Corn Snakes as Pets-The Pros & Cons

Pet owners have made snakes one of the more popular exotic pets. A snake in particular that is popular with beginners is the Corn Snake. The Corn Snake can be selectively bred, meaning they come in all sorts of different colors and patterns making it a very interesting animal to own.

One of the obvious advantages of owning a Corn Snake is the fact that it isn't poisonous, and will rarely bite its owner. Even if it does bite, their teeth are so small you probably won't notice it. They are a very docile animal, and usually don't mind being handled by humans.

When you decide to buy your first Corn Snake, you must dedicate a long time to it as they can live up to 20 years. They don't grow too large though, normally not more than 4 feet long.

Something you must be careful of when creating the Corn Snakes home, is that there are no places where the snake can get out of, as they are brilliant escape artists. Make sure their cage is quite large and has a properly fitted lid. Any time you take the lid off make sure it's put back properly as they can push it off to escape. Also, the cage should contain somewhere the snake can hide, such as a box, which will make it feel secure.

Feeding a Corn Snake can be the most interesting part and not for the squeamish. They generally live off mice or small rats that have already been killed. Be sure not to feed smaller Corn Snakes too large a rat as they will find it hard to swallow. Also, they only need to be fed once a week. One of the downsides to feeding the snake dead mice and rats is that you have to keep them frozen, so you need to make sure everyone in the household is happy with that.

Like all living creatures, Corn Snakes need water to survive. A bowl of water, that can't be knocked over by the snake, is ideal. Also make sure the water is regularly changed.

Corn Snakes are a hardy species and won't easily become ill, making them a very cost effective exotic pet. They both eatand shed their skin well, which some snakes in captivity have problems with.

Although you might expect a pet to be a good companion and have a relationship with its owner, this isn't the case with snakes. Unlike dogs and other pet animals, they won't respond to you and might not always appreciate the attention you give them.

Even with that shortcoming the Corn Snake can make a very good exotic pet for first time owners. The many different patterns and colors make a Corn Snake very unique. They are extremely easy to care for and seem to enjoy being handled. A big plus is they won't bite your hand off or poison you like some snakes or other exotic animals.