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Complete novice looking for advice

B

blito

New member
Went into a pet shop earlier today looking for an unusual pet.
Now, Spider, no thanks.... Lizard,err not really, Scorpion, hmmm maybe... lets look...
i looked,, wasnt much impressed (not exactly cuddly are they)
At this point the shop keeper said he needed to remove a shed skin from his cornsnakes viv, and promptly gave me a 4ft adult cornsnake to hold while he did his bit.... best sales technique ever! i went in the shop not sure what i wanted and came out a converted snake lover!
Now, i`m not so rash as to part with my cash without thoroughly researching into things so i guess i`d like you guys to fill me in with a few details, although reading through this very forum seems to have answered all my questions already :)
Might be a few weeks before i decide to purchase so any advice on what to look for and where to start would be much appreciated :)

jason/blito
 
well

The best place to buy a healthy captive bred cornsnake is probably a breeder, not a pet store. Some pet stores are good, but with a breeder you can even order online and have the snake shipped to you overnight. And most of the time prices at breeders online (or at reptile shows) are half of what the pet store charges! :)

This very website and its owner has an amazing selection of corns at very good prices with shipping available. :)

bmm
 
ah yer thanks for that.. very quick reply!
the store owner seemed to know his stuff... bit of a reptile specialist, and his stock looks to be in excellent condition - active, nice colours, bright eyes, no obvious ticks etc etc...
but then i`m new to this so i maybe wouldnt recognize a sick hatchling.....


btw whats all the stuff in your signature mean?
 
The numbers in bmm's sig refer to the gender of the listed animals. Zoological notation takes the form of # of males.# of females.# of unknown. The rest refers to the various species & morphs beem keeps.

For example...

0.0.1 Ball Python= ball python, gender unknown
0.1 Vanishing Stripe Normal het Hypo= female vanishing stripe corn snake heterozygous for hypomelanism
1.1 Snow= one male and one female snow corn snake
0.1 Anery het Snow= female anerythristic corn snake heterozygous for snow
1.0 Desert Phase California Kingsnake= male desert phase California kingsnake
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake= male Mexican black kingsnake
 
Best advice I can give you is "If you like it, buy it NOW because by the time you decide to, it may be gone"!I would learn a little about snakes, buy the one you want and then endevor to learn even more once you own it!As you should then be a little more committed to learning about the particular type of snake you own, and owning snakes is a constant learning experience.I have had many "Damn,I wish I had gotten that (???????) snake before it got sold !" This is just my opinion though,and I am sure there are others.
 
Re: well

bmm said:
The best place to buy a healthy captive bred cornsnake is probably a breeder, not a pet store. Some pet stores are good, but with a breeder you can even order online and have the snake shipped to you overnight. And most of the time prices at breeders online (or at reptile shows) are half of what the pet store charges! :)

This very website and its owner has an amazing selection of corns at very good prices with shipping available. :)

bmm
Click to expand...

hehe, although I'm sure Rich is an excellent breeder and his snakes are always in great shape... I doubt even he can ship a snake from the US to the UK...

At least blito here is in northern england.. I can't find any really good breeders down south here :(
 
hey Rick.

Where are you in southern England, i know a breeder in kent,realy good snakes and very nicely priced.

E.mail me if you dont want to put your location on air(so to speak).




............................STEVE.
 

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i would be interested wth talking to a local breeder, if only to find out more about what im looking at when i go to buy :)
the local petstore doesnt seem extortionate when compared to the various links ive found on these forums and the stock looks healthy to my eyes.....
 
I have a few snakes that came from a pet store...

There is a pet store near me, that specializes in reptiles and aquatic critters (fish and stuff). I actually bought 2 snakes there (a cal king and a Pueblan milk snake). I've gotten a couple other ones there with an in-store credit I had (a Honduran milk snake and a creamsicle corn). All of my snakes from there have been perfectly healthy! I've never had any trouble with any of them...I even took them to work with me and did fecals on them all!

Anyway, what I am getting at is that not ALL pet stores are bad. I agree that most of them should not have reptiles, because they seem to not how how to properly care for them. Also, you might buy a nice corn snake from a pet store, and not know that it has some other recessive genes because pet stores don't usually have that information. If you happened to breed the snake, then you'd might get some nice surprises!

Anyway, good luck! I've only owned snakes since February! Be careful! They become addictive very quickly!
 
Re: hey Rick.

snakemanone said:
Where are you in southern England, i know a breeder in kent,realy good snakes and very nicely priced.

E.mail me if you dont want to put your location on air(so to speak).




............................STEVE.
Click to expand...

east sussex. hastings, to be exact. tell me more of this breeder! bloodreds? (darker the better!) creamcicles? anerys?
 
snakemanone said:
just e.mailed him and i am awaiting his reply.



will let you know outcome.ok.

..............STEVE
Click to expand...

thanks. is there a site i can visit?
i'd like to get some info first hand
 
rick

hi mate.

i'm gonna check it out first mate, dont want you to get a bum steer, it looks bad on me if it turn out so i check everything first, ok.


STEVE................
 
Did anyone mention the "Cornsnake Manual" by Kathy Love? Let yourself become familiar with what it needs and good proper care. We are all here to help, but not everyones advise is best. I am not an expert, nor do I claim to be, but I seem to be doing a fine job at raising my Okeetee. One thing with a 4 ft long corn is that it may be older??? The last thing you want is to fall in love with one that is too old, so ask it's age. If you buy a baby, you can raise it the way you want, and is a little less demanding on the tank size. To see mine grow and learn my behavior is facsinating. Don't jump in until you have everything you need to keep it. Pets bought at petstores are often over priced and very little is known about their origin and age. So do be carefull and prepare for a wonderfull creature that seems to be smarter than lizards and scorpions combined. Good Luck:D
 
I think he means he fell in love with snakes when he held the 4 footer and wants to buy a hatchling Lyle! :)

As for buying in the UK, petshops are just as good as breeders. You will get a fine healthy specimen from a reputable shop (most in the UK are). If you are unhappy (ie animals look sick, underfed etc) then go somewhere else or try a breeder. I would say that the shop sounds fine. Which one is it?

Good luck finding a corn! :D
 
i have no idea what the shop is called, but its in the bracebridge area of lincoln , directly oppopsite walkers crisp factory (they make quavers there :) ), and has been in business selling all sorts of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and arachnids for a very long time.
 
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