Corn snakes are a fantastic species for individuals to keep. They come in a wide variety of colours and patterns. They are also easy to tame and handle. They are great for both kids and adults. If you’re looking for a corn snake, then you might want to know the costs. So in this article, we look at how much is a corn snake?
What Do We Count in the Costs of a Corn Snake?
There are many factors when it comes to the cost of a corn snake. It isn’t just about the cost of the corn snake, it is also the cost of the enclosure, decorations, and more that can contribute to the cost of the corn snake. In this article, we look at all aspects.
Enclosure
The first factor to consider is how much the equipment to keep a corn snake costs. Corn snakes can get rather long, about 2-4 feet in most cases, though there are cases of them reaching 6 feet in length.
Therefore, corn snakes should be kept in a suitably large enclosure. Most can be kept in enclosures that are about four feet long by two feet. In most cases, this can provide the snake with lots of room. Another option is to use a RUB. Many corn snakes can live comfortably in a 33-litre or 50-litre rub.
There are also other options though. Those with the room might want to consider a six-foot enclosure. These offer a larger space for a corn snake to explore. But that doesn’t mean that snakes will enjoy them.
Costs for all of these vary considerably. A two-foot enclosure is about £50, a 4-foot enclosure is £90 and a six-foot enclosure could be around £200. Whereas a RUB can cost between £20 to £50 depending on where you get them from.
Heating Equipment
All snakes require heating equipment. There are two options which include a heat mat or overhead heating. The costs of this can vary. A heat mat and a thermostat cost between £30 to £50. An overhead heating system can cost between £50 and £100, and you would need a dimmer stat, rather than a traditional thermostat.
You might also want to include lighting in your enclosure, to help create a day/night cycle within the enclosure. Whether you are using UV or not, the costs for a lighting system can cost about £75 to £100.
Decor
Decor is where you can sometimes spend a lot of money, or very little. It all depends on your specific tastes. Substrate is the most essential and you could use a paper towel here. Which would reduce the cost to about £2-£5 per week. However, Aspen, Lignocel, or another substrate can cost you £5-£7 per week.
Hides are another essential, these can be cheap or expensive. The cheap plastic ones can be a great option because they are easy to clean and maintain. However, they don’t look completely natural, and this can be counter to what you would like to have. So have hides that cost between £30 and £100.
Other decorations are essential for interest and to provide clutter in your enclosure, but what you have and the cost can be very dependent on your specific needs and interests. You could, for example, use wood from a local forest, disinfected and sterilised (though this is very hard). Or you can buy lots of reptile-safe decorations. Consider spending a budget of about £30 to £40. Though you might want to have a monthly budget of about £10 for this.
Food
Food for a corn snake is very simple. Defrosted mice are preferred. When young, you can get pinkie mice for between 20 and 50 pence. Even large mice cost only £2 at most pet shops. Online costs can be much reduced, but you are buying in bulk.
There are no other food costs, and this is the cost per week. Which makes them far cheaper than most mammal companion animals commonly kept as pets.
How Much Does a Corn Snake Cost?
Then it comes to the cost of the corn snake. The cost of a corn snake will depend on several factors: the breeder/shop, age of the corn snake, morphs of the corn snake, gender of the corn snake, and location.
In some cases, you can find corn snakes that are just £20 or £30. These are usually wild-type corn snakes from a generalised pet shop or a large breeder. They tend not to have any unique colours or patterns. Then you might get some other corn snakes that can cost about £50 to £70. These normally have some colours/patterns but are not normally unique.
Then there can be corn snakes that cost about £200 to £250. These are normally scaleless corn snakes. These snakes are missing the keratin which forms the scales. Keratin is the same mineral that creates hair and nails on us, horns on rhinos, and feathers in birds.
Final Word: How Much is a Corn Snake?
The costs of a corn snake can vary, but you’re looking at costs that are going to be around £150 to £1000 depending on several factors. If you would like to have help with your corn snake setup, we will be happy to help and we have a complete corn snake care guide for you to read. If you’ve got any tips on how to save on the costs of a corn snake, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
