Corn snakes are a popular pet snake that have captivated reptile enthusiasts for years. If you’re considering getting one, you may be wondering: do corn snakes have teeth? The quick answer is yes – corn snakes do have small, curved teeth that help them grasp and swallow prey.
In this approximately 3000 word guide, we’ll take an in-depth look at corn snake teeth. We’ll discuss their number, size, location, development, usage, potential issues like tooth damage, and compare them to the teeth of other common pet snakes.
How Many Teeth Do Corn Snakes Have?
Corn snakes, also known as red rat snakes, are non-venomous species of snakes typically found in the southeastern and central United States. As constrictors, they use their teeth to grasp and hold prey while they coil their bodies around it to subdue it before swallowing.
But exactly how many teeth do they have?
Teeth Counts by Age
Baby corn snakes are born with a full set of teeth that they use for hunting. According to herpetological experts, newly hatched corn snakes have around 12-16 teeth, both on the upper and lower jaw. As they grow older and bigger, they shed their teeth and regrow replacements similar to how sharks regrow teeth throughout their lives.
An adult corn snake has 24-30 teeth total.
Tooth Replacement Throughout Life
Corn snakes are polyphyodonts, meaning they can regrow teeth multiple times. Each time they shed their skin as they grow, a new set of teeth emerges. By adulthood around 2-3 years old, they develop their full adult number of teeth.
| Corn Snake Age | Number of Teeth |
|---|---|
| Newly hatched | 12-16 teeth top and bottom |
| 1 year | 20-24 teeth top and bottom |
| 2-3 years (adult) | 24-30 teeth total |
The number of regrown teeth varies slightly depending on the individual snake’s genetics and development. Throughout their life span of Reptile guides indicate that hatchling corn snakes may have around 20-22 teeth in each upper jaw quadrant and 18-21 teeth in each lower jaw quadrant. As the snakes mature, these teeth are sequentially replaced with larger and more robust teeth over time.
Location and Arrangement
The teeth of corn snakes are positioned along the upper jawbones, known as premaxillae and maxillae, and along lower jawbones, known as the dentaries. According to reptile dental research, the premaxillary and maxillary teeth arranged in corn snakes fall into five tooth families based on size, shape and positioning along the mouth.
The teeth toward the midline of the mouth tend to be longer with more curvature. Overall, the arrangement allows corn snakes to use their mouths effectively for handling slick and smooth-scaled prey like rodents and birds by providing various scales of teeth for different gripping needs.
When Do Baby Corn Snakes Get Teeth?
Corn snakes, like all snakes, are born with a full set of teeth. The teeth are present from birth to help the hatchlings feed on their first meals.
Newly hatched corn snakes typically have around 24 tiny, needle-sharp teeth. These teeth are arranged in rows along the upper and lower jaws. The teeth point backwards to help grip and swallow food.
Egg Tooth
In addition to their rows of regular teeth, baby corn snakes have a special temporary tooth called an egg tooth. The egg tooth is located on the tip of the snake’s nose and helps them break out of the leathery egg at hatching.
A few days after hatching, the egg tooth falls off on its own as it is no longer needed by the young snake.
Teeth Function
A corn snake’s teeth serve several important functions:
- Gripping prey – The backward-facing teeth grip and hold onto prey like mice and rats as the snake swallows them.
- Piercing skin – The sharp teeth puncture the skin and bodies of prey.
- Cutting up prey – Serrated cutting edges on some teeth slice up food for easier swallowing.
- Venom delivery – In rear-fanged venomous snakes like boomslangs, teeth channel venom into prey.
As corn snakes grow, they periodically shed their skin. New replacement teeth grow in to take the place of old worn teeth with each skin shed throughout the snake’s life.
What Do Corn Snakes Use Their Teeth For?
Grasping Prey
Corn snakes use their sharp, curved teeth to grasp and hold onto prey like mice and rats. According to reptile care sites like Reptile Direct, their teeth are angled backwards to prevent prey from wriggling free. Once they strike and sink their teeth in, prey have little chance to escape.
Their teeth act like tiny hooks holding onto rodents. Some experts compare it a velcro-like grip. The teeth anchor the prey while snakes simultaneously wrap their muscular bodies around to constrict and subdue victims.
So corn snakes’ teeth serve a key role in securing meals before swallowing them whole.
Swallowing Prey Whole
Another vital function of corn snakes’ teeth relates to consuming prey. They use their specialized jaws to unhinge and stretch wide enough to ingest rodents whole. According to Reptile Guide, their curved teeth act as a one-way valve helping guide large meals down their throats.
The backward-curving teeth prevent slippery prey from escaping back out of their mouths. So while anchoring and grabbing prey is crucial, corn snakes also depend on their teeth to facilitate swallowing rodents efficiently.
Their sharp teeth coupled with flexible jaws enable them to feast on prey nearly as big around as their own bodies!
Corn Snake Tooth Issues and Damage
Broken Teeth
Corn snakes can occasionally suffer from broken or damaged teeth. This is usually caused by improper handling or feeding practices. For example, attempting to feed live prey that is too large for the snake can result in the prey damaging the snake’s teeth if it struggles or bites back.
Similarly, improperly grasping the snake’s head when handling can also lead to broken teeth.
Signs of broken teeth in corn snakes include difficulty grasping and swallowing prey, loss of appetite, and bleeding or discharge from the mouth. The snake may also rub its mouth against surfaces in an attempt to alleviate pain or discomfort from the damaged teeth.
Minor tooth fractures may heal on their own over time as the teeth are constantly being replaced. However, severely damaged or dislodged teeth will require veterinary attention. The damaged teeth may need to be extracted to prevent infection or abscess.
Your exotic veterinarian can examine the mouth and determine the best treatment option.
To avoid broken teeth, use care when handling your snake to not put pressure on the jaws or head. Also, feed pre-killed prey that is appropriately sized for the particular snake. Monitor the feeding to make sure the snake is not having difficulty grasping or swallowing the prey item.
Mouth Rot
Mouth rot is a common mouth infection seen in snakes and can affect their teeth. It is caused by bacteria opportunistically infecting the mouth tissues, often secondary to another injury or illness. Poor husbandry and hygiene can predispose snakes to developing mouth rot.
Symptoms of mouth rot include swelling of the jaws, pus discharge from the mouth, difficulty eating, and rotten smell from the mouth or lesions on the lips and gums. The infection can spread rapidly and lead to tooth loss, gum recession, and extensive tissue damage if left untreated.
Mouth rot requires veterinary treatment. Your vet will prescribe antibiotic medication to fight off the infection. Topical antiseptic rinses may also be recommended. In severe cases, necrotic tissue will need to be surgically debrided. Extracting teeth lost to the infection may also be necessary.
To prevent mouth rot, proper husbandry is key. Keep the snake’s enclosure clean and disinfect any items going into the enclosure, especially food and water bowls. Quarantine new snakes before introducing them. Address any retained sheds around the mouth that can trap bacteria.
Also, avoid damage to the mouth and teeth from improper feeding techniques.
With prompt veterinary care and improved husbandry practices, most cases of mouth rot can be successfully treated. This will help prevent permanent damage like tooth loss and allow the snake to regain normal functioning of its mouth.
How Corn Snake Teeth Compare to Other Snakes
Venomous Snakes
Unlike venomous snakes like rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths, corn snakes do not have fangs or venom. Venomous snakes have modified teeth called fangs that are hollow and allow venom to flow from glands in their mouths into prey.
Fangs are located near the front of the mouth, whereas corn snakes have rows of small, pointed teeth running along their upper and lower jaws. These help them grasp and swallow prey rather than inject venom.
While corn snakes typically have between 14-20 teeth in a single row on each side of their upper jaw, venomous snakes like cobras can have up to six rows of teeth on each side. This allows them to replace fangs quickly if one breaks off.
Overall, venomous species have more numerous and more specialized teeth.
Constrictors
As constrictors, corn snakes have similar dentition compared to snakes like pythons and boa constrictors. All three species have curved, backward-facing teeth for grasping prey but lacking large fangs or venom. However, the number and size of teeth can vary among them.
For example, ball pythons may only have around 100 teeth compared to the corn snake’s 14-20 teeth in each upper jaw row. But corn snakes generally have smaller teeth than large constricting species. An adult burmese python has approximately 500 needle-like teeth reaching up to a quarter-inch long.
This allows them to consume very large meals. By contrast, corn snakes have smaller mouths and teeth that top out at roughly 1/16th of an inch.
Egg Eating Snakes
Snakes that consume mostly eggs, like egg-eating snakes and African egg-eaters, have specialized dentition. According to San Diego Zoo, these rear-fanged snakes have bony extensions on their neck vertebrae that essentially act like false teeth.
These protrusions crack eggshells when the snakes ingest their prey head first. They also have thicker, harder mouths to withstand the pressure of crunching shells.
Other egg specialists like corn snakes have different adaptations. A 2015 paper in The Anatomical Record confirmed corn snakes and other oophagous colubrid species swallow eggs whole. While they have enlarged teeth compared to insects-eating snakes, their teeth are not as specialized as egg-eaters.
Corn snakes also lack the vertebral neck ribs for cracking shells. Instead, they use strong throat muscles to compress eggs once swallowed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, corn snakes do indeed have small, hooked teeth that help them catch and consume prey. While their teeth are numerous in young snakes, the total count decreases over time. Understanding the form and function of corn snake teeth can help you provide better care.
If you notice any signs of tooth damage or mouth rot, be sure to seek veterinary care. With proper housing, feeding, and handling, your corn snake can continue using its specialized teeth to thrive for years to come!
