Should I buy a corn snake hatchling?

[ferrisulf]

It depends on the snakes in question. When going to pick out a baby, you want to pick one that is fairly calm but also alert and healthy. There can be some touch and go for a bit. Some babies can be a bit nippy or flighty, but nothing bad. They generally calm down nice.

If you were to get an adult, I would get it from a breeder at an expo or from a reputable rescue. Do not buy one from an individual, as people tend to lie about how well they cared for their snake (or sometimes they think they were doing a good job when in fact it's atrocious) As a beginner, you wouldn't always know some of the more subtle warning signs. Lots of rescues that specialized in reptiles have adult snakes, including corns. They have it checked by an experienced vet, will go over all of the husbandry with you, and can tell you about the individual snakes' personalities so you know what to expect.

So really, it depends on what you want to do. If you want to watch the snake grow into an adult, get a baby. If you want to skip the flighty baby stage, consider adopting a calm and healthy adult from somewhere trustworthy. I actually prefer adopting adults. While you won' t get to watch an adult grow up, you don't have to worry about only having a short time with it. Most corn snakes at rescues aren't that old and their lifespans average 15-20 yrs. So you would have plenty of time with it.