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Handling snake instruction request

testdasi

testdasi

New member
Hi guys,
I just had my corn snake set up for about 3 days now. I think I will have to handle him over the weekend to transfer him from the main tank to feeding tank. Can someone please give me a detail, step-by-step, idiot-proof instruction on how to handle a baby corn snake? My corn was hatched in July last year so still a baby.

He is still a bit skittish. He saw me just now and immediately made a dash into the hide. If I'm like 6 feet away from him, he's brave enough to poke his head out of the hide. But if I go any closer, he immediately makes a retreat.

From my reading, corn snakes do not like to be approached from the top but then how else do you approach it? I mean he's in a fauna which can only be opened from the top! Is there a trick or something that will calm him down or signal I'm not a predator or stuff like that.

Pleast help! Thanks a ton. :cheers:
 
I'm not gonna give you step by step but when reaching into the tank from above try going in from the other side of the tank and then towards the snake, from the side. Not just from above.

As far as handle him, A young one will be squirmy so you can only try to support the snake with both hand until it settle down abit.
 
Like Lennycorn says, approach from the side. If you have to remove the hide to get at him take it off an wait a few so he can adjust otherwise he might strike cause he's startled. Go slow and don't jerk back if he moves suddenly, a bite won't hurt but fleeing from a striking snake teaches it to strike to get you to go away.
 
I have a 4 or 5 month old bloodred who's still pretty skittish. When I go to pick her up in from her cage in order to move her to her feeding tank, I do it different ways. She's usually under her hide and gets immediately scared when I move it. So she goes into her defensive posture. Then, I approach from the side and not in front of her head to scoop her up. She will usually either strike and hiss or else run away. Either way, she's scared and nervous, and I try to avoid this when feeding.

So now, most of the time I use a hook to pick her up and transfer her quickly to her feeding tub. Actually the hook is an elongated coat hanger. This seems to scare her less so that she tends to eat faster. I know some people here don't like using hooks, but this has worked well for me.

When just handling her, I saw a post (I think from Nanci, but not sure because I haven't been able to find it to link here) that had pictures of how to handle a hatchling. The snake was held in a loosely closed (or cupped) hand, giving the snake a sense of security. Then it eventually got to where it would poke its head out between the fingers. I tried this with my hatchling and it worked wonders.
 
This is the link for the handling pics.

I guess I don't make a big deal out of picking the snake up. If you know the snake is in a certain hide, just lift it up and pick the snake up in your fingers, like a clump of spaghetti. I think the more you drag it out, try to "make friends" with the snake before you actually make contact, the more scared it gets.

So you would just pick him up, cuddle him up against you if he seems like he's going to flail around, and carry him to the feeding container, and gently place him in. Be careful not to squish his head when he comes back out, or pinch his tail if he is rattling.

Now you know that a smaller feeding container is better, right? The best is a margerine cup-sized container with opaque, not clear, sides. He may eat right away, or within a minute or two. If he is frantically trying to escape, and doesn't settle down, then just cover up the top of the feeding container and leave him alone for 15-30 minutes.

When he is done eating, (the pinky is in his stomach, nearly halfway down his body) then carry the feeding container to his viv, and open it inside the viv. Until you know how he reacts, that is the safest way to transfer him back. If you open the container over the viv, or on the way there, then he can make a flying leap out and land on the floor. A fall from that height can kill a snake.

After he's digested for two or three days, take him out and just hold him for a few minutes at a time, a couple times a day. Snakes don't like to be restrained completely. If you hold him so he can't move at all, he will be scared. So you can control him movement by either winding him around your fingers in a figure 8, over and over and over, or letting him flow from hand to hand, but at a controlled rate.
 
carnivorouszoo said:
Like Lennycorn says, approach from the side. If you have to remove the hide to get at him take it off an wait a few so he can adjust otherwise he might strike cause he's startled. Go slow and don't jerk back if he moves suddenly, a bite won't hurt but fleeing from a striking snake teaches it to strike to get you to go away.
Click to expand...

Lol... I moved the hide out...went for him, he stated to run...then I tried to pick him up.....he striked...I backed away...then went back and got him.

I'm trying to avoid that incident again.

Safe Way:

Remove the hide
Give him time to do a few tongue flicks
Then slowly go for the mid point of his body from the side
...thats it right?

Also returning him is it best for me to put the hide back and as his ehad goes down my hand direct him to the hide?

Also how long should I be handling him...at 1-2month old.

Sorry to randomly ask questions about this..even if it's not my thread just trying to avoid making a thread on the same topic.
 
Yep, that's how ya pic them up but if they strike do not back off. That teaches them to strike more. Until the snake quits freaking about being picked up I would not hold for more than a few mins a day, make sure you wait 2 days after feeding so they can digest.
 
Try to pick him up immediately, before he has a chance to strike.

Dont let him intimidate you.
Listen to the above advice and be courageous.
 
Thank you so, so much for this! Nanci, you are a God-send! I was dreading learning how to handle my future hatchling, but I am so much more confident now!
 
Glad to see this bumped. :) Gozer is unlike corns in the past who were all pretty chill, so I'm going to use this instruction to help cultivate a calmer experience for us both.
 
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