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what to feed my corn snake

by Osbaldo Boehm Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Here is a guide to how much you should feed your corn snake:

Snake size Amount of food Number of days
4-15 g 1 pinkie (up to 3g) 4-5 days
16-23g small fuzzy (up to 6 g) 5-6 days
24-30g fuzzy (up to 9 g) 6-7 days
30-50g fluff or hoppers (up to 12 g) 6-7 days
Mar 25 2022

Mice should be your corn snake's most common food, but you can feed them other prey, such as suitably sized quails or rats. Make sure prey is thoroughly defrosted and the width is no greater than 1.5 times the widest part of the snake's body.

Full Answer

How do you care for a corn snake?

Part 2 Part 2 of 3: Taking Care of Your Snake Day to Day

  1. Give your snake enough water. You should provide a bowl of water for your snake, big enough for it to soak if it wishes.
  2. Provide adequate lighting. You should provide the snake with a natural light cycle (12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark).
  3. Avoid keeping a pair of corn snakes together if possible. ...
  4. Get the correct size of frozen mice for your snake. ...

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When to start feeding baby corn snakes?

  • 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.

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How often to feed corn snakes [diet details]?

Corn snakes do not usually feed every day, but feed every few days, depending on the age and size of the snake. Many owners suggest feeding in a bin outside of the snake's housing so that there is no chance of the snake of accidentally ingesting its bedding which can lead to impaction of the item in its internal digestive system and can lead to death. Corn Snakes should always be fed alone and ...

Do snakes eat corn?

Corn snakes don’t eat fruits, plants, vegetables, or flowers. Their bodies can’t recognize or digest them. So, corn snakes won’t eat corn, deer corn, strawberries, and lettuce. It’s not likely that a corn snake will eat its own eggs. In captivity, corn snakes will mainly eat rats and mice.

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What do corn snakes prefer to eat?

rodentsCorn snakes prefer to eat small mammals. Corn snakes eat rodents as their primary source of food. They are carnivores that prefer eating small mammals that have a low chance of hurting them while feeding. These reptiles are often found near places where mice have made nests, like homes or farms.

How much should I feed my 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 do you feed corn snakes in captivity?

Hatchlings normally eat newborn mice. Increase to a jumbo mouse for a large adult corn snake. Most corn snakes learn to eat previously frozen, but fully thawed out, mice. Be prepared to offer a live newborn mouse to baby corn snakes stressed by a new home or not used to thawed mice yet.

What size food should I feed my corn snake?

Regarding what size prey to feed your corn snake, a general rule of thumb is to feed a rodent that is under twice the diameter of the snake's mid-body girth (preferably 1.5 times the snake's girth), but only if proper digesting temperatures are continually available to your pet.

Can you feed a 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 corn snake besides mice?

What do corn snakes eat? Mice should be your corn snake's most common food, but you can feed them other prey, such as suitably sized quails or rats. Make sure prey is thoroughly defrosted and the width is no greater than 1.5 times the widest part of the snake's body.

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.

Can I feed my corn snake chicken eggs?

Just like other snakes, the commonly kept corn snake is carnivorous. And In their natural habitat of southern and central United States, they would readily consume a multitude of prey. From natively found mice and other rodents to amphibians, birds, and even bird eggs.

Can I hold my snake after it eats?

As a rule of thumb, wait 24 to 72 hours after your snake has fed before holding him.

How long can corn snakes 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.

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.

What do corn snakes eat?

Corn snakes are carnivores which means they eat meat. Their most common food is mice, but they can eat small birds, other rodents, small amphibians, and lizards. Read on for more information on what to feed corn snake.

How long does a corn snake stay in hibernation?

In cases of hibernation or brumation, a corn snake can go for even longer, even 4-6 weeks or more.

What snakes eat lizards?

Lizards. In the wild, baby corn snakes and juvenile corn snakes can find small lizards to eat. I don’t imagine you’re going to be keeping these as feed for your snake, but you could use small lizards as long as they were smaller than 1.5 times the girth of the snake’s body at mid-length.

Do corn snakes hunt birds?

In the wild, corn snakes will climb trees or hunt the ground for small birds and their eggs. This is typically only done by adult corn snakes. In captivity, there isn’t a suitable equivalent. It’s challenging to find and keep small birds on hand, and stores don’t stock and sell them.

Can you feed frogs to pets?

If you found some in the wild, you could consider feeding them to your pet. But just like the last category, you always need to check their size. Also, take care of the frogs aren’ t poisonous. As a general rule, bright colors mean danger, so don’t use those.

Can corn snakes eat mice?

Baby corn snakes will eat baby pink mice, and adult corn snakes can eat adult and jumbo mice. They’re usually given to the snake either live or thawed from frozen. The live ones are better for the snakes because they activate their hunting instincts. Frozen and then thawed mice will work, and they’re easier to keep in stock.

What do corn snakes eat?

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 )!

How wide should a snake's prey be?

Offer a prey item that is between 1-1.5x the width of your snake’s body at its widest point (don’t worry about head size — snakes are very flexible). Depending on the size of the feeder and the age of your snake, you may offer two prey items in one feeding session.

Do snakes lunge for food?

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.

Can a snake handle a mouse?

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. Rats can be offered as feeders, but because they tend to be more nutritious than mice, they can actually make a corn snake fat if fed at the same rate as mouse feeders.

Is distilled water safe for reptiles?

Note: There is a common belief that distilled, filtered, or softened water is better for reptiles than tap (hard) water. This is false. While it is better to use these for misting because they don’t leave mineral residue, the lack of minerals creates osmotic imbalance within the snakes body after ingestion.

Can corn snakes eat live food?

The generally accepted practice for corn snake food is to use captive bred prey items that have been humanely euthanized and frozen rather than live. This is because live feeders will use teeth and claws to fight for their life against the snake — sometimes causing injury. Also, “stunning” a live feeder by slamming its head against a hard object will discourage fighting back, but it’s also incredibly inhumane.

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 are the main food sources for corn snakes?

Rodents (including voles, mice, rats, chipmunks and squirrels) As a general rule, lizards and frogs are the most important food sources for hatchling and juvenile corn snakes in the wild, while rodents and birds become the most important food sources for adult corn snakes.

Why won't my corn snake eat?

If your corn snake’s habitat is not properly designed and maintained, your corn snake may refuse to eat . The most common habitat problem to cause food refusal is sub-optimal temperatures. So, always check your pet’s habitat temperatures if he refuses food.

Why are corn snakes called red snakes?

Corn snakes were either named for their tendency to hang out in cornfields (where rodents are abundant), or for the maize-like pattern on their ventral surfaces. However, as members of the genus Pantherophis, they’re occasionally called red rat snakes too (this isn’t as common as it was a few decades ago).

What to do if a snake refuses food?

If your snake continues to refuse food for several weeks, you’ll need to figure out what the problem is and take steps to rectify it.

Why do snakes lose their appetite?

Snakes – like many other animals – often lose their appetites when experiencing high stress levels. Obviously, snakes don’t become stressed because they have to sit in traffic, pay bills, or work a 9 to 5 job – instead, they become stressed because they do not feel safe or do not have a proper habitat.

Do corn snakes eat rodents?

One of the primary reasons that corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) are considered great beginner snakes is their tendency to eat readily in captivity. Most corn snakes will readily eat commercially produced, frozen-thawed rodents, and they’ll often do so at any hour of the day or night. You’ll still, however, need to learn ...

Can you feed corn snakes?

You can feed corn snakes of all ages in essentially the same way. However, hatchling corn snakes are often a bit trickier to feed than adults, thanks to the small size of their prey and the tendency for hatchling snakes to be more nervous than adults.

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