Skip to Content

Can You Take Your Corn Snake Outside? (Risks to Consider)

Can You Take Your Corn Snake Outside? (Risks to Consider)

Share this post:

The purpose of this blog is to share general information and is written to the author's best knowledge. It is not intended to be used in place of veterinary advice. For health concerns, please seek proper veterinary care. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you’re used to pets like dogs and cats, you may be wondering if your pet snake would like to explore the great outdoors too. So, can you take your corn snake outside, or is it too risky?

It’s possible in controlled environments. However, there are many precautions you’d need to take to keep your pet corn snake, as well as other humans and animals, safe.

In this article, we hope to guide you through the pros and cons of taking your pet corn snake outside.

How Can You Take Your Corn Snake Outside?

If you really want your corn snakes to experience the outdoors, it’s best to avoid public spaces. So, you’ll need to confine them to your yard and only take them outside if it’s warm enough.

When you’re on your own property, you can be sure that there are no pesticides or wild animals that can harm your snake.

You can hold onto them while you’re outside or let them slither in the grass as long as you have your eye on them the entire time.

What Are the Risks of Taking Your Corn Snake Outside?

You need to think about not only your pet but also other people and animals around you.

So, before you rush and take your corn snake outside the cage, consider these potential risks:

They Can Endanger Other Wildlife

Snakes are predators and can easily prey on smaller animals, posing a risk to the environment when they’re let out into the wild.

If they eat any birds or rodents outside, they may also end up contracting diseases that these animals were carrying.

They May Get Stressed and Hide

Unlike cats and dogs, who are usually happy to roam around new places, snakes can get stressed when suddenly brought to an unknown environment. While snakes are predators, they’re also prey to plenty of larger animals.

Their first instinct when they feel unsafe is to hide. So, if you take your eye off of them for just a second, you may lose sight of them!

After all, some corn snakes love to burrow under the dirt. If that happens, you’ll have a hard time catching them.

So, if you really want to take your corn snakes outside, it’s better to wait until they’re fully grown because it’s easier to lose them when they’re babies.

The Environment Outside May Not Be Suitable for Them

Corn snakes need the right amount of warmth to thrive. If the temperature where you live is any different, this can stress them out.

Plus, leaving your pets outside for too long might give them respiratory and digestive issues.

Corn snakes prefer warmer temperatures. The hottest part of their tanks, or their basking site, is usually set to 85 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

Your Snake May Frighten Other People (And Vice Versa)

Taking your corn snake out to public spaces comes with the risk of scaring people who aren’t used to seeing pet reptiles.

If your snakes are in an environment where people are screaming and panicking, this may stress them out as well. People might also accidentally bump into your pets and injure them.

How Long Can a Corn Snake Be Out of Its Cage?

Corn snakes need a controlled environment to thrive. That’s why it’s best to handle them outside of the cage for only 10 to 15 minutes.

If it’s your first time handling your pet reptiles, try to hold them for only a few minutes at a time to allow them to get used to it.

When the temperature and humidity outside match what’s in their cage, then they can stay out for longer. Still, you might want to keep it under 30 minutes.

What to Do if Your Corn Snake Escaped?

If your snake somehow escapes while you’re outdoors, get as much help as you can for the search.

You’ll need to cover lots of ground and check for any holes in your yard and other warm, dark spaces such as storage sheds. Thankfully, once snakes find a good hiding place, they’ll usually stay put.

Remember to alert all your neighbors immediately to keep them from panicking about the loose snake. Show them photos so they can recognize your snake, and ask them to call you as soon as they see anything.

If you still can’t find your snake, try setting up traps with their favorite food, like thawed feeder mice. The lost pet will likely come out to get it at night, so keep an eye out.

Final Thoughts

There are more risks than benefits to taking your corn snake outside. It’s best to only do so in completely safe and secure environments and under constant surveillance.

If you want to keep snakes from getting bored, there are always ways to entertain them indoors by enriching their tank.

Share this post: