Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a few questions for all you snake lovers out there. I have three beautiful corn snakes that I am wanting to breed. I am not sure exactly what kind each snake is. I want to breed the two snakes that have the best chance of producing the most marketable variety. I have several pictures so I will have to post a couple messages in order to get all the pictures. On the female I noticed that she has an unusually large head. She is smaller than my two males (in girth) but her head is twice their size. I am wondering if some corn snakes just have bigger heads or is she a cross? I bought her at a show from a breeder, so I trusted him to be honest in that if she is a full corn or cross. Thank you for your time and thanks for looking at my beautiful snakes.

Jonathan and Amber Bennett

There isn't any great demand for amel or snow corns. Breeding those snakes will only give you amel and/or snow offspring. These snakes sell for cheap and since it costs about $50 to ship overnight, the cost of shipping will be more than the cost of an individual baby.

You should also consider that Corn Snakes have clutches of about 16 eggs (sometimes more, sometimes less). Do you have housing, heating, hideboxes, and water dishes for that many baby snakes?

Producing snakes is one thing, being able to sell them is another.

Tim

Since you posed the question as... "which would be the most marketable?" I have to agree with Tim. Though those are certainly beautiful snakes, they are just not in any demand, If you were to take them to a petshop they would certainly not give you more than about 5 bucks, and then would probably only want 1 or 2 at the most. We're not being buzz kills, just giving some honest input. As far as why the one snake has a bigger head, it could just be it's much older? There is also the chance that it is a hybrid. You said you trust the breeder to be honest, what did the breeder say it was? They all look great, and healthy regardless of what you choose to do with them, good luck!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

>>Since you posed the question as... "which would be the most marketable?" I have to agree with Tim. Though those are certainly beautiful snakes, they are just not in any demand, If you were to take them to a petshop they would certainly not give you more than about 5 bucks, and then would probably only want 1 or 2 at the most. We're not being buzz kills, just giving some honest input. As far as why the one snake has a bigger head, it could just be it's much older? There is also the chance that it is a hybrid. You said you trust the breeder to be honest, what did the breeder say it was? They all look great, and healthy regardless of what you choose to do with them, good luck!
>>-----
>>King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
>> J Sierra

I don't know if its just me or what but that looks more like an albino black rat...may just be my monitor or my old eyes
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Corn snakes and rat snakes...No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)

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Ya know Jimmy, I saw the same things you did. I see an odd dirty/dark wash to the striping on the neck, and I spun the photo around 180 degrees on my computer program and took a real good look at the head, and it seems odd for a corn, but more typical of an American Ratsnake. Also, the yellow flecking on the head/snout with zero chevron pattern, even though the striped corn gene would eliminate most all of it though. I blew the pics up and saw moderately keeled scales that are also indicative of a Ratsnake as opposed to a corn.

Considering all these things, I actually don't think it is a cornsnake at all (at least certainly not a pure one), but rather an amel yellow rat cross of some kind.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -Serpentine Specialties

>>Ya know Jimmy, I saw the same things you did. I see an odd dirty/dark wash to the striping on the neck, and I spun the photo around 180 degrees on my computer program and took a real good look at the head, and it seems odd for a corn, but more typical of an American Ratsnake. Also, the yellow flecking on the head/snout with zero chevron pattern, even though the striped corn gene would eliminate most all of it though. I blew the pics up and saw moderately keeled scales that are also indicative of a Ratsnake as opposed to a corn.
>>
>> Considering all these things, I actually don't think it is a cornsnake at all (at least certainly not a pure one), but rather an amel yellow rat cross of some kind.
>>
>>
>> ~Doug

The head shape and size and its lack of any normal "corn snake" markings is what caught me eye to begin with but the over all color and patterning of the snake just don't look corn to me..
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Corn snakes and rat snakes...No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)

_____

.
-----
"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -Serpentine Specialties