petsmart???

ok,

is she worth it to me...of course she is....but i think i can get one with known hets from shaun at VMS. Ummm...the snake in question i've watched for about 3 weeks now...and it's demeanor hasnt changed...extremely defensive...but im sure with a little nurturing she would tame down...this petsmart isnt a BAD place....i think they were just wanting me to buy her to get rid of her....because the the girl that showed me this snake was VERY skittish and apprehensive about even opening the lid on the enclosure. and as far as in blue....very likely...i got to see her all of about 30 sec. while i took the pic...normally she is hidden under the water bowl..with only small sections visible..so i didnt even notice that she might be in blue....good eye on that one..

Originally Posted by rich333

ok,

is she worth it to me...of course she is....but i think i can get one with known hets from shaun at VMS. Ummm...the snake in question i've watched for about 3 weeks now...and it's demeanor hasnt changed...extremely defensive...but im sure with a little nurturing she would tame down...this petsmart isnt a BAD place....i think they were just wanting me to buy her to get rid of her....because the the girl that showed me this snake was VERY skittish and apprehensive about even opening the lid on the enclosure. and as far as in blue....very likely...i got to see her all of about 30 sec. while i took the pic...normally she is hidden under the water bowl..with only small sections visible..so i didnt even notice that she might be in blue....good eye on that one..

She IS a pretty snake, but wow....if given a choice between Petsmart and one of the top breeders in the country how can there even be a question??

I look at it this way.....

Petsmart
1) Gets their animals from heavensknows where, can't even get the morph right, and forget about such things as hets or sex!!
2) Is a biggggg chain store that sells everything. They don't CARE about corn snakes, they just want to carry snakes that will sell and make money.
3) Is local, and you won't have to pay shipping, but is overpriced as far as the animal itself.

VMS
1) Beautiful outstanding corns in every possible morph imaginable, bred by people who are passionate about.....CORNSNAKES!!!
2) Properly sexed, healthy animals with information about parents and hets.

Now, who would you rather support?

They actually don't label the tags at that petsmart.

They order say an Amel and they can get an Lavender and they say it's the same thing.
At least this is what our petsmart told me.

They have a carmel there labled as an Anery.

Originally Posted by starsevol

She IS a pretty snake, but wow....if given a choice between Petsmart and one of the top breeders in the country how can there even be a question??

I look at it this way.....

Petsmart
1) Gets their animals from heavensknows where, can't even get the morph right, and forget about such things as hets or sex!!
2) Is a biggggg chain store that sells everything. They don't CARE about corn snakes, they just want to carry snakes that will sell and make money.
3) Is local, and you won't have to pay shipping, but is overpriced as far as the animal itself.

VMS
1) Beautiful outstanding corns in every possible morph imaginable, bred by people who are passionate about.....CORNSNAKES!!!
2) Properly sexed, healthy animals with information about parents and hets.

Now, who would you rather support?

the Answer to your question is simple....I trust shaun and his animals....As 3 of my 4 corns have all come from VMS....And while we arent "Best Friends" I think shaun would tell me straight if asking him a question...And not just try to turn an extra buck. i've asked him serious questions..and got serious answers about breeding corns (IE what do you get when you cross x to x, and also what would go well with what i already have..etc. etc. .) and at any time he COULD have suckered me into something more than i needed(Believe me..i had the cash..and was ready to spend....) but he didn't, he told me the answers i was looking for...and nothing more...we also carried on conversations Via E-mail for several weeks....Almost like we were best friends...but i've never met him,seen a pic of him,or even heard a voice. so yeah, i have the UTMOST respect For VMS and shaun, As well as Any other reputable breeder. when I said "is she worth it to me." i was meaning the snake itself...money wasnt the issue or where it was coming from...what i was trying to convey was that yes the snake IS worth it to me just to get her out of there and somewhere she could be cared for. And yeah, As soon as i posted the pic of the Amel motley...i went to the VMS website...and yes he has a few...and yes his price range is about the same as petsmart(Although his has Awesome hets! ) so...i just hope someone picks that girl up...because My money is as good as shauns when it comes to corns.
i hope this doesnt come across as me being a butthead. As i'm not trying to be one. never been one to beable to say what i need or want to say and have it come out right...more of a thinker i am...LOL...ok..well...maybe i'm just a Snake junkie who has had WAY to much coffee this evening....

I've had problems with Pet Smart as well. I bought a male normal and had to return it when it didn't eat a second time. I'm sorry but pet stores should have people trained to handle snakes and some general knowledge of the animal. The employees where spook by the little corn snake hatchlings. I'm with them on amel motley.

Originally Posted by runninghorsespirit

I've had problems with Pet Smart as well. I bought a male normal and had to return it when it didn't eat a second time. I'm sorry but pet stores should have people trained to handle snakes and some general knowledge of the animal. The employees where spook by the little corn snake hatchlings. I'm with them on amel motley.

I have put in aplications at both Petsmart and Petco and have not been called in for so much as an interview. Even though the door says they are hiring, I doubt they want someone who will take control of their reptile area and give it the TLC it needs.

Originally Posted by Outcast

I have put in aplications at both Petsmart and Petco and have not been called in for so much as an interview. Even though the door says they are hiring, I doubt they want someone who will take control of their reptile area and give it the TLC it needs.

That's a darn shame too! If they had more people working with the snakes that knows their stuff they would have snakes that would make great pets or possible future breeders. I have yet seen them handle or tame down the hatchlings.

I was "politely" asked to leave a Petsmart after I ruined a sale for them. I over heard their "bird expert" tell a woman that a finch would be a good "finger pet" for her 13 yr old daughter. After raising, rescuing, and fostering parrots for 20 yrs I couldn't keep my mouth shut. I was polite but informed the woman that their "expert" was wrong and if she took that finch out of the cage it would take a net and a prayer to catch it. I then proceded to give her the information she should have been given and then proceded to tell her that pet stores sold their animals over priced and she could find a hand tamed parrot, any pet, a lot cheaper from a breeder and end up with a healthy, better quality animal.

Well, if they aren't a snake lover, it's a little difficult to fault someone for not wanting to add something to their To Do list that they don't have to when they are making minimum wage.

And I'm sure pet stores, a great many of them anyway, not all, probably don't want people that know much about husbandry so they can train them to do it their way & not be questioned.

I worked at petco, albeit in the grooming department, but I had to go through a lot of the same training for the whole store.

Basically the store is only as smart as it's individual employees. Petco teaches their basic care requirements for the animals (some are okay, some are subpar), beyond that it's up to the individuals own knowledge for the specific animals. The store's main concern is sell sell sell. (not all employees will have this mentality, but the business as a whole does). Morphs do not really matter to the corporation, they just care about selling cornsnakes. I'm sure there are some stores out there that have knowledgeable cornsnake people working there, but otherwise I wouldn't be surprised at all if their knowledge on cornsnakes and their morphs are less than stellar.