Garter vs. Corn

[drache]

Probably the ugliest snakes out there.

true - and so delicately put

[Stefan-A]

true - and so delicately put

Well, it is just an opinion.

[Cobra Kai]

You mean these... Hope to have some to offer, there is a few months of growing yet.

Very pretty.

Also getting into Snow Radix next season. they are so white I have an Iowa snow het, and a friend has me top of his list for a pair from his litter.

AWWW…SOOKIE SOOKIE NOW!!!
That’s what I’m talkin’ about Wayne. You have every snake I want. That’s awesome! Those albinos are total stunners. I might have to hold out for that breeding someday. I hope Mr. Toad new how he did it all for a great cause. I’ll always remember him when I have my albino neonate someday. LOL!

BTW…speaking about your ridicules collection, what ever happened to your eastern milks?

[drache]

Well, it is just an opinion.

oh my - and there I really believed it was a fact for a moment
I know I am biased toward the less neon end of the spectrum - or something not quite so . . .
I think I'll let that go for now

[Stefan-A]

oh my - and there I really believed it was a fact for a moment

Wise ***.

[adamanteus]

Oh, but it IS a fact!

[Stefan-A]

I wonder what an anerythristic tetrataenia would look like..

[infernalis]

BTW…speaking about your ridiculous collection, what ever happened to your eastern milks?

Still have a few left.

They all ate, some are sold and gone, down to 4 looking for homes.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

haha, in response to the discussion converning corns at petco... you can get them as babies at shows for about $17 now. That includes amels, anery's, snows and all of the more common morphs now. That is how much I sold the two I had at the show for and even at that price... they sat there almost all day! It is getting to the point where too many cornsnakes are being bred and no one can sell them all! I'm not referring to the higher end stuff, but your normals (most beuatiful corns of all), amels, candy cane anerythristic zig zagged whoseewhatsit are getting close to the breaking point. I love my corns and I will always have a few but I am not gonna get into breeding them heavily because I fear that cornsnakes are becoming the next iguana of the reptiles as pets trade... they're everywhere, they're ridiculously cheap and it's very hard to find GOOD homes for them anymore, so a lot of wholesalers are selling them off cheap which in return will cause many people to see "cheap snakes" and impulse buy for their kids, and the snakes will suffer for it. I was very lucky to place the two babies I had for sale at the show for $17 in good loving homes... and they still have a little sister that needs a home too! I saw quiet a few vendors go home that day with 99% of the corns they took with them!

Having said all of that.... I DO support owning cornsnakes and I wholeheartedly beleive that they are the number 1, supreme, absoultey BEST starter snakes. Many people will say ball pythons... which is definitely not true seeing as they are much more needy and finicky. I would say garters except for the fact that baby garters are tiny and very fragile, and garters are much higher maintenance than cornsnakes with their needing to eat a few times a week and being so active where as corns being fossorial and having a slower digestive tract are usually the better of the two choices for the first ever pet snake. Corns will tolerate beginner mistakes more easily than most garters.

Here's an that I wrote about 2 years ago for reptastic concerning cornsnakes... it was well accepted over there!

Many people that are new to the snake world want to start off slowly. They are looking for an affordable, docile, hardy, active snake that feeds well and reaches a reasonable size. Cornsnakes have every single one of these things going for them!
If you have never owned a snake before, I suggest you go with a cornsnake for the following reasons:
Cornsnakes have a great disposition:I have yet to come across an aggressive adult corn. While a few select hatchlings may have a bit of an attitude problem at first, they are easily pacified and will eventually grow up to be a sweet, gentle animal. My corns are the only snakes I would ever trust 100% not to bite other people. They are also great for child interaction; their sweet temper, moderate size and vivid colors make them by far the best snake to use while educating children.
Cornsnakes feed well:Even as babies, corns almost always readily accept food, a rodent or two a week and you've got a complacent, fat, happy pet. They are also easily trained to take pre-killed or frozen/thawed rodents, Some of my corns are so used to eating dead prey that they flee at the sight of a live mouse!
Cornsnakes are hardy animals:They do not succumb easily with illness (provided, you have to keep their enclosures warm, clean and dry) and even when they do, they are good fighters and will usually bounce back with the proper treatment.
Cornsnakes are active: If you're new to snakes, you're probably going to want a snake that you're going to see at some point. As long as you've got light on them, corns will be up and about for a good part of the day. Morning and toward dusk are when you are most likely to see them.
Cornsnakes grow to a reasonable size: Not too big, not too small, depending on the sex, corns mature at an average length of 4-5 feet, and shouldn't EVER exceed 6 feet.
Cornsnakes are not needy:As long as you provide your corn with a warm, dry, roomy environment, have water available at all times, feed it once a week, and give it a hide-box, your corn should thrive. No need for constant attention to humidity, no specialized diet, no fast metabolism or seasonal feeding changes(there are a few exceptions) to worry about (i mainly refer to the ball python's notoriety in going off feed during fall and winter here)
Cornsnakes come in a huge selection of colors: except for green and blue, you can get a corn in just about any color- silver, orange, red, yellow, lavender, and more... and all of them are relatively affordable! (when you know where to shop)
And yes, before anyone starts badgering me, I know ball pythons make a good beginner's pet as well, but not quite as good as a corn. Ball pythons are known to go off feeding for long periods of time, which may worry some people. . Balls are also nocturnal, and babies are rather shy and finicky about their food. They are also highly unforgiving of what are known as "beginner's mistakes".

[Stefan-A]

I'm definitely a biased when it comes to corn snakes.

It's not because I have anything (not much anyway, just a few minor things I already mentioned) against the snake, but because of its status around here. People churn out corns like there's no tomorrow and if a beginner turns up somewhere, that's the only species they've ever heard about and it's the only one anybody ever recommends, as if there weren't other species that are as user friendly as corns. Whether or not there are, is not even interesting; Corns are the only snakes that are consistently available and therefore there's no point in even considering anything else. Unless you're already looking for something specific, in which case you go to Germany.

I know I'm not the only one around here (i.e. Finland) who's getting sick of corns. Some of the members on a local forum even went as far as to bleep the name "corn snake" whenever they had to use it. I didn't really understand that negative attitude then, but I think I'm starting to.

But this is just a little local phenomenon.