hey im loki im new to this forum. yesterday i bought my first christmas corn snake, hes only a youngster, not handle much as he came from a pet shop. hes very nippy, bit me 3 times yesterday and hes pretty quick at striking too. can anyone give me a bit of advice on how to tame him please.
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hey im new and need help
- Thread starter loki1980
- Start date
jekyll
New member
hi,
such a move to a new owner means a lot of stress especially for young corn snake. just let him time to calm down. dont take him out all the time and so on.
another important fact concerning feeding is that you must not first touch the food and than the snake. your handy smell like the mouse an so it may be possible that the snake bites you.....
greetings from germany...
jekyll
such a move to a new owner means a lot of stress especially for young corn snake. just let him time to calm down. dont take him out all the time and so on.
another important fact concerning feeding is that you must not first touch the food and than the snake. your handy smell like the mouse an so it may be possible that the snake bites you.....
greetings from germany...
jekyll
so how would u suggest i go about making him more comfortable with been around humans. i fed him yesterday so ive left him in peace since then. ive had a peek at him this morning just to make sure he hasnt brought his food back up and he seems ok, still very very jump at the fact a hand is in his vivarium.
jekyll
New member
how does his home look like? i think he hast places for hiding?
little snakes are alwas quite nervous. dont be too concerned. they calm down when they are getting older. but there are also differences in characters. i have a hatchling who is also quite nervous. but this is a good sign, too because those hatchlings usually take their food very well....
little snakes are alwas quite nervous. dont be too concerned. they calm down when they are getting older. but there are also differences in characters. i have a hatchling who is also quite nervous. but this is a good sign, too because those hatchlings usually take their food very well....
bitsy
Owned by Corns since 1991
When you get a Corn home, you should leave it absolutely alone for a week. No handling at all. First it has to settle into it's tank and start to feel safe in there. Make the process easier by giving him as many hides as possible at both the warm and cool ends - if they can hide away, they feel more secure.
After that, you can start gentle handling to try and persuade him that you're not actually a huge pink monster that wants to eat him (which is what he thinks at the moment!). Sometimes it can take a few weeks for them to be calm about being handled, so be very gentle and patient.
Also, try not to put him down if he nips. He'll soon figure out that he can make you let go that way and the habit can take a while to break. He needs to understand that nipping won't get him what he wants, so eventually he should stop bothering.
Also, do a quick double check that the temperature on the floor at the warm end isn't too high. That can make them very antsy and more liable to biting.
After that, you can start gentle handling to try and persuade him that you're not actually a huge pink monster that wants to eat him (which is what he thinks at the moment!). Sometimes it can take a few weeks for them to be calm about being handled, so be very gentle and patient.
Also, try not to put him down if he nips. He'll soon figure out that he can make you let go that way and the habit can take a while to break. He needs to understand that nipping won't get him what he wants, so eventually he should stop bothering.
Also, do a quick double check that the temperature on the floor at the warm end isn't too high. That can make them very antsy and more liable to biting.
vivarium tank is running at 27oc at the moment, hes got two hiding places one in the warmer side and one in the cooler side. i have put in a treated branch for him to climb up, hes got a small pot of water to swim in or drink or whatever. ive got in a 15 watt heat bulb because the others i tried were making the tank temp run to high. upto now am i doing everything right?
bitsy
Owned by Corns since 1991
That's 81 degrees F (sorry, I'm a bit old-fashioned!) which is slightly cooler than ideal so the warm end maybe needs to be a few degrees warmer. Mid-80s F - 29 C - on the floor at the warm end, would be better for his digestion.
Hides, branch and water all sound fine. They don't need lights, so you could actually do without if you wanted to.
cat bojangles
New member
Hi Loki, welcome to the forum.
Do you have an under-tank heater or just the bulb for warmth? Cornsnakes don't need warm lights to bask under but they do need belly heat to help them digest and stay warm.
Do you have an under-tank heater or just the bulb for warmth? Cornsnakes don't need warm lights to bask under but they do need belly heat to help them digest and stay warm.
bitsy
Owned by Corns since 1991
Are you measuring the temperature on the floor of the tank, immediately above the mat? Without a thermostat they can get well over 100 degrees (which would be dangerous). If you have the thermometer on the tank wall, then you're measuring the temp of the air in the tank, which will be much cooler than the floor surface where the snake is.
Also, you need to use a digital thermometer rather than a cardboard strip or dial-type - these can be very inaccurate. My nephew's dial thermometer didn't even twitch when his heat mat was accidentally switched off at the plug for a few days.
Also, you need to use a digital thermometer rather than a cardboard strip or dial-type - these can be very inaccurate. My nephew's dial thermometer didn't even twitch when his heat mat was accidentally switched off at the plug for a few days.
PrettyInInk87
Gabbie
Hello and welcome...
I am also new to keeping Corn Snakes and have a baby Snow, baby Albino, and a Juvi Lavender. My Snow was a calm little guy from the get go but my Albino seems to be a little squirmy and jumpy. I have had him for a few days and he seems to be settling in just fine. I have handled him since day one and I have gotten him to the point to where I can pick him up without him trying to escape form me and also have him sit in my hand for a while. Just agreeing with previouse posts, be patient and he will eventually get used to you and your handling. I know it sounds weird but talk to him in a soothing voice and stroke him gently along his body. I may be a weirdo talking to my little guy and stroking him but it has worked for me. = ) Good luck!
I am also new to keeping Corn Snakes and have a baby Snow, baby Albino, and a Juvi Lavender. My Snow was a calm little guy from the get go but my Albino seems to be a little squirmy and jumpy. I have had him for a few days and he seems to be settling in just fine. I have handled him since day one and I have gotten him to the point to where I can pick him up without him trying to escape form me and also have him sit in my hand for a while. Just agreeing with previouse posts, be patient and he will eventually get used to you and your handling. I know it sounds weird but talk to him in a soothing voice and stroke him gently along his body. I may be a weirdo talking to my little guy and stroking him but it has worked for me. = ) Good luck!