Corn Snakes
The idea of having a snake as a pet could make shivers run down the spine of anyone. The eyes would be bulging out with awe. When the snake is harmless there is nothing wrong in having it as a pet. Just as other pets need necessary care, same is the case with the corn snake.
The scientific nomenclature calls the corn snakes as Elaphe guttata guttata. It is the most available snake pet. The reason for their popularity are :
- Small size that hardly goes beyond 5 feet length
- Active feeding
- Tolerance to different environmental conditions
- Availability in different color shades
- Ease to breed in captivity.
The above mentioned features make it a very popular pet.
When the corn snake is small , and still in infancy , a ten gallon enclosure or aquarium of similar size could be very comfortable for the pet. Plastic shoe boxes with the sides punched with holes is acceptable if there is proper heating arrangement. The corn snake becomes an adult by 3 to 4 years. An adult corn snake would require a larger space like 45gallon tank.
The material at the bottom of the cage is called the substrata. Please avoid the cedar shavings and corn cob bedding as the substrata because this could cause respiratory problem for the snake. If swallowed, the corn cob could cause intestinal blockage. The best substrata is the Astroturf. The best feature of Astroturf is that it does not rot easily even if wetted. Butcher paper and reptile bark can also serve the purpose.
When the Corn Snake is a pet, heating a critical issue that need to be addressed effectively. The pet owner has numerous choices. The temperature at which the corn snakes are comfortable ranges from 80 degrees Fahrenheit to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Corn Snake is a reptile and cold blooded animal.
To regulate the body temperature it relies on thermoregulation. When the temperature cools the corn snake moves to a place that is warm and on the contrary when the temperature is warm the snake moves to the cooler side. One can use heater but try to avoid direct contact of the snake skin with the thermal heater.
Feeding corn snakes is another big issue of concern. You can start feeding the snake with small mice when it is small but when it matures you will have to feed it with bigger ones. The diameter of the snake body has to be taken into consideration before feeding them. If the feed is larger in diameter it will be thrown out. The corn snakes need warmth soon after eating. Make the availability of clean water because corn snakes often drink water.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 at 6:59 am and is filed under Types Of Snakes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.