I'm a little late getting into corn snakes (am 60!), but I was recently reminded how fascinating snakes are and how wonderful they feel when you handle them. When my son, now 28, was a teenager, he had a Mexican milk snake and a couple common king snakes, but they wouldn't put up with being handled very much. We kept them for several years, but he sold them just before we moved from Texas to Nebraska. Anyway- I digress. I'm considering buying a calm, starter snake, and have been reading about corn snakes. I don't imagine I will ever get into breeding and such, but would enjoy one as a pet. I have a couple questions that I hope you'll be willing to answer.
1) I've read that corns are 3 to 5 feet as adults, sometimes up to 6! About five feet is as much as I would be willing to house, but would prefer one that topped at about 3 or 4 feet. Do the different sexes grow to different lengths? Is there some way to increase the chances you'll wind up with an adult on the shorter side (besides trying to find an older adult for sale that has stayed between 3 and 4 feet for some time? I know you can push a snake to grow more quickly to adult size, but I wouldn't want to stunt a snake's growth by not feeding it adequately. Is it possible to selectively breed corn snakes for length, as well as color? Has anyone ever tried that?
2) Are there differences in behavior/personality based on gender?
3) Are classic (normal) colors more hardy than the morphs that have gone through many generations of selective breeding?
4) What is the best source for purchasing a young (not necessarily hatchling), healthy, nicely marked corn snake?
Thanks for your patience with yet another "noob."
1) I've read that corns are 3 to 5 feet as adults, sometimes up to 6! About five feet is as much as I would be willing to house, but would prefer one that topped at about 3 or 4 feet. Do the different sexes grow to different lengths? Is there some way to increase the chances you'll wind up with an adult on the shorter side (besides trying to find an older adult for sale that has stayed between 3 and 4 feet for some time? I know you can push a snake to grow more quickly to adult size, but I wouldn't want to stunt a snake's growth by not feeding it adequately. Is it possible to selectively breed corn snakes for length, as well as color? Has anyone ever tried that?
2) Are there differences in behavior/personality based on gender?
3) Are classic (normal) colors more hardy than the morphs that have gone through many generations of selective breeding?
4) What is the best source for purchasing a young (not necessarily hatchling), healthy, nicely marked corn snake?
Thanks for your patience with yet another "noob."