You have two options when it comes to buying a corn snake. The first is to go to a breeder and buy them very cheaply. The second is to go to a pet shop and pay about three times that amount for exactly the same snake. It's your choice, do what you have to do because not everyone has access to a breeder.

If you are getting your corn from a breeder without actually seeing the snake in person first, make sure the individual has a good reputation and offers you some kind of guarantee. If, however, you get your snake from a pet shop, you should ask to inspect it before you buy. Here are the things you should look for:

• Weight: Corns should not have loose folds of skin or protruding bones. These are both signs of weight problems. Don't buy these snakes. The ventral scales should be flat and squared off from the side of the body.
• Scars/Defects: Don't buy a snake with kinks in its body, scars, lumps, genetic abnormalities or anything else that makes its appearance anything but normal. Let the snake crawl through your firm fist and feel for any kinks or lumps. Don't buy any snakes that have these. The cloaca (vent) should be firmly shut and there should be no patches of unshed skin on the snake's body.
• Alertness: Healthy snakes will move around, slowly but on their own accord. They should constantly flick their tongues to analyse their surroundings.
• Muscles: Corns should be fairly strong and you should feel some resistance while you are holding it. If the snake seems very weak, don't buy it.
• Parasites: Look for tiny little creepy things of the body of the snake. Ticks are flat things that look a bit like scales and stay clamped to the snake, sucking blood. They are quite rare and aren't really considered much of a problem because they can be got rid of. Mites are a much bigger problem and you will see them as little black or red dots on the corn, especially around the eye area. Mites can spread disease and so should be avoided. To check for them more thoroughly, let the snake slide through you tight fist and see if any come off on your hands.
• Respiratory Infections: Listen carefully to the snake's breathing for little whistles or similar. Also take a look for bubbles or liquid coming from the mouth and/or nostrils. The snake's mouth should be closed tightly and should be clean and smooth. Don't buy a snake with any of these signs as respiratory infections are very nasty things.
• Stool Appearance: Stools should be a soft brown mass accompanied by a little bit of yellowish fluid and maybe some clear fluid also. Abnormally coloured feces such as green and blue and very fluid stools are signs of problems.

If you are buying from a pet shop then you may also want to see the snake feeding. This is not always possible but you don't want to be harboured with a problem feeder as a pet as they require a lot of attention and cause a lot of stress to the owner.

If, after a complete inspection, the snake in question looks perfectly healthy then you are free to buy it if you so wish. Just make sure that it is a colour that you like. Be warned that colours change throughout life and adults are sometimes a whole different colour than they were when they were tiny hatchlings.

Enjoy your corn- it won't be your last!