Pantherophis guttatus
Corn snake
A terrestrial enclosure around 120 × 45 × 45 cm or longer for an adult.
Legal status
- Check local rules
Pantherophis guttatus is not listed in the CITES Appendices in force from 5 March 2026. No EU wildlife-trade annex was verified for it, so none is recorded. It is not on the EU list of invasive alien species and it is not venomous. The Dutch Besluit huis- en hobbydierenlijst (BWBR0049611) lists mammals only; a reptile positive list is not in force. Wet dieren still requires proper care. Wallonia’s positive list (arrêté of 10 December 2020) includes Pantherophis guttatus. Flanders has its own positive list — check that list before you treat a Walloon entry as valid in Flanders. Check local rules before you keep, move, or rehome an animal. This record is not a permit and not legal advice.
Official sourceNot legal advice. Rules differ by country, and sometimes by region. Check the law that applies to you.
- Temperature
- 24–29°C
- Basking
- 28–30°C
- UVB
- Ferguson zone 1. About 0.1–0.7
- Humidity
- 40–60%
- Minimum enclosure
- About 120 × 45 × 45 cm for one adult
- Adult size
- Often 90–150 cm.
- Lifespan
- Often 15–20 years.
- Difficulty
- beginner
Diet and feeding
Appropriately sized mice about every 5–7 days for juveniles and every 7–14 days for adults. Juveniles every 5–7 days. Adults every 7–14 days.
Substrate
Aspen, paper, or cypress.
Health
Mites, stuck shed, and a meal that is too large.
Handling
Support the body. They are active.
Husbandry ranges are general guidance for captive care, not a veterinary prescription or a permit. Confirm the gradient with your own thermometers. UV zones follow Baines et al., Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(1), 2016, https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150. Legal fields use the source link on this species and stay empty when an annex was not verified.