{"id":4348,"date":"2014-10-06T01:37:00","date_gmt":"2014-10-06T01:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lafeber.com\/staging\/vet\/?p=4348"},"modified":"2016-02-01T17:03:28","modified_gmt":"2016-02-01T17:03:28","slug":"basic-information-for-corn-snakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/vet\/basic-information-for-corn-snakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic Information Sheet: Corn Snake"},"content":{"rendered":"

Corn Snakes (Pantherophis guttatus guttatus or Elaphe guttata<\/em>)<\/h1>\n
\"corn<\/a>

Photo credit: Lauren Mitchell via Flickr Creative Commons<\/small><\/p><\/div>\n

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Natural History<\/h2>\n

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\nThe corn snake is also known as the red rat snake. Corn snakes are found in woodland and forest regions of the southeastern and central United States as far west as Kentucky and Louisiana and as far south as Mexico.<\/p>\n

Pets may be wild-caught but most are captive bred and many color morphs are now available in the pet trade.
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Taxonomy<\/h2>\n

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\nClass<\/strong>: Reptilia<\/em><\/p>\n

Order<\/strong>: Squamata<\/em><\/p>\n

Family<\/strong>: Colubridae<\/em><\/p>\n

Corn snake, rat snake,<\/p>\n

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Color and Size<\/h2>\n

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\nThe ground color of the normal or wild type corn snake ranges from orange to gray. There are orange, brown, or reddish patterns with black borders on the back and sides. The belly is checkered black and white, and the underside of the tail is usually striped. There are also albinos and many color morphs produced in captivity.<\/p>\n

Adults reach 2.5-5 ft (0.8-1.5 m) in length.
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Diet<\/h2>\n

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\nFree-ranging corn snakes eat small mammals, birds, and eggs. In captivity they thrive on rats and mice.<\/p>\n

For more information, download the client handout: Feeding Snakes<\/a>.
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Husbandry<\/h2>\n

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<\/a>Temperature<\/td>\n75-85\u00b0F (24-30\u00b0C) with a 10-15\u00b0F (2-5\u00b0C) drop at night. A winter cool-down or \u201cbrumation\u201d is recommended for healthy specimens only and is required for successful breeding.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Humidity\/water<\/td>\nProvide a water bowl large enough for the snake to completely immerse its body, and heavy enough that the animal will not tip it over. Provide a humidity box\u201d or a hiding place filled halfway with damp sphagnum moss. Place the container half on and half off the heat.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cage size and design<\/td>\nAt minimum, an adult corn snake should be housed in a 30-gallon (114-L) aquarium.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cage furniture\/supplies<\/td>\nThese snakes are good climbers that do best when some vertical space is provided. Provide visual security in the form of a hide box.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Social structure<\/td>\nCorn snakes may be housed in pairs or trios year-round.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Lifespan<\/h2>\n

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\nCorn snakes may live up to 15-20 years in captivity.
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Anatomy\/ physiology<\/h2>\n

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<\/a>Dermatologic:<\/td>\nSnakes lack movable eyelids; instead the eyes are protected by a clear \u201c spectacle\u201d, which is an embryonic fusion of the eyelids.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The scaled skin is normally shed in one piece in a process called \u201cecdysis\u201d.Gastrointestinal:The teeth are arranged in six rows with double rows present in the upper jaw. Snake teeth are shed through life, and are attached to the bone\u2019s\u00a0surface instead of roots.Cardiopulmonary:The snake\u2019s three-chambered heart is mobile within the ribcage.
\nSnakes possess incomplete tracheal rings.<\/p>\n

The right lung joins with a large air sac that may extend to the caudal\u00a0coelom.<\/p>\n

The left lung is absent or vestigial.Urogenital:Snakes possess a renal portal system.Sexual dimorphism:The copulatory organs of the snake are \u201chemipenes\u201d. Hemipenes lie within\u00a0pouches at the ventral tail base. Probing of the male pouches will be deeper when compared to females and snakes are usually sexed by this technique. Stainless steel probes for this purpose are sold in the pet trade.<\/p>\n

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Restraint<\/h2>\n

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\nCorn snakes are relatively docile and rarely bite.<\/p>\n

When handling a snake, take care not to smell like snake food (i.e. rodents or rabbits). Wash your hands thoroughly beforehand.
\nSupport the head, neck, and body. Make sure the snake\u2019s weight is not borne by its single occipital condyle and the cervical spine.
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Venipuncture<\/a><\/h2>\n

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\nCardiac puncture
\nTail vessel
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Injections<\/h2>\n

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\nGive intramuscular injections<\/a> between the scales in the epaxial muscles. Use the cranial half of the body to avoid the renal portal system.
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Preventive medicine<\/h2>\n

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\nRegular physical examination
\nFecal parasite testing
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Important medical conditions<\/h2>\n

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\nCorn snakes are relatively hardy.\u00a0Problems seen in captivity can include:<\/p>\n