All morphs of corn snakes eat mice.
A blood-red corn snake is a colored form of a corn snake, a type of constrictor. Popular in the pet trade due to their unique coloration, blood-red corn snakes are docile and rarely bite. Also known as the red rat snake, the corn snake’s scientific name is Elaphe guttata.
Usually sporting a dappled pattern of reds, oranges, and browns, corn snakes get their name because they were commonly found in corn mangers or buildings that housed harvested corn. The farmers assumed that the snakes were eating corn. They quickly realized that they were actually controlling the rodent population.
Instead of the spotted pattern of normal corn snakes, blood-red corn snakes have a deep red color that removes most or all of their natural pattern. Their bellies are usually white. Called a diffuse trait, the blood-red coloration is recessive and created by selective breeding.
The blood-red corn snake does not turn that bright red until it reaches adulthood. Blood-red babies show little difference in color from normal corn snake babies. Juvenile blood reds are distinguished primarily by their gray heads.
Corn snakes average 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 m) in length, but can be as small as 2.5 feet (0.76 m) or as long as 5 feet (1.5 m). ). On average, they live 10 years, but can live up to 21 in captivity. Generally nocturnal, these snakes are most active at dawn and dusk.
While adults mostly eat mice before they die and are generally not picky eaters, red babies are notoriously difficult to feed. Typically, a young, blood-red corn snake refuses to eat mice, accepting only green anoles, a type of lizard. They can be scent trained to accept mice as they grow.
A pet red blood corn snake needs at least a 20-gallon tank with a secure lid. You also need a hiding place, a container with water and branches to climb. Artificial grass mats or pine shavings can be used as ground cover, but cedar shavings should never be used as they are toxic to these snakes. Heat pads are placed under the middle of the tank to allow for a warmer area for sunbathing and a cooler area for sitting.
Unlike pythons, corn snakes do not coil securely around the arm when handled. Instead, they are much more mobile. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the snakes so that their bodies are always supported. Their heads should be free to roam, and should only be gently turned if the snakes start wandering off in unintended directions.