Regurgitation	The tank may be too cold. This will make the mouse to rot in your snake, finally causing the snake to regurgitate.  Additionally, the mouse may have been to large.
Snake refuses to eat.	Make sure your tank is warm enough and the mouse is not too big.  Your snake might also be in a mating cycle or a brumation cycle (a semi-hibernation state).  If a female is full of eggs she will stop eating.  If the day length has shortened, your snake might slow down eating.  Finally, if your snake does not feel secure, he might stop eating.  Provide him with one or two nice hiding places.  To entice a snake to eat, try both dead prey, then live prey.  Try feeding your snake during the day, and then at night.  A towel over the tank may help, as will snipping open the dead mouse’s nose or head.  If you do not resolve this problem, take your snake to the vet to rule out bacteria, protozoa or worms.  When your snake defecates, collect the feces in a clean bag and take it to a reptile veterinarian.
Thin, stringy mucous coming from the nose or mouth, or changes in feces or urates.	Sign of a disease or infection.  Take to a reptile veterinarian immediately.
Sudden Death	Unfortunately, inbreeding to create “cool colors” has resulted in some quick and unexplained deaths in corn snakes.
Milky blue eyes, dull body color with a whiteish sheen.	This is not a problem.  Your healthy snake is due to shed!  If you watch, your snake’s eyes will clear, and he will begin to shed.  Soak your snake in warmish water after his eyes clear to assure proper hydration.  This will enable your snake to shed within the next 24 hours.

Corn Snake Habitat Heating

---

Snakes are cold-blooded, and therefore cannot regulate their own body heat. They will die if their tanks are either too hot or too cold. Be sure to keep your tank a constant temperature, or your snake might begin to hibernate. Corn snakes do well in a range from 70 to 82 degrees. One side of the tank should be room temperature, with the other side being the warming area. Never use heat rocks, as they can burn your snake.

Use full-spectrum fluorescent bulb for vitamin and mineral metabolism. An incandescent bulb can be added to the same fixture in the cage top to provide both light and heat. Remember that the higher the wattage, the higher the temperature. To prevent serious burns, your snake must not be able to touch the light in any way.

There are several other heat options other than incandescent lights. Many snake owners find undertank pads or reptilian heat tapes quite handy. If you decide to use the heating pad, check it daily to be sure you are not cooking your snake. If it is too hot to touch, it is definitely too hot for your snake. You may place newspaper at the bottom of your tank under the bedding to dissipate the heat.

Heat tape strips do not get as hot as pads, and are a bit safer. They are sold in 3 inch wide or 11 inch wide pieces. You can get any length you wish. Do not completely cover the bottom of the tank with either the pads or the tape. Choose one end or the back side of the tank, so your snake has the option to move away from the heat. ALWAYS keep a thermometer in your tank.