If I recall correctly most of the Exo Terra terrariums tend to be more height than length...but I could be wrong. Other than that I think they are fine for corn snakes.
If you go with a 20 gal. tank (I suggest a 35g long instead...works better if your snake ends up growing 4' long or more), make sure you get a tight fitting screen or better yet mostly solid lid.
I personally recommend sweater and shoe box style containers, far easier to clean and maintain temperatures/humidity. Or, look into the PVC or molded plastic display cages for terrestrial snakes. These tend to be stackable so if you decide to buy more snakes in the future, you can just stack them ontop of eachother. They also have glass doors and spaces for heating pads etc (some even come with heating/lights). They can be expensive but for the size you would need for a corn snake, the prices are not much different than a glass tank.
If you buy a baby cornsnake...its best to set them up in a small tank...even a sandwich sized container will do, with just a corner of it over a heating pad for heat. They do better in tight small environments to start especially. Once they get bigger, you can upside the cage till they are about 2' long, then you can move them to their permanent adult home. But this is just my opinion. Plastic containers are cheap and easy to get in increasing sizes...this way you don't have to waste alot of money buying different sizes of glass tanks. Just buy the big tank for the adult (which will be good for the rest of its life).
Corn snakes tend to be active mostly dusk/dawn, so not really a big display animal...but they do actively explore their environment once older, and when they are starting to get hungry.
I have never been to the NY show, so I can't say what its like personally. However prices tend to be better at shows, for snake and equipment. Going to the show early or right when the doors open, does present the most choice...however, if you go towards the end, often you can get the best bargains if you haggle a little. However, the choices may not be as good.
Up here in Canada...I can find a basic amel baby corn snake at a reptile show for about $60 or less...(been a long time since I priced them here...I know my first corn snake was an amel and I think I paid that much at a show. Though I did buy 2 snow corns from a breeder for $45 a few years later...So consider the prices more an example than accurate, to show difference between breeder/reptile show prices and petstore prices). About a month or two ago, I was in a pet store near here and they had amel (albino) corn snake babies for $189. In general, prices in petstores here are about 2-3 times the price of the same animal (age, sex and morph) would go at a reptile show or direct from a breeder.
At a reptile show, you also get the advantage of seeing the animal, handling it and checking out various different breeders under the same roof. You also can talk with the vendors, especially when its a bit quiet around their tables. Most are very knowledgeable and will give you tons of information, not to mention contact info (business card etc) so you can contact them later on. (if they don't have business cards or are unwilling to give out contact info...I would find another vendor. There are some 'one day wonders' who get space in a show, sell a bunch of imports or poor health animals and vanish...so always keep that in mind.
A healthy snake should be responsive, flicking their tongues when held, should feel firm and hold themselves naturally (ie not limp in hand or iron bar stiff (though this stiffness could just be fear). Look around the eyes, nostrils and vent for any crusty discharge (or bubbling), little reddish dots (mites), or caked on fecal matter (sign of internal parasites). For mites, also check the throat and neck area, this should be pretty much solid white, if it looks like 'pepper' or spotted like a leopard, then the snake most likely is infested with mites. Some babies can be nippy...but most corn snakes are very calm even as babies. A little nippiness doesn't mean the snake will grow up being aggressive...it just means its a little baby in a world it instinctively assumes anything it can't eat, is going to eat it.
A show will also have all cage supplies you could possibly need and probably a whole bunch you don't. paper towel is best for baby snakes as a substrate...shaved aspen works fine for adults, or cypress mulch. You can usually buy huge bags of either at a reptile show for a very good price.
Small tight hides work well for corn snakes too. You can get all kinds of varieties at a show...naturalistic ones, or simple ones, same with water dishes. Personally, I say don't' bother with caves, etc at the reptile show. Just go to your local dollar store and buy a couple ceramic bowls, usually 2-3 for a dollar. For a hide, you can usually find some plastic bowls that can easily have a 'opening' cut into them to serve as a hide, or small tera cotta/ceramic planters or water drip trays. Heck, sometimes decorative knick knacks can serve as a great hide, with a little modification.
In the end, its up to you how you want to decorate your cage.
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PHLdyPayne
Forum Princess
