Corn Handling Question.

I have 2 snakes, both are about 4 months old and I've had them about 3 months. 1 is a bp and the other is a corn. Both are kept in individual vivariums that are maintained for their specific needs. Both are good eaters but very different temperments. Baloo, my bp, is sweet, gentle, and has no problem with me holding her. Frank, my corn, hides all the time and hates it when I pick him up. He's tried to bite me several times, which makes me laugh since his head is the size of my pinky finger nail, and all he accomplishes is running into my finger.

I'm stumped. Should I hold him more? Should I hold him less? I always approach slowly and give him 24 hours after feeding. I don't bother him during shedding either but still he's skittish and takes several minutes to calm down when I do hold him. Advice would be much appreciated.

Hmmmmm.....I don't have any problem like this with my corn babies. How often are you feeding him?

He's fed a fuzzy once a week. I was feeding 2 pinks twice a week but was told that it was too much. The other thing you guys should probably know is that Frank was super tiny when I got him. Here are then and now pictures of him.

http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/...ress62/032.jpg


http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/...gwithFrank.jpg

You have to remember, corns are a sub species of rat snakes, some of the most ill tempered snakes in the world that wont hesitat to bite if they feel threatened or scared. People that say corns are the most docile snake make me laugh. Just remember to handle him on a daily basis, if he bites you continue to hold him, dont put him away, make sure he knows your the boss and your not there to hurt him. Because naturaly since you are bigger to him hes going to think your a predator, which is why may bite.

Having him on a strict handling schedule will calm him down alot as he gets older. Take the proper steps like feeding him in a seperate tub as well etc. etc.

Corns are jumpy little guys and tend to bite here and there but do calm down alot in time.

Never had any problems with my corns being bitey but some are just like that. Handling more should help him calm down, especially as he gets older.

I thought handling him more would be better but wasn't sure. I knew he was terrified when I brought him home so I didn't hold him much for the first couple of months. Today I took him out and kept him out for about an hour. He settled down after a couple of minutes and then got curious. Then it became a game of "Can I get into the creases of the couch before she catches me?" lmao

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by enchantress62

I thought handling him more would be better but wasn't sure. I knew he was terrified when I brought him home so I didn't hold him much for the first couple of months. Today I took him out and kept him out for about an hour. He settled down after a couple of minutes and then got curious. Then it became a game of "Can I get into the creases of the couch before she catches me?" lmao

---

Oh yes, they love that game. I dont know how many times I've had to tip the couch over to unwind and retrieve mine when I wasn't pay close enough attention.

We have a corn as well as bp, they are totally different temperments. Corn has never tried to bite, but is very busy and curious when out. Doesn't just hang out like a bp. Your guy still looks pretty young and they can be jumpy. I think handling him more should help.

How do you find the balance between handling too much and not handling enough? Frank is young and still pretty tiny. he's about 2 ft long but only the circumfrence of a dime at the largest part of his body. I must look like a total giant monster to him so I have a tendency to be hands off, not wanting to stress him out. That's obviously not working. lol

I hold all my colubrids once a day for about an hour or so, you gotta get them used to you wether they like it or not lol

I've only had her for about a month, and I gave her about two weeks and two meals to settle in to her new home. She bites me every time I try to get her out, unless I can get her moving and scoop her from the middle of her body. She also will occasionally turn and bite me while handling if I move my hand up to support her somewhere within a mile of her head.

She's at the point where she draws blood occasionally, and she's the first snake I've ever owned that's actually tagged me at all.

You say yours eventually calms down after some time out? That seems like he will eventually get better. Corndog never really calms down, she just flails when you support her anywhere within 6 inches of her head and if she ever sits still for a few seconds, then when you move at all she bites you.

Moral of the story: it could be worse. It will definitely get better. Just handle him often. At least that's what I'm going to do.

Thanks, it's nice to know another person is dealing with this to. Frank can't hurt me right now because his mouth is to small but I know he will get bigger and I want to tame him before that happens. On the flip side this is my first experience with pet snakes and I don't want to stress him out by over handling him.

My bp was like that when I first got him. My friend who had him before never handled him and got bit every time she tried. Started getting him out for 15 minutes at a time, then increased it to 30 and after a couple months hes fine with me getting him out, just a little jumpy, but much much calmer than he was.

But corns (in my experience) are pretty good snakes, the younger ones are just more spastic :D

At that size their afraid you're going to eat them. Handle them, they can't hurt you. Eventually they'll figure out you mean no harm.

Out of my 21 snakes, most are corns. Baby corns tend to be very active and move constantly. If yours is biting, he is most likely biting out of fear, not aggression. Since he is smaller now, handle him now, a lot, every day that you can (allowing, of course, for digesting time). He will get used to it, and realize you are nothing to fear. He may also get better as he gets older. Several of mine went through nippy teenage phases and then grew out of it.

You could try to either take him out for 10-15 minutes everyday, or maybe 1/2 hour every 2 to 3 days. Gradually build up from where you are. As long as he is eating good, I would not really worry about holding him too much. If he stops eating, then back off.

i have a few corns, i have a big problem with a hypo lavender corn.He always bit me every time.I could look at him and tell he was thinking of biting me.One time he bit me 22 times in a 5 minute period.. i thought it was funny.. just do what everyone said hold him and it will stop .. i started at 15 minutes every day and after he showed improvement i went to 25 minutes i would say if you did it every day.He will calm down alot in about 2 weeks or less. my buddy can calm a wild adult black rat snake down in about 10 days, i tried it once and it didnt work out like that for me i got tired of being bit

I notice that he only strikes when I first approach. Once he's out of the cage and wrapped around my fingers he seems to relax. I appreciate the advice and will definitely start working with him more.