Tips for Bathing a Corn Snake

Bathing a pet snake is a simple and straightforward process – but with loads of benefits for your pet.  An occasional bath for your Corn Snake can therefore go a long way to having a happy and healthy snake. Bathing can help relieve constipation in your snake, and it can also kill mites and promotes shedding. 

Use warm spring or filtered water.  Don’t use tap or chlorinated water as the chemicals in the water can actually irritate their skin.  A good range between 100 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit is a good level for a snake bath. And because they are sensitive to temperature changes, you’ll want to provide them with a reasonably warm bath. 

You can help your snake get into the bath, but more often than not, they will quickly bathe themselves. You don’t want your Corn Snake getting away from you during bathing time; you might want to place a sufficiently roomy bowl of the warm bath water in an enclosure. 

Just let your Corn Snake swim freely around in the water. If it shows signs of agitation, take it out immediately. Otherwise, let it soak around for 5 to 15 minutes.  When it is done, pick it up, gently use a towel to dry it off, and then return it to his now clean, sterilized, disinfected, and thoroughly dried habitat. 

Some recommend placing your snake in a holding cage immediately after a bath as some snakes can defecate immediately after a bath, and you don’t want him doing this too soon within the newly cleaned cage.  Give your Corn Snake sufficient time in the holding cage to do his business before moving him back to his home.