Getting Snake out of Tube Hide

[antiochian]

I've had my corn for nearly 3 months now, and she (not sure of sex but shape of tail seems to indicate) is sweet as ever, but still shy. When I want to handle/feed her, she's sometimes inside the paper towel roll, which is one of her favorite hides.

And I have a heck of a time getting her out. I've reached my fingers inside and grabbed her, but I'm not fully comfortable doing that lest I cause injury. And when I do so she of course heads for the other end of the tube. I've also tried slanting the tube to see if she'd slide out of the low end, but that doesn't usually work as she has some good traction going in there. And I just tried laying the tube on my bed and seeing if she'd come out... she didn't. Is there a safe way to get her out when I want to handle or especially when it's time to feed her?

Once I'm actually holding her she does fine. And when I pick her up in any other part of the terrarium she also usually does fine, although signs indicate she's not going to be one of those super-extroverted corns who slither to the tank wall to greet their keepers or who are eager to be picked up.

 

[Cat_Eyed_Lady]

Use a toilet paper roll, its shorter and easier to get them out of. hehe I learned that one the hard way.

 

[bitsy]

Better still, use a toilet paper roll or kitchen paper roll and cut it in half lengthwise. Then you can just lift it up.

I only use hides I can get them out of when it suits me, rather than them!

 

[antiochian]

I think I'll just cut the roll in half. She loves it so much I'd hate to take it away from her. So I'll see how that goes. She has 3 other hides in the tank, one which she also uses regularly, as well as the aspen bedding which she sometimes burrows into.

How do toilet paper rolls or kitchen paper rolls work for bigger snakes, such as subadults or adults? I'm guessing with a larger corn, they wouldn't work well at all as the whole snake would never fit inside.

 

[diamondlil]

I use big cardboard rolls cut in sections then in half as adult hides. I used to get them from a local carpet shop but now I get them from my chap as he buys rolls of vinyl for his printshop

 

[bitsy]

With bigger snakes you can use things like cereal boxes with one of the larger surfaces cut off. Pretty much any kind of domestic food box can be recycled for snakey use! The ones to avoid are those which contained chemicals like soap powder, or which could have come into contact with chemicals.

 

[antiochian]

Wow! Great suggestions. Recycling cereal boxes, that's brilliant. Another great defense for my herp hobby to the snake-o-phobe: good for the environment. Many thanks.

 

[Hexadeci]

I have the same problem. My guy loves paper towel rolls, but if he doesn't want to come out, he isn't coming out. My solution was to cut the paper towel rolls but leave a tab such that they could be closed up and opened at will. I made a how to thread:
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118848&highlight=towel+tube+hide

 

[unipt]

My corn does the same but I've found a I way to get her out and not to cut the tubs in half. I take the tub out with her in it, then show her another tub next to it. She'll get out to explore the new tube and in a few seconds leave it and go explore the environment.

 

[vovalyosha]

Yep, mine loves his. I slant it some and he'll come out sometimes, but if I put it on my bed or in a tube, he'll crawl on out. But my main reason for posting: egg cartons! As long as it has no remnant of cracked eggs, it's good. Vova likes his and crawls all over it aswell.

 

[wowfood]

Rather than completely cutting it in half, since that doesn't work as well for larger snakes (Snake outgrew those quite quickly) is to just cut down one side. That way they still have the full tube to hide in, but to get them out you just pull it open a little wider and lift.

I think the main reason snakes like that kind of hide is simply because it's more difficult for you to get to them, THAT or they just love the tighter fit, makes them feel safer... probably the 2nd.

 

[Nanci]

Maybe something like this would work!

Seriously, you can just shake the tube very gently, or what I do is set the tube down on the ground and the snake almost always comes out.

 

[proileri]

My solution would be the same as I use in my 'canoe' insert for high hides: take identical tube, remove a section from it (1/3rd or so) and put it inside the intact tube. After that, observe the confused look on the snake's face, as he comes out with the insert!