Cornsnakes(thin) at Petco

[ProXimuS]

No... I decided against it...I really shouldn't have any more animals while I'm still at my grandparent's house...And I really would rather stick to garters I just got extra excited! But I really wouldn't mind having one still....I saw them again(or maybe different ones) when I went to Petco yesterday, and had to peel myself away from them They had the "Fancy Cornsnake" for like $50 and then ones that were labeled just as "Cornsnakes" for $40. But they really looked mostly the same to me....The "fancy" one was like that purpley/maroony color, and the "regular"(I guess) ones that were about the same color and an albino. I don't understand how they can charge $10 more just to call it "fancy."

[Invisible Snake]

A "fancy" corn snake is how PetCo labels basically any morph other than straight normal. (and I've even seen them mark normals as "fancy" too).

[Steveo]

Do you have any reptile rescues nearby? I know of a few locally that are overflowing with corns (and balls). IMO that's the best way to get one... even if you just want to foster one for a little while

[ProXimuS]

Maybe this "fancy" one was a normal, because it was just about the same color as the "normals" He was still pretty nonetheless!(But so were the otehr ones)

Steveo, I hadn't ever thought of forstering with a snake. That's a pretty cool idea I'll have to look into when I'm able to move out. I'm sure there's gotta be plenty of snake or reptile rescues around the Houston area.

[ConcinusMan]

they had crickets in with them.

So I guess what I wanted to know is, do Corns eat crickets?
And should I maybe mention something to someone about them looking thin?

Yes, I see the same thing at my local petco. Crickets in the enclosure. Ridiculous. They don't eat them, and remaining crickets are a danger to the snakes. The crickets will chew and injure the snakes.

You could mention it, but they don't care. They expect to lose 80% of them and are priced accordingly. The bottom line is, they don't have the manpower to work with the babies to make sure each one is eating, and to make sure they are eating a proper diet. They buy them dirt cheap in bulk and don't care if most of them die. They simply don't care.

In my opinion, corns are so plentiful there is no reason at all to purchase newborns of questionable health from any pet store. You can get healthy established ones for free or nearly free. I highly recommend adopting from a reputable local rescue. There are plenty awaiting adoption.

EDIT: I see now that has already been suggested.

And BTW, their "fancy" corn snakes are produced by breeding morphs. Even if there are normal looking ones in there, the difference is, they carry genes for one or more morphs. The "regular" corns do not. They are simply wild-type.

[ProXimuS]

Yes, I see the same thing at my local petco. Crickets in the enclosure. Ridiculous. They don't eat them, and remaining crickets are a danger to the snakes. The crickets will chew and injure the snakes.

I didn't know they would mess with the snakes too. I knew mice/rats would. I've seen the crickets in there since then. Even in a different enlcosure with (what I think were) different corns....Ugh, maybe they just told me that the crickets got in there "by accident" that one time to try to get me off their butts. Next time I go there, if there are more crickets in with them I will say something again, and see what happens....Probably nothing

I didn't think about the normals being het for anything either...That could have been the case.

[ConcinusMan]

The crickets didn't get there by accident. The idiots think they'll eat them and for lack of anything better, of appropriate size, they give them crickets. The truth is, the crickets will get hungry and actually chew on, and injure the snakes, or even kill them. it happens all the time. it's been well documented. You never want to leave uneaten crickets in with any herp for too long. The bottom line is, most, if not all, of the baby snakes they keep haven't eaten since they got them, and they just sit there and starve until you buy them, or they die. I think it's their policy that after 90 days or so, any unsold snakes are returned to their supplier or otherwise disposed of. They recognize that the pet store is not a good long term home. It's merely a temporary holding.

[ConcinusMan]

if there are more crickets in with them I will say something again, and see what happens....Probably nothing

It's falling on deaf ears and they won't do anything, believe me. To them, the snakes are expendable. If they sell one or two, and the rest die, they still make money.