How To Breed Corn Snakes

Breeding Basics

Cornsnakes are not difficult to breed so long as the conditions are right and hiccups are usually ironed out with experience. A good place to start is to make sure you have a male and a female! This may seem obvious but many breeders have found they have two snakes of the same sex or like us have had a "male" lay eggs. Adult males and females can be sexed by comparing tails. Males have longer tails which remain the same width for a couple of inches past the vent, whereas females tails start to narrow immediately after the vent and are shorter. If there is doubt the snakes can be probed but this should be done by an experienced snake keeper or vet.

Conditioning Corn Snakes

Only well grown 100% healthy snakes with enough body fat should be considered for breeding. Cornsnakes need to be prepared by "conning" them into thinking it is breeding season by cooling them first. We give ours their last meal the second week in October. Then they have 2-3 weeks to digest that meal and empty the gut which is very important. The heat is then gradually turned down over a few days and they are kept at 10-12 degrees C until around the middle of February. During this time the snakes are very inactive and we disturb them only once a week to change the drinking water. They must have access to fresh water throughout the cooling or brumation period. Around the 14th February (very appropriate) the heat is turned on low and the snakes are gradually returned to normal temperatures over a few days.