Yeah, that could work out wonderfully for you. Also just make sure that you know if it is eating consistently. That is the biggest thing.
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Yeah, they poop so infrequently it’s crazy. In the two years I’ve had my girl, I can count on one hand how many times she’s pooped…and still have fingers left over.
But when they do poop, it’s impressive. My girl had a human-sized poop as a yearling. I didn’t even recognize it as poop at first. I was like, “That’s weird, I don’t remember putting that log in her enclosure…oh wait.” 
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Oh heavens, do they know they are allowed to poop more often instead of saving it until its a biohazard
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Good point, I’ll make note of that to be a question I ask a breeder if I go for one
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That is what I would do. When I got Elmo, I was actually planning on getting a corn snake (or house snake) but all of them were so tiny. After seeing Elmo, a decent sized yearling and one of my favorite morphs, I knew I had to get him. Getting a yearling is also a safer option as it is more established and most likely is past the potential “sudden death” phase where it you can’t be 100% positive everything will be fine as things such as enlarged/underdeveloped hearts, organ issues, and other possible birth defects are still possible as some don’t succumb to their condition for many months. It is also nice because you can get a better idea of their adult colors and helps save a bit of money as you shouldn’t have to do as many enclosure upgrades.
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Okay perfect, maybe that will be my plan for snake #1!
@lumpy what morph is Leaky again? I’ll probably get a wild type since I think they are so pretty without any changes, but I am curious about your big beefy gal haha
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She is an Amel with a bucket load of het…give me a moment
She is an Amel Het Ghost, 50% Het Caramel, Charcoal, Diffused, Lavender, Motley OR Stripe, PH Cinder, Scaleless
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Just one thing i would recommend checking out is localities! some of them are absolutely stunning!
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Oh cool, I do love the amels and anerys too…and the tessera…and
I hadn’t even been looking into corns because they felt ‘basic’ but man that judgement made me miss out on a lot! Great sized snake, cute faces, beautiful colors - no wonder they are popular, doesn’t make em basic
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Oh, great idea thank you!!
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Oh dear, turns out I also love the anery/ultramel combo, dusty gray snakes are my favorite.
This thread was supposed to solidify my list, not add more snakes to it!
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A yearling is a great size to start off with. And you can always ask the breeder what they weigh, to make sure they’re actually yearling-sized and haven’t been maintenance fed for a year.
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Oh I didn’t even think about that, thank you!!
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Keep in mind though that corns grow quickly so you will not have a tiny one for long. Personally I like to acquire them as babies so I can watch them grow. And I have had some tiny ones…. But yearlings are great too of course……
Also I have never seen a corn snake that would not eat consistently, AFTER it successfully becomes an established eater compliments of its breeder. My corns tend to eat even during the shedding stages. So feeding shouldn’t be an issue.
My lowest maintenance favorite snakes out of all 22 in my collection are my two STPs Luz (Borneo) and Victory ( Blood). I simply love love love them. They are so good natured as well…….
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Oh mannnnn how am I ever going to pick a FIRST snake out of all my chosen species???
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Pick a corn. If you pick a snake that you could have feeding troubles with you may get discouraged and give up on snakes in general.
Imho, the very best starter snake is the corn, no contest….
Edit to add: Corns tend to be forgiving husbandry wise as they are very hardy and can tolerate a range of temperatures and humidity……
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Very good points. Both boas and STPs require higher humidity, so a corn would be an excellent starting place to get my schedules with a snake figured out. Thank you!
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Yup. No problem
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I mean, I think any of those could make a great first snake. Before I got my blood, I practiced “caring for” an empty enclosure for a few weeks, so I could figure out how to dial in my temps and humidity before getting the snake. It’s not rocket surgery, but I think it’s helpful to get that all figured out before getting the animal (mostly for the benefit of the animal, but also to alleviate human anxiety).
That said, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who would argue with a corn being a perfect choice as a first snake. I’d only argue against it for someone who felt they needed a “starter snake” before getting what they really want (I dislike that whole notion), but since you want a corn anyway, I think starting with a corn is a great idea. Not having to be overly concerned with humidity does simplify husbandry a bit.
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I actually had this thought today and thank goodness its not as crazy as it sounded in my head I was like ‘well if I need to let a bioactive sit for a bit to establish, why don’t I just add heat and lighting and a waterdish to see how everything maintains?’
And then I thought I might be a wackadoo (still might, just not for this reason!)
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