Corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus), native to the southeastern and central United States, are popular pets due to their docile nature and attractive colors. Often mistaken for the venomous copperhead due to their orange and red hues, corn snakes are harmless and lack functional venom. Understanding their dietary needs is crucial for maintaining their health and well-being in captivity. This article provides a comprehensive guide to corn snake diets, covering everything from their natural eating habits to practical feeding tips for pet owners.
Natural Diet and Nutritional Needs
In their natural habitat, corn snakes are carnivores with a diet primarily consisting of rodents. Over half of their diet includes rodents such as hispid cotton rats and white-footed mice, as well as other small mammal prey like eastern moles. In Florida, their diet mainly consists of reptiles and amphibians, which may contribute to the smaller snake sizes observed in that region.
Like all snakes, corn snakes are obligate carnivores. This means they require complete nutrition from whole animal prey. Seasons significantly influence their thermal regulation patterns, which are the main mechanism of digestion. During the fall, corn snakes maintain a body temperature approximately 3 degrees Celsius higher than the surrounding environment after consuming a meal. In contrast, during winter, they do not thermoregulate after digestion. Captive snakes often use heat mats to replicate these natural conditions.
Feeding Corn Snakes in Captivity
When keeping a corn snake as a pet, replicating their natural diet is essential. The primary food source for captive corn snakes is typically mice, available in various sizes to suit the snake's age and size.
Choosing the Right Prey
Selecting the appropriate size of prey is crucial. The prey item should be no more than 1.5 times the width of the snake's body at its widest point or roughly 10% of its body weight. If the snake is between feeder sizes, offering two smaller prey items to equal the total weight of the larger prey item may be necessary.
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Frozen vs. Live Prey
The generally accepted and safer practice is to feed corn snakes captive-bred prey items that have been humanely euthanized and frozen. Live feeders can cause injuries to the snake as they fight back with teeth and claws. Stunning a live feeder is inhumane.
Thawing and Preparing Frozen Prey
Properly thawing frozen prey is vital to prevent bacterial growth, which can make the snake sick. Here’s how to do it:
- The day before feeding, take the mouse out of the freezer.
- Place it in a small container and leave it to defrost in a convenient, room-temperature location.
- About 15-20 minutes before feeding time, place the mouse (which should now be soft and floppy) in a plastic bag, and submerge it in water that feels warm to your hand (a little over body temperature). If your snake is a fussy eater, this warming fools her into thinking she is getting fresh, live food.
Never use a microwave to thaw or warm frozen rodents, and never offer food that's still frozen to a pet. Avoid preparing frozen rodents in the same area that you use to prepare food.
Feeding Frequency
A corn snake’s ideal feeding schedule will depend on its age, size, and activity level. Juvenile corn snakes should be fed once a week, while adults only need to be fed every one to two weeks. Begin juvenile snakes on a diet of “pinkies,” or young and nearly hairless mice.
Feeding Techniques
Use forceps or tongs to present the food to the snake, reducing the risk of being bitten. Present the mouse from "ground level" - this is the natural altitude for a mouse, and prevents your corn snake getting in the habit of attacking things that move over her head. As soon as your snake strikes, pull away the forceps, and leave her alone to swallow.
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Some keepers prefer to feed their snakes in a separate enclosure to avoid the snake associating their main habitat with feeding. However, a more modern approach suggests training the snake to differentiate between feeding time and handling time within its own enclosure.
Alternative Food Options: Reptilinks and Dietary Variety
While mice are the most common food source, offering a variety of foods can provide a more balanced diet and sensory enrichment for your corn snake. Reptilinks are a convenient and nutritious alternative.
What are Reptilinks?
Reptilinks are created from whole prey, including bones, organs, feathers, and fur, ground into bite-sized links. They offer a superior calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, which is critical for maintaining the snake’s bone and organ health. Reptilinks' Mega Blend links, for example, mix together many of a corn’s natural prey species, including small birds and even bullfrogs.
Benefits of Reptilinks
- Nutritional Balance: Reptilinks provide a wide range of nutrients, mimicking the varied diet a corn snake would have in the wild.
- Convenience: They are easy to feed, requiring no preparation other than thawing.
- Digestibility: Links are smooth and sit comfortably in the digestive tract, unlike the potentially uncomfortable bones of whole mice.
Introducing Reptilinks
If your corn snake is accustomed to eating only mice, introducing Reptilinks may require some patience. The scent of Reptilinks is often enticing, as they smell like the whole prey they are made from. To encourage the snake to eat a Reptilink:
- Consider lying the link in a dish or tray so that they can investigate the smell.
- Encourage their natural instincts by slowly moving the link. Pass it by their face to give them a smell, and then allow it to wobble and move to mimic live prey.
- Ensure you are feeding the appropriate size, considering that Reptilinks are more calorically dense than most prey items.
Smaller whole prey link variations, such as Quail, Rabbit, and Frog varieties, or any mix thereof, are recommended. Micro and mini links are available for young corns who are not up to taking larger sizes. Remember, a food item should never exceed the width of the largest part of the snake.
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Other Dietary Options
In addition to mice and Reptilinks, you can occasionally offer other appropriate prey items such as small rats, chicks, or amphibians to add variety to your corn snake's diet.
The Importance of Water
Corn snakes should have a large bowl of water available at all times. A large water dish will help keep the humidity in the enclosure high and allow your snake to soak if they desire. Water offered should be dechlorinated tap (using a dechlorinator such as ReptiSafe), filtered, spring, or reverse osmosis. Do not use distilled water as the distilling process removes all minerals from the water and can lead to osmotic imbalance in your snake.
Common Feeding Problems and Solutions
Like many reptiles, corn snakes may occasionally go off their food. This can be due to several factors, including:
- Inappropriate Environment: Ensure the enclosure has a proper temperature gradient, with a basking spot of 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and a cooler side around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Brumation: During cooler months, corn snakes may slow down and temporarily stop eating.
- Stress: Stress from handling, changes in the environment, or illness can affect appetite.
If a corn snake refuses to eat, check the enclosure's temperature and humidity levels. Consulting with an exotic vet is essential if the snake continues to refuse food or shows signs of illness.
Enclosure and Environmental Needs
Providing an appropriate enclosure is fundamental to your corn snake’s health and well-being. An appropriately sized habitat for an adult is generally considered to be 48L x 18W x 22H. Younger corns can gradually work their way up to this size.
- Heating: A basking spot of 85 to 90 degrees is ideal, which you can achieve by using a basking bulb. On the opposite side of the enclosure, make sure that your snake can cool down to around 75 degrees-or down to 70 at night, when the heat of the day tapers away.
- Temperature Gradient: Corn snakes need a thermal gradient in their enclosure so they can warm up and cool down as needed.
- Humidity: Corn snakes don’t rely too much on humidity, so as long as your home sits at between 30% and 40% (which most homes do), you shouldn’t encounter much of a problem. During shedding cycles, increase the enclosure’s humidity to around 70%.
- Substrate: Paper-based bedding, reptile carpet, cypress much, coconut husk, and Aspen wood shavings are all suitable choices for substrate.
- Hides: Provide your corn snakes with at least two hideout boxes-one kept on the warmer side of the enclosure and one on the cooler side.
Health and Veterinary Care
Regular veterinary checkups are crucial for maintaining your corn snake’s health. Bring your corn snake to the veterinarian for a checkup once a year.