Wat do corn snakes need?

Question

please tell me things like size of the aquarium/living space, food, shelter, temperature, etc.

Answer 1

I agree with the above post, but seeing as I'm here, and I do know some stuff, it's only right for me to share some of what I know.
The first thing you will need is a book on the care and maintenance of a corn snake.
Then you will need a cage. A 20 gallon aquarium should do for the time being, the bigger, the better, you wouldn't want to be stuck in a box with no room to move around in, would you? Of course not.
Your snake will need something to climb on. Believe it or not, the plastic climbing branches in pet stores are probably the best, they're nonporous, so if they get pooped on (which they will) it washes right off, also, no chance of bringing in mites or anything with a plastic branch.
Your snake will need a hide box. Depending on the size of the snake, this could be anything from one of the little caves most pet stores sell to a broken piece of a terra cotta pot, or a whole terra cotta pot with a big hole in the bottom placed upside down, just make sure that your snake fits inside completely, it will want to hide from time to time, and you should let it.
Substrate, you can't have your snake on nothing you know. Black and white newsprint or unprinted newsprint, while not the most attractive of bedding is -very- easy to clean up. Pull out the old piece, throw it away, fold a new piece to fit, and viola!
A water bowl. Everyone gets thirsty from time to time. Preferably something large enough that your snake can submerge in if it desires... which means something large enough to hold enough water for your snake to submerge in AND room for displacement when your snake DOES submerge.
Heat source. Your snake will rely on it's environment to supply the body heat to keep it's metabolism up. You will need a temperature gradient not sure of the exact range needed(sorry, I'm working off the top of my head here, this is why I say you need a book, I could look it up myself, but... oh darn, I'm not -that- nice.). Basically a hot side and a cool side. Heat rocks are NOT good. Undertank heat strips and/or a heat lamp.
Food. Again, consult your book for tips on determining what size food item for what size snake. Usually one meal a week is fine.
And last but definitely not least, and kinda tyeing in with what I said earlier. The most important thing for a corn snake or any other pet is an owner who is knowledgeable about it. I urge you to please please please do some research on your own so that you don't have to rely on yahoo answers being able to fix everything for you, because I'm sorry, we're all wonderful people, I'm sure, but nothing is a good substitute for knowing for yourself what you should do if your snake regurgitates or stops eating and things like that.

Answer 2

a 20 gallon tank is large enough to meet their needs their whole lives, but you may want something bigger when they grow because it looks better, and more room is generally better than less.
That tank will need a VERY WELL FITTING LID. Corns are escape artists. I keep a brick on each end of mine to make sure mine can't get her head up under the lid, and then have it fall. I know people who have found their snakes that way. Sad.
AN under the tank heater, preferably, with an adjustable temp control. It should only go over about half of the bottom of the tank. You want there to be two temp zones, a place to hide in each zone. It can be anything from a tuperware bowl (opaque, not see thru) to a paper tube, to a small flowerpot on it's side, or hides that you can buy.
The reason for two hides is so that the snake can self regulate temperature. After they eat, they will usually stay in the warmer area until they poop, then they'll just go where ever is more comfortable.
You'll need some kind of substrate. Do not use cedar!!! make sure it is something that says it is safe for snakes. I use a few inches of aspen shavings. with a hide partially buried on the armer side, and one up on top of the layer of shavings. My corn likes to tunnel in the shavings if they are more than about 3 inches deep. I also have something for her to climb on.
Other things you will need are a water bowl of some sort big enough for the snake to submerse themself in without overflowing the water. And at least one thermometer. The most important thermometer goes in the warmest place in the tank, usually on the floor, under the light if you have one. They don't need any Uv light to digest their food like some lizards do, but a light on a timer can make things like the snake eating, a lot easier. (if the light levels or temps are too low, they will think it's fall, about to get cold, and not eat as easily. If they get too cold when they have a full belly, it can kill them)
My set up cost me about $40, for UTHeater, hides, water bowl, bag of aspen shavings, and thermometer. I got all of that at a reptiles show, which is why I got such a good price. I already had my tank, lid, lamp and timer from having some frogs. I got my snake the same day, for $20, for a pretty little Amelanistic female corn. Shows/expos are a really good place to talk to breeders, get advice, and get really good prices.
I would advise temps of about 85 F for your daytime temps, and about 70 at night. You have a little leeway on the temps. Think of what the temps in the southeastern US are during the course of the year. Highs in the 80-90+s, lows in the 50-60s most of the year. They like a moderate amount of humidity, esp during a shed, so when the eyes get white, (about to shed) start misting the tank lightly a time or two a day when you see that.
You want to get a snake that is used to eating prekilled, frozen and thawed food. It's MUCh safer for the snake, and it's MUCh easier for you. You buy what you need and keep it in the freezer until you are ready to thaw it.
ALso, make sure you ask how old your snake is, what sex, and exactly what kind in addition to the last time it ate.
Don't even try to feed your snake until it's been in it's new home for at least a week. Don't freak out if it won't eat for a couple of weeks or even a month. That is fairly common after a move. The food you need to have available is one that is not much more around than the size of their head. My 5 month old is still eating pinkies. (newborn mice) She's up to two or three at a feeding, once every week to ten days, but I haven't moved her up to fuzzies yet. I'm afraid she'd regurgitate, and that can hurt the snake, so it's better to wait than to rush it. Since we are going to be moving in about a month, I am feeding her a little more and more often than I usually would, because I know it will probably be about a month after we leave here before she eats again. (It was 6 weeks before she ate after I got her)
In the wild, corn snakes go for weeks without eating in the winter. They will really be okay, unless they look dehydrated, you are fine. keep the water dish clean and changed fairly often.
Your snake may not ever soak in their bowl that you see, but it's needs to be available.

Kathy Love has a really great website...
http://www.corn-utopia.com/ and if you have any questions for her, she does answer emails within a couple of days. She also wrote a really good book.

There is a yahoo group for cornsnakes as well. Newbies to long time breeders on that list, lots of good information.

Corn snakes are really interesting, and quite interactive if they are used to being handled. Good luck with this. Go to a help/reptile show and look around. There will almost always be at least one breeder with corns there. You won't find better prices than you do at a show.

Answer 3

i agree go to repticzone.com and ask this same question they are really freaken smart and know alot about that stuff...but tehy need uv lighting a hiding place and for size of cage it depens on its size..

Answer 4

Dude lok it up! Start doing some work,if you really want this pet then.... RESEARCH IT!! That's what I had to do for my boa. People on here just don't know well... everything!