Newbie from New York

Howdy all,

Seems like terrific community you've all built here...I'm pleased to participate!

My name is Syd, I'm from Westchester County NY and about to take the plunge on a cornsnake...I've had many years of experience with a variety of lizards, and briefly owned a corn about 12 years ago but overall haven't done much with snakes.

Our longtime pet bearded dragon Bingo passed away last year, and while our puppy is a wonderful pet (when she sleeps through the night) I've been itching to get back into the herp game for awhile.

I've been looking at possibly going for an Abbotts as the colors are so striking (and my daughters think they are the prettiest) and plan on attending the Westchester Herp show in a couple of weeks to hopefully find a quality animal from a reputable breeder...any suggestions in this regard would be most welcome.

Also...a gn00b question...is there any difference in temperament among corn morphs? I know each individual snake is different but are there morphs that run a bit more "high strung" than others? As this is going to be a family pet rather than dedicated breeding scenario I'd rather lean towards a morph that is on the more relaxed side if there are in fact differences.

Thanks in advance for any advice...

Syd

Hi Syd, welcome to the forum! I'm sorry to hear about your beardie . I don't know too much about NY breeders (I'm in PA), but you're definitely in the right place for advice, tips and tricks.

I'm kind of a snake noob myself, so I can't answer your temperament question, but I did a quick search of the forum and found these threads:

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79135&highlight=morph+personality

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76927&highlight=morph+personality

Hope that helps!

Hey Syd, hows it going. Im in Westchester New York as well. Welcome to the forum. Ive been breeding corns for about 4 years now, I have a good amount of morphs available if your interested. Pm me and let me know.

Rick

bapkate said:

Hi Syd, welcome to the forum! I'm sorry to hear about your beardie . I don't know too much about NY breeders (I'm in PA), but you're definitely in the right place for advice, tips and tricks.

I'm kind of a snake noob myself, so I can't answer your temperament question, but I did a quick search of the forum and found these threads:

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79135&highlight=morph+personality

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76927&highlight=morph+personality

Hope that helps!

Click to expand...

Thanks for those links Katherine...it seems likely that it comes down to individual temperament and consistency of handling that ultimately determines flightiness/likelihood of biting. My experience with flightly lizards (like basiliks) and larger lizards (my last iguana was a 5+ foot 17 pound monster) is that with careful and regular handling (without overdoing it) most animals will tolerate necessary handling to some extent. "Special" times like shedding, post-feeding, going into heat etc are times that the animal is best left undisturbed, or the likelihood of a bad handling experience. This is also applicable to people

We'll see how it goes...pictures and follow-ups will be posted once I've actually acquired a snake.

Thanks,

Syd

Welcome to the hobby! I know you and your family are going to love it. Corns make great pets and I don't know why it took me so long to get one! This forum is a fabulous resource, the Photo Gallery subforum should contain a warning. Viewers are often subject to strong desire for more snakes....More Snakes....MORE SNAKES!!! lol

Have fun!

Howdy Syd, welcome.
Sorry to hear about your dragon, hope he had a long life with you.
I totally agree about the puppies. I like our dogs a lot but I would like them even more if they shed in one piece!

Welcome aboard, Syd! I've got a beardie too and know how I would feel if he passed. Sorry about yours.

I'm sure you'll love your Abbotts when you do get it. They ARE a wonderful morph!

Grimjack said:

Thanks for those links Katherine...it seems likely that it comes down to individual temperament and consistency of handling that ultimately determines flightiness/likelihood of biting. My experience with flightly lizards (like basiliks) and larger lizards (my last iguana was a 5+ foot 17 pound monster) is that with careful and regular handling (without overdoing it) most animals will tolerate necessary handling to some extent. "Special" times like shedding, post-feeding, going into heat etc are times that the animal is best left undisturbed, or the likelihood of a bad handling experience. This is also applicable to people

We'll see how it goes...pictures and follow-ups will be posted once I've actually acquired a snake.

Thanks,

Syd

Click to expand...

No problem! Even if you end up with a cranky corn, it'll still be nothing compared to a full grown iguana. I mean, a corn can't whip you silly with its tail or scratch you with its nonexistent claws! Kudos to being able to manage such a big animal

I can't wait to see what you end up with! Definitely post pictures.