Pantherophis guttatus (corn snake / red rat snake)

Origin: Southeast America, Northern Mexico
Length: 100 to 180 cm
Lifespan: 15 years
The wild red rat snake is colored red, orange, brown, and black, with a black and white checkered underside. In captivity, various color forms exist.

Care
Experience: Beginner snake keeper
Food: Live or dead prey animals. The primary prey animals given are mice and rats.

Feeding adults: every 14 days
Feeding juveniles: Every 7 days
Water bowl: Yes
Water change: 3 times a week
Feeding
There is a choice to offer the prey animals live or dead. It is recommended to offer dead food. This is more practical and prevents the prey animal from injuring your snake. Additionally, it is advised to offer the prey animal using feeding tongs and to feed your snake outside the enclosure. This ensures that your hand is not associated with food and prevents your snake from grabbing your hand during feeding. If you do choose to feed live food, you must supervise the feeding process. The prey animal can also injure the snake. Feed the rat snake separately, because if two snakes grab the same prey, they can injure each other and sometimes even eat each other. The ideal prey animal is approximately as wide as the widest part of the snake.

Water
The water bowl in the enclosure must be large enough for the snake to lie in it completely. This will help maintain the humidity level in the bowl; the ideal humidity is between 40% and 60%.

Cleaning
To keep your red rat snake healthy, a hygienic living environment is important. To achieve this, the enclosure must be cleaned regularly. Cleaning once a week is sufficient. Additionally, to prevent the buildup of bacteria, the entire enclosure must be cleaned and disinfected a few times a year. Handling
To accustom your red rat snake to contact with humans, it is advisable to pick up and handle the animal from time to time. However, regarding how to handle a snake, ensure you support the animal at the base of the body and halfway along the ends. Never squeeze your snake while handling it, as their vertebrae are fragile and can break easily. Also, ensure your hands are washed and do not smell of food. Finally, do not handle your snake when it is shedding, and do not handle the animal if it has just eaten. Young snakes or snakes that have not been handled before may be defensive and may attack. The snake is not venomous, but it is best to avoid bite wounds. After being handled several times, the snake will naturally get used to it and become less defensive.

Housing
Minimum size enclosure for 1 pair: 100 x 50 x 50
Lying surface area: 0.5 m² and 1 raised platform per snake where the snake can lie with its entire body. Daytime temperature on the warm side: 29-32C
Daytime temperature on the cooler side: 21-24C
Nighttime temperature: 18-22C
Hours of light: 12 hours
Humidity: 40%-60%
Substrate: Bark or beech chips
Enclosure setup
The rat snake is a snake found in a variety of regions and therefore requires a varied terrarium in captivity. They enjoy climbing and need climbing opportunities. Therefore, it is advised to use a terrarium that is taller than 60cm so that the snake can actually climb. Climbing opportunities can be provided in the form of climbing branches. In addition to climbing, they also enjoy bathing; this can be facilitated by providing a water bowl large enough for the snake to lie in with its entire body. Do keep in mind that the bowl must be heavy enough so that the snake does not tip it over. The rat snake can be very shy and therefore needs plenty of hiding places. You can provide this in the form of a plastic cave or a piece of cork; ensure that these are large enough for all the snakes in the enclosure to shelter underneath. The red rat snake also enjoys burrowing, which you can encourage by offering thicker bedding.

There are a few additional things to keep in mind regarding the enclosure. The red rat snake is capable of squeezing through small cracks. Take this into account and ensure there are no small cracks in the enclosure that it can fit through. Additionally, ventilation is necessary to keep the air fresh, and it is advisable to place the enclosure out of direct sunlight and as vibration-free as possible.

Behavior
Hunting method: Constrictor.
Lifestyle: Semi-arboreal & day/night active
Character
The red rat snake is an active snake and adapts easily to its environment. They are good climbers. They make interesting and lively pets in captivity.
Points of attention
Red rat snakes can be defensive, especially in their enclosure. Be mindful of this when handling your snake to prevent unnecessary injuries. Regular handling will eventually ensure that the snake becomes tamer and calmer.
Costs and Purchase
Legislation: No documentation is required to keep a red rat snake.
One-off costs: These include the costs for the enclosure, lighting, heating, water bowl, and decoration. This can cost anywhere from a few hundred euros to a few thousand euros in total. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the cost of food, which is a few tens of euros per year. Unexpected costs: Costs are incurred if your hose happens to get sick or your equipment breaks down.