The Corn Snake can make a wonderful pet snake when cared for properly. Learn to care for this cold-blooded reptile to ensure a healthy pet Corn Snake.

For those adventurous pet owners who want to have a snake for a pet, the Corn Snake should fit the bill. They are docile, generally not picky about eating, are smooth and glossy and available in a wide variety of beautiful colors. Many are now bred in captivity making them fairly easy to obtain and they don't require expensive housing. Pet Corn Snakes may live as many as 15 to 20 years in captivity.

The pet Corn Snake will also need at least two hiding places in its cage. This helps the snake avoid stress and ensures that it will eat more readily. A cardboard box large enough to house the whole snake is an inexpensive and easily replaced way to create such a spot for the Corn Snake's comfort. Most pet stores also sell special snake hiding boxes.

Clean water at all times is necessary. Sometimes the pet snake may want to take a bath in its water dish as well. And if the pet snake happens to defecate in its water, the dish must be removed and cleaned at once. The Corn Snake only needs to eat about once a week and pre-killed mice are a good choice for its weekly meal. Feeding a pet snake food that is close to the same diameter as the snake itself will help avoid the snake regurgitating its food.

In order to stay healthy, a pet Corn Snake needs to have a heat source. This can be a shop light with a heat bulb, especially good for cages with screen tops, or an undertank heater, which may or may not have a thermostat. Items known as hot rocks are also available but are not a good option as they can get too hot for the pet snake and cause burns.

Only one section of the Corn Snake's cage should be heated to 80 to 85 degrees F. while another area remains cooler. Since Corn Snakes are a cold-blooded reptile, two areas with different temperatures allows the pet snake to be able to regulate its body temperature. Distribute the two hiding boxes mentioned earlier in each of the warm and cool areas of the cage.

A Corn Snake can make a wonderful pet, but it needs to have specialized care to thrive and grow. Be sure the cage is large enough and has both a warm and a cool area with hiding spots in each. Clean water and a once-a-week feeding along with the proper substrate to allow the pet owner to keep the cage sanitary should make a happy pet Corn Snake.

Be sure to read The Corn Snake, Also Known as the Red Rat Snake to learn more about the fascinating Corn Snake.