Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Corn snakes are one of the most common types of domesticated snakes. Sometimes the wrong steps are taken to create the conditions for your snake. Here's a guide on how to make a corn snake vivarium!

Steps

1. 1 Buy a tank / vivarium. A baby snake, a newly hatched baby corn snake, needs a 10 gallon (about 38 L) or even a 20 gallon (about 76 L) vivarium. If your snake is an adult, most recommend a 40 gallon vivarium in which your snake will successfully live its entire life. The glass vivarium would be perfect to house one corn snake.
2. 2 Use a substrate for the snake bed, NEVER use cedar beds, it is toxic to ALL snakes. Many snake owners borrow newspapers as they are cheap, effective, and easy to clean. If you prefer something more natural, aspen is recommended for snakes. It is 99% non-toxic, cheap, looks beautiful, natural, and practically snake-safe. To protect your snake when using UTH (Tank Heating), it is recommended that you buy two packs of "repti-carpets". They are cheap relativity and fit into the bottom of the vivarium. This will allow your snake to hide in extra warmth without the risk of being burned by UTH.
3. 3 Place the repti-carpet on the bottom of the vivarium (it should be unloaded and cleaned every 1 to 2 weeks. This is why you should have two heaters, while one part is being cleaned, the other is in use).
   • Sprinkle about half an inch (about 1.5 cm) an inch (about 2.5 cm) from the backing onto the top of the repti-carpet and spread / spread evenly over the entire surface of the vivarium.
4. 4 Equip your snake with places to hide. Your corn snake will need shelter to feel safe. Corn snakes like to have a tight-fitting cover that touches them from all sides, so avoid using a large cover. If you're using a shelter that's too big, try stuffing it with crumpled paper towels, it works well enough!
   1. Make one cover on the warm side and one on the cool side, you can even place a cover in the middle. For baby snakes, snake owners prefer to equip a shelter on the warm side, cool and in the middle.
   2. If the shelter is too large, fill it with paper towels. REMEMBER: You can always make a DIY hideout, not buy one! Roll of paper towel, stick to stick and hide (use hot glue gun), plastic containers, etc.!
5. 5 Provide branches and plants for the snake to climb. Corn snakes, partially tree snakes, artificial plants and climbing branches will provide stimulation, comfort, shelter, etc.
6. 6 Find the right types of artificial plants.
   • Artificial plants, vine leaves and other artificial foliage can be placed throughout the vivarium, on the warm side, cool side, and in between, close to walls, sides, etc. Wherever you want, but remember that there must be more than one plant. This will provide the snake with a number of places to climb, relax, warm up, cool off, etc.
   • Provide a branch for your snake to climb. You can either make it yourself or buy it from your local pet store. They can be angled wherever you want, but be sure to make sure:
     • the snake should climb up and down it.
     • the branch must support the weight of the snake.
     • do not place the branches so densely that the snake can wriggle around it.
7. 7 Provide the vivarium with other items / decorations:
   • This can be: plastic / artificial logs, rocks, etc. that can be found in pet stores that are intended for snakes / reptiles, can also be introduced into the vivarium for stimulation, encouragement, climbing, and more secret places.
8. 8 Place climbing objects and other decorations in the vivarium. Place these decorations / objects in different areas of the tank, not just all on the same side.
9. 9 Provide a heat source. Corn snakes require temperatures: during the day on the warm side: 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 27 - 29.5 degrees Celsius) and the cool side: 72-80 degrees Fahrenheit (22 - 27 degrees Celsius), at night on the warm side: 75 -80 degrees Fahrenheit (24 - 27 degrees Celsius) and cool side: 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit (21 - 24 degrees Celsius), the most popular way to heat the corn snake vivarium is UTH, otherwise the tank heater.
   • How to place a heater under the tank: (1) place the UTH at the bottom of the vivarium on the side you want it to be warm, make sure it covers no more than half of the vivarium. (2) Buy a thermostat and use it to regulate the temperature at UTH.
   • Other heat sources: You can also use an infrared lamp to provide additional heat, as in some areas the UTH will not be able to provide enough heat during the winter months. Use Full Spectrum or UVA lamps also to provide light day and night.
   • Customize the light bulbs: (1) Screw Full Spectrum fluorescent or UVA / infrared bulbs. (2) Place on the warm side of the vivarium in the middle (not crossing with the cool side or in the middle of the vivarium). (3) Connect the lamp to the rheostat and control the connection of the rheostat to the timer, which will provide light day and night. (4) Connect the rheostat to the timer. So that 12 hours in the daytime and 12 hours at night everything is fine.
10. 10 There is a way to provide moisture. Humidity should be between 35-60%. Not more than 60%, not less than 35%. 50% is perfect. Heat lamps pick up moisture, some recommend taking damp kitchen towels and placing them in the vivarium, placing it on the warm half of the vivarium, but there are many other ways, which are listed below:
    • Provide Humidity: (1) You can "fog" the cage every day or every other day as you want. The recommended method is to use distilled water so that it does not leave drip marks on the glass. (2) A damp tea towel on the warm half of the vivarium. (3) You can also make a moisture box by taking a small plastic container with a lid and punching holes in the sides and lid of the container, but make sure they are not large enough for the snake to enter through. Place damp peat moss inside a container and close it with a lid. Place it on the warm side of the vivarium.
11. 11 There is a way to control temperature and humidity. Buy rheostat to control brightness / dimming, thermostat to control heat UTH, thermometer / hydrometer to measure humidity.
    • Thermometer / Hygrometer Note: Simply put, an analog thermometer / hydrometer can be very inaccurate. Most snake experts recommend purchasing a digital thermometer / hygrometer that has a good rating and reputation.

Tips

• Make sure your snake has fresh water.
• Always remember to close the vivarium lid.
• Check temperature and humidity once a day.
• Make sure the lamp is connected to the rheostat and your UTH is connected to the thermostat.

Warnings

• NEVER use heat rocks, they can burn snakes and even be fatal. They also will not heat the entire vivarium.
• REMEMBER: Too much heat equates to death.
• If your UTH and lamps are not connected to a rheostat / thermostat, there is an increased risk of overheating, which could result in the death of your snakes.

What do you need

• glass vivarium (reservoir)
• sleeping place (aspen is recommended)
• Repticarpet (recommended)
• artificial plants
• climbing branches
• Shelter ("caves")
• Under tank heater (UTH)
• Heat lamps (recommended)
• Full spectrum / UVA light bulbs for lamp
• Thermostat (Recommended: Hydrofarm)
• Rheostat
• Water tank
• Thermometer / Hydrometer