I had a corn snake from January 30, 1993, when it was about four to six months old, until it's death, on December 20, 2003. That makes a total age of about 11 1/4 - 11 1/2 years old, which is not untimely for a corn snake, although they can live much longer.
A corn snake needs at least a 20 gallon aquarium, with a mesh screen top, sold for such purposes. Screen clips are a must, enough to clip on all the places where it might sneak its head and body under. They're a lot stronger and more resilient than one might think, and if your snake isn't locked up tight, you might find an empty cage. Or in my case, I might wake up to a lumpy eight foot Burmese python, and a missing 17 1/2 year old cat, who weighs about the same as her age.
A "20 High" aquarium is preferable, because they are a climbing snake. A couple branches, taken from the outdoors and baked slightly in the oven to kill anything nefarious are fine. Arrange them in such a fashion as to allow the structure to hold when the snake makes it's way up the branches. If the snake will be kept in a non-air conditioned room, where temperatures at least half the year will be expected to get at least into the 80's, it doesn't need a lot of heating lamps. In a place like Alaska, I'd say you need a fixture that will support heating lamps.
Corn snakes should be kept at a day time temperature of no more than 85-90 degrees, and this is not even necessary all year round. Your snake does not have to be allowed to hibernate. If you want, it is possible to have the day time temperature hit about 85 in the cage, and get down to 60 at night all year round, a very natural environment for a corn snake. But it's also nice to follow the four seasons that most corn snakes are exposed to in the wild, however. If the cage ever gets to 75 during the day, but no more, the corn snake may go into a semi-hibernative state. NEVER attempt to feed a snake that isn't active, and is constantly below the maximum temperature range that it usually sees in it's natural environment. Even a constant level of three or four degrees below the maximum range, can result in a snake that should not be fed.
Fixtures are available which can provide for heating lamps, or the lesser temperatures of full spectrum light fluorescent lamps. With the fluorescent lamps, it will be hard for the environment to get to the 75 degree level a lot of times. There will be long stretches where you will have to give a corn snake an environment that's 85-90 degrees, if you want to mimick the seasons. This is not only proper for feeding, but for treating it to the most natural environment.
As for something to hide under, EVERY snake needs some place to hide away, from the light and everything else. Call it whatever you want to, but snakes need solitude for proper maintenance of their mind and body. Yes, their mind and body. Stressed out snakes soon become dead snakes. So do overheated snakes. Buy a hump log like the one in talumn's picture. They have them much smaller for corn snakes and other snakes their size. Most pet corn snakes will reach 3 1/2 to 5 feet. The biggest corn snake measured 6 feet. Mine was 4 1/2 feet, about average, and about the thickness of a hot dog.
Anything else I can help you with, let me know.
