What to Feed Corn Snakes
- Slices of chicken breast. Besides rats and mice, corn snakes also like to eat eggs, but don’t expect them to gobble up a...
- Rats. You can buy a Corn Snake at a local breeder or pet store or order one online from a reputable retailer.
- Fish. While it may be tempting to provide a snake with a fishy diet, it isn’t a good idea to feed a Corn Snake...
What time of day should you feed a corn snake?
Tips and Tricks for Reluctant Feeders
- Don’t worry if your snake refuses food. ...
- Make sure your snake’s enclosure is set up properly. ...
- Reduce the amount of time spent handling your snake. ...
- Try feeding your snake when it is dark. ...
- Experiment with dark or multi-colored rodents. ...
- Place your snake and a frozen-thawed rodent in a small container together. ...
- Consider using scent-transfer techniques. ...
How much does it cost to feed a corn snake?
Snake Species: How Much They Cost: California King Snake: $30-$80: Ball Python: $40-$1,500+ Corn Snake: $50-$500: Hognose Snake: $60-$500: Green Tree Python: $300-$500: Kenyan Sand Boa: $80-$100: Mexican Black Kingsnake: $250: Milk Snake: $100-$200: Red Blood Python: $200-$400: Florida Kingsnake: $30-$150: Brooks Kingsnake: $200: Spotted Python: $200: Rainbow Boa: $300-$400: Japanese Rat Snake ...
How often should I Feed my adult corn snake?
- You’ll start by picking out a food item for your snake. ...
- After thawing the prey item, you’ll grip it with a pair of tongs.
- You’ll open the habitat and place the prey item in front of your snake’s face.
- Your snake may strike the prey item immediately, or it may take him a little while to decide to do so.
How much should I feed an adult corn snake?
- If you use UVB — calcium without D3 at every feeding
- If you don’t use UVB — calcium with D3 at every feeding
- Juveniles (still growing) should get multivitamin mixed 50/50 with calcium powder every other feeding.
- Adults should get multivitamin mixed 50/50 with calcium powder every 4th feeding.
How often should you feed a corn snake?
Juvenile corn snakes should be fed once a week and adults should be fed every 10-14 days. How long can corn snakes go without eating? A corn snake might go weeks to months without eating since their metabolism is slow, but they often become ill when they go this long without food.
What can you not feed a corn snake?
Can corn snakes eat roaches, vegetables, eggs, fish, beef or pork?Fish: I know keepers that have fed fish to their corns and they have taken them. ... Eggs: I've fed quail eggs over the years to many rat snake species, corns included. ... Roaches: (crickets. ... Veg: These can't be fed.Beef: This can't be fed.More items...
What do corn snakes eat as a pet?
miceMost corn snakes in captivity will readily eat frozen/thawed mice. Baby corn snake food usually consists of extra-small pinky mice while most adult corn snakes will eat extra-large mice.
What do you feed tiny corn snakes?
Corn snakes usually consume rodents, but you may get an occasional snake that prefers lizards. A baby anole or Cuban anole might entice a reluctant snake to eat. However, wild lizards often carry parasites, so this might introduce parasites to your snake.
Can I feed my corn snake raw chicken?
Snakes can consume human food like eggs, poultry, fish, pork, and beef when they are unprocessed. This means that the food should be given in its basic and raw form. You cannot give fried or saucy food to your snake as there are already other ingredients in the food that may make your snake sick.
How do I know if my corn snake is hungry?
Snakes will let you know when they're hungry. They will start prowling their enclosure and their tongue flicks will increase in frequency and number.
What can I feed my snake instead of mice?
While rats are a popular food source for some snakes, snakes will eat what's available to them.Insects. Smaller snakes, such as the garter snake, will eat a variety of insects, including crickets, cockroaches and insect larva, such as mealworms. ... Small Rodents. ... Eggs. ... Birds and Fish. ... Snakes and Lizards. ... Larger Mammals.
Should I feed My corn snake in its cage?
0:276:45Should You Feed Your Snake in its Cage? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTo go feed it if you're defeated. And as usual enclosure. Then it would associate that enclose yourMoreTo go feed it if you're defeated. And as usual enclosure. Then it would associate that enclose your opening.
Do corn snakes like being held?
Corn snake handling should occur least 1-2x weekly, but no more than once daily. Snakes do not require social interaction for their mental health, but handling helps the snake stay tame and can be a good opportunity for exercise as well.
How long can a corn snake go without eating?
two to three monthsCorn snakes are known to go two to three months without food during brumation, but many species will take periodic breaks during longer brumation periods to hunt for new food.
What should a 1 year old corn snake be eating?
Feeding & Water: Corn snakes eat 1 frozen/thawed mouse every 7-14 days, from pinkies to large mouse depending on the size of the corn snake. A large bowl of tap water should be present in their enclosure and will need to be replaced every day. Corn snakes are very easy to feed and almost never refuse a meal.
Can a corn snake eat a medium mouse?
Like other snakes, corn snakes are carnivorous — and they're not very picky. In the wild, they are known to eat mice, rats, birds, and bats (The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles & Amphibians, 1979, p. 605). They even occasionally eat lizards and insects (source)!
What can I feed my corn snake other than mice?
Mice should be your corn snake's most common food, but you can feed them other prey, such as suitably sized quails or rats.
Why would a corn snake not eat?
Molting is the most common cause of loss of appetite: your snake may stop eating when it's about to molt or shed its skin. 1 In addition to premolt anorexia, look for your snake's skin to become very pale and dull and its eyes to look blue and milky. It may not eat for a week or so before and after it molts.
What can you feed snakes other than mice?
While rats are a popular food source for some snakes, snakes will eat what's available to them.Insects. Smaller snakes, such as the garter snake, will eat a variety of insects, including crickets, cockroaches and insect larva, such as mealworms. ... Small Rodents. ... Eggs. ... Birds and Fish. ... Snakes and Lizards. ... Larger Mammals.
Can a corn snake eat a medium rat?
Potentially a medium rat is 5 times larger than a large mouse. There's no need to feed corn snakes rats. A jumbo mouse fornightly or three weekly will undoubtedly suffice.
Mice or rats?
Mice are the most popular corn snake food, as they “grow” along with the snake. As you probably noticed in the guidelines at the top of the page, a hatchling can handle a pinkie (newborn) mouse, and an adult snake can handle an adult mouse.
Should I feed my corn snake in a separate enclosure?
There’s a common misconception among snake owners that feeding a snake inside its home enclosure will make it “cage aggressive.” Modern understanding of snake psychology argues that our perception of “aggression” is incorrect; snakes that have learned to associate the opening of the enclosure with food (due to infrequent handling) will lunge for the first object they see, assuming that it is food — no harm toward the keeper’s hand intended..
A Quick Note About Water
Keep a large, heavy bowl of water in the enclosure at all times. Keep the bowl clean and replace the water daily. If it gets soiled before then, scrub with an animal-safe disinfectant like F10SC, Rescue, or chlorhexidine before refilling.
Corn Snake Diet
Corn snakes are strict carnivores, meaning they only eat meats and proteins.
Helpful Tips for Feeding a Corn Snake
While corn snakes are typically voracious eaters, there may be times when your snake does not have much of an appetite or refuses its food.
Commonly Asked Questions
When your corn snake is hungry, it will be more active during the day and will spend more time near the front of the enclosure.
So, what do corn snakes eat?
Corn snakes are members of the diverse rat snake family, also known as colubrids. Rat snakes feed on rodents, from baby mice to big rats. Farmers first discovered corn snakes near fields of grain where a lot of rodents live.
Then, what do corn snakes eat in captivity?
When taking care of a pet corn snake, it is advisable to feed them on rats and mice because it is their preferred food in the wild. Pet owners have also been known to feed their corn snakes, hamsters, chicks, quail, gerbils, and guinea pigs. There are different types of mice that you can choose to feed your corn snake, either pinkies or hoppers.
Should I feed my Corn snake whole prey?
Snakes, unlike other pets, are uniquely known for swallowing their prey whole without chewing. So, if you were afraid that your pet corn snake might choke, you can rest easy because they won’t. The corn snake is well adapted to breath even as its mouth is full of prey. This is because the snake has a separate windpipe and esophagus for food.
Can I feed my corn snake live rodent?
Naturally, a snake’s feeding reflexes are triggered by live prey due to their warmth. At first, you may struggle to feed your corn snake pinkies because they are already dead. It is for this reason that you are advised first to warm the pinkie. Due to this reason, some owners choose to feed their corn snakes live prey.
What do baby corn snakes eat?
A baby corn snake’s first meal is usually after their first prenatal shed. Baby corn snakes feed on pinkie mice due to their size and lack of mobility, making them easy food. You should feed your baby corn snake a pinkie once every 5-7 days.
Can corn snakes eat fish?
Surprisingly, there are snake breeds that eat fish instead of mice. Snakes can eat fish, but their bodies cannot digest them properly. Corn snakes cannot eat fish, but snakes whose natural habitat is water can. Some of these fish breeds include the garter snake, ribbon snake, and watersnake.
What do corn snakes eat besides mice?
Did you know that corn snakes aren’t picky eaters? They enjoy feeding on most things that aren’t bigger than themselves. Primarily, they feed on rodents and also enjoy feeding on moles, birds, bats, reptiles, and amphibians. Baby corn snakes are very fond of tree frogs.
What Do Corn Snakes Eat?
Corn snakes are carnivores that eat a wide variety of animals like rats, mice, birds, or even bats in the wild. The type of prey you feed to your snake should be catered somewhat to your snake’s age and size. Prey that is about the same width or one and a half times the width of your snake is appropriate.
How Often Should I Feed My Corn Snake?
Unlike other pets, you don’t need to feed your corn snake every day. In fact, you can usually go several days without feeding your snake, though the exact amount of time depends on how old he is. For hatchlings, you should plan to feed about once every 5-7 days. For juvenile snakes, you can feed every seven to 10 days.
Tips For Feeding
When handling your snake’s food, use tongs or tweezers to reduce the risk of being bitten when you give it to your snake. You can choose to either feed your snake in its enclosure or in another area such as a feeding tub. The benefit of using a feeding tub is that you can train your snake to expect food when you move him.
Final Thoughts
Corn snakes are great beginner pets because they are typically easy to feed and eat a wide variety of prey, making them relatively low-maintenance. Just remember to feed them the right amount in order to keep them healthy and increase their longevity.
How Do Corn Snakes Hunt Prey?
The reason that this reptile’s size matters when selecting prey is that the corn snake is not venomous. They cannot simply land a bite on an animal and wait for it to pass away. Instead, they are constrictors.
What Do Corn Snakes Eat in the Wild?
When corn snakes live in the wild, they eat mice, rats, squirrels, and other small mammals. At least, those are their primary and most common prey. They will hunt their prey using the methods we’ve described above.
What to Feed Corn Snakes as a Pet
Corn snakes are frequently kept as pets, and their eating habits are different when they’re in captivity, especially if you get a young corn snake. If you have a pet snake, here is the frequency with which you must feed corn snakes at various ages:
What Predators Eat Corn Snakes?
Corn snakes are effective hunters, but they do have some predators to watch out for. The most common predators of these reptiles are:
How Long Can A Corn Snake Go Without Eating?
Corn snakes, like most reptiles, can go a long time without eating if it needs to.
Why Would A Corn Snake Not Eat?
It’s good to know how often you feed a corn snake, but what if it’s still not eating?
