Snakes from the pet shop ??

[CaptBogart]

Anyone ever use a thin piece of natural slate over the warm end of the tank ??.

I wouldn't use slate since it can have sharp edges, and cracks/breaks easily. If it's the look you like, go to a home improvement center and buy a piece of tile, (glazed, not porous as you don't want it to absorb moisture or smells). You can get them 12x12 which fits perfectly. You can make a hide, (for just a few dollars), with it by lining three sides of the tank with paver bricks and laying the tile on top. I have a couple I made this way. Just make sure the bricks are placed on the glass, not the substrate, as you don't want him to get squished burrowing under one.
If you just want it on the bottom, (once again, right on the glass), you must use a thermostat or rheostat to keep it from getting too hot, maybe even some newspaper between the glass and tile would reduce the heat even more, but I would test all this with a probe thermometer in an empty tank until you get the correct temps. Good luck...

 

[Asvard]

I refuse to go to the big chains but I support mom and pops type places that know how to take care of their herps and sell responsibly. For example my local dude here wont sell any pet to anyone under eighteen without parents being there. I have seen him refuse to sell when it seemed like the customer was niggling about care considerations and vet bills. Also if he notices a poor feeder etc (sometimes he gets burned too) he wont sell it not even at discount. If he can't nurse it back to health ( and I hjave seen some minor miracles) he euthanizes rather than see it suffer more. Hell I even seen him deliver a feeder rat to a friend of mine she and her family were all ill and was afraid her Boa would go without that week.

 

[Candachan]

As an employee at Petco, some people may think I'm just out to make my store look good. But honestly, our reptiles are some of the nicest I've seen in our area, very healthy, NO MITES! We do not sell animals that won't eat or have any problems. I think it comes with having some very experienced reptile owners working here, so they aren't trying to feed snakes crickets or something stupid.

On the other hand, the Petco 20 minutes from us keeps 5 corns in the same tank, often with temps being too high, and with one tiny water bowl that none of them can soak in. It really depends on the individual store and who works there.

I prefer our family-owned stores over Petco, simply because they know the background of the animals a bit more than we do. I would buy a pet animal from my Petco, but anything else I'd go with the specialty stores.

 

[grdn1014]

around here corns from breeders and very very cheap, and i havent had any problems. normal week olds starting around $15, and other common morphs, week old, around $30-45 mark. ive also seen healthy adults for under $100

 

[BeckyG]

That's not that cheap if you end up with a non feeder. Many hatchlings haven't eaten their first meal by one week of age, and a reputable breeder won't sell a non feeder. Me, I wouldn't buy a hatchling that hadn't eaten at least 3-4 times.

 

[grdn1014]

i havent gotten a non feeder yet they are pretty reliable out here and i love it

 

[sarah s]

Personally If it is a shop you trust and you have been allowed to examine the snake etc and are sure they are healty I dont see why you would not buy from them. But then I live in the UK and we have very tight rules about pet shop conditions etc and there are fewer breeders so it is harder to get a good snake that you know the family history of for a good price. I have certainly not had any major concerns with my pet shop brought amel and even though I dont know her exact blood line I plan to breed from her seing what if any hets she has will be exciting and the not knowing what to expect will make it even more fun. Besides new breeders and keepers have to start from somewhere, and to many snakes being breed from the same lines will in time not be good for the gene pool as it will be reduced in diversity. If we continue to just breed from lines from established breeders and dont bring new blood in from "unknown and there for risky bad blood" we will eventually have a gene pool that is all interlinked strongly. Which is not a particularly good idea when you consider how easy it would be for the population to end up in danger of being lost due to genetic predispostions that leave most if not all of the population open to the same deseases etc etc.

 

[jaxom1957]

PetCo wants $50-60 for a corn snake, no matter what variety (not a sale price).

My local PetCo had amels and snows for sale the past two weeks: $29.00

 

[jaxom1957]

As an employee at Petco, some people may think I'm just out to make my store look good. But honestly, our reptiles are some of the nicest I've seen in our area, very healthy, NO MITES! We do not sell animals that won't eat or have any problems. I think it comes with having some very experienced reptile owners working here, so they aren't trying to feed snakes crickets or something stupid.

Feeding a hatchling a cricket isn't that bad an idea. From what I've read, a hatchling in the wild is more likely to snag an insect for its first meal than a rodent.

 

[Droptines]

All of you have made some very good points.Now,Sarah said if you examine the snake,and can find NOTHING wrong with it,then...the person in the store will tell you the snake has eaten a few times....how do you know they are telling the truth ??.

 

[sarah s]

Well the shop I brought mine from had feeding recolds that I could see and other shops will let you see the snake feed so you can be sure it is feeding well etc before you buy it. I would never have brought mine from a shop without feeding recolds and it passing a health check.

 

[jaxom1957]

Well the shop I brought mine from had feeding recolds that I could see and other shops will let you see the snake feed so you can be sure it is feeding well etc before you buy it. I would never have brought mine from a shop without feeding recolds and it passing a health check.

I'm not familiar with the term "recolds". Is that anything like F/T?

 

[sarah s]

No its a list of when they eat and how much etc. Oh and this pet shop are good and give good care sheets with good advice on it with all their animals.

 

[BeckyG]

Feeding a hatchling a cricket isn't that bad an idea. From what I've read, a hatchling in the wild is more likely to snag an insect for its first meal than a rodent.

Heavy sigh....

Corn snakes do not eat crickets. They should be fed MICE, and MICE only.

 

[Cathbodau]

At the Zooquatics store near my house you can usually get corns for around 50 to 70 dollars. But they're usually the more common colors. But I was wondering, what sites you use to get your snakes the ones at Zooquatics look good but I'd like to get a snake from somewhere thats more experienced in handling them.

 

[Droptines]

That is very interesting to hear,Sahar.I will be VERY surprized if the Petsmart near me has any "records" of feedings.The snakes are just plopped in a small tank with an over head light.I'm willing to bet there is NO uth.
It will be kinda be fun to hit to the store employee with all these questions.I guess there's a sssmalllll chance I might find a healthy snake,but I'm not going to bet on it.
The more thought I give it,and posts I read on it,,the more I think I'm going to go with the local breeder.The price will be more than double,but the snake will be in great shape,NO MITES,,a proven feeder,,and come with a bunch of helpful information.I believe his corns run in the 18" to 24" range,so this is also a +.

 

[jaxom1957]

Heavy sigh.... Corn snakes do not eat crickets. They should be fed MICE, and MICE only.

Save your sigh and try reading the statement in its entirety.

I did not advocate feeding corn snakes crickets. I noted that the literature indicates that a >> hatchling << in the wild is more likely to snag an insect >> for its first meal << than a rodent. Common sense should tell us that a hatchling is unlikely to stumble upon a nest of newborn field mice just when it is ready for its first breakfast. It will eat whatever source of protein is available until it learns to hunt and catch something better. This is true of pretty much all carnivores, two, four or zero legged.

 

[jazzgeek]

DISCLAIMER: I speak from my own experience only.

When I managed a local PetCo for a while, I had the good fortune of being able to transfer the two corns I got there from the shipper's deli cup to my home; they didn't spend any time in the store viv. Not many people have that good fortune in a retail setting. Unfortunately, the only morphs I saw there were normals, amels, anerys, and snows.

Not that it mattered anyhow - I made SURE the reptile habitats exceeded the store standards. (I can't say the same for the bird cages, though - I had my priorities, as it were.) And yes, at least for Petco, feeding logs ARE kept.

The disadvantage to pet store snakes is - of course - the lack of information on the genetic makeup. Once the addiction sinks its teeth into you, you'll want to know that - thus, I won't buy any more corns from a pet store. (Besides, starting next year, I'll be growing my own.)

Finally, as has been discussed here ad nauseum, snakes are NOT insectivores; yes, some snakes do have specialized diets, e.g., some garters will eat only fish and/or slugs, but I don't know of any snake that will feast on a bug.

regards,
jazz

 

[Bobo's Mama]

Just throwing in my 2 cents. I got my first corn from a petshop in the mall for $40. He was on corn cob bedding with about 5 other corns with him. While it was a good deal, I didn't know anything about him. I didn't know how old he was, I didn't know his sex, and I didn't know anything about his genetic background. I had to have a breeder sex him much later. And speaking of breeders, in my opinion, it is much better to get a corn from a breeder. Because then you know all the unknowns generally. You know when they were hatched, you know their genetics, you know the sex in most cases. If you order one online, you pay for shipping, but I think that pays for the quality you are most likely to get. Also the breeder is sometimes willing to work with you if something happens to it during shipping or soon after its arrival. Heck, one of the biggest breeders in the business,:bowdown: Kathy Love, will talk to customers through emails and even over the phone sometimes.

 

[BeckyG]

[
Finally, as has been discussed here ad nauseum, snakes are NOT insectivores; yes, some snakes do have specialized diets, e.g., some garters will eat only fish and/or slugs, but I don't know of any snake that will feast on a bug.

regards,
jazz

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to jazzgeek again.