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8 yr old Snake suddenly biting!

C

crystlbleu

New member
We adopted ours 8 days ago from a friend who has had the snake for about 8 years--they've never had any problems with him. The night I adopted him, he was fed 2 hours before he was taken out of the tank to be placed in a large container so we could transport tank and snake separately (I was told he shed two days before). I got him home, placed him in the tank with no problems and the next day we held him everyday until Saturday (which was his feeding day). I left for work when my husband fed him and when I got home, he told me the snake bit him. I understand why, because when the defrosted mouse was placed in the cage, the snake acted as if he did not notice the mouse was there, my husband fell for it, and although I reminded him before I left NOT to put his hand in there, he did and was bitten. His fault completely. Since the incident, my husband left the snake alone and yesterday afternoon, he tried to reach in to hold the snake however, when he reached for Juno (slowly, I might add), Juno again struck at my husband and did not let go. We both stood there kind of confused because he was not like this the entire week we've had him and now all of a sudden is acting strangely. Since the evening after the feeding, I noticed everytime I walked by the tank or went near it, the snake would pop his head out and act as if I was the prey. He would slither as close to wherever I was and get in an odd defensive type posture (the same as before he strikes at the mouse) :uhoh:. I blew it off until yesterday, and still even today he closely monitors every move we make if we are close to his tank. Does anyone have suggestions as to how to rectify this situation or help me understand what happened :confused:? Is he trying to acclimate to us and we need to give him some space for a while? My friend's family who owned him previously is shocked and they don't know why he is doing this either. Any help you can provide would be awesome and more than greatly appreciated as we have a 19 month old daughter who LOVES him and I don't want her to develop any fear towards him if he's in a biting stage or the like :(. Thanks so much!

Gwendolynne
 
For starters, I would never use hands to feed. Use tongs. The initial bite was a feeding bite, and yes, it was the fault of your husband. Afterwards may have been out of stress. You do not feed or handle on the first day. If you feed on the first day or as some say, week, they may regurge (I personally wait at least 3 days). The snake just needs to be left alone for a while to get used to its new home, and more handling could be what i could mainly suggest. Of course, you may want to use leather gloves.

Then, you can hold it.
 
That's definitely awesome advice. It just struck me as odd that all of last week we held the snake daily and even my daughter had him curled around her a few of those days! We haven't touched him since he bit my husband yesterday because I wanted to make sure Juno wasnt stressed out. Today we are disinfecting his tank so we will use a glove. Thanks again!
 
It sounds to me like he is stressed.. Too much handling too soon after the move. It can take up to 2 weeks to a month for the snake to feel comfortable in his new home. Can I ask why you are disinfected his tank so soon after getting him?

Usually the advice is to leave the snake alone for a week. Then feed him and wait 3 days after you feed to begin handling. That way he begins to feel more secure.
 
His tank was really really dirty--my friend's younger brother is only 15 and they barely paid much attention to the snake in the last year. In the last few months he was only held once a month. I don't think they had cleaned the tank at all (not even a spot clean) in more than 6 months. Even the water bowl had a really bad film inside of it with shed skin caked to the outside. Since we've cleaned it he seems a lot more comfortable in the tank too. He definitely has calmed down but we are going to give it some time to let him acclimate to us and the new place. I definitely do not want to upset the guy. I love animals but I have more respect for them and as long as they are comfortable, that's what matters. Thanks for the response...everything helps!
 
Awe Ok, That makes sense. Wasn't sure if you brought him home to a new viv or not. Now that it is clean. I wouldn't bother him for at least a week besides to change out the water every day or every other day.
 
I really appreciate your help! I made sure to inform the hubby as well. As far as finding out GA does not allow the keeping of any native animals as pets, I called animal control and the sheriff's department to find out what they would suggest and both told me since the snake was already retained as a pet and I have no intent on breeding it, then I would not worry so much. They told me if he's been a pet this long feeding off defrosted mice there is no telling what would happen to it and he may have a better home by just being with us. I could tell they did not really know how to answer my question.
 
Since the snake wasn't handled much..if at all...that might explain why he's biting. If the only interaction the snake got was at feeding time then he's associating reaching in his cage to be fed an is always ready to strike. I feed mine in their tanks with tongs but also stick my hand in for cleaning / handling. Hopefully yours will calm down in time an stop the biting.
 
Yeah, a corn will usually calm down. My uncle has the meanest rock python, who just hates his guts heheh. Even if the corn does bite it won't be one that leaves you with stitches!
 
It's odd because I think Juno has just been neglected in handling the last year...they owned him for 8 years and said he was handled quite a bit until the last year when everyone got so busy. I'm still perplexed that for the first whole week when we took him out of the tank to handle him, he was active and completely sweet to us and then all of a sudden, from the day we feed him (Saturday) to the present, he is stressed with us. I have pictures of him draped around my 19 month young daughter who just thinks he is awesome.
 
Well, he may be in feed mode as I call it! If I were you, I would start using a seperate feeding bin. I think he's so used to having contact mean food, so make him make a different connection.
 
First of all- after feeding a snake, it needs to digest for a minimum of 48 hours with NO handling. You are very fortunate that he didn't regurgitate the meal he was fed right before transport.

Next, after moving a snake, it is recommended to let the snake settle in for about a week. This means a quiet environment, no handling, no looming over the cage checking on him constantly. He needs to relax and adjust to the new surroundings.

Next, when the snake bit your husband and didn't let go, that was a feeding bite, not a defensive bite. I would recommend feeding your snake like this: remove the snake from his viv and place him in a feeding container. A Sterilite with the side latches that fold down is very secure. The handle on the top allows for air exchange. Then, after the snake is in place, you can get out a 20-25 gram adult mouse and thaw it. Thaw under hot running water until the body is soft and pliable. Dry the mouse on a paper towel. By this time, the snake should be settled down in the feeding container and you can just open the lid, toss the mouse in, and shut the lid. You can also hand the mouse to the snake with tongs, but that is not necessary.

After feeding, return the snake gently to his viv and don't handle for 48 hours. I would be feeding an adult cornsnake every 10-14 days. Don't feed this snake more than one adult mouse at a time, instead, reduce the feeding interval if he seems too keen to feed and is not pleasant to handle because of that.

I'd start with short, calm handling sessions, maybe 15-30 minutes of just sitting and watching TV with a family member. If your daughter _does_ get bit, explain that he isn't doing it because he is mean. He is just hungry, and made mistake and thought she was food. Tell her she is now a member of Bite Club!! Take a picture of her bite and post it and we will all congratulate her and tell her how brave she is. Snakes can and will bite- there is no way to guarantee it will never happen. But it doesn't hurt, much (unless the snake is trying to eat you!) and is much more startling than it is painful.
 
Wow, thank you so much...now I really feel ignorant that I did not know this stuff. I should have researched him the first week he was here. I really do appreciate all of the support. However...lol I am not sure I could explain to my 19 mo old but then again she is so brave about things it may not even phase her if he were to bite.
 
Nanci's advice was spot on, as usual. I would consider investing in a snake hook for removal. I have a few biters- all but one is fine once out of their enclosure. A hook makes my life and theirs much easier. I am NOT a fan of feeding outside the enclosure (especially with a particularly nervous snake), though you are welcome to try. I encourage you to read this: http://arbreptiles.com/lastword/snakefeeding.shtml, Clay put it better than I could.
I have had a number of once calm snakes change behavior after a move, or even after waking up from brumation. All eventually calmed back down, with little effort on my part. I bet with a little patience, you'll have a great pet before summer is out. Keep us updated.
 
just out of curiosity...how long after he's eaten should I put him back in the tank (since he shouldn't be handled after eating)?
 
Handling him from the feeding bin to his tank isn't going to bother him nor cause a regurge. Usually wait about 10 mins after they finish eating before you put them back.
 
I would agree w/ the snake hook. I have a little girl who will bite, hiss and musk up a storm but once you get her out of the cage, she is the sweetest thing. Some snakes are just like that.
 
crystlbleu said:
just out of curiosity...how long after he's eaten should I put him back in the tank (since he shouldn't be handled after eating)?
Click to expand...

My advice would be to never take him out to feed in the first place. A nervous snake is best fed in it's enclosure. A feed response biter is one thing, a nervous nellie just doesn't need the extra stress. My humble opinion, your mileage may vary, etc., etc.
 
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