Garter vs. Corn

[infernalis]

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.

[reptile3]

very nice Wayne.... those are soo cool looking.

[infernalis]

Got 2 out of this cup. The het female is eating whole pinks already and is over a foot long. The male was (Ahem is) a fussy eater. He always seems to need at least one live fish too start him into the eating mode.

When I got him he had refused food altogether.



then this happened.... Now he eats, just fussy about it.

[reptile3]

Is that a frog? whoa

then this happened.... Now he eats, just fussy about it.

[infernalis]

That's a wee baby toadlet, was a polliwog a week before.

[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?

[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.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

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.

I know I'm not the only one around here 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.

Stefan, I to an extent, feel this way, but for me, it's not anger towards the snakes, rather, towards the people that mass breed them the way they do. I can't possibly take a stance such as "i hate cornsnakes" because it's not the snake's fault they are so darned easy to breed and care for. I do understand where you are coming from and just how fristrating it is. I get pretty ticked walking past table after table of tiny deli cups stacked to the ceiling with baby corns, ball pythons, and BCI's. Even if they are the most common, I love cornsnakes for what they are.. a hardy, pretty snake that is easy to care for and generally does not bite the hand that feeds. Having said that, I am highly an advocate of NORMAL corns, which I beleive to be the most beautiful of all, breeders can have their albino candy cane striped motley caramel anery snowflake blizzard chocolate swirl flavored corns.... show me the okeetee's and the miami's! Don't get me wrong.. the genetics are fascinating and WELL worth studying and breeding out, but they are not for me. I am happy with my okeetee's and my anery

I do recognize that there are other snakes that are just as easy as corns... but since corns are readily available... they take the cake. There are a lot of rat snakes that are easy to keep, and lots of others... but they are just not as readily available. Cali kings are right there with corns, but the thing with them is... they often decide that your hand is dinner and I have pried many a king snake off my hand... and many people simply take that the wrong way... that the snake is mean. The fact is that kingsnakes often think with their tummies first

And by writing all this, I am not putting garter snakes down in any way, I mean hell, I specialize heavily in them and love them more than any other snake times infinity. BUT... I simply do not feel that they make the best choice for a starter snake. They are a decent one, but seeing as they are so demanding food wise, and their young are so small and fragile (not to mention the size of their litters and the fact that they can surprise unknowing owners with a litter of babies before they have any knowledge and any time to prepare), and the fact that they are so energetic just makes them less than the optimal choice for the first snake. Do I think garter snakes are the best snakes to own? Yes. Do I think they are the best beginner snake? nope.