How To Set Up A Corn Snake Tank

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Corn snakes are wonderful pets that are easy to take care of. They do demand a specific type of home, which is called a vivarium. To make a habitat for your corn snake, you need to cull the proper cage, set upwards rut sources, and provide plenty of hiding places.

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Choose either a glass or plastic vivarium. Plastic cages are sturdier and last longer than glass cages. They have grates on each side for airflow, and they tin can be heated from beneath using heating pads. Alternatively, you can buy specially made drinking glass reptile enclosures, or use a 75 gallons (280 L) aquarium. The tank must be at least every bit long every bit the snake. This species gets 3-5 feet and is very active. Make sure that you choose 1 fabricated for snakes so your corn serpent doesn't escape. Prevent the ophidian from escaping with heavy objects on the hat of clamps. Exo Terras, which open from the front, are expensive brand new just corking for taming. They are very secure and come with locks. A wooden tank is too an pick. ^[i]
- Plastic vivariums are lighter and tin can be moved more easily. They are also easier to make clean.
- Glass enclosures permit you see the ophidian easily, but they let more heat out. They also are more frail.
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Buy a vivarium that is the proper size. If the vivarium isn't big enough, it can stress your snake out to the betoken of illness. The width and height of the vivarium tin be a third of their length.
- An adult snake of 60 inches (152 cm) needs a vivarium that is lx inches (152 cm) long, xx inches (l cm) tall, and xx inches (50 cm) wide. You can as well utilise a 40 gallon (151.four 50) tank. Just make sure it is long enough for the snake.
- For babe snakes, y'all should buy a smaller vivariums considering they can get upset in a larger tank. You tin can endeavour a 10 gallon (37.9 50) or 20 gallon (75.7 L) vivarium. Upgrade to an adult-sized vivarium as your snake grows.
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Identify substrate in the bottom of the muzzle. Substrate is what you utilize at the bottom of the enclosure. It should exist thick enough that your ophidian can bury itself in it and hide. There are many different materials you could apply for the substrate. Use aspen shavings as these snakes dearest to burrow. Line the bottom of the enclosure with two to 3 inches of the substrate.
- You should avert using cedar shavings, pino shavings, or aquarium gravel. Cedar and pine shavings have oils in them that tin be toxic to your snake.
- Avert using corn cob bedding because it can crusade excessive drying to the snake's skin and likewise poses a serious choking hazard if swallowed.
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Ensure that the vivarium is secure. Corn snakes accept a habit of getting out of habitats that are not secure. They are very strong and can push through the peak of cages that are not deeply sealed. They are also excellent at squeezing through holes that aren't completely plugged. Make sure that the enclosure is closed tightly and has some kind of locking or clamping mechanism.

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Provide a heat source. Snakes require exterior sources of heat because they are cold-blooded, meaning they tin can't generate their own heat. An under tank heater that spans 1/3 of the tank's flooring is ideal. Ceramic oestrus emitters are good for extra heat. The warm side temperature should be most 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Go on the temperature regulated. Corn snakes should have a warm side and a cool side to their tanks so they tin move around to warm up or absurd down depending on their needs. The warm side is the ane with the heat lamp or heater. The warm side should be around eighty–85 °F (27–29 °C), and the cool side should be about 75–80 °F (24–27 °C).
- Place the nether-the-tank heater on the side of the tank that will exist the warm side. Make sure information technology doesn't take up more than half the enclosure.
- Apply a thermostat to regulate the temperatures on each side. Cheque each side with a digital thermometer each solar day by placing the thermometer into the substrate.
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Provide a daily wheel of lite and dark. For your corn snake to be at their optimal health, they should have daily light and darkness. Indirect light from a window is sufficient. If this is unavailable LED or UVB (beneficial but not completely necessary) will suffice.
- Identify the low-cal on the warm side of the vivarium, making sure the cool side has less light, providing a "shaded" area away from the "sunny" area.
- The snake should have x to 12 hours of low-cal each mean solar day.
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Place the vivarium away from anything that volition touch on the temperature. Vivariums should be placed in an area or room that is basically temperature controlled. They should non be near drafts or vents that can blow air on them, and they should non be near heaters.
- You lot should also not place the vivarium about whatever windows or in areas that get direct sunlight. This tin can too impact the temperature within the vivarium.
- The vivarium should have some grade of ventilation but go on in mind that too much air flow tin can change the temperature of the vivarium.

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Provide places for your serpent to hide. Corn snakes spend a lot of time hiding in the wild, and then your corn snake volition need places to hibernate to make them feel safe. You can turn anything into a hiding spot as long every bit your corn snake tin hide completely so it's not seen. Information technology should be large enough for your snake to go inside and motility around, only snug so the snake tin can touch the sides and experience secure.
- Hiding spots are essential to your snake'southward health.
- Make sure the material the hide is made out of is hands cleaned and replaced. For instance, y'all can brand hides out of drip trays, litter boxes, or plastic tubs.
- Identify one hide on the warm side and another on the cool side. You can even identify a hide in the middle. This allows them to be secure on either side.
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Add together climbing branches and plants. Corn snakes are partially arboreal snakes, which means they spend time in copse and like to climb. You can provide artificial plants and climbing branches in the vivarium. This will provide stimulation, comfort, and more hiding places. This is great for enrichment. ^[ii]
- Bogus plants, leafed vines, and other artificial leafage can be placed anywhere throughout the vivarium. Attempt to provide more than 1 plant. This volition give your serpent a range of spots to climb and relax.
- Make a climbing branch or buy 1 from your local pet store. They can exist placed wherever yous like but make sure the snake can climb on it, it tin can handle the snake's weight, and it's small plenty for the snake to curl around.
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Identify a water bowl with fresh water. You should always provide your pet snake with a water basin filled with fresh, bottled water. They should be able to drinkable whenever they want. You can buy any type of water bowl equally long equally it will fit in the cage. The snake should be able to become their entire body inside the bowl to soak.^[3]
- Do not utilise tap water equally it contains chlorine and fluoride which are toxic to your ophidian. Water softeners add also much sodium to the water, and distilled h2o removes nutrients your serpent needs, so give your snake spring h2o. Even so, tap water can exist used if left out for 24 hours. Countries such as the Uk and Germany do not have chlorine in their tap h2o then tap h2o from these places is safe. Reptisafe is a great mode to surest water. It's inexpensive, convenient, and adds beneficial things to the water.
- Clean the bowl one time each week, and clean and disinfect information technology immediately if the snake messes in information technology.

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Question

My room (where the serpent would be) varies in temperature during the day. Would information technology help to just keep a heating mat underneath the tank, or practice I demand to continue the temperature perfect at all times?

Ryan Corrigan is a Licensed Veterinary Technician in California. She received her Bachelor of Science in Veterinarian Technology from Purdue University in 2010. She is also a Fellow member of the Academy of Equine Veterinary Nursing Technicians since 2022.

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Expert Respond

I would not put a heating mat underneath, as the snake wouldn't exist able cool itself if it needs to. It's important to provide your snake with options to meet its temperature needs. Every bit long as your vivarium has a heat source on one side and a bathroom for the snake to cool itself, it will be fine to keep the snake in your room.

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Article Summary X

To create a corn snake vivarium, buy a roomy glass or plastic aquarium and line the lesser with 2-3 inches of a substrate like aspen shavings. Next, set up a heater under the tank that spans 1/iii of the vivarium floor. And then, use the heater to maintain a warm side with a temperature of fourscore–85 °F and a cool side with a range between 75–80 °F. Make sure the warm side of the vivarium receives 10-12 hours of indirect calorie-free each day. For tips on adding hiding places, read on!

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