones you have a problem. Many people think it is cute to overfeed animals and make them "hecking chonkers". It is not cute, it is abuse. Obesity is considered a disease for a reason, and all the issues it causes in humans, it causes in our pets. Let's look at some snakes to judge a good BMI. The snakes above demonstrate different BMIs. The snake on the left (captive) is underweight. Notice the way the skin looks to fold in the coils, and how the vertebra forms a distinct keel down the back. The middle snake (wild) is a good weight for an adult. The snake on the right (captive) is obese. Note how it looks tubular, the white skin can be seen between scales, the head looks small (compared to the middle snake), and there is a pinch at the vent separating the body and tail. If you take a cross-section of a Cornsnake, it should look like a slice of bread and not tubular. No one talks exercise with snakes. In the wild, Cornsnakes are active predators. They climb trees, open-ground travel, and explore rodent burrows. In captivity they don't exercise much. Get your snake out a couple times a week, handle it, don't stress it out, but let it climb all over you or something safe. Don't let them get away from you outside, but you can take them out to get real sun and exercise on tree trunks and the like. Playground equipment (that isn't too hot or cold) can be a great "jungle gym" to play on (be mindful of dangers though). Of course, don't take your snake out when it is 95 degrees, nor when it is 50 degrees. 65-90 F is probably a good window. Keep and eye out for any holes, as they can shoot-down a burrow quickly. You don't want to lose your snake, especially outside. Do you have a vet for your Cornsnake? You need to. That said, they are bullet-proof and I have not had to take a Cornsnake to a vet, but health problems can arise. You could however find yourself in a pickle though, as mouth infections, upper-respiratory infections, and egg-binding can be an issue among many other things. Monitor your snake daily. If you notice your snake is acting unusual for several days, and it is not be caused by seasons' change (they may slow down fall-winter naturally), take them to a vet. If you see discharge from the eyes, mouth, nose, see a vet. If an animal refuses a meal, this is no big deal, just skip the meal and try on the next scheduled date. If it misses three meals and is visibly losing weight, take it to the vet. Cornsnakes don't go on hunger strikes in my experience. Ball Pythons may go on six month hunger strikes with no issue, but everytime one of my Cornsnakes rejects food, there was a reason. They may not eat around shedding, and that is normal. That said, some snakes just slow down in the winter, and if your snake refuses some meals, but still looks healthy, I wouldn't fear. This gives new keepers a lot of anxiety, but a snake skipping a meal is like you skipping lunch. If you are trying new foods, they may not eat it. Unless your snake is underweight, don't cave in and give them what they want. I will usually thaw the reptilinks with a mouse to get the scent on them. I will try three times (in 30-60 minutes apart each time). If they don't take it, then too bad. We will try again next time. You have to give them some tough love, as you do to get kids to eat vegetables. Wait at least two days after feeding to handle the snake. Handling too early may trigger the snake to regurgitate food. If your snake regurgitates a meal, wait 7-10 days before trying to feed it again. Oh, and I personally like to wait until after they poop after their last feeding. Otherwise, you can get a very smelly surprise... CleaningThe clean-up crew will not solve all of your problems. They are not going to eat the white, powdery uric acid you see in your snake's feces. But they will get the juices and other materials your normal spot-cleaning misses. Obviously, you don't want to leave a big pile of snake feces out in the enclosure for guest to see. Occasionally poke-around the enclosure for any missed feces and to check for mold, mites, and that your clean-up crew is healthy. I have luckily never had a mite issue, but that doesn't mean you won't. Consult your vet on how to handle mites. Eventually, your soil will run out of the materials that your isopods need and nitrogen will build up. If you have plenty of live plants, you won't face this issue normally. If you don't, you may need to change about 1/3-1/2 of the substrate per year. Common Psychological Issues I See That You Need to ConsiderRack systems. Racksystems are a blessing and a curse that we need to address. "But Ty, this is an education facility with animals in display. We don't use rack systems." You might not, but where did your snake come from? Remember how I said snakes have emotions? We know that snakes have neurological pathways that warrant emotion, yet how many keepers think of their animal's emotional health. We has educator must do our best to not anthropomorphize animals, yet we must also remember they are living animals with brains and needs, so we should never mechanize them either. I will mainly discuss how rack systems and opaque plastic totes impact the mental health of our animals, but compare them to what you are doing as well to better understand your own snake's behavior. Maybe you don't keep your snake in a rack, but maybe your snake is displaying some of these behaviors because of an issue that racks also cause. Rack systems are great for housing large numbers of snakes... and that is about it... They are easy to clean and are highly utilitarian for keeping animals. Now, I definitely understand why breeders use racks. I grew up in the heat or "rack culture". I think racks can be made better, and I think that they are not terrible for juvenile animals. Most racks that I see are dark, and undersized. Many keepers will argue that these are non issues, as snakes like sitting in snug, dark places, but let's think about this. Snakes often rest in snug, dark places (as do you). Could you imagine if you were kept in a queen-sized bed, with just enough ceiling height for you to set-up in, for you entire life. Not just that, but in either complete light or complete darkness. "But Ty, snakes aren't people. How can we know this is bad for them." Well, we can see stress-related behaviors. In humans we nail-bite, lip-chew, or any other thing we call a "nervous habit". Snakes nose-rub, roam the parameter, and quit eating among other things. Lindsey and I went to a pet store a few weeks ago that keeps snakes in a rack system. I totally understand why, as they were moving dozens of snakes per week, and a few day in a rack system isn't going to lead to long-term issues. We were looking at their North American colubrids, and they had a nice selection of them. The issue is some of the snakes had been there for several months, and were marked down. Almost all of these snakes we looked at displayed what I call "Rack Behavioral Syndrome". This involves tail-rattling, active feeding aggression, darting, "lack of confidence", and musking. Let me explain each behavior. Tail-rattling is a clear sign that a snake is fearful. Wild snakes will often tail-rattle from a striking position, but captive animals that get handled often usually don't. This can be interpreted as the snake is afraid, but not defensive. Think from the snake's view. You live in continuous darkness, and your eyes (which are much more light sensitive than a humans) are adjusted to nearly pitch-black. All of a sudden, a bright overhead light is thrust upon you. Maybe you were even sleeping and you are awaken by said light. You could see why this is stressful. Now, you're still in this situation, but often when this happens, someone throws a steak in your face. This is your only food for the day. If you miss it, you don't get to eat. This is what causes this "baby birding" or "gaping" behavior. Maybe we can see where the strong feeding response comes in, with the blinding confusion. Food aggression in snakes is typically a fear of missing out. Some snakes just like to eat, but often feeding aggression can be curbed with better feeding vs handling communication. Take all of the stress away and communicate to your intentions to the animal, and it will typically calm down. One snake that doesn't calm down after a lot of work is bound to happen, especially with Kingsnakes more than Cornsnakes; but if you have 5 snakes and all of them come at you with an open mouth like a baby bird wanting their mom to put food in there mouth (which is pretty much exactly what the behavior is), you need to adjust your feeding methods.
I want to experiment with him some more, and try to stimulate his brain more. I will move things around or add new "toys" occasionally for him to explore. While he is not quite to choice based handling, I can open the enclosure and he will come peer out. Darting occurs when the snake realizes it can get out of a situation it doesn't want to be in. Now, I choice-base handle many of my snakes. This means if I come into the room and they are at the front wanting to come out, I will open the door and they will come out onto my hands. They are calm, and happily come out onto my arms. Darting is when you open the enclosure and the snake shoots out in a straight line. A calm snake is "flow" into your hands, a darting snake will move in a straight line in one direction it sees fit. It is the difference in you walking out of you house and sprinting out of a haunted house. "Lack of confidence" is how I refer to a snake that is incredibly jerky. These snakes seem very hesitant in choices, like transferring from one person to another, or when you reach towards the snake. The snake wants to dart, but it is afraid to. Generally, rough handling makes this worse. When a snake darts from its bin and is snatched-up before hitting the floor, this jars the snake, making it even more hesitant. Some snakes are just naturally jerky, but if all of your snakes are than you may need to evaluate your enclosure. Musking is another fear response. It is a defense mechanism where the snake dedicates feces with a foul odor. This is very closely related to tail rattling. Sometimes after a meal, a snake may defecate while handled, due to the fact it is more active, and this gets its metabolism going at a higher rate. If your snake is making small, liquid poops, and is almost spraying it, and this is often, you should reevaluate how you handle and house your snake. These are all issues that may take years to break your snake from. Bad habits are habits for a reason. There is nothing wrong with slowly stepping your snakes up. You can add new heating one month, a new log the next, and UVB the next. I have a Speckled Kingsnake named "Dottie" who displayed all of these signs when we got her. We have had to work with her for several months, and we still haven't gotten her completely settled. She tail rattles when you surprise her, but she will come out on her own to be handled. I took her to a library program a few months ago, and she darted out of her temporary bin, luckily when no one else was around. She has not yet once darted out of her enclosure. I knew she had been kept in a rack, so while she was in quarantine, we kept her in a clear plastic tote. Often, people will throw a snake that has lived its life in a bin into a large enclosure, and the animal stresses out. Imagine if you were kept in the dark for most of your life, and one day you are thrown out in someone's backyard. How would you respond? So, this clear bin was used to get her used to light, and then after a month, we moved her into her 4'x2'x2' enclosure. She then proceeded to hide and not be seen out for three weeks... After some time, I caught her basking outside of her hide. At this point, I only had a halogen light on the enclosure, as I was still easing her in. After I started to regularly see her out, I put an LED on the enclosure for her live plant. Now, we see here regularly. She will climb on her log as well from time to time. She still has some quirks, but I got her tong feeding finally after six months. Now, she was eating prior to that, but I would have to leave food in there overnight, and it would disappear. Remember, you may be giving your snake new objects or sensations in which they lack the neurologic pathways to comprehend. This is good, as it stimulates the brain and enriches the animal. That said, don't over stimulate animals. I really think it is important that we focus on the mental aspect more on snakes. As keepers, we want to have a healthy relationship with our animals and not subject them to Stockholm Syndrome. Wrap-up... (Pun Intended)Cornsnakes aren't very difficult animals, but they are not as easy as 1990's guide books suggest. I think there is a good reason that most wildlife education facilities have them. They are truly amazing, and charismatic. A Cornsnake should only take about an hour per week to care for, once you have invested in what you need for care. So, what do you think? Is a Cornsnake a good educational animal for your nature center? If you work at a nature center, museum, or park and have questions or want help or guidance on care and handling, we will be happy to help. Just send us an email. Some people may think I went a bit overboard on "minimums", but when displaying to the public, we should be the best role models we can be. Remember, no matter who you are, someone somewhere for some reason does not want you to own your animal. Your best defense is to excel in the care of that animal, and allow that person let themselves look bad. Protect yourself, your organizations, and your animals.
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Ty (the SnakeMan) SmithTy is a Master Naturalist (with over 1,000 hours of volunteer service), former State Park Naturalist, and Virginia Herpetological Society (VHS) member with an expertise in East Coast Herp identification and southeastern species habitat/distribution. Archives
June 2024
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