Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The only pet store in our area that carries snakes is a Petco. Should we buy our corn snake from there? I thought about ordering from the internet, but I'm worried about the shipping. We live in Texas and its very hot right now. I'm not sure the snake would survive the trip.

Circe

Shipping can be a problem this time of year, indeed. No reptile shows near you? IF you consider Petco...proceed with caution. As another poster pointed out: Not ALL can be assumed bad. But be careful. My suggestions if you go with Petco:

Ask what day(s) the snakes are being fed, and ask if you can watch them eat. Ask what they are eating (frozen/thawed, live?) and ask to handle the snake(s) you are interested in(Don't handle for 24-48 hours after a meal). Look for any signs of poor health, look for any kind of bugs. Go back to the store the day AFTER they eat, as early as possible, to check for any signs that any animals have regurgitated. ASK if any are EVER regurgitating. The more questions you ask (and the more you learn from these forums so you know what the RIGHT answers are) the more you will find out if the folks at YOUR Petco have a basic knowledge of what they are doing.

Gather info there...Allow it to generate questions HERE...and make the best decision you can. Good luck. Duffy

I know I'm gonna get it for posting this, but...I've purchased snakes (and lizards and frogs) from Petco! And you know what? I've yet to have a problem with them. The only trick is that not all Petcos care for their animals as well as a couple in my area. I've been to some that were questionable at best.

You have to look and make sure that the snake you are purchasing looks alert and feels strong for it's size. The tongue should be flicking like crazy as it tries to figure out who you are and what you're going to do to it. Check the vent for any smearing - a bad sign. Look at the skin - is it nice and shiny? Are there patches of stuck shed (a sign of dehydration or parasites)? Are the eyes nice and round, or are they deflated and sunken in?

It's ultimately up to the purchaser to evaluate the quality of the animal before taking it home.

Good luck!

P.S.

I live in Phoenix and I just had 4 hatchling pythons delivered to me a little over one week ago, with temps in the 100's and 110's. All arrived fine. You can arrange a morning delivery to ensure they arrive before it gets ungodly hot out. Cold packs can be provided, as well as insulation. Talk to the breeder. If they won't accomodate you, then you don't need to be doing business with them anyway.
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
3.4 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
0.1.0 Pueblan Milksnake
1.2.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
0.0.1 Ribbon Snake
1.0.0 Western Hognose
1.0.0 Albino San Diego Gopher Snake
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher Snake
0.1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
1.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (River Road)
0.1.1 California Kingsnakes
1.0.0 Yellowtail Cribo
0.1.0 Blacktail Cribo

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
0.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
2.3.0 Leopard Geckos
1.1.0 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
0.1.0 Green Anoles
FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
0.0.2 Striped Walking Frogs
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs

Looking for a local specialist breeder in the internet? It's usually a sensible option to at least view the animal you are purchasing in an established environment before you buy, at least you can then be satisfied that it appears to be healthy and pleasant natured, and will endure minimal stress in being transported. Look for all the signs mentioned in the previous post, it makes sense to be aware of signs of a healthy snake before you set out to purchase it, tongue flicking, body weight, activity, etc.

Most breeders will allow you to go look at their stock by appointment and if they are breeding their snakes the chances are the adults are healthy and in a suitable environment to promote copulation.

They will also offer sound advice based on experience of housing the parent snakes and most will willingly tell you just about everything they know about the snake you are purchasing. On the other hand if you dont like what you see you can always walk away and avoid buying from someone who obtains their stock from that breeder, though this is not something I have ever needed to do.

On the other hand you may get just as good a service from the local pet shop, as before they really aren't all bad, though personally I'd rather buy from an expert based on their knowledge, experience and the specialist advice they can offer.

There is also the incentive in that breeders will usually specialise in a particular type ie ball, hognose, rat etc, so rather than a general knowledge of "snakes" they will have excellent knowledge about their favoured type

The Lone Star state is blessed with a lot of quality breeders. You may very well be right around the corner from one. Not sure what part of Texas your in, but it might be a good idea to check it out. Cherryville Farms, South Mountain Reptiles, and Split Rock Reptiles are three outstanding breeder in your state. I also know quite a few others that frequent these forums, and if interested I can email their contact info. Also, in addition to corns and balls, check out Thayeri kingsnakes. They are small, docile, and come in a ton of colors and patterns. Good luck with your choice.

Steve

Thanks for all the info. Still researching. The king snake is an interesting idea. Very pretty snake. There are so many kinds to choose from, lol.

Circe

At one point and time, Petco paid for well animal vet checks upon purchase. Petco contracts with a vet in the area. You take the animal and your sales slip to the vet, and the vet bills Petco.

The company doesn't advertise this service, but it did exist upon request about 5 years ago--My old herp vet is/was the designated Petco exotics vet in our area and told me about it. (I now have one just as good, but closer to where I live.) Petco does not pay for medication if your animal needs it, but the office visit and fecal charges are quite a savings.

Sometimes Petco has treasures. For example: I picked up an african clawed gecko for $8.99. It was labelled a mediterranean gecko.

Best of luck with whatever animal you choose!

rgds,
althea

It depends where you are in Texas. There is an expo in Austin later this month, a huge one in Houston in early September, and expos in Dallas, Richardson, San Antonio in the months following. If you live in the eastern half of the state, these would be a much better option because you could choose from thousands of snakes and talk to the breeders.
I would buy a snake from an expo long before I would buy anything from the pet megastores.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Petco stores buy from breeders and brokers.

Many baby snakes there, namely the CB kings and corns, are just as healthy as any at a reptile show when they arrive at Petco. It is just fact. And while many Petco prices are high, there can be some real gem snakes there at very reasonable prices.

There is a fantastic hypo black rat baby at the Petco near me for $40.00, and I've seen big baby creamsicle-looking corns there for $35.00, simply listed as "Cornsnake, baby".

As already stated by others, what Petco lacks is info on the animal and parentage. That is where reptile shows are far superior. Plus reptile shows have more snakes to choose from usually.

Just don't think that Petco snakes come from some nasty place. They often come from the same breeders that frequent reptile shows.