New Snake Owner

[Emix Max]

OK,
I have a new CornSnake of which I got for Christmas, my father said that the man at the shop he brought it from called it a "Rootbeer Corn"... well, last week, I went to a reptile show, and one of the venders there said he had not heard of that kind and he speicalized in them... I think it is a Carmel corn hybrid of some sort... well, It gets kind of jumpey when it is taken out of it's cage... is this normal?

[Iris]

The jumpiness is normal in young corns. They're just nervous, that's all.
And I don't know much about rootbeer corns except that they are not pure Elaphe gutatta gutatta, so I'll let someone else answer that one.

[CornCrazy]

are the "normal" colored variation of a creamsicle corn. They are intergrades between a corn snake and a great plains rat snake...both of which are Elaphe gutatta. The corn is Elaphe gutatta gutatta and the great plains rat snake is Elaphe gutatta emoryi. Lots of people will say it is a hybrid, but to me, the 2 snakes are basically the same thing. They are just area specific. They will even interbreed in the wild. Snakes that are different (i.e. - a kingsnake and a cornsnake) will NOT breed in the wild to produce hybrids.

[Emix Max]

Originally posted by Iris
The jumpiness is normal in young corns. They're just nervous, that's all.
And I don't know much about rootbeer corns except that they are not pure Elaphe gutatta gutatta, so I'll let someone else answer that one.
ok...
1. He is I think 1 1/2 to 2 years old is that comsidered young?
2. I am a new member, so please speak english, what is Elaphe gutatta gutatta?

[pinatamonkey]

1. If the breeder didn't handle the snake much, the jumpiness is normal. It will go away with regular handling.

2. Elaphe gutatta gutatta is the scientific name for corn snakes. A rootbeer corn is a intergrade between a corn snake and a great plains rat snake (elaphe gutatta emoryi), which is a different subspecies....(though some people? classify that as a seperate species and would be considered a hybrid in that case)

[Emix Max]

Thank you for clearing that up for me.

[sphinx]

you have started on the right track ask as many questions as you need answers but the best thing is to buy a good book on cornsnakes that will answer most of them it will be great resource to you as many of us have found!