What are some of the bad effects of inbreeding on corn snakes

Do you really want to breed your Cornsnake?

This seemingly simple question is often never considered by the novice. There are several reasons to consider NOT breeding your Cornsnakes!

First, do you have a market for the offspring once they have been produced? Cornsnakes can be very prolific. If you don't have a place to sell them, you can quickly tire of feeding all those little mouths and then cleaning up after all those little.well you get the idea.

Second, do you have adequate food supplies and caging for the offspring? A typical Cornsnake clutch of fifteen hatchlings will consume around thirty newborn mice per week. That's a lot of mice. So many in fact, that local pet shops frequently begin experiencing mouse 'shortages' caused by the increased demand during peak months.

Third, are you willing to risk the life of your Cornsnake? Breeding Cornsnakes is not without risks. On very rare occasions, one snake may actually simply eat the other on introduction. Dystocia (commonly known as egg-binding) is fairly common and poses serious health risks that may require expensive veterinary services. More common is the incredible drain on body resources that egg production places on the female. If not in perfect health, a female can become severely weakened and may succumb to renal failure or disease. Speaking of disease, the simple act of introducing the two snakes together opens the door for pathogen transfer. It is not uncommon for snakes to carry substantial parasite and bacteria loads and appear perfectly healthy, even for years. Introducing such a snake to another may transfer pathogens the second snake is unable to combat; it may then sicken and die.