Corn Snakes are one of the best beginner pet snakes, and they come in many different very cool looking variations. These variations are often referred to as morphs.
Currently, there are hundreds of different corn snake morphs out there.
Additionally, Different Corn Snake morphs are created when you breed a variation of different Corn Snake Morphs together.
That said, if you considering buying a Corn Snake as a pet, you have a ton of different cool Corn Snake colors to choose from.
Their colors can vary from jet black to orange creamsicle, and they can even come in a purple, lavender color! Another great thing about Corn Snakes as pets is that they typically don’t cost too much compared to other species of snakes.
Of course, some rare morphs can run in the hundreds or even the thousands of dollars. But, most common morphs are typically available for under $100.
Corn Snake Ownership FAQs
How Are Different Corn Snake Morphs Bred?
Without going into too much detail, here’s how different Corn Snake Morphs are created. All variations of color and pattern are based on the Punnet Square. This calculation looks at the genetic makeup of both “parents”, and takes into consideration both dominant and recessive genes.
In fact, genetics and biology have a lot to do with how different morphs are bred across all species of snakes.
Want to learn more? Check out this exercise for science students published on the National Science Teaching Association. The exercise goes into detail how students learned the Punnet Square by studying the genetic traits of Corn Snakes an what types of morphs will be created by breeding different morphs together.
Are Corn Snakes Good Pets?
Yes, absolutely. Corn Snakes make great pets for a number of different reasons. First, they are one of the best pet snakes to own. This is because they are low maintenance, and generally don’t require as much care compared to other more complicated species.
Second, Corn Snakes are plentiful and you can find them just about anywhere that sells snakes. They aren’t that expensive, don’t grow too large, and are generally easy to handle and like to be held. Also, there are a ton of different corn snake morphs to choose from!
How Much Does It Cost to Own a Corn Snake?
Corn Snakes are fairly cheap compared to other species of pet snakes. That said, some Corn Snake Morphs can run up in the $100’s and $1,000’s of dollars. Typically, only serious collectors and enthusiasts will dish out that much money for a really unique morph.
Most of the time, Corn Snakes will range between $20-$80 depending on what morph you’re looking to choose. There are a lot of other costs that factor in to owning a pet snake, too. Be prepared for the expenses before buying a pet snake, because some of them can be unexpected and can add up.
How Many Different Colors do Corn Snakes Come In?
Corn Snakes come in a ton of different colors, commonly referred to as morphs. So, just how many different Corn Snake colors are available?
Somewhere in the 700-800 range. That’s right – there’s a ton of variations of Corn Snake morphs.
What Size Terrarium Do Corn Snakes Need?
To start, Corn Snakes don’t grow all to large which is why they make such a great beginner pet snake. Consequently, you won’t need a huge tank for the duration of it’s life.
Generally speaking, a 20 gallon snake tank should do just fine to house your corn snake.
Additionally, there are a lot of other options like DIY terrariums and starting your pet Corn Snake off in a smaller enclosure and upgrading as it grows.
Rule of thumb, always get a terrarium that is at least 2/3s the length of your pet snake. That way, your little buddy will have plenty of room to roam around and stretch out.
Are Corn Snakes Dangerous, and Do They Bite?
Corn Snakes are an extremely friendly species, hence their popularity as beginner pet snakes. That said, you do run the risk of them biting you or striking at you every now and again.
However, don’t fret. Usually, Corn Snake bites are painless. Heck, you probably won’t even feel it if they bite you. Most of the time, Corn Snakes strike humans just to say that they don’t feel like being handled or they feel threatened.
To avoid biting, it’s best to keep an eye out for warning signs. If your Corn Snake is coiled up or looks stressed, it’s best to avoid handling at that time. Additionally, snakes can become ornery around feeding time. It may not be the best idea to handle right before or after feeding.
How Big Do Corn Snakes Get?
Corn Snake mostly size depends on age. Many species have vast size variances between male and female. Corn Snakes however, do not.
Hatchling Corn Snakes average about 8-14 inches, and they are pencil thin – as are many other hatchling species.
When they grow up, adult Corn Snakes length can vary. Sometimes, the size of an enclosure can impact the maximum length of a Corn Snake. Captive Corn Snake size can vary between 24-54 inches. While that seems like a wide range, most of the time they end up being somewhere between 36-48 inches. Typically, only the specimens get larger than 48 inches and smaller than 36 inches.
Rule of thumb, ask your breeder how large the Corn Snake will get when purchasing. They will likely be able to give you a good size estimate so you can plan accordingly.
Corn Snake Morphs
Now that you know about the Punnet Square and how different morphs are bred, it’s time to get to the fun stuff.
Below, you’ll find our hand picked favorite morphs, along with pictures and descriptions of the different variations.
Ghost Corn Snake Morph
Ghost Corn Snake Morphs look similar to a normal morph, yet they have different and more unique colors. With this morph, you’ll find it has a reddish-brown and light gray pattern swatch.
In the picture above, you’ll see a gorgeous Ghost wrapped around it’s owners hands. Notice how the base color near the heat is the reddish-brown, and it seems to flip-flop as the pattern reaches the tail.
The pictured Ghost morph is very young, albeit not quite a newborn snake. This is a more common morph compared to other unique and rare morphs. Generally, Corn Snakes don’t cost all too much. Ghost Corn Snakes fit under this category.
So, how much does a Ghost Corn Snake Morph cost? Typically, you can find them in the $40-$60 dollar range. Of course, that depends on where you buy your slithery friend.
Buck Skin Okeetee Morph
Like the Ghost morph, the Buck Skin Okeetee morph takes on a similar pattern as the “Normal” Corn Snake. The cute Buck Skin Okeetee above is dangling from her owners hands.
You’ll notice the patterns on this gal are a make up of burnt orange and a light dessert sand tan. What a beauty. One of the best features of this particular snake is it’s white and black checkered underbelly.
This Buck Skin Okeetee Corn Snake is likely full grown. Although coiled up, we wouldn’t be surprised if she was around 3 feet long.
When it comes to cost, this is another one that is in a reasonable price range. You can usually find the Buck Skin Okeetee Corn Snake morph for around $50 bucks.
Anery Corn Snake
The Anery Corn Snake morph takes a more neutral color, but retains the same pattern as the above two variations. This fella looks to be adjusting his jaw back into place. Perhaps he just finished eating, or is simply stretching out his jaw.
Anery morphs have a light gray and dark gray pattern similar to a Normal Corn Snake morph.
The pictured morph looks to be not quite juvenile but not quite full grown Somewhere in the middle, most likely. In any case, it’s a beautiful morph that will range somewhere between $50-$70 dollars.
Motley
The Motley is a more unique morph compared to the previously pictured snakes. This morph has a light tan base, with dark tan lines extending down the length of it’s spine.
He’s a little guy, and will likely grow to be a beautiful 3-4 foot long snake. One of the best features of this Motley Corn Snake is it’s prominent eyes See for yourself, he has a huge, light brown aura around his pupils.
When it comes to cost, this morph usually ranges between $50-$70 dollars.
That said, there are many more advanced Motley variations that can cost upwards of $200-$300 dollars.
Okeetee Corn Snake Morph
While it may not look like it at first glance, there is a slight difference between the straight up Okeetee morph compared to the Buck Skin Okeetee mentioned above.
Standard Okeetee Corn Snakes have a more tan and dark maroon color to them. They’re a variation of the normal Corn Snake, and have a beautiful color pattern.
This one in particular has a very nice looking pattern on it’s head. It almost looks as though she’s wearing a crown.
Cost wise, you’re likely looking at around $50 for an Okeetee Corn Snake Morph.
Reverse Okeetee
Reverse Okeetee morphs have a truly unique color pattern They almost look as if they aren’t real because of their vibrancy. Additionally, this morph has blood red eyes which add to its uniqueness.
The base color of the Reverse Okeetee Corn Snake morph is a light, peach color. The patterns that stretch along it’s spine vary from a an orange color and a pasty, off white color band.
The above juvenile will only grow to be more beautiful as it matures and becomes larger. Just look at how cute it is!
Reverse Okeetee morphs tend to be more on the pricey side because they look so unique, and because they’re more difficult to yield. A reverse Okeetee will usually cost around $125 for a baby.
Orange Creamsicle Corn Snake
What a beauty! This is called an Orange Creamsicle Morph, and it’s pretty easy to tell why.
She’s a full grown Corn Snake, and boasts light and dark patterns stretching across her body. The bright orange color variation is obviously the reason why this morph is called what it is.
Just look at how she’s dangling from that tree! How adorable. Usually, Orange Creamsicle morphs have more red eyes, which leads us to believe this isn’t a “pure” morph pictured above.
That said, it’s still an amazing looking specimen.
When it comes to price, you’re not looking at a huge cost for an Orange Creamsicle. Usually, they run for about $60. Not too shabby for a great looking snake!
Ghost Bloodred Morph
Aside from having the coolest name on this list, the Ghost Bloodred Morph has a subtle, yet eye catching look to it.
First, it looks ghost like (hence the name) with it’s faded and light colors. Imagine trying to spot this gal in some brush or in a pile of dead leaves. She’d blend in just like a ghost.
Second, it has a gray/tan color pattern with a hint of red in the darker parts.
Ghost Bloodred Corn Snakes tend to be more on the pricey side. Cost wise, you’re looking at $150-$200 to get one of these. Worth the cost? maybe to some, but there are plenty of morphs that are cool-looking that cost less.
It all comes down to what you like, though.
Kastanie Stripe Corn Snake Morph
The stripes look magnificent on this Kastanie Stripe Corn Snake. This morph has a stripe pattern, unlike the many other morphs on this list.
The Kastanie Stripe morph has a light gray base color and dark gray strpes that gro from head to tail. Sometimes, the stripes will elongate onto the head more prominently than pictured above.
Also, this morph has pretty, gray eyes. Heck, most every part of this snake is a different shade of gray.
In any case, it’s a beauty and make for a great morph to admire as a pet.
This is one of the more rare Corn Snake Morph, especially because it is striped. Typically, the Kastanie Stripe will run you between $100-$200.
Normal Corn Snake Morph
Ahh, finally. A normal, plain old Corn Snake. These are the ones you’ll find most commonly in the wild. This juvenile Normal morph is wrapped around it’s owners hands, and has stunning bright orange spots that stretch down it’s back.
The typical color variation contains dark, reddish-brown, gray, and bright orange. To be honest, the name “Normal” doesn’t do this morph justice.
It’s incredible looking, and has a very nice color pattern to it.
These little guys are going to be the cheapest morph you can get on this list. But, a low price isn’t a bad thing.
You’ll only have to spend around $20-$30 bucks to pick up a baby Normal Corn Snake morph. Consequently, it’s one of the most cost-friendly pet snakes available.
Albino Tessera
The Albino Tessera morph is down right out of this world. It has likely one of the most bizarrely distinct color markings of any Corn Snake morph.
This guy has a nice, orange-pink base with a dark pink stripe pattern along his backside.
Plus, it has a very unique pattern that is unlike most other morphs on this list.
Lastly, the red eyes on the Albino Tessera Corn Snake is the icing on the cake. They are deep, cherry red and exude vibrancy.
With great looks comes somewhat great cost. Albino Tessera morphs typically run in the $150 range. That’s not too bad, although compared the the one above, it’s fairly steep.
Lavender
Who knew Corn Snakes could be purple? Well, technically, this is the Lavender morph, but it does look slightly purple-ish.
This gal has a light purple hue, with lighter cream-purple spots stretching down it’s back.
Usually, these morphs won’t be too expensive. Lavender Corn Snake morphs will usually be about $75-$80 on average. See? Not too bad. If they were a deeper purple color, they’d likely be more expensive.
Amel Corn Snake Morph
The above pictured morph is of the Amel variety. Amel Morphs look like albino ones, but are technically different.
Amel stands for Amelanistic, which is defined as a lack of pigmentation, specifically melanin.
When Corn Snakes receive the Amelanistic trait , they turn out to be very nice looking. This one has a spotted pattern and has a tangerine and light peach color variation.
Amel Corn Snake Morphs will usually run between $100-$150 dollars depending on the variation. There can be Amel Kastanie, Amel Normal, Amel Tessera, etc. so the costs tend to vary when it comes to these guys.
Miami Corn Snake
Miami Corn Snakes are typically described as a silver snake with burnt orange blotches. They are called Miami Corn Snakes because, well, they are local to the Miami-Dade county in Southeastern Florida.
This morph has one of the most prominent silver base colors of any of the morphs listed here.
When it comes down price, these usually don’t run too high. You can typically get a Miami Corn Snake morph for around $50-$70 bucks. Of course, that depends on where you purchase your Corn Snake.
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