pseudosquid
New member
Hi everyone! My name is Stephanie, and I got my first corn snake back in September of 2005. He was about a month old when I got him, only about 12-14 inches, and I named him/her Garak. Garak is now about 22.5 inches long and eats a fuzzy a week (I might try 2 soon). He is my first reptile and now I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm going to have so many more in the future!
I actually almost didn't buy a corn snake. My story is as follows: I originally saw a sale for corn snakes in a paper, and had wanted to get a new pet so I decided I wanted to look into corn snakes. I went to a local pet store (Petco) and the perso that I spoke to tried very hard to convince me not to get one. He gave me a great deal of requirements to care for a corn, and even though I was very eager and willing to abide by them all, he gave me a near impossible description of care guidelines (which I now know were completely exaggerated...he told me, for instance, that I needed to buy two forty gallon tanks immediately and had to use heat lamps, no exception). He convinced me that a leopard gecko was a better purchase for me (not to stereotype, but I feel he might have tried to steer me away from a snake because I was a female in my mid-twenties and "not capable" of caring for such a pet)
Anyway, I visited pet stores in search for a leopard gecko. The first place I went to seemed rather unsanitary, and the staff knew next to nothing about reptiles. When the salesperson offered to let me hold a leopard gecko, she couldn't even hold it without it running away. (This worried me of course. Being a first time reptile owner who wasn't used to handling them, I wanted a pet that I wouldn't have to chase around the house) So then I visited another reptile store, Cold Blooded Pets in Acushnet, MA. They had such a great selection, especially of snakes. I spoke to the friendly staff there, and told them I was interested in a leopard gecko, but was concerned about handling it. The staff member then recommended that I consider a corn snake. I told him my story about originally wanting one, and he reassured me that I was more than capable of caring for one. I was ecstatic, and within a week had purchased my first beautiful black and white baby corn.
Two of the reasons that compelled me to join this forum were that I am not sure what sex my snake is and would like some advice as to how I could find out, and also, to get help identifying the color and pattern variation on my corn. Also, I would love to learn anything I can about corn snakes so as to care for mine as best I can!
Here are some pictures of Garak that I took very recently:
<A HREF="http://home.comcast.net/~nimrandir9/livejournal/mini-Picture_027.jpg">Picture 27</A>
<A HREF="http://home.comcast.net/~nimrandir9/livejournal/mini-Picture_030.jpg">Picture 30</A> (This picture most accurately reflects his/her coloring. You can see the yellow stripe in this one)
<A HREF="http://home.comcast.net/~nimrandir9/livejournal/mini-Picture_031.jpg">Picture 31</A>
I thought Garak was a Ghost corn, but now he/she has developed a yellow band on his sides that go from after his/her head to about 7 inches down his/her body. It's not blotchy or anything, so I don't think he/she is ill or injured/burned. I would appreciate any feedback at all! I look forward to being a member of this forum.
I actually almost didn't buy a corn snake. My story is as follows: I originally saw a sale for corn snakes in a paper, and had wanted to get a new pet so I decided I wanted to look into corn snakes. I went to a local pet store (Petco) and the perso that I spoke to tried very hard to convince me not to get one. He gave me a great deal of requirements to care for a corn, and even though I was very eager and willing to abide by them all, he gave me a near impossible description of care guidelines (which I now know were completely exaggerated...he told me, for instance, that I needed to buy two forty gallon tanks immediately and had to use heat lamps, no exception). He convinced me that a leopard gecko was a better purchase for me (not to stereotype, but I feel he might have tried to steer me away from a snake because I was a female in my mid-twenties and "not capable" of caring for such a pet)
Anyway, I visited pet stores in search for a leopard gecko. The first place I went to seemed rather unsanitary, and the staff knew next to nothing about reptiles. When the salesperson offered to let me hold a leopard gecko, she couldn't even hold it without it running away. (This worried me of course. Being a first time reptile owner who wasn't used to handling them, I wanted a pet that I wouldn't have to chase around the house) So then I visited another reptile store, Cold Blooded Pets in Acushnet, MA. They had such a great selection, especially of snakes. I spoke to the friendly staff there, and told them I was interested in a leopard gecko, but was concerned about handling it. The staff member then recommended that I consider a corn snake. I told him my story about originally wanting one, and he reassured me that I was more than capable of caring for one. I was ecstatic, and within a week had purchased my first beautiful black and white baby corn.
Two of the reasons that compelled me to join this forum were that I am not sure what sex my snake is and would like some advice as to how I could find out, and also, to get help identifying the color and pattern variation on my corn. Also, I would love to learn anything I can about corn snakes so as to care for mine as best I can!
Here are some pictures of Garak that I took very recently:
<A HREF="http://home.comcast.net/~nimrandir9/livejournal/mini-Picture_027.jpg">Picture 27</A>
<A HREF="http://home.comcast.net/~nimrandir9/livejournal/mini-Picture_030.jpg">Picture 30</A> (This picture most accurately reflects his/her coloring. You can see the yellow stripe in this one)
<A HREF="http://home.comcast.net/~nimrandir9/livejournal/mini-Picture_031.jpg">Picture 31</A>
I thought Garak was a Ghost corn, but now he/she has developed a yellow band on his sides that go from after his/her head to about 7 inches down his/her body. It's not blotchy or anything, so I don't think he/she is ill or injured/burned. I would appreciate any feedback at all! I look forward to being a member of this forum.