Whenever you buy a new pet, it is very important to know how old that pet is going to get. I mean, there are a lot of different things to consider. Are you willing to take care of the pet if it lives more than 20 years? Maybe the pet doesn´t get too old, are you okay with that?
Most people want their pet to live as long as possible, of course. The reason why you are reading this particular article is that you want to know how old your corn snake will get. This article will show you exactly that AND how you make sure that your corn snake has a very long, happy and healthy life.
How Long Do Corn Snakes Live In Captivity?
Corn snakes live actually pretty long. They can get 20 + years old. The oldest corn snake I know is 30 years old. Unfortunately most corn snakes in captivity do not get that old. Why? The reason for that is, as always, bad husbandry. A lot of people buy their snakes from pet shops.
The problem with that is that most of the time those pet shops have no clue how to take care of such a snake. They just give some basic information, maybe true, maybe false, and the buyers think they are ready to take care of the snake. Eventually the snake gets sick, needs to get checked by a vet or even dies. That´s horrible for the animal and for the keeper, too.
That´s why I´d like to give you a couple of tips to make sure that your snake stays happy and healthy.
How To Make Sure That Your Corn Snake Has A Long And Happy Life
Corn snakes are very hardy. That´s why a lot of people keep them in a plastic box with newspaper. In my opinion, if you are not a breeder, I don´t think this is an appropriate habitat for a corn snake. Further there are some very important things when it comes to corn snake husbandry, that you just have to get right.
Make Sure You Get A Good Substrate
Corn snakes like to burrow themselves in the ground, so another substrate than newspaper would definitely contribute to their well-being. I recommend to get this substrate.
Further this substrate holds humidity better, if you have problems with humidity. If you have a baby corn snake, or a sick corn snake in a quarantine tank, newspaper or kitchen roll is okay. Other than that, I recommend to get the bedding above.
Humidity Can Be Tough
Corn Snakes need a humidity of 50% and above. Most people have problems with getting the right humidity. A too low humidity leads to problems with shedding. A too high humidity can lead to several diseases like lung inflammation or respiratory infection.
In order to make sure that you get the humidity right in your corn snake enclosure I recommend to create a moist hide. This is the easiest method to make sure that your corn snake is well hydrated and is able to decide if it needs a higher humidity or not. Simple get a hide like this and fill it partially with this sphagnum moss.
Make sure that the moss is a little bit wet (but not dripping wet) before you put it into the hide. There will be a microclimate inside the hide, with higher humidity, while the rest of your tank has a lower humidity. Of course, there are a lot of other ways to make sure that the humidity is on point. I wrote an entire guide on humidity, which you can read here.
Get The Right Enclosure
It depends on your budget and on your liking if you get a plastic box or a glass terrarium as enclosure for your corn snake. However, no matter what you get, you have to make sure that your corn snake has enough space. Corn Snakes like to climb, this is why you should get an enclosure that is wide and tall.
Further the snake should have enough space to stretch. Because of that the enclosure should be as long as the snake. This terrarium is absolutely fine for a very long time. It always depends on how big your snake gets. If you´d rather get a plastic box, get this plastic box.
The Right Temperature
An absolutely confusing topic, especially for beginners. Actually, though, it isn´t really that complicated. As I already said, corn snakes are pretty hardy and tolerate a lot. So even if you don´t have the temperature on point yet, as long as it is not freezing cold, your corn snake will survive.
That doesn´t mean that you don´t need to get it right now. One of the easiest methods is to get a heat mat like this and combine it with a thermostat in order to be able to control the temperature. If you need more information on this, read my temperature guide.
Feeding
Feeding is not that hard. You have to make sure that you don´t feed too often and don´t feed too seldom. Most people feed every 7 to 10 days, which is absolutely okay in most cases. If your corn snake doesn´t want to eat, simply put the food inside the terrarium during the night. Some snakes are shy when it comes to eating and want to be alone while eating. However, the food has to be dead if you do that. There are a lot of other things to know when it comes to feeding, but for this article, that´s enough.
Avoid Stress
Your corn snakes has to have the possibility to get away from you and other stress. For that I recommend getting a hide like this. This way your snake can decide if it needs some alone time. Further you shouldn´t handle the snake too often. I don´t say, do not handle your snake, I just want to make sure that you know that you should give your corn snake a break from time to time.
Conclusion
Corn snakes can get pretty old, the oldest I know of was 30 years old. If you want to make sure that your corn snake has a very long life, just follow my advice above. There are more things to know about corn snake husbandry, obviously. However this will give you an idea of what to do if you want to make your corn snake feel comfortable.
If you have any further questions, leave a message in the comment section below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
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