An albino corn snake is a type of corn snake that lacks melanin, the pigment that gives the skin its dark color. Albino corn snakes generally have red and white scales making them irresistible!
Albinos, also called Amelanistic corn snakes, like other morphs in the Corn snake family, are non-venomous and docile.
These attractive snakes are easy to care for, have pleasant personalities, and have a longer lifespan than other species.
The best part is that Albino corn snakes are available in various shades and cost only around $40.
Furthermore, they do not necessitate any special dietary requirements. What an ideal companion for busy bees!
Table of Contents
Albino corn snake Taxonomy and Info
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Colubridae |
| Genus | Pantherophis |
| Scientific Name | Pantherophis guttatus |
| Size | 2–6 feet |
| Color | Pale pink, white, and yellow |
| Lifespan | 20 years |
| Price | 40-100$ |
The appearance of Albino corn snake
Albino corn snakes have the same identifying marks as their regular counterparts. The distinction is that they have albinism and lack dark colorants. Yet, the remaining wide variety of red, orange, and pinkish hues is vibrant and eye-catching.
They have red round to oval identifying marks down the length of their back extending to the abdomen with a corn-kernel characteristic.
Vertical bars run along the lower lip of these snakes, and they have large eyes and slim bodies.
Albino corn snakes can grow to be two to six feet long and weigh between one and two pounds as adults.
Corn snakes have indeterminate growth and never truly stop growing (as do many reptiles), but their development after two years is usually insignificant. Nevertheless, your albino corn snake is officially considered mature after two years.
Natural Habitat for Albino corn snake
Like other corn snakes, albino corn snakes’ natural environment is found in the southeastern United States—anywhere corn is grown—or in forested areas. They prefer longleaf pine forests and the southeastern plains’ flat woods.
Corn snake environments typically include areas where the snakes can crawl up during the day to avoid the hot sun.
Corn snakes also like to climb trees and stick from branches, so keep an eye out for these if you’re searching for one!
They are active day and night but are primarily nocturnal in sweltering weather. They will seek shelter in tree trunk holes, other animals’ tunnels, or underground shelters if the weather worsens.
They are predominantly diurnal and lack heat-sensing pits. Albino snakes are uncommon in the wild.
They stand out so much that they are frequently predated upon before reaching maturity.
Albino corn snake’s Behavior
Albino corn snakes are innately solitary creatures that only interact with others for breeding purposes.
They spend most of their days in the wild cowering deep in high glasses, waiting for darkness to begin hunting.
Surprisingly, this bias persists in captivity, where Albinos spend their days tucked away in dark areas or containers.
Despite this, Albinos are extremely curious, particularly when placed in unfamiliar surroundings.
In this case, you might notice their tongue flicking as they take in their environment. Albino corn snakes may hiss, rattle, or wiggle their tails as a defense mechanism when aggravated.
Albino corn snakes enjoy frequent human handling because of their pleasant personality, which promotes quick docility and deeper companionship. As a result, do not abandon your serpent friends alone for extended periods.
Similarly, wash your hands before and after handling to avoid the transmission of contaminants.
Food Habits of Albino corn snake
Corn snakes constrict small animals such as lizards, frogs, birds, and opossums before swallowing them whole in the wild.
In captivity, the amount and type of meals you give your snake will vary depending on its size and age. While a medium-sized mouse is ideal for adult corn snakes, pinky mice are ideal for babies.
Adults and nestlings can be fed every 7 and 5 days, respectively. Juveniles can live for a week on one mouse.
A good tip is to fine-tune your snake’s feeding requirements based on size progressively.
Reproduction and Breeding in Albino Corn Snake
Albino corn snakes, like other morphs of corn snakes, reproduce easily. Corn snakes, like other colubrids, reach adulthood when they are large enough to support procreation; age isn’t as important!
The female delivers 12-24 eggs in a moist, concealed nest about a month after copulation. Corn snakes do not incubate their eggs and move immediately after laying them.
The eggs incubate for about ten weeks before baby snakes break free. The babies are about five inches long when they spawn and abandon the nest soon after.
Albino corn snakes were bred in captivity for the first time in the 1960s, making them one of the most ancient morphs ever!
They are among the most adaptable and extensively bred morphs. Breeders have used the essential albino mutation to establish new and intriguing morphs such as the mandarin, opal, fire, and reverse Okeetee.
The lifespan of Albino Corn Snake
The average albino corn snake’s lifespan is 15-20 years as a companion animal. However, these snakes have been known to live for up to 23 years! They are healthy morphs with no genetic issues and live just as long as typical corn snakes.
If you capture a wild corn snake and try to maintain it in captivity, likely, it will not live very long.
Snakes have a difficult time adjusting to an entirely new environment. Thus, snakes born into captivity live long and healthy lives.
Another factor limiting a corn snake’s lifespan in the wild is its resemblance to copperheads.
Copperheads are highly venomous and are frequently killed on sight by landowners for self-preservation.
While corn snakes do not look exactly alike, they are comparable enough to cause concern. This is unfortunate because corn snakes can be beneficial to humans.
Housing an Albino corn snake
You can begin with a plastic shoebox-sized receptacle for a baby albino corn snake.
Provide a small log or a cork tube for taking shelter, and add some fauna to the box. Your pet snake’s chamber will need to grow in size as the baby grows.
A 10-gallon glass enclosure is appropriate for a juvenile aged six months to a year, which should be upgraded to a larger glass enclosure as your pet gets bigger.
For adult albinos, the enclosure size should be a minimum of 20 gallons, but 30-40 gallons is usually ideal concerning the snake’s growth.
Shut the vivarium with a screen top for suitable ventilation and check for gaps because seeking an escaped snake is difficult! They should be provided with at least two hide boxes, particularly for shedding.
Cork bark hide boxes are fantastic, and one-one hide boxes should be placed on the cooler side and the warmer end.
Moist moss should be kept in the shedding hide to establish a humid environment and facilitate shedding.
Heating and Lighting setup for Albino Enclosure
They thrive in ambient temperatures ranging from 75°-85° F in the daytime and 65°-72° F at night.
Natural light arrangements are ideal for lighting. But ensure that receptacles are never placed directly next to a window because the sun’s position or heat intensity is not stable.
Because snakes prefer to be warmed from the underside, the best heating method is using a heat lamp, heat pad, or heat tape.
Substrate for Albino Corn Snake
Aspen shavings are the best substrate for your albino corn snake. Because the substrate is non-abrasive and gentle, it can burrow without fear of ingesting the material.
It would be best to avoid sand and wood chips as your pet easily inhales the tiny particles, and wood shavings may be too harsh on their skin.
Health Concerns in Albino Corn Snake
Albino corn snakes are known for their toughness and ease of care, making them a popular choice for beginner snake owners.
However, the hygiene of the environment provided is critical for your captive corn snakes’ health. Common health issues in these captive snakes include:
Parasites: This is primarily an issue if you nourish your pet with wild-caught rodents; however, feeding captive pre-killed or frozen mice substantially reduces this risk.
Mouth decay: This mouth infection is due to a poor or dirty environment leading to bloody mucus coming out of the mouth or swollen mouth.
Water Contamination: As the water dish is likely to get dirty very soon, the health of pet corn snakes is at risk. Keeping a clean habitat with fresh water directly correlates with acquiring healthy snakes.
Commonly Asked Questions
How To Identify Whether The Albino Corn Snake Is Male Or Female?
Unless snakes are probed or popped, no differentiating characteristic distinguishes a male from a female. The existence of hemipenis indicates that a snake is male and vice versa.
What Do Baby Albino Corn Snakes Look Like?
Albino corn snake newborns will be 9 to 14 inches long and will be patterned similarly to adult Albino corn snakes, except their specks will be a darker red, and their orange coloration will be much more vibrant.
Do Albino Corn Snakes Have Teeth?
Albinos have needle-like teeth tilted backward and behave like bristles to help them capture and cling to their prey.
How Often Do Albino Corn Snakes Shed?
Corn snakes shed their skin once a month when they are young, which will be spaced out a few times a year once they enter maturity.
Are Albino Corn Snakes Blind?
Some albino corn snakes are blind, but most have very poor eyesight. They rely primarily on scent to take in the environment around them.
Do you adore this one-of-a-kind reptile’s color palette? If you’re acquainted with the care requirements of a regular corn snake, this morph could be an excellent choice for your next pet.
However, remember that an albino corn snake can live for more than 20 years, so be willing to care for it for an extended period!
(Last Updated on October 14, 2022 by Sadrish Dabadi)
