Rachealslove
New member
I think I would rather get a baby snake so that it can grow with me and my kiddos but what are the pros and cons of getting an older snake vs. hatchling?
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New baby snake vs. older snake
- Thread starter Rachealslove
- Start date
VickyChaiTea
Snake enthusiast
Hatchling pros:
They're cute.
You get to see them go from little worms to adults. This includes a nice color change.
Food is slightly cheaper.
Smaller enclosure.
Hatchling cons:
They are more delicate, meaning they're more susceptible to disease, underheating, overheating, injury, and stress.
They may not be established feeders, meaning you may have to spend a lot of time trying to get them to eat or worse... you could get a non-feeder that never comes around.
May be difficult to handle for a beginner.
Sub-adults pros:
Heartier than a hatchling, less chance of health problems.
Established feeder
Easier to handle, especially for beginners.
You have a better idea of what their adult coloration will be, and their personality.
Sub-Adult cons:
More expensive.
Larger enclosure.
Food is slightly more expensive.
So it's up to you in the end. I reccomend a slightly older snake for anyone who hasn't owned one before, or never owned a corn snake before.
They're cute.
You get to see them go from little worms to adults. This includes a nice color change.
Food is slightly cheaper.
Smaller enclosure.
Hatchling cons:
They are more delicate, meaning they're more susceptible to disease, underheating, overheating, injury, and stress.
They may not be established feeders, meaning you may have to spend a lot of time trying to get them to eat or worse... you could get a non-feeder that never comes around.
May be difficult to handle for a beginner.
Sub-adults pros:
Heartier than a hatchling, less chance of health problems.
Established feeder
Easier to handle, especially for beginners.
You have a better idea of what their adult coloration will be, and their personality.
Sub-Adult cons:
More expensive.
Larger enclosure.
Food is slightly more expensive.
So it's up to you in the end. I reccomend a slightly older snake for anyone who hasn't owned one before, or never owned a corn snake before.
BigByrd47119
New member
I think the benefits of a sub-adult outweigh the benefits (cute?) of babies. The sub-adults also tend to be less skittish and as a result are much more enjoyable to have out (they dont all always try to flee like the babies do).
Just my experience and preference.
Just my experience and preference.
Nanci
Alien Lover
How old are your kids? It's WAY easier for kids to handle a slow, tame adult cornsnake, and they are a lot less likely to get bit. Not that hatchlings are 'mean," but they are afraid of everything- they think you're going to eat them- and their defense is biting or fleeing. An adult is done with that silliness.
They grow so fast, anyway- a year later, the snake is virtually an adult.
They grow so fast, anyway- a year later, the snake is virtually an adult.
gsdbecca
New member
If your kids are young, I would say older, with out a doubt. The above have noted the reasons.
My kids were 5 and 4 when we got our corn. She was a juvinile at 10 months. It was happen stance that we got an "older" snake. It was perfect. She has been a great feeder from day one. And it was plenty hard with her 18" long size to moniter excited kids with her. We have still gotten to see plenty of growth, but like Nanci said, they grow fast! So, it's not so much growing with your kids, but the kids do see it happen fast! She's 19 months now, and has just been easy and fun from day one.....also, it's good with eager little kids to have her at the age where she only eats once a week. When we started (and a hatchling would be similar) she ate every 5 days. With 2 days of hands off for digestion, it didn't leave much time for the fun part of getting her out. Now, with a 7 day feeding schedule, we have a lot more fun times!
My kids were 5 and 4 when we got our corn. She was a juvinile at 10 months. It was happen stance that we got an "older" snake. It was perfect. She has been a great feeder from day one. And it was plenty hard with her 18" long size to moniter excited kids with her. We have still gotten to see plenty of growth, but like Nanci said, they grow fast! So, it's not so much growing with your kids, but the kids do see it happen fast! She's 19 months now, and has just been easy and fun from day one.....also, it's good with eager little kids to have her at the age where she only eats once a week. When we started (and a hatchling would be similar) she ate every 5 days. With 2 days of hands off for digestion, it didn't leave much time for the fun part of getting her out. Now, with a 7 day feeding schedule, we have a lot more fun times!
