Year-old corn snake

[Bogertophis]

Nope I did not see anything in his nostrils. I haven't checked his mouth as I am trying not to stress him out since I just got him. How would you recommend I check it? (I've never checked a snake's mouth before.) I got him from a local exotic reptile store, and asked them about it but they just said they haven't had any issues with him.

Of course, they wanted to make a sale. Normally a yearling corn snake is a great choice for a pet, as hatchlings are tiny & delicate...but it also depends on the care they've had up to now, & a certain percentage of "available yearlings" are offered for sale because the breeder or previous owner knows there's an issue & they don't want to deal with it.

You can use something like a tongue depressor to open snake's mouth but if you're uncomfortable doing it (& won't know what you're really looking at anyway?) there's no point in adding to his stress right now, save it for the vet. (I'm assuming you've had him too long to return to the store or don't want to, or there's no guarantee anyway?)

IMO the store took advantage of you...it takes a practiced eye to spot issues like this in snakes...& I'm not saying all their staff is equally-experienced either, but surely the manager/owner is & would have known. I don't think much of stores that "play dumb" giving answers like that ("haven't had any issues" ).

So...you just got him yesterday? Vet care can get expensive & you should NOT have to take this on, IMO. It's up to you though...as an animal lover I want
to help any that are in my care, but you only just got him, & it would be hard to hear his clicking in a busy store...you may want to reconsider whether or not to keep him or try to return for refund. Gee, what a bummer...