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Reptile

Corn snake

Pantherophis guttatus

🇫🇷 Serpent des blés 🇬🇧 Corn snake 🇩🇪 Kornnatter

Discreet, docile snake; tolerates brief handling; enjoys hiding and light burrowing.

Download advice sheet (PDF)

Overview & key figures

📜
Regulations

Not CITES; non-domestic reptile

ℹ️OPAn: reptile minimum standards (size, hides, escape-proof). Cantonal/municipal permits may apply. Release prohibited; keep proof of origin.

⏳
Lifespan

from 12 to 20years

ℹ️Median 15-18 years in captivity

⚖️
Adult weight

from 300 to 900g

ℹ️Depending on sex, line and body condition

📏
Adult size

from 80 to 150cm

ℹ️Total length, most 100-130 cm

🌙
Lifestyle

Crepuscular, nocturnal

🧬
Sexual maturity

from 18 to 36months

ℹ️Later maturity in females (≥2 years and sufficient weight)

🥚
Incubation

from 55 to 70days

ℹ️Egg incubation at 27-29 °C

🪹
Litter / clutch size

from 8 to 20eggs

ℹ️Typical clutches of 10-16 eggs

Habitat & environment

Type of housing

Ventilated terrestrial terrarium with thermal gradient and multiple hideouts

Substrate & bedding

Aspen shavings, sterile soil/sand, absorbent paper; avoid dusty or aromatic substrates.

Lighting

Photoperiod : 10–12 h/day

UVB

  • UVB need : Not essential but beneficial
  • Lamp type : Low-intensity UVB fluorescent tube (UVI 0.5–1)
  • Recommended brands : X-ReptileReptile ExpertSolar RaptorArcadia
  • Replacement : Every 6 months (UVB depletes before visible light)
  • UVB does not pass through glass or plexiglass. Place the lamp inside the terrarium, under a protective grille. Direct sun behind a window pane is ineffective and may cause dangerous overheating.

Indirect daylight.

Exercise & outings

Enriched setup encouraging exploration; occasional secure handling sessions.

Required equipment

  • ✓ Hideouts at the warm and cool spots
  • ✓ Wide water bowl (allows soaking)
  • ✓ Branches/low basking shelf
  • ✓ Heat mat/heating controlled by thermostat
  • ✓ Thermometers and hygrometer
  • ✓ Adequate ventilation

Technical parameters

Hot spot 30–32 °C Ground-level basking spot (surface), thermostat mandatory
Cool spot 22–25 °C Stable cool zone
Ambient temperature 24–28 °C Ideal horizontal gradient
Humidity 40–60 % Humid hide at 70-80% during shedding

Nutrition

Daily base

Strict carnivore: thawed captive-bred rodents sized to the snake's widest girth.

🥩 Proteins

🐭 Adult Mouse — Mice thawed through and warmed; strict hygiene
🐀 Rat Pup — Fuzzy rats sized to the adult; transition gradually

⏰ Feeding frequency

  • • Juveniles: 1 prey item every 5-7 days
  • • Subadults: every 7-10 days
  • • Adults: every 10-14 days; adjust based on BCS/season

Treats

Occasional and non-essential: day-old captive-bred chicks.

🐥 Chick Day-old chicks; vary occasionally; supplement Ca if used frequently

To avoid

  • 🐁 Live prey — No live prey without supervision (bite risk)
  • 🐀 Wild-caught rodents — Parasite/pathogen risk
  • 📦 Processed food — Processed human foods (deli meats, etc.) prohibited

Behaviour & socialisation

Social life

Solitary species; avoid cohabitation outside of breeding.

Activity cycle: Crepuscular/nocturnal; daytime activity varies with the environment.

Enrichment

  • Multiple hideouts of varied texture/size
  • Low branches and climbing areas
  • Burrowable substrate
  • Varied terrain and scents

Health & prevention

Preventive medicine

Quarantine new arrivals (≥ 60 days), parasite screening (faecal, smear), terrarium hygiene, strict control of thermal gradients and humidity, weight management.

Vaccination

No routine vaccinations

Surgery & sterilisation

Ovariosalpingectomy for dystocia/follicular stasis, foreign-body removal, abscess debridement, stomatotomy for severe stomatitis.

Clinical warning signs

⚠️ Prolonged anorexia (>3-4 weeks outside brumation)
⚠️ Open-mouth breathing, wheezing, nasal bubbles
⚠️ Dysecdysis (patchy shed), retained spectacles
⚠️ Stomatitis: drooling, refusal to feed, oral discoloration
⚠️ Chronic diarrhoea or regurgitation
⚠️ Lethargy, weight loss

If any of these symptoms appear, prompt veterinary care is essential. Contact an exotic-pet vet as soon as possible — they can assess your animal's condition and make the appropriate diagnosis.

Common conditions

Bacterial respiratory infections

Cause: Chronic hypothermia, inadequate humidity, opportunistic pathogens (Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, etc.)

Symptoms: Nasal discharge, wheezing, open-mouth breathing, lethargy

Prevention: Correct thermal gradient, hygiene, quarantine and screening of new arrivals

Stomatitis (mouth rot)

Cause: Oral trauma, poor hygiene, immunosuppression, opportunistic bacteria

Symptoms: Gingival erythema, caseous exudate, oral pain, anorexia

Prevention: Hygiene, husbandry monitoring, prompt treatment of injuries

Dysecdysis and retained spectacles

Cause: Inadequate humidity, dehydration, ectoparasites, husbandry deficiencies

Symptoms: Incomplete shed, retained rings, persistent eye opacity

Prevention: Adequate humidity, humid hide during shedding, occasional soaking

Internal parasites (nematodes, coccidia, Cryptosporidium spp.)

Cause: Contaminated prey/animals, lack of quarantine

Symptoms: Weight loss, diarrhoea, regurgitation, reduced appetite

Prevention: Strict quarantine, regular faecal screens, hygiene of feeding equipment

Reptile mites (Ophionyssus natricis)

Cause: Introduction of infested animals/equipment

Symptoms: Pruritus, restlessness, skin lesions, anaemia, dysecdysis

Prevention: Quarantine, systematic inspection, environmental treatment

Constipation/obstipation and regurgitation

Cause: Temperatures too low, prey too large, handling after feeding, dehydration

Symptoms: Prolonged absence of faeces, distension, post-prandial vomiting/regurgitation

Prevention: Appropriately sized prey, rest after feeding, optimal temperature, hydration

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