PetCo corns: healthy?

Well, I've got that snake-buying itch, and this time I think I'll be getting a corn. My local PetCo has some ghost and other morph corn babies(or niblets? :P) that look pretty healthy- as in not skinny, shed-covered, or mite infested. I'll be keeping it downstairs(away from my BP) and was just wondering if anyone has had bad experiences with PetCo corns.

Please respond. :)

A lot of people have had problems with petco corns. do yourself a favor and buy from a good breeder, cornutopia.com is a good place to check out.

Thanks, I found a few that I like... the rices are about the same as PetCo's, might as well get a good one. :)

Kathy Love is great.i got her book on cornsnakes, even tho i havnt had any problems with mine, its got alot of helpful tips in it and alot on the cornsnake itself and its natural environment.well worth getting.

I think you summed it up in the title "Petco".

~mike

We got Robin's corn, Kishnah from PetCo w/o any problems, but that's b/c ours is more than likely the exception to the rule.


The vet they use, is my herp vet and 3 of the 4 clerks in the reptile dept. are pretty knowledgeable.

But if U can find a local breeder, or for shipping, you'd probably do better buying from the breeder directly, intead of a retailer.

Yes, Kathy's book is VERY helpful. Good reading and information for all skill levels, but excellent for the beginner. :)

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Yes, Kathy's book is VERY helpful. Good reading and information for all skill levels, but excellent for the beginner. :)[/QUOTE]

I found it very helpful,well my brother did as his wasnt feeding and i gave the book to him and now his girl is back on track.i just discovered there is a petco somewhere in the uk,not sure where, or if its the same petco as the us.

I went and held one today and had a nice conversation with the reptile specialist. He was very knowledgeable about that care of them and I checked their temps and humidity, both were spot-on. They've been eating mouse pinks and are good feeders, according to him. I think I'm going to go pick one up tomorrow, they have a snow and three anery hatchlings. I'm leaning toward anery.

We have a snow and an amel. Very pretty....and looking to add a candy cane or butter in the near future.


Good luck, and remember to post pics! :)

Oh yes! I'm about to take some pics of the tank... first let me find my camera..... :)

Alright, I just picked him up ad he is CUTE! :D I bought an anery, he's got the awesome checkered belly action goin' on. :cool: I also learned why they're called corn snakes: their bellies look like maize.

I'll have some pics up soon.

i was looking to get a snake at petco, but then i found a breeder about 45 mins away. i have nothing against petco, i bought a healthly ball from them. but i'd much rather go with a breeder, just cause i know what i am getting. plus they have a wider variety then petco.

i'd love to see some pics...

I worked at Petco for 6 years, and I always thought they came in lookin healthy. Only qualm I had was the outrageous price for them....:(

Heh, turns out that the reptile specialist there breeds Cresties and is having a booth at the upcoming show here in Raleigh.

I can honestly say I was impressed the last time I went up to Petco. Unlike every other pet store/chain this Petco seemed to have very nice setups with proper temps/humidity as well as very healthy looking snakes and lizards. The balls looked great as did the corns they had. A little on the pricey side but atleast the proper needs of the pets were met.

With that being said I would still buy from a breeder if possible but Petco seems to have things right, atleast the one by me did.

Good luck with your new buddy.

As a petco employee I honestly think it depends on the petco. Good for you that you did find one that you like.
My main concern is that they are mass produced corns come from a supply company, in my personal opinion I think we lose the humanity of the breeder and there for the care and consideration for the snakes. I like having the ability to know how often the snake has been eatting and when. I know for a fact at my job when we feed them we just mark of how many ate and how many did, no attention to the particular snake, so if someone wants to know if such and such is a good eatter we have no actual way of telling them. (of course if I worked in the reptile department I would try to do it better :/) You also have no way of knowing their age, it is entirely possible that these snakes are at least a year old even if they don't look like it due to the sheer fact that they are only being fed a matinence diet just to keep them going. Of course another factor is the fact that we are cohabilitating the corns, especially in youth is very frowned upon due to possible carnivorous behavior. But it also has shown to cause unneeded stress on the corns, and is certainly something a hatchling does not need, since they all want to be in the best hide you'll often find them all over each other, and while it appears to be cute is just them huddling out of necessity.
Um...I think I'm getting a little off track here.
Suffice to say that I'm getting my first corn soon, and it will not be from petco.
*steps away from the soap box*
:P

Well, I fed him tonight. I know it's a little early, but the guy at PetCo said today would be his normal feeding day and that I could try if I wanted. I figured that I'd might as well try, so I thawed a little pinkie mouse and offered it to him on some hemostats. He gobbled it right up! Now he has some lump action going on. :)