Neonates (hatchlings)

Hatchlings are very simple to house and can happily live in a plastic shoebox until they are about twenty inches long (51cm). You can also use small glass vicarious that can be purchased or come as part of a starter kit. Whatever you use the dimensions should be roughly 7x12x5 inches or a little larger. A small heat mat placed underneath the enclosure should provide heating.

Substrate for small corns should ideally be paper towels or similar. Floorings such as aspen aren't recommended for small snakes as they regularly ingest some while eating.

Hatchling snakes should always be housed in quite a small tank as large, open spaces freak them out and make them feel very nervous and stressed out. Corns may refuse to eat and/or become aggressive if housed in overly large enclosures.

I might add that housing multiple snakes together is not recommended because babies have been known to eat each other. Also, if two or more corns inhabit the same tank, it makes it impossible to monitor feces and/or regurgitation.

Yearlings-Adults

The minimum size tank for a single adult corn is a twenty-gallon long tank (30Lx12Wx12H inches (76x30x30 cm). Lids should be very, very secure and any sliding glass doors must be equipped with a strong lock. This is because corns and most other snakes are excellent escape artists and will grab any opportunity to get out.

Screen tops allow for plenty of ventilation so no extra holes are required. However, if you use glass doors and have no roof then a large hole must be cut in each side of the tank and covered with a fabric mesh. Wire mesh should not be used as your snake will rub its nose against it and hurt itself.

The best substrate to use in my opinion is paper towels. These are very easy to clean and are cheap. They aren't much to look at but the good points out-way the bad. Aspen is also good to use for older snakes but feces can be quite hard to spot. Astro-turf or similar is alright but needs to be cleaned regularly. Whatever you do, do not use cedar chips as these can cause serious infections. Sand should also never be used because it can result in impaction and your snake dying.

'Spot cleaning' must be carried out every other day and substrate should be replaced as it is soiled. The whole enclosure should be totally disinfected every two months.

Furniture

A hide should be present on both sides of the vivarium as snakes are very solitary animals and spend a lot of their time hiding. There must be a hide on both sides, as the snake shouldn't have to choose between being warm or being cold.

A large water bowl should be in the middles of the enclosure. It should be big enough for the snake to bathe in. Don't fill it up to the brim with water, as the corn will spill it all when he/she lies in it. Water should be replaced every other day.

You may also wish to provide a stick for your snake to climb on. Corns love to climb and the rough surface will also come in handy when shedding time comes along. Make sure that all pieces of wood have come from a pet shop or have been thoroughly disinfected by soaking in a bleach solution, rinsing and then baking. They should also be securely fastened.