Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have been interested in reptiles since i was about 3 (my grandad is a reptile vet) and i already have 2 leopard geckos and i wanted to get a corn snake. i have looked in the pets shops and found a lovely 5 month old amelanistic.

so a few questions:

1. is this a good age to buy them at?
2. about how much is a good price? (im in england and this one was priced £40
3. how big should its cage be? should it get bigger as the snake grows? or can they live in a 50cm long one for life?
4. am i right in thinking it will be eating about 2 pinkies at this age and about under 2cm thick?

thanks for any help in advance

baby corns are fine as long as they feed.
Ask the pet store what day they feed - come back the next day, and get one with an obvious lump in it.

I have no idea on the value - pet shops tend to charge more than breeders, but when you factor shipping in, are often (but not always) less than breeders.

If I did my math right - your tank has a length of 20 inches which sounds like what we call a 10 gallon here in the US - which is fine for a baby but small for an adult.
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x.y L. getula californiae (Cal. King)
x.y L. getula nigrita (MBK)
x.y L. getula floridana (Brooksi)
x.y Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn)
0.1 Pituophis catenifer catenifer (Pacific gopher)
0.1 Heterodon nasicus (W Hognose)
x.y.z Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata - (Cal. Alligator Lizard)

Hi

Not too sure about the age thing, I think they're rand to get at any age.
The price sounds about right, I'm in .Ireland and paid about that for my 'normal'.
As FunkyRes says thats grand while its young but I think the general rule of thumb is to make sure the snake can straighten out along 1 or 2 sides.
2 pinkies is prob ok, of maybe fuzzies/fluffs at that point.

I'm still a novice but that's what I've picked up from the folks here!

I think you've got some pretty good advise.
The price seems about right, especially if you want the snake.
It's so hard to say without seeing the snake or knowing it's feeding history but I would probably lean more towards fuzzies as stated already..
The size tank you mentioned would probably be fine for about a year but I would move up to something a little larger for it to live as an adult.
I think the basic "rule-of-thumb" is an enclosure that is at least as wide and long as your snake.
In other words..the length of your enclosure plus the width of your enclosure should be at least as long as your snake.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

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have decided to keep it in a small faunarium when i first get it as thats waht its used to, then when it gets older i will move it to one bout the same size as my geckos tank which is bout a 25 galln i think. i will ask the petshop if its eating pin kies or fuzzies.

thanks for the help

i dont know what petshops are like in england, but if their anything like in the u.s. be carefull.

i dont know centimeters but corns usauly grow to 36-48 inches
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jake barney

my addiction:
1.1 normal ball pythons
0.2.1 corns
1.0 albino cal king
0.0.1 wc garter