Thinking about rescuing this corn. Thoughts?

[hazzaram]

I found this guy on Kijiji. I immediately felt bad for him. He's 6 years old and looks a little small to me (not exactly sure as I've never had a corn) and for heat, all he has is a heat rock! His cage is dirty and the lady said he's not handled much but he's pretty calm.

She said she'll only let him go for the full $100 she's asking. That's not too bad for the snake and tank - which I can clean up and make use of. She'd also have to drive an hour to bring him to me.

Thoughts? I know I'd have to quarantine him from my other snakes but... would you do it?





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[frostysBP]

They snake dosent look in bad shape to be besides the heat rock but imo what she is asking is way to high.

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[Smitty33]

Agree with frosty, poor guy looks in decent shape but is very small for 6 yrs old. Looks to be a ten gallon which would normally be way too small for a 6 yr old. The heat rock should just be pitched in the garbage, surprised he hasn't been burned.
Poor guy probably under-fed his whole life. A little corn is what got me back in the hobby after a very long absence. My daughter took in her boyfriends corn while he left for the Army. They were just doing what the pet shop he got him from told them, feeding a pinky about once a month and living in a 10 gallon with a heat lamp blasting. He had a horrible shed and I had to step in and help her get the guys husbandry correct and feeding him properly. I got her a good thermo/hydrometer and adjusted the rheostat to get the temp down to a correct level,switched him over to cypress substrate and a proper water bowl and taught my daughter how to keep his humidity correct and they very next day he had a perfect one piece shed. Got him on a proper feeding schedule and now he's about 4 ft long and eating full size mouse once a week.

[BCS]

I don't think he looks small to me. Males are naturally smaller then females. Typically males rarely reach past 3ft. They are slender snakes and are slow growers. Being 6 years old he looks healthy. As for the heat rock, she just might be uneducated and if you look at a heat rock packaging they will either have a corn snake or bearded dragon on the packaging so it can be misleading.

Also corn snakes do not need a lot of heat compared to other species of snakes. They are north American snakes and generally in the wild they would not stay in a place higher then 82F. I am not saying he should not have a heat pad of course but do not be alarmed and worry that he freezing to death. These guys also naturally burmate in the winter. They can with stand temperatures as low as 62F.

The cage looks dusty but the aspen he is sitting in looks clean. I really doubt that he is being mistreated. I wouldn't call it a rescue at this point, more like a purchase. He looks very healthy and the only things wrong is a dusty cage top and a heat rock. Not a reason to call it a rescue.

During the late spring and through the summer, it gets to be about 80-82F in my house so I turn the heat pad off in my corn snake's enclosure. She doesn't even use it during the time because it is way too hot.

$100 for her to make the hour trip, include the cage and snake, seems like a good way to go. Buying a new age for him would be $100-$200 any way and being that he is a normal morph he would cost about $20 himself depending on where you go. And I know it would take my vehicle $30 for gas on an hour trip and then there is her time wasted as well.

[distaff]

I'd call it something of a rescue. He is stuck in a tank that is too small. Colubrids are less likely to burn on those rocks - not that I'm advocating them, he should have a regulated UTH. Looks like an Okeetee? He looks pretty in the picture. Kingsnake.com prices tend to be around 40-100 plus shipping.

I like him, but I would make her drive to you, since you are paying a rather steep price (no health guarantee, and possibly mites), and you will need to upgrade everything.

[hazzaram]

frostysBP - I agree. I think $100 is a lot for the snake and equipment since mostly everything will have to be replaced. But, she'll be delivering him to me and it's an hour drive. Gas here in Canada is high per litre so that's how I'm rationalizing the $100. It's probably $30 in gas and then the rest for the snake/home, lol.

Smitty33 - I'm pretty sure it is a 10 gallon tank and she admitted in the email that they don't bother with the snake unless they're cleaning it. I know that's not really a bad thing and a lot of keepers don't handle their snakes much but I just get the impression that he's not fed all that often either. I sent an email back asking for more info about his eating habits and what size/how often he's eating. We will see, I guess.

BCS- I still call it somewhat of a rescue. Maybe he's not being mistreated but he's being kept in a tank that is too small with improper equipment. She probably just is uneducated and I can't blame her for being told things by a petstore - but I've been told the same things regarding ball pythons. When I mentioned I was getting one to a pet store employee, she went on a spiel about all the things I would need, including a heat rock and analogue temperature gauges but before purchasing anything I went online to find out exactly what I would need. I would never get a pet without doing a lot of research of my own so that is ignorance on her part.

Also, she lives in the same climate as me and I know our temperatures. It gets very hot in the summer and very, very cold in the winter. Last winter, we had temps in the -30's. Even with heat, it's chilly in a house at that temperature and with only a heat rock, I can't imagine he was that comfortable.

I don't mean to come off snooty and I'm really sorry if I am. It just really annoys me when people get a pet without doing proper research. I've done loads of things wrong since I started with ball pythons but I've always come here to get the help I need and I've gotten it every time. That's why I love this place

distaff​ - Agreed. She will be driving to me if I decide to get him. That's how I'm justifying the $100. I'm telling myself $30-$40 of it is for gas, lol.

[hazzaram]

Update from the person!

She said the snake hibernates through the winter and only comes out for a drink or two, so he's not fed that entire time. During the summer, he eats one full sized mouse per week. She said she has enough frozen mice to feed him for at least a year and everything would come with him. The tank is indeed a 10 gallon.

I don't know anything about snake hibernation =\ If he's been used to this for 6 years, is it safe to stop it? I would have him on proper heat and monitored temps year round...

[BCS]

Snakes do not hibernate, they brumate. I choose not to do this for my corn but it is safe to or not to. You can stop, no problem. And if he is eating a full grown adult mouse, he is a lot bigger in person then he is in the picture.

[Spiritserpents]

BCS... I don't know where you heard that, but male and female corns do not show a size difference unless the female has been bred every year... and then they're smaller.

This is Eugene, he's 5 1/2 feet long. He's next to a 4 foot long female.



This is Oroboss, he's 3 1/2 feet long, and only 2 years old.



This is Dier. He's 4 feet long.


This is Joxer. He is 4 1/2 feet long.


This is Vanay. He is 3 1/2 feet long.

[hazzaram]

BCS... I don't know where you heard that, but male and female corns do not show a size difference unless the female has been bred every year... and then they're smaller.

This is Eugene, he's 5 1/2 feet long. He's next to a 4 foot long female.



This is Oroboss, he's 3 1/2 feet long, and only 2 years old.



This is Dier. He's 4 feet long.


This is Joxer. He is 4 1/2 feet long.


This is Vanay. He is 3 1/2 feet long.

Oh my gosh, your snakes are gorgeous!!! I've always thought corns were beautiful animals but seeing those pics... I just want this guy even more! I know he's 'just' a normal but I've got to start somewhere with them and if I can improve his life while I'm at it, well that just makes it all the better!

What is that last morph? I am in love!!