Sudden death

[ben555]

Hey there, im intending to get a corn snake however when surfing the internet I came across this item about the care of corn snakes {quote 'Captive bred ones have become very popular because of all the exotic colors and patterns they "come in". Unfortunately, those morphs are caused by intense inbreeding. As a result, corns are increasingly exhibiting morbitidy and mortality problems as a result of undesireable genes being bred along with the ones for color and pattern. Failure/Inability to feed and sudden, inexplicable death are the two most common problems that have been increasing over that past several years.' quote} Has anyone here ever experienced this?

 

[CornCrazy]

I have experienced it, however, I do not necessarily think it is related to "intense inbreeding." I really think it happens in the wild, too. Some snakes simply don't make it. That's why snakes lay so many eggs...to make sure there are enough that survive to carry on the species.

 

[Tracee]

Ouch no wonder you got worried. I think that quote is very off-putting to someone new to corns. Terri/CornCrazy is spot on.

Fact is, corns are very forgiving pets and most have wonderful characters; they're a great first snake and all this captive breeding means there are so many colour 'morphs' for you to choose from you'll have a hard time deciding! I'm biased of course but this is my opinion

If you are worried about husbandry (and you should be ), read up on how best to keep them, make sure you can provide a good home and get started! Purchase a 'yearling' corn as opposed to a hatchling from a reputable breeder who knows it's a good feeder. Then you should not have to worry about health problems.

 

[ben555]

Thanks for the advice

 

[bitsy]

Hi Ben. I'm in the UK as well and it would be interesting to know where the quote came from. Some mainstream organisations here (like the RSPCA) are now taking a more "animal rights" than "animal welfare" view these days. They tend to spread misinformation like this in the hope of dissuading people from keeping reptiles as pets.

In the wild, only 1% of eggs laid by Corns Snakes, hatch and then result in snakes that live to adulthood (around the age of three). Even given some unexplained deaths, the percentages are something over 90% of Corn Snake eggs laid in captivity, result in snakes that live to adulthood.

Corn Snake breeders/keepers are pretty good by comparison to nature!

Some morphs occasionally get a poor reputation. When Bloodreds first appeared in the UK, they had a reputation for being picky feeders and failing to thrive. However, successive breeding has actually strengthened them and they're now as hardy as any other morph.

 

[ben555]

I found the site again, the URL is http://www.anapsid.org/corn.html but it does say that it was first published in 1994 now that I look closely but it was updated in 2002 maybe when it was written people were not sure. :shrugs:

 

[BeckyG]

If you get a snake from a reputable breeder, it is highly unlikely that you will experience any problems with it. I think this statement would apply mostly to neonate hatchlings. There are a few that simply won't feed, and die as a result of it. However, a reputable breeder will NOT sell one of these non feeding hatchlings.

You are on the right track by reading up on snakes before getting one. Keep it up and you will do fine.

 

[ben555]

It looks like I will get one from a petshop, I can't find any breeders around where I live.

 

[Plissken]

It is definetly a good idea to locate somewhere you can trust, that you can buy your corn from. If you can't find a good local breeder (and I couldn't find one either in my area...) then it's well worth getting to know your pet shop owners. Go in for a chat and ask them lots of questions, make sure they know what they're talking about. Look carefully at all their animals and make sure they all look healthy.

And before you go to buy your corn ask to handle it and check it for mites, etc. Ask how old it is, when it last shed, when it was last fed, etc. With all precautions in place, you should be fine.

It may also be worth while asking what kind of return you would get on your purchase in the unlikely event that something did happen to the corn, that was beyond your control.

Hope I haven't frightened you off, the chances of your corn dying is extremely slim. Good luck with your new hobby!

 

[DaemoNox]

Thats not suprising information coming from Anapsid; the creater of the site is Pro-Peta and is know to support banning reptiles from captivity, and there is some very serious misinformation on that that can lead to problems if followed.

 

[ben555]

Thanks, it'll take a lot more than that to put me off getting a cornsnake.

 

[bitsy]

Thanks, it'll take a lot more than that to put me off getting a cornsnake.

Good for you!

I agree with previous posts about checking out a Corn before buying. Any reputable shop will have feeding records for a snake - especially hatchlings. I breed and sel to my local reptile shop and they will only take hatchlings that have eaten three times in a row, voluntarily, on defrosted pinks. That's as near as they can get to selling guaranteed feeders, but they do have individual feeding records with each hatchling to back this up.

 

[jenkva]

I am glad to hear that the comments you read did not put you off as Corns are such lovely creature.

I would also recommend (like Tracee said) that you do not get a hatchling but an older snake as their temper/feeding habit are better known when they are older.
I got my first one when she was 4 months old and I went several times to the petstore, I held her more than once and even though she was in blue (shedding period) she was very sweet and did not try to tag me (bite). The person at the petstore told me she was a good feeder, that she never had any issue, told me what she ate and how many days appart.
I did hold several snakes, saw which one had the best temperament for me as I wanted as a first snake one that was easy going, able to mellow when picked up. I asked the man to hold her and another male but I ended up going the next day to hold her again as I had dreamed about her so I just said "mine mine mine"... LOL ... I have never regretted it, she is gorgeous and very nice tempered except when you want to take her out of her tank, she think she is a rattle-snake. Don't worry, it is nothing unusual for a corn, she does it all the time but as soon as she is out of her tank, she stops

It is true that Bloodred have had got a bad reputation but they do have a tendency to be less "submissive", they have a stronger character than most Corns.

The best thing you can do, go to the petstore, ask to hold several snakes and chose the one you feel is the most for you. I personally did not pay attention to what she looked like (eventhough she is a beautiful normal) but looked for the character which was the most important feature for me.

But, don't forget, take your time, don't go for it because you want one or you are being pressurised by the petstore to get this or that one right now, they can always reserve them for you. Go there several times, asks lot of questions, don't be scared of asking a lot of questions and if you are not happy that it has been answered fully, ask it again! If you are just being told "no, yes, don't worry about it" ask the reason why for the "no, yes, don't worry about it". Go back to when like when you were 7-8 years old and ask a lot of questions.
Someone that knows about corns and love them will not mind all your questions and will be happy that you are asking so many questions which means that you intend on taking good care of it.

 

[oceanskysky]

Did you manage to get your corn i dont know how far you live from lincolnshire but if you go on www.stuff4sale in lincolnshire.co uk there is a nice set up going on there think the seller is from sleaford i brought mine of there with no probs look on the pet section

jayne

 

[ben555]

I'll go check out the pet shop near me first.