Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The pet store just got three or four adorable baby corn snakes in and I'd like to buy one because I absolutely detest the condition of their older reptiles and I feel bad for the poor snakes. I want to make sure this is something I'm going to want to get into.

I've been wanting a corn snake for about two years now, ever since a met a friend's. I've done a lot of reading on corn snakes and they look like good "beginners'" snakes--pretty easy to care for, and feeding and cleaning don't seem to be a problem at all.

I'd like something interesting that would move around and that I could handle out of the cage fairly often. Corn snakes are apparently supposed to be pretty inquisitive, which is a plus. I don't want an animal that will sit in its cage basking under a heat lamp all day and nigt in the exact same position and go into hiding whenever I try to pick it up.

Also, I'm going away to college in a couple years so I need to make sure whatever I end up with travels well.

Thanks in advance for the help!

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Corn snakes are excellent snakes. No doubt about that.
They are easy to feed, easy to house, calm and easy to handle, beautiful and interesting.
But..they can tend to be quite sedimentary. They spend more time hiding in their favorite hide then exploring.
If you get a corn snake expecting it to explore around it's tank all day, then you might be disappointed.
They tend to be nocturnal and your only chances to see them exploring may be after dark.
I also believe that after getting a corn snake you will get used to this and still enjoy it immensely.

Another thing I would like to touch on.
As hard as it may be to resist. It really isn't a good practice to buy from a pet store that has obvious problems providing proper care for their animals. This just allows them to continue getting and mistreating animals.
I would suggest finding another pet store that treats their animals properly, searching the Internet (there are some excellent breeders listed at the top of the corn snake forum main page) or possibly finding a show to attend. But once again if you attend a show be sure you know what to look for because not all vendors at shows give their animals the greatest of care.
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Remember, my posts are MY opinion only.
Jimmy (draybar)

Jimmy has made some great points. It might seem intimidating to purchase and obtain a snake through the Internet, but as you probably know from doing two years of research (good job, by the way), there are lots of reputable, professional breeders that can ship a prime specimen to your doorstep.

Lastly, you may want to make sure you can keep a snake at your college. Having to hide an animal whose cage requires heating devices can be bad news. I've heard stories.

At any rate, good luck. I hope you find a snake that suits your preferences and gives you years of enjoyment.

-Brandon
www.nosnakeban.org

corns are the best, but going to collge with a snake will be very hard not only keeping it warm but too many people really don't like snakes so unless your room mates are cool with snakes it is going to be a problem