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Envenomed69
Guest
I first want to say i have never owned a snake before and i would appreciate it if someone could give me a clue as to what snake would be better for me.
Zynx_Keekeio
New Member
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- 1,169
i'd say corn, kings if your not used to snakes yet can be much faster, possibly nippy (though more uncommon than you think)
King get a little bigger than corns, and I feel they are a little harder to hold onto.
but I think kings come in more brilliant colors than corns but corns have a lot of different morphs as well
King get a little bigger than corns, and I feel they are a little harder to hold onto.
but I think kings come in more brilliant colors than corns but corns have a lot of different morphs as well
Corn snakes! Best snake by far! easy, very calm, i can go on and on. Kings can be a little nippy and not want to be handled. But corn snakes are like a worm! if you need any Info on corn snakes Pm me and i will be more then happy to answer any Q's you might have about corn snakes.
THE WHISPERER
New Member
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- 2,093
- Location
- California
Jungle Corns (if you can't decide between the two)
Daidra
New Member
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- 734
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- Ft.myers,Fl
Cornsnakes are the best they are very docile slow moving sometimes and just very fun to have,good luck and I hope you find what your looking for.
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Foreverandever
Guest
Corns
Kings are jerks lol
My cali king hates people
Kings are jerks lol
My cali king hates people
RampantReptiles
New Member
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- 2,488
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- Canandaigua, NY
Corn, most kings are flighty and harder to hang on to unless you train them while they are young which can take some work.
There are a gazzilian different color variations of both snakes and in no way is one prettier than the other
I have really only met one easy going nice king snake, but it was 3 years old and was very well trained.
On the flip side I have met a very mean corn snake. My boyfriend's snake, she was handled just as much as the other two corns he has as a baby but just turned out mean for who knows what reason. We say she has a wild spirit.
There are a gazzilian different color variations of both snakes and in no way is one prettier than the other
I have really only met one easy going nice king snake, but it was 3 years old and was very well trained.
On the flip side I have met a very mean corn snake. My boyfriend's snake, she was handled just as much as the other two corns he has as a baby but just turned out mean for who knows what reason. We say she has a wild spirit.
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Envenomed69
Guest
I just wanted to say thanks to all the people that replied to my post
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WftRight
Guest
I just replied to a similar thread in another forum. Here's what I said:
Either king snake or corn snake can be a great first snake. In my mind, the choice will depend on several factors.
The first factor is how much room you have. While many people say that even the larger kings and corns can be happy in a 20 gallon long aquarium, I prefer to give my animals a little more room. For any snake that will reach five or six feet in length as an adult, I'd like a cage that's in the three to four feet in length range. My California kingsnake is around five feet long, and I keep him in a 55 gallon long aquarium. That aquarium is four feet long, and I think that length is perfect for him. A corn snake will grow into the five foot neighborhood, so I'd want to give him a cage at least three and preferably four feet long. For a California Kingsnake, I'd do the same. For the bigger kingsnakes, like the easterns, I'd lean towards four feet even though many people keep them successfully in cages as small as twenty gallons. If I want something that will be happiest in a 20 gallon aquarium, I go for something like the thayeri kingsnakes. They reach a maximum length of about three feet, so the 30 inch length of the 20 gallon long is perfect for them.
If space isn't a problem for you, I recommend looking around and finding an animal for whom you will have a strong interest and passion. The details of keeping kings and corns are pretty similar. Ultimately, your interest in doing what the snake needs will determine your success. People can argue about the best substrate, the best kinds of hides, the best basking temperature, but in most cases, the right answers are close enough that small variations don't matter. What does matter is that you care enough to change the water regularly and keep the cage reasonably clean (without driving the snake crazy by changing things too frequently). If you find the snake that fascinates you, you'll make this effort much more than you would because someone on a forum told you to go with one or the other.
Bill
Either king snake or corn snake can be a great first snake. In my mind, the choice will depend on several factors.
The first factor is how much room you have. While many people say that even the larger kings and corns can be happy in a 20 gallon long aquarium, I prefer to give my animals a little more room. For any snake that will reach five or six feet in length as an adult, I'd like a cage that's in the three to four feet in length range. My California kingsnake is around five feet long, and I keep him in a 55 gallon long aquarium. That aquarium is four feet long, and I think that length is perfect for him. A corn snake will grow into the five foot neighborhood, so I'd want to give him a cage at least three and preferably four feet long. For a California Kingsnake, I'd do the same. For the bigger kingsnakes, like the easterns, I'd lean towards four feet even though many people keep them successfully in cages as small as twenty gallons. If I want something that will be happiest in a 20 gallon aquarium, I go for something like the thayeri kingsnakes. They reach a maximum length of about three feet, so the 30 inch length of the 20 gallon long is perfect for them.
If space isn't a problem for you, I recommend looking around and finding an animal for whom you will have a strong interest and passion. The details of keeping kings and corns are pretty similar. Ultimately, your interest in doing what the snake needs will determine your success. People can argue about the best substrate, the best kinds of hides, the best basking temperature, but in most cases, the right answers are close enough that small variations don't matter. What does matter is that you care enough to change the water regularly and keep the cage reasonably clean (without driving the snake crazy by changing things too frequently). If you find the snake that fascinates you, you'll make this effort much more than you would because someone on a forum told you to go with one or the other.
Bill
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Envenomed69
Guest
Thank you very much bill i truly appreciate the information, you have given me some things to take into consideration i wouldn't want to keep any snake in an enclosure that is to small.I however would be willing to sacrifice some of my personal space for a cornsnake...lol Do you know any good breeders..I have been trying to get as much info on the care of a cornsnake and i am awaiting some books that i ordered about them but if you could or any of the other members could recommend me some breeders i would appreciate it..Once again thanks.
nrich
Member
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- 168
- Location
- Pasadena, CA
wow, I'm glad I didn't see this post before I adopted my king. I would have been terrified! Luckily, my guy turned out to be a darling, plus I adore the black and white striping. I've only had her/him for about a month, but I've never had problems with nipping or flighty behavior. Of course, I make sure to hold her almost every day to make sure that she is used to handling and it helps that she/he/it is past that juvie stage where everything pisses them off.
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WftRight
Guest
If the corn snake is the snake that has caught your fancy, that's the snake you should get. They are a great choice.
When you are looking for books, you should look for Kathy Love's book. She's probably the biggest name in corn snakes, and her book is worth reading. Because of her reputation, her animals are probably in high demand, but I don't think you can go too far wrong getting one of her snakes. On the other hand, plenty of folks out there are breeding good corn snakes, and you shouldn't have to order one to get a good one.
I'd consider going to any reptile show within driving distance of your house. While there, you can walk around the booths and meet folks who are selling corn snakes. If I were you, I'd ask them how many they have and how closely they line breed to get certain looks. While most morphs were produced by line breeding and show no negative effects, I'd still rather have a snake that isn't too inbred. If you can be happy with one of the older and more common morphs, you can likely find a good snake from a well-mixed gene pool. I'd try to find breeders who live fairly close to you and who would be willing to give you some help as you raise your animal. If you are pretty picky about the morph that you want, you probably want to go on the first day of a two-day show. There will be more selection on the first day. If you are trying to get a bargain, you can go on the afternoon of the second day when some folks will offer deep discounts to keep from having to pack snakes home and keep feeding them. You want to be certain to ask that the snake is feeding and to reject any snake if you think the breeder is not being completely honest about feeding behaviors.
An important point is that the cost of a young corn snake at a reptile show will be pretty low. You can go home from the show with a cheap snake, but you still need to spend some money to set up a healthy cage. I no longer try to control heat without a thermostat, and good thermostats cost some money. The bottom line ones can be bought for about $30. They're okay but not great. The good ones that you order online cost around $75. A heat mat will cost a bit. A little one is fine for a hatchling, but an adult will need something bigger. I'd try to give him "too many" hides rather than too few. Snakes have different preferences about hides, and giving them choices allows them to make themselves happy. You can use cheap or free things for hides, but you need to get hides. The cage needs to be very secure. Plastic shoe boxes work great as cages, but you need to be absolutely sure that the lid closes completely and cannot be pushed open.
Good luck!
When you are looking for books, you should look for Kathy Love's book. She's probably the biggest name in corn snakes, and her book is worth reading. Because of her reputation, her animals are probably in high demand, but I don't think you can go too far wrong getting one of her snakes. On the other hand, plenty of folks out there are breeding good corn snakes, and you shouldn't have to order one to get a good one.
I'd consider going to any reptile show within driving distance of your house. While there, you can walk around the booths and meet folks who are selling corn snakes. If I were you, I'd ask them how many they have and how closely they line breed to get certain looks. While most morphs were produced by line breeding and show no negative effects, I'd still rather have a snake that isn't too inbred. If you can be happy with one of the older and more common morphs, you can likely find a good snake from a well-mixed gene pool. I'd try to find breeders who live fairly close to you and who would be willing to give you some help as you raise your animal. If you are pretty picky about the morph that you want, you probably want to go on the first day of a two-day show. There will be more selection on the first day. If you are trying to get a bargain, you can go on the afternoon of the second day when some folks will offer deep discounts to keep from having to pack snakes home and keep feeding them. You want to be certain to ask that the snake is feeding and to reject any snake if you think the breeder is not being completely honest about feeding behaviors.
An important point is that the cost of a young corn snake at a reptile show will be pretty low. You can go home from the show with a cheap snake, but you still need to spend some money to set up a healthy cage. I no longer try to control heat without a thermostat, and good thermostats cost some money. The bottom line ones can be bought for about $30. They're okay but not great. The good ones that you order online cost around $75. A heat mat will cost a bit. A little one is fine for a hatchling, but an adult will need something bigger. I'd try to give him "too many" hides rather than too few. Snakes have different preferences about hides, and giving them choices allows them to make themselves happy. You can use cheap or free things for hides, but you need to get hides. The cage needs to be very secure. Plastic shoe boxes work great as cages, but you need to be absolutely sure that the lid closes completely and cannot be pushed open.
Good luck!
A
Alliemac
Guest
I would recommend taking in a show too. Excellent animals, excellent advice and it's soooo fun to look.
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