Are you considering male or female Corn snakes as a pet and want to know which gender you should get or how big it can get, or do you already have both genders but can’t differentiate the Male from the female?
This blog post will look at the difference in size between male and female Corn snakes and discuss other notable traits and features unique to both to help you easily differentiate between a male and female Corn snake.
Are male Corn Snakes bigger than Females?
Male corn snake sizes are bigger than female Corn snakes.
Moreover, If you are wondering, how big do male Corn Snakes get?
Male Corn snakes can grow up to 6 feet long, while female Corn snakes rarely grow more than 4 feet long.
The male Corn snakes are 50% bigger than female ones, and if you want an enormous Corn snake as a pet, you should go for the Male, but if you prefer a smaller one, you should get a female Corn snake.
How to tell the difference between a Male and Female Corn snake
Despite looking the same, there are still subtle differences between a male and female Corn snake.
The first noticeable difference is that male Corn snakes are bigger than females. Aside from that, other notable features differentiate Male vs. female corn snakes. Let’s look at some of them:
Tails:
Secondly, Male Corn snakes have longer tails than females, while females have shorter claws.
The males use this tail to attract mates, while the shorter claws help the female Corn snake climb better.
Male Corn snakes also have thicker bodies than females.
Cloaca openings:
A third way to tell the difference between a male and female Corn snake is through the size of their cloacal openings.
The cloaca opening is where Corn snakes pass out urine and feces and where Corn snakes deliver sperm during mating.
Female Corn snakes have bigger cloacal openings than males. Also, with female Corn snakes, the tail narrows just after the cloacal opening, but the tails stay wide in the Male.
Femoral Pores:
Another way to differentiate a male from a female Corn snake is through their femoral pores.
Femoral pores are small spots found on the underside of a Corn snake, just after the cloacal.
Male Corn snakes have better-developed femoral spots than females.
Why do male Corn snakes grow bigger than female Corn snakes?
The leading cause of the physical difference between a male and a female Corn snake is hormones.
Males have more testosterone than females, and this makes them grow bigger.
It also gives them a much larger appetite, contributing to Male Corn Snake size.
Other factors that affect the Size and Growth of Corn snakes
Different factors determine the size and development of a Corn snake (Male and female). Let’s look at some of them.
Diet:
Corn snakes love to eat mice, and this is their main staple. While there are other food sources, the mice remain the best food to give your Corn snake if you want it to grow as expected throughout its life.
A corn snake without access to a good food source may not grow properly or be in good health as one that gets the required food when needed.
A lack of proper diet and nutrition can also limit the growth of a Corn snake.
Tank size:
The size of a tank can also affect the size and growth of a Corn snake.
A tank that is too small can limit the growth of a Corn snake, male or female.
And a tank that is too big can scare a baby Corn snake and make it hide and not venture out too long.
I recommend a 5-gallon tank for a baby Corn snake, which you can later exchange for a 20-gallon one when the Corn snake gets to adulthood.
Temperature:
Corn snakes get heat from their environment and may not have proper growth if they don’t get the appropriate temperature from the tank.
Corn Snakes are cold-blooded, and by not having an appropriate temperature, they will try to overcompensate by using too much body energy to maintain their body temperature.
The poor temperature in their tank will stunt their growth. And if it is too cold, the Corn snake may refuse to eat, as it needs heat to digest its food properly.
So, you must ensure the right temperature and humidity in your Corn snake enclosure. You can get a heat lamp to help you maintain the right temperature.
Can you put a Male and Female Corn Snake together?
Yes, but I will not advise putting male Corn snakes with females in the same enclosure.
Corn snakes are solitary animals that prefer to be alone, and putting two in the same enclosure may cause more harm than good.
Often, it is only a matter of time before something happens or they start being aggressive towards one another.
It would be best if you only put Male and females together during mating time.
If not, you risk a high chance of breeding and infighting. The bigger male Corn snake may pick on the smaller female and constantly bully it or even eat it if the female is tiny compared to the Male.
Opportunistic cannibalism happens when a more enormous and hungry Corn snake kills and eats a smaller one.
Male vs. Female Corn Snake Aggression
A bigger and more aggressive male Corn snake can also stop a smaller female one from feeding or basking.
The obvious solution is to remove them from the enclosure when you want to feed them. That way, the bigger one cannot stop the smaller one from eating.
If you have to house them together for any reason, I recommend you get a male and female of similar size and age.
If they are of the same size, there is less chance of bullying and one eating the other.
Big Male Corn Snake and Female Mating
An adult male Corn snake can still mate with a younger female Corn snake if you put them together.
Unfortunately, mating a large male corn Snake with a smaller female may result in egg binding.
Egg binding is when a female Corn snake finds it arduous to eject eggs from the reproductive tract and can be fatal for a young female Corn snake.
The best combination is two female Corn snakes.
Conclusion
So, which is bigger between the Male and the female Corn snake?
The male Corn Snakes are 50% bigger than the female ones.
This size variance is due to the presence of hormones and testosterone in males, which makes them more prominent and eat more.
Besides this, there are other reasons like diet, temperature, and tank size that can affect the size of any Corn snake irrespective of whether they are male or female.
You can also differentiate a male from a female by checking their Femoral pores and Cloaca openings.
