I'm going to purchase a corn snake in the next month and am debating between a hatchling and younger snake.
You can't get much younger than a hatchling.
What are advantages/disadvantages of both?
I'd prefer starting out with a snake about 3 or 4 months old (or older). By the time they are that age, they have already shed several times, are eating frequently, and any health problems or oddities should have been noticed and addressed by then. I've known many people to even start out with adult snakes. Certainly nothing wrong with that.
Hatchlings sometimes have issues. Sometimes they won't eat right away. They could have unknown health problems, and depending on the person or place you get the snake from, they may not tell you truthfully what's going on with the animal. In some instances, they may not even have a clue themselves. If you start off with a Hatchling, you are taking on more of a risk. It can also produce more of a reward down the road, but could easily end in disaster too. Some people will tell you it's best to start with a hatchling, some will tell you to get an older animal. I am of that 2nd group.
Where should I purchase one? I started doing research and noticed that I can buy one from place that ships them, a national store like petsmart, or local shop. There is also reptile convention in my area next month. Should I wait on the convention? I also noticed there are a lot of different corn snakes. Are they the same but just different colors?
Sorry for all of the misc. questions and thanks in advance.
I might buy some guitar strings online, or a camera lens and have it shipped. But I can't bring myself to purchase a Living Animal, have it shipped to me, and hope all goes well. But that's just me. I prefer to actually hold the snake, check it out, and see all records of the animal in person before I buy. I've had 5 different snakes over the past 42 years and all came from local pet dealers in my area.
I have found a lot of pet shops don't really care for the snakes very well, mostly because the person hired doesn't know much about snakes themselves. I am not saying that all PetsMarts or Pet Stores sell crappy pets or employ crappy people, but it's a fact some do. For this reason don't get hasty and run out and buy the first yellow snake with red eyes you see at the cheapest price. Shop Around! Talk to the people. Ask to see their records (feeding charts, shed charts, where the animal came from, who the breeder was, how long has it been in the store, look at the cage it's in, is the heating and lighting and furnishings appropriate? Is the temp right? Is the water fresh and clean or nasty?) If you don't like what you see move on to another place.
I fortunately live in an area (South of Nashville Tn.) where we have a Local Reptile Store, and all they sell are snakes and Lizards. They are really good knowledgeable people, and they have been in business many years. 3 of my 5 snakes have come from them. There also happens to be a PetsMart down the street from me that has a young man working the reptile area, and he is a snake owner himself. On the other hand, there are several other pet stores in the area, and I won't even set foot in them because on previous visits I "Did Not Like what I Saw or Heard."
