Very Aggressive

I haven't handled Zim in possibly a month now. I went to feed him yesterday and he tried several times to bite me. I know I smelled like a mouse, but he'd never done that before. My tongs to hold the mouse were missing so I ended up having to drop the fuzzy into the cage. When he didn't attack it, I figured it might be cold and wanted to remove it. He repeatedly tried to bite me, so I left it alone and slowly he went over to the fuzzy and instead of attacking it, he just put his mouth around it and began eating, like he knew it was already dead. Wierd. I was wondering though, is there any way I can get him to stop being so aggressive. I'd really like to hold him again. He was fine before, but now he's just plain mean.

Handle him more and don't smell like a mouse. He'll turn back around.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

I haven't handled Zim in possibly a month now. I went to feed him yesterday and he tried several times to bite me. I know I smelled like a mouse, but he'd never done that before. My tongs to hold the mouse were missing so I ended up having to drop the fuzzy into the cage. When he didn't attack it, I figured it might be cold and wanted to remove it. He repeatedly tried to bite me, so I left it alone and slowly he went over to the fuzzy and instead of attacking it, he just put his mouth around it and began eating, like he knew it was already dead. Wierd. I was wondering though, is there any way I can get him to stop being so aggressive. I'd really like to hold him again. He was fine before, but now he's just plain mean.

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It just sounds like he was hungry and smelled mouse on your nice warm hand and wasn't exactly sure where the target was. I always wash my hands a lot around feeding time so there is no confusion, and stick with the tongs when you find them. Try handling him in a few days (give him time to digest) and see if he is still aggressive, I bet he'll be fine.

Ok, I'll try handling him in a few days. He just ate yesterday, so he's still in that 24 hour "No Handling" time I give him.

Also, he shed around February 1st. The shed before that was December 17th. Is this a good amount of time between sheds? It was a good one too, full and complete with eyecaps.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

Ok, I'll try handling him in a few days. He just ate yesterday, so he's still in that 24 hour "No Handling" time I give him.

Also, he shed around February 1st. The shed before that was December 17th. Is this a good amount of time between sheds? It was a good one too, full and complete with eyecaps.

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I agree that he just needs to be handled more and you should not smell like his dinner lol.My corns shed on the average every 5 weeks so its around the normal :) .Now remember to him you look like one BIG predator thats going to eat him so you might want to use gloves for a short time.If not their bites are not to bad,you just might jump in shock though :P .

Yeah, you just smelled like a mouse and you were probably warmer. Mine does that on feeding days.

I've been told the bite hurts less than a shot at the doctor, so yea, I'll probably jump in shock rather than pain. I'll try taking him out this weekend when I do a cage cleaning.

Thanks Everyone!

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

I've been told the bite hurts less than a shot at the doctor, so yea, I'll probably jump in shock rather than pain.
Thanks Everyone!

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Don't worry about the pain, I've had my finger mistaken for a mouse a couple times. I'd have to say it doesn't even come close to feeling like a shot, the last time I got bit I didn't even feel it. Yes it startles you and may draw some blood, but pain (or least bad pain) is a non factor.

The snake getting use to you is what's needed, one of my corns was the biggest little :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: for a loooong time, but now is tame as can be.

Well I successfully held Zim again. I had to use a pencil to coax his head away from me, so I could pick up his body without him trying to bite me. Once in my hand, he was fine. It was nice to hold him again. But I always have to end up using something to move his head away from me because he aways watches my hand and acts like he's going to strike me. Is there something other than a pencil I could use?

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

Well I successfully held Zim again. I had to use a pencil to coax his head away from me, so I could pick up his body without him trying to bite me. Once in my hand, he was fine. It was nice to hold him again. But I always have to end up using something to move his head away from me because he aways watches my hand and acts like he's going to strike me. Is there something other than a pencil I could use?

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good to hear you are able to handle him :) I have a rescue corn that was not handled much at all and she would always strike at me or my husband when we would go into her tank for ANYTHING. Eventually she came around and now she is pretty good about us going in her "space" lol. She still gets a little upset and sometimes will "rattle" her tail to WARN us. lol. I haven't been bit by her...yet...

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

Well I successfully held Zim again. I had to use a pencil to coax his head away from me, so I could pick up his body without him trying to bite me. Once in my hand, he was fine. It was nice to hold him again. But I always have to end up using something to move his head away from me because he aways watches my hand and acts like he's going to strike me. Is there something other than a pencil I could use?

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Thats great! Well you could use a glove to just slowly pick him up so at least he will learn your hand is not going to hurt him.Its ok to let him look at your hand(thats why i say use a glove) as bites from a corn snake really do not hurt.Take a moment and think about what he is thinking,he is just minding his own business and all of a sudden this "huge" warm thing is reaching in his home.Then he thinks "o my its going to eat me" and he goes into his protect my behind or be eaten mode.So he needs to learn that "warm huge thing" is not going to hurt him :) . Keep us posted on how you both do getting to know one another.

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Originally Posted by jeffnme

good to hear you are able to handle him :) I have a rescue corn that was not handled much at all and she would always strike at me or my husband when we would go into her tank for ANYTHING. Eventually she came around and now she is pretty good about us going in her "space" lol. She still gets a little upset and sometimes will "rattle" her tail to WARN us. lol. I haven't been bit by her...yet...

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Ya gotta love the "i think i am a rattlesnake rattle" :P .

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Originally Posted by joepythons

Ya gotta love the "i think i am a rattlesnake rattle" :P .

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yea...she is cute when she does it :P My other corn has never done that. so the first time she did it...it scared me a little :eek: lol.

I have a corn, about 6 months old now i think.he bit me the first day i got him as i moved my hand too fast and he struck at me and got my index finger,didnt feel a thing.hasnt bit me since,loves being handled.even during the shed cycle he loves being handled, and during his last shed (saturday morning) he had about an inch and a half of the old skin left,he let me ;pick him up and soak his tail in room temp water and gently slide the skin off as he wasnt able.he was very calm while i was doing it, it was like he knew what i was going to do before i picked him up.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

Well I successfully held Zim again. I had to use a pencil to coax his head away from me, so I could pick up his body without him trying to bite me. Once in my hand, he was fine. It was nice to hold him again. But I always have to end up using something to move his head away from me because he aways watches my hand and acts like he's going to strike me. Is there something other than a pencil I could use?

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Many people figure if a snake bites but does not hurt you just don't worry about it but I find this to be a mistake. See to me if a snake bites it means he is afraid and if using a hook or stick you can get him not to bite that means that it is reducing his fear. So I think it is smart for you to use a pencil if that works.

I guess you could buy a hook and for big snakes I do have a "real one" but for smaller stuff I just make them out of a wooden dowel and coat hanger wire. Here are two shots of my hooks. Put my hand in the shot for scale.

http://www.jackspirko.com/images/sna...snakehook1.JPG

http://www.jackspirko.com/images/sna...snakehook2.JPG

They are real easy to make, I just drilled a hole just barely big enough to fit the wire in and filled the hole with glue, shoved in the hook and done. You just shape the hook with pliers.

In the upper pic you can see a hook with a larger gap for bigger snakes. I don't need my large hook much now that I got rid of my mangrove (fricken pshyco) so these two are pretty much all I use save for when I do field herping,