Another newbie question
 

This may be a silly question,(I'm new to corn snakes and am getting everything ready to buy one) but when you buy a corn snake and the seller lists them as a hatchling, about how big will they be? And is there an advantage to buying one that is a little bigger/older than a hatchling?

They usually hatch out at 7 or 8 grams and around 14 inches long. Most sellers will make sure they've had at least three meals before selling, so they would be a bit larger than that if you got one right when it was posted.

There are definitely advantages to getting a slightly older snake. Usually they are more established feeders and they may be easier to handle. Baby corn snakes are generally pretty flighty, but are usually much calmer by a year old.

Babies are more fragile, and easily can disappear. I personally would start out with one about 6 months to a year old. By that time, they have had a few successful sheds, they are eating, should be disease free, should be used to Human Handling. Some breeders will tell you almost anything to make a sale. (So will a car salesman.) I've heard numerous stories about folks that bought "Hatchlings" and we told all kinds of great stuff by the breeder only to have the snake die a few weeks later. Was it the breeder's fault or the new owner's fault? Who knows, but you can eliminate a few concerns by staying away from the "Newborns."

Think about the size of a pencil. Only squirming. I was afraid I would lose or break my first couple of babies, and feeding them used to stress me out. On the other hand, I LOVE having pictures like these to look back on, and they don't stay that tiny for long. Pro's to an older snake, it will (probably) be calmer, easier to handle, and easier to feed. Pro's to a hatchling, SO darn cute!!!

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