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Help! I cant get my cornsnake back in his box!?!!

F

Fuzzy-Adam

New member
Ive had my Amel Cornsnake for about 2 weeks. And I keep him in a small clear-plastic tub (made for snakes) and i keep that tub inside his vivarium. Today i cleaned his box for the 1st time and wghen I was doing that I put him inside the vivarium. Hes now inside the vivarium and refuses to be touched. He just runs away and hes pretty fast. Any Ideas?
 
Is there a reason he can't just stay in his viv?

Is he a baby or an adult?

All snakes 'run away and refuse to be touched' especially new ones and especially new little babies...that is how they stay alive intuitively;)
You are big so they will run from you to stay safe, until they figure out you are not going to eat them...and even then they will not usually just sit there and wait to be picked up.

Try not to chase him all around.
Just reach in, gently pick him up mid body...(not by the head or tail)and put him where he needs to be.
Eventually with some gentle handling he will settle in a bit more...but be aware that when he is getting ready to shed he will not be able to see well and will be even more skittish (most people leave their snakes alone during the shedding process as it stresses out the snake and you are more likley to be bit from a frightened snake).
 
The shop i got it from the guy who owns it said to put it into a smaller container inside the bigger vivarium until he is used to his surroundings.
He said if i put him into the bigger one first he will be scared and will refuse to eat. I have to continue putting him into the smaller box inside the vivarium until he is about 3 months, or until his third shed. His first was last night.

So your saying i leave him alone and eventually he will let me pick him up and put him in?
 
No bites don't hurt...The shock makes you jump a bit...The shop is right about keeping the snake secure to build up it's confidence.......You could put a load of hides and cover for it and leave it in the viv....But that will make it difficult to find when you want to feed it.....Depending on how big the viv is..... Try just picking it up by it's middle and putting it back in the rub.....
 
Except that if you just fed him, I'd leave him alone for 48 hours before stressing him out with a re-capture.
 
ALthough that is good advice from the shop keeper...
just to let you know...we have had ours in their respective 20 gallon long homes with aspen substrate and 3 plus a moist hide hides from the day we got them.
Never had a refusal...
The breeder said to give them a few days to settle in before the first attempt at feeding so we waited about 4 days.

If you would feel more confident initially you could wear a latex glove or the like on the hand you are going to pick him up with...
I am a big baby so I did for the first few times.
I got tagged once (because I was an idiot and tried to pick our guy up right after I had been thawing out mice) and honestly his movement surprised me but the bite did not hurt...the velcro example is perfect.

You will really enjoy having a corn snake (in about a month when all the 'firsts' are over with:)).
Now that he ate and shed etc. you are on your way!

What's his name?
 
By the way...
Most people do not handle on the day the snake feeds or for 2 days after.

Other than that hold him for 10-20 minutes or so once a day to get both of you used to each other.
If you do not handle him at all he will not get used to you and stay skittish.

With ours, they still try to get away when we reach in but calm down within a few minutes after being taken out...
It is dependent on the snake though...One of ours settles in MUCH faster than the other.

Be sure to check out The Munson Feeding Plan too...it is very helpful as your little one grows:)
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50106
 
I put hides in but he just burys himself under the sawdust. I need to feed him today anyway. Will I try to feed him in the viv and if he eats will i keep him in there for now on? His name is Harkin. It means "Red" or "Deep Red".
 
They like to be snug in their hides...ours initially burrowed too until I used smaller hides...but either way, snakes burrow, so that is okay:)

And it depends on who you ask about where to feed.
I put the mouse on a shallow plastic container and set it in. After the snake is done eating and off in a hide I remove the container.

Others feed outside the viv in a different container.
 
Its woodshavings. Yea I no how to feed but I was told by the shopkeeper to keep him inside the smaller container and feed him there. But when I was cleaning the container I had to put him in the viv and now I cant get him back in. So will I just feed him in the viv and see of that works?
 
I would not feed him in the viv. He can accidentally eat a piece of shavings with his mouse, and get impacted. Catch him, feed him in his little container, put him back in the big viv. Make sure he has enough hiding spots, even though he likes to burrow! Babies love plastic vines for cover.
 
I place the pinkie on a plastic lid and hes eating right now in the viv. The shopkeeper told me I shouldnt keep him in the vivarium until his third time shedding. Last night was his first. He told me if I put him in the vivarium he would refuse to eat. But he just ate so now im not sue to put him insde his smaller plastic container or just leave him be in the viv. Any suggestions?
 
my only suggestion is to listen to the people on here...
let him eat, and then let him wonder around his new home. In five days, take him out, feed him again.
 
Fuzzy-Adam said:
I place the pinkie on a plastic lid and hes eating right now in the viv. The shopkeeper told me I shouldnt keep him in the vivarium until his third time shedding. Last night was his first. He told me if I put him in the vivarium he would refuse to eat. But he just ate so now im not sue to put him insde his smaller plastic container or just leave him be in the viv. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Think as a baby snake... If you had a big space to run and lots of places to hide when the giants approach, wouldn't you be more confident than in a small plastic box with only 1 or 2 hides?
I would say your snake is fine at the viv AS LONG AS it can have its peace (lots of hides and minimal handling for first months). As far as feeding, follow everyone's advices and feed the baby where there is no way it can swallow wood shavings.

Breeders / Experienced Keepers - Please correct me if my "baby snake mentality" is totally wrong. :)
 
jpccusa said:
Think as a baby snake... If you had a big space to run and lots of places to hide when the giants approach, wouldn't you be more confident than in a small plastic box with only 1 or 2 hides?
I would say your snake is fine at the viv AS LONG AS it can have its peace (lots of hides and minimal handling for first months). As far as feeding, follow everyone's advices and feed the baby where there is no way it can swallow wood shavings.

Breeders / Experienced Keepers - Please correct me if my "baby snake mentality" is totally wrong. :)
Click to expand...
No you are quite right.....Although I am non of the above....LOL
 
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