The Snow Corn Snake is one of the most beautiful of the corn snakes!
Like all corn snakes the Snow Corn Snake, or Complete Albino Corn Snake, makes an excellent pet for the advanced beginner. These colorful snakes will tame down in a short time becoming very docile, even tempered, and tolerant of frequent handling. They are very hardy and easy to maintain.
- For more information on keeping Snakes see: Guide to a Happy, Healthy Herptile
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Colubridae |
Genus: | Elaphe |
Species: | guttata |
Distribution
The Snow Corn Snakes offered to the hobbyist are bred in captivity.
Description
The Snow Corn Snake or Complete Albino Corn Snake will grow to the same size as a normal corn snake which is between three and five feet. They are a heavier bodied snake than the garter snake or the kingsnake, though their length is about the same.
As an albino they have striking, ruby-red eyes. Their body coloring is a pale pinkish-white with a pinkish-white belly. They have no black or colored pigmentation and no pattern or only a ghost hint of a pattern. The pinkish coloration comes from their blood. Like all corn snakes, their scales are lightly keeled.
Feeding
They are a constrictor and their diet consists of mice and other rodents, chicks, and lizards. Feed once or twice a week, depending on the size of the food and the size of the snake. As you get to know your snake, you’ll learn what its feeding needs are. Fresh water in a shallow dish should always be available.
Environment
They do not eat other snakes, and so they can be housed alone or in groups with other snakes of similar size and habits.
You can set up their terrarium as either a woodland type, a desert type, or a combination of the two and you provide moderate humidity. See the terrarium types described under Basic Reptile and Amphibian Care for more information.
This snake needs a hiding place and a small water dish. It also likes to climb, so a vertical or semi-vertical tree limb with some plant vining is great.
Temperature and Lighting requirements
They do well at 75° to 85° F in the daytime, and 65° to 72° F at night. Because they are albino, they do not do well in bright lighting. You can use a substrate heating device for basic heating. For additional heat, you can add a full spectrum incandescent daytime bulb and a blacklight bulb or red incandescent bulb for nighttime heating. Be sure you use a thermometer so you don’t let the terrarium become overheated!
- For more detailed information see the Basic Reptile and Amphibian Care: Housing.
Breeding/Reproduction
These snakes, if not babies, need to be probe sexed for positive sex identification. Like all corn snakes, the are egg layers and breed readily.
Availability
The Snow Corn Snake or Complete Albino Corn Snake has been successfully bred and they are generally available as pets.
Featured Image Credit: aixklusiv, Pixabay