The basic needs of the corn snake include water, food, proper temperature, some sort of enclosure to prevent escape and to allow for movement, a type of bedding material or substrate to provide shelter and a place for waste material, and proper lighting.

The right enclosure for a snake depends on the age and/or size. For an adult, a 20 or 25 gallon glass reptile terrarium with a tight fitting screen lid makes an ideal vivarium for the snake. For a hatchling up to about 30 inch juvenile, a 7 inch by 12 inch reptile enclosure sold at Walmart works very good.
 

A typical setup would include square reptile heat pad stuck to the outside bottom at one end to provide a warm end (82-88 degrees F) while the cool end is in the range of 70 to 82 degrees. Flexwatt heat tape connected with a dimmer for temperature regulation also works great.
Good substrates include shredded aspen, reptibark, newspapers, paper towels, or astroturf. Do not use sand, cedar or pine shavings or chips. There are also other commercially available substrates that can be used for corn snakes. It is best to have a substrate that can either be regularly changed or cleaned.

It is important to have a tight fitting lid on the enclosure with all possible holes for escape plugged. A hatchling can escape through a hole no larger than the end of a straw. Snakes are strong, so they can also pry open a lid if it is not tight and secure. Commercial reptile enclosures generally have good locking mechanisms to prevent escape.
 

The enclosure should contain a heat source as previously described. Under tank heaters are strongly recommended, and it is also better if they can be regulated. The temperature can be regulated with a light dimmer or a thermostat to maintain the proper range of temperatures. Heat rocks should never be used since they can burn the snake. Heat lamps can also be used, but are generally not required with corn snakes, as they are with some other types of reptiles. Be careful with any heating system to make sure that the enclosure does not get too hot and that the snake has a cool place so that it can thermo-regulate.

The enclosure should have a water dish that is large enough for the snake to immerse itself. For adults, a container the size of an 8 oz. Cool whip container works good. For smaller snakes, a proportionally smaller bowl may be used. The water should be changed at least twice a week.

We use GSE (grapefruit seed extract) in our water at 5 - 15 drops per gallon to reduce harmful bacteria. For hatchlings up to about 20 inch juveniles, chlorinated tap water is not recommended, but either bottled drinking water or spring water is recommended. We also recommend not using distilled water since it can cause harm to the snake.
The enclosure should have at least one hide for the snake to have a secluded place to stay. Some snakes will spend most of the daylight hours in the hide, and come out only at night, while others will infrequently use the hide. Even better is to put a hide on the cool end and another on the warm end of the enclosure. Cornsnakes are naturally most comfortable in seclusion, so the snake will often spend a lot of time burrowed in the substrate. It is healthy to let the snake have plenty of time in hiding to allow them to properly digest meals and conserve on their energy. During winter when the humidity is very low, a damp hide is also recommended during shedding time to allow the skin to moisten so that the snake can have a normal shed. Typical hides include commercial hides made to look like hollow logs or the like. Less expensive, but equally attractive to the snake, include paper towel tubes or cut milk cartons For damp hides, we use inexpensive plastic containers with a hole about twice the diameter of the snake cut out of the side. The container is then half filled with damp spagnum moss.