Where Should I Buy My Corn Snake?

[Caprisaurus]

Long Story:

I plan on getting a corn snake in about a week and I don't know where to get one. Of course they have petsmart and petco around here but as far as I know they have absolutely no reptile places anywhere near here. They have a reptile show in about 3 months but I really don't want to wait that long.

I've checked out a few online stores and they seem good but then I look up reviews and it looks like all of them have good and bad reviews. I've heard people say that if they arrive sick or dead you have to pay for return shipping which would make it pointless because it's so expensive. At least I could just drive back to petsmart. I also hate having my snake shipped. I've had relatives that have worked for them and I have heard horror stories ...

Short Story:

So now I'm really conflicted. Should I just get one at petsmart and try my best to look it over, or order one from online? If I should order one online, who would you recommend or not recommend?

Any help would really be appreciated!

[Mikoh4792]

If your local petsmart is a good facility that actually cares for it's reptiles than I don't see a problem with it. However, from what I have heard those are rare to find.


I would look on kingsnake.com or faunaclassifieds.com and talk to a few breeders to see what they have.

I've ordered from lllreptile more than a couple of times and have always been satisfied.



Why do you have a problem with shipping? Thousands of reptiles get shipped everyday around the world and the majority are fine. If your animals are shipped overnight they should not be inside the shipping box for more than 24 hours. Also most reputable sellers will ship the animals appropriately with proper cushioning and heat/cold packs.

[slowhite03]

It's up to you, go to petsmart and check them out. If they seem healthy and alert by all means get it. They do have a 7 day return policy so if it acts up you can return it. Online stores are a dime a dozen. There is bhb, lilreptile, bigapple to name a few.

[Mikoh4792]

It's up to you, go to petsmart and check them out. If they seem healthy and alert by all means get it. They do have a 7 day return policy so if it acts up you can return it. Online stores are a dime a dozen. There is bhb, lilreptile, bigapple to name a few.

I've also ordered from bigapple and have had good results, however you can't pick out an individual snake like you can with breeders because they buy their animals wholesale from third party sellers/breeders.

[slowhite03]

I've also ordered from bigapple and have had good results, however you can't pick out an individual snake like you can with breeders because they buy their animals wholesale from third party sellers/breeders.

Petsmart/petco have about 3 or 4 babies per tank at all times whenever I am in there. The selection isn't great but they still have options

[Mikoh4792]

Petsmart/petco have about 3 or 4 babies per tank at all times whenever I am in there. The selection isn't great but they still have options

Yup if you can go down to actually see the snakes in person obviously one can pick their snake. However if you order from wholesale sellers like bigapple you can not. Which is why when I do order snakes online, I like to buy from breeders who can actually provide information and pictures of parents, lineage...etc.

[Caprisaurus]

It really seems like a pick my poison scenario. I've seen people say that they've ordered them online at all 3 mentioned sites and some say they're great and then others say they're DOA, sick, mite infested, etc. I guess I'll just check out ones at the local pet stores and see if they look okay. At least I get to check it out first, and if something happens they're not 4 states away with $40 shipping both directions.

If Repticon was sooner or I didn't live in "you got a purdy mouth" Florida I would definitely prefer buying from a local breeder.

What should I be looking for when I look at the snakes to make sure they're healthy? Also, is it okay for multiple corn snakes to be in the same enclosure?

I appreciate the replies!

[Mikoh4792]

Look for mites, scale rot, mouth rot, bloating/constipation, weight(skinny or fat), respiratory infection, alertness(tongue flicking and active), and obviously temperament(aggressive or tame).


Some people do house their snakes together but most people including myself would recommend not doing it. Many things can go wrong, whereas you cut off all the risks when you give each snake it's own enclosure.

[Starbuck]

i know you dont want to wait, but from what youve described it seems like the expo will best fit your needs. Thats where ive gotten all of my snakes (that and craigslist :P) and ive been really happy with my interactions with the seller, the prices, and my ability to pick out the snake i liked best.

[EL Ziggy]

I'm a little impatient too Cap. I bought my MBK online from reptilesbymack. They had an excellent collection and great customer service. I would definitely buy from them again. I would also highly recommend Shane at ssuperiorsserpents.com . He specializes in colubrids and has some amazing corns and kings. He's also a member of this forum so that's great too. Best wishes in your search.

[robin budd]

If I was going to get a corn snake it would only come from Cathy love. Her company cornutopia is the best by far. She specializes in corn snakes. You can pick individual animals great costomer service before and after purchase. Just check her site out.

[TheZoo]

I would go to the expo pet smart is really pricey for not a lot of show I mean 60 for a normal corn is a bit ridiculous when most breeders sell them for under 35 I know its hard to wait but it shows maturity if you can. Also you could find a really good deal on the perfect snake for you.

[EL Ziggy]

I would go to the expo pet smart is really pricey for not a lot of show I mean 60 for a normal corn is a bit ridiculous when most breeders sell them for under 35 I know its hard to wait but it shows maturity if you can. Also you could find a really good deal on the perfect snake for you.
I agree with you Zoo. Patience is a virtue I'm still working on. Delayed vs. Instant gratification is challenging sometimes and since tomorrow isn't promised I try to get the most out of every moment without being overly impulsive. When you factor in the costs of ordering online vs. the advantages of buying at an expo it does make better sense to wait. I paid a total of $110 ($40 shipping) for my MBK two months ago. If I had waited another 6 weeks for the expo I could have gotten one for $50. I don't regret my purchase at all as I absolutely LOVE my snake but I did learn a lesson in self control.

[Caprisaurus]

Yeah, waiting definitely isn't something I'm good at. Life is too short to wait. Plus, I have a feeling that even the Repticon that will be here won't be all that great. I'm really out in the middle of no where. I've been looking on craigslist for weeks and haven't seen anything good. I know that petsmart is expensive but considering it's $40 shipping for any that I get online it evens out.

[sharthun]

Yeah that "waiting thing" is tough! I got lucky and got both my normal corn and MBK from craigslist. Corn's are cool!:cool:

[Caprisaurus]

Also, unrelated question, but what size pinkies should I get if it's a baby corn snake? I see extra small pinkies and regular pinkies. Also, how many should I order? It looks like I have to buy them in bulk and I wanna get it right the first time. I don't want to have a bunch of mice that are too small. Also, where would you recommend I get them from? I would appreciate some help.

[Mikoh4792]

I have ordered rats/mice from lllreptile, bigappleherp, rodentpro. They are all good places. People also like Layne labs.

It depends on the size of your corn snake. I have been following this schedule recommended by some members here and it's been working out so far. Prey items about 10-15% of the weight of the snake weekly. So for example if your corn weighs 10 grams feed it something 1 gram.

[Caprisaurus]

Well, unfortunately I don't know how big it is yet because I haven't gotten it yet. I'm still getting it's cage set up and making sure temps are stable before I buy it and bring it home.

Couple other quick questions. I heard it's okay to use paper towels as a substrate, especially when you get a new snake to make sure it doesn't have mites etc. How many layers of paper towels should I put? Also, the probes should be under the paper towels right on the glass right? Finally, should I get a thermometer/hygrometer gauge for ambient air? Should I leave a humid hide in the cage all the time?

Sorry for all the questions, just want to make sure I do it right the first time.

[Mikoh4792]

Well, unfortunately I don't know how big it is yet because I haven't gotten it yet. I'm still getting it's cage set up and making sure temps are stable before I buy it and bring it home.

Couple other quick questions. I heard it's okay to use paper towels as a substrate, especially when you get a new snake to make sure it doesn't have mites etc. How many layers of paper towels should I put? Also, the probes should be under the paper towels right on the glass right? Finally, should I get a thermometer/hygrometer gauge for ambient air? Should I leave a humid hide in the cage all the time?

Sorry for all the questions, just want to make sure I do it right the first time.

Ask as many as you have. The more answered, the more equipped you are to take care of your animals.

1. Paper towels/newspaper work well and most people do recommend them for a new snake for the reasons you mentioned. The amount of layers are up to you. I personally just use enough to cover the floor. So maybe 1 or two layers. Not so many layers that the UTH would inefficiently heat the enclosure.

2. Depends on what kind of heat mat you use. If you use heat mats like zoo med that have a thick backing where most of the heat just goes out of the sticky side, I would put the probe in the enclosure under the paper towel. With things like heat tape or ultra therm heat pads where heat goes off both sides of the mat, I would tape the probe directly on the heat mat and set it to "x" degrees to get the desired temperatures inside. Either works but I prefer the latter since there is no chance of the animal moving the probe.

3. Yes. Measuring ambient air temps are important as is measuring the hot/cool side. You could leave a guage inside the enclosure and also use a infrared heat gun to monitor temps across the cage.

[Starbuck]

i prefer to keep my temperature probes IN the enclosure, so i know the exact temp where the snake is. to prevent the snake moving the probe, you can use the 3M velcro strips, trimmed so the snake cant access any sticky surfaces. if your cage is plastic (tubs), you can drill two holes and use zip ties, etc. If you have a temp gun, it doesnt matter as much where the probe is, as you can check your temps anywhere in the enclosure at any time.

Are you using a thermostat?

An ambient thermometer is not very useful in my opinion; if youre using a heat producing overhead light maybe, but otherwise i dont feel it is necessary. a permenent humidity gauge can be useful; BUT if you are always providing a humid hide (which you can do), it is also not needed. just make sure your snake has other, non-humid hides as well. I use sphagnum moss in my humid hides, and i refresh them/spray down once a week. for a young cornsnake you'll need a very small tupperware! :)

as for mice to buy: slightly larger than the diameter of the snake, roughly 10% of the body weight, every 5-7 days is a pretty good rule to follow. i wouldnt think you would need extra small pinkies, but that will depend on your snake.

[Caprisaurus]

Cool, thanks. I appreciate the replies. I really need some help ordering the mice though. I think the snake is only a few months old but I don't know weight or any specifics. How many pinkies should I buy? Maybe I should get some fuzzies too for when it's up to them? How many of those should I get? 25? 50? 100? Would really appreciate some help with this because I need to order them soon.

[TheZoo]

When I got mine from petsmart she was eating larger pinks she stayed on them for a while and before switching strait to fuzzys. I did a few double pinks to make sure she could handle a larger size. Personally I would pick up a 6 pack of arctic mice while your there so you can see the mice and go from there. Also I understand the whole living in the moment thing i'm young and impatient to but I have realised somtimes if you wait you can get cool stuff in the end and with that I wish you good luck in your corn adventures.