Like all reptiles, corn snakes are cold blooded and so need artificial heat in order for their bodies to function properly and to digest their food. The method with which you supply heat to your snake or snakes is very important and many options aren't appropriate for these animals.

First of all, I must say that lighting is by no means required for corn snakes because they are primarily nocturnal animals and so rarely see the light of the sun. They also do not require you to purchase and operate expensive UVA and UVB bulbs. In fact, providing light is a bad idea as unnecessary light can cause a great deal of stress to animals that are active at dusk and at night.

One method of heating corns is the use of a ceramic heater bulb. Personally, I see no point in using these as they cost a lot compared to the favoured method of heating- heat mats. Also, bulbs will need to be replaced regularly but heating mats or strips, if properly used, last as long as your snake will. Another bad point about bulbs is that they are completely useless for small enclosures. If your snake's vivarium is too small, the heat from the bulb will bake the whole area and your little friend won't be able to escape the heat. If you feel that the use of a bulb is the only option then be sure that the heat is only directed at one end of the vivarium and that the bulb is completely covered by a wire mesh. If your corn were to touch the bulb directly, it would result in serious thermal burns.

Another method of heating is hot rocks. Let me make it clear that these should NEVER be used as they quickly develop 'hot spots' that can very badly burn a snake if it were to lye on it, which they would do.

The favoured method of heating for most corn keepers is the heat mat. These can be purchased quite cheaply from many pet shops and from several websites that cater for reptiles. If you are using a glass vivarium then mats should go underneath the tank itself. If, however, you are using a wooden enclosure then the heating pad should go beneath the substrate. The correct daytime temperature for corns is somewhere in between 80-88 degrees Fahrenheit (27-31 Celsius). I recommend having the temperature at 85 Fahrenheit, as this is the best for digestion. During the night, the temperature can safely drop a few degrees but this is not a good idea for ill snakes.

Many heat mats you can buy have built in thermostats. These are mostly useless as they only turn the heat on when the temperature gets down to near freezing. You should always invest in a quality thermostat, which will let you control the temperature. This will come in very useful if you want to breed or just brumate your snakes. Among the cheapest of thermostats you can buy will be safe with up to 100 watts. This means that you can use the same device for multiple heat mats as long as they don't exceed this amount. This is very useful.

Corns should be placed in quite a bright room whose levels of light intensity change with the seasons. Never put enclosures in direct sunlight as this can cause the temperature to rise to unnatural levels that are unhealthy for corns and could do some serious damage.