5 Awesome Decorations for a Corn Snake

The humble corn snake is by far the most popular pet snake in the UK and it was my first pet reptile. Hi, my name is Louis and I work in the online team for Northampton Reptile Centre. I have been fascinated by exotic animals, especially reptiles, since getting my first corn snake a little over a decade ago. Corn snakes are the ultimate beginner snake as they are really easy to handle, quite easy to keep and normally, very friendly. I’m going to share with you here my top 5 recommended decorations for your corn snake’s enclosure.

Enclosed Snake Cave

Fully enclosed corn snake caves are a great addition to most snake setups but are especially good for corn snakes. If ever one of my corn snakes is heading into shed I can fill their fully enclosed snake cave up with some slightly moist sphagnum moss and pop it into the cool end of their enclosure (so as not to raise the humidity too much). This creates a small humid micro-climate which assists in the loosening of the shed skin. They can also be used for laying boxes in a pinch if one is needed.

Cork Bark

Cork Bark is, in my opinion, one of the most versatile pieces of decoration you can use in your enclosure. It comes in two main shapes- a cork bark tube, useful for smaller species and especially popular amongst species of invertebrate- and a flat piece of cork bark, which is what I will be mainly discussing here. They make excellent cool side caves when propped up against the wall and is one of the only decorations that can provide somewhere to hide for bigger species like monitors or boas. They can also be sprayed slightly underneath to make a simply humid hide to assist the snakes in shedding. Alternatively, if you don’t need another hide, they make excellent ramps and bridges around the enclosure for your corn snake to explore.

Branches

The mainstay of any snake enclosure (apart from something like a sand boa, but we will ignore them!). Even though corn snakes are a terrestrial species that spends the vast majority of its time on the floor, they do appreciate somewhere to climb and stretch their proverbial legs. My favourite branches are the grapevine and java wood branches. Both are really good, however, I tend to go for the java branch, as while it doesn’t look as natural, the smoother finish makes it much easier to clean and it also soaks up heat from basking bulbs well so can be used as a basking platform, provided it is far enough away from the lamp to avoid harm.

Low Hiding Caves

Hiding caves, specifically the large and extra-large Exo Terra hiding caves, make the perfect warm side hiding space for a corn snake. They are low and flat with a small opening, everything these snakes are looking for in a safe place to hide. They are made of resin which means they are especially easy to clean and can absorb heat from the basking lamp. I prefer these over something like a piece of slate for basking as I find slate can get a bit too hot for a corn snake under a heat bulb. The large hide is perfect for a single corn, however, if you have two corn snakes like me you would want the extra-large so they can both fit comfortably.

Trailing Plants

Without a doubt, my favourite decoration and a mainstay in all of my enclosures. Trailing plants are one of the best things you can add to an enclosure to bring in some colour. With mine, I drape the artificial plant across my java branch to create some partial cover as well as cover up some of the entrances to my cool side hides to make the snakes feel safer and more secure. It also does an amazing job of making the enclosure look more full without taking any space from the animal.

If you have any questions about any of these items or need advice please email us at sales@reptilecentre.com or call us on 01604753823.