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I am sick of my Corn Snake
- Thread starter Ocelot
- Start date
So Pirate55
New member
as said before, It's not going to hurt him to miss a meal.....just dont go for like a month w/o feeding him.
When you do start handling him? be gentle but dont be jumpy. If you jump back everytime he strikes, he thinks he's getting somewhere. go ahead and pick him up. Besides, snake bites dont hurt to begin with (cornsnakes)
If you absolutely must, get a pair of garden gloves to handle him. This is definately not recommended if it's a hatchling b/c you cant feel him in your hand and it's easier for him to get away or be squished.
Last but definately not least, BE PATIENT. Rome wasnt built in a day or a week for that matter. One week is no where near the proper amount of time to build a relationship with the little guy. It takes time and patience on your part.
whatsit107
New member
Ocelot said:
When you do need to take him out, after giving him some rest time, you can wear gloves if you do not want to be bitten. You could continue to wear gloves when handling him until he starts to calm down.
whatsit107
New member
my bad, i didnt read the post above mine all the way :sidestep:
Milleniumtat2
New member
I too have been in this situation last year. I hatched a clutch 4 a friend that had no knowledge of what to do, (only 4 of the 19 eggs hatched....she had them sitting in water for a week and a half-anyway) and 3 of the 4 were so mean you couldn't get near them without getting bit. I took care of these 4 for 3 months for her until they were eating good, and by the end of those 3 months the 3 that were aggressive were much easier to handle. I hope that you give your snake some time to adjust before giving up. And yes a week before feeding will not harm the snake. I've had babies refuse food for 3 weeks and were perfectly fine.
Good luck
betsy
Good luck
betsy
crossmen
Jesus Freak
Gloves are a GOOD idea, make sure they are clean. I used cotton gloves (brown jersey type) and it gives the handler confidence and if you have cofidence then the snake will be less likely to strike. They can sense when something is not right and they react the only way they can.
I am going to go against the flow and say stick to your feed schedule, just be sure not to handle for 48 hours after feeding. Next time you get a new snake and there will be a next time (I am not an addict) give the newby 7-10 days to settle without handling. I know its hard to keep your hands off because they are so cool but it gives them time to adjust. Then handle every day (20 minutes) til the next feed, it will get better. Also the bigger and older they get the more mellow they become.
Peace
Paul
I am going to go against the flow and say stick to your feed schedule, just be sure not to handle for 48 hours after feeding. Next time you get a new snake and there will be a next time (I am not an addict) give the newby 7-10 days to settle without handling. I know its hard to keep your hands off because they are so cool but it gives them time to adjust. Then handle every day (20 minutes) til the next feed, it will get better. Also the bigger and older they get the more mellow they become.
Peace
Paul
If you decide to use gloves, use latex dishwashing gloves that fit you fairly snug. This gives you confidence(their tiny teeth can't penetrate the latex), it also gives you better control of the snake and as a bonus, most of them hate the taste or smell of latex, so they will generally cease with the biting. I have had hatchling corns actually chew on a fingertip convinced they were eating a mouse and have never felt pain from this. If you want to feed him on schedule, but don't want to handle him yet, put the pinky in a small container with no lid and let the snake crawl in on his own and eat. He'll find it But remember, you need to get over this fear as soon as you can, or your life with snakes will be miserable. :cheers:
Bobo's Mama
proud corn mommy!
I think that the biggest thing you need to work on with your snake is your own patience with it. It is not a toy! Its a living, breathing creature that is not exactly domesticated like a dog. More like a wild animal that really does rely on its instincts. And right now, it is probably really freaked out by you and is just reacting to those instincts it feels. Once you let it settle in for a week without any handling, then feed it (in a seperate container....really anything will work, a plastic tub, a bucket, a pan, heck even a paper bag, just not in the *viv*) give it a few more days to digest with no handling, then, finally, then you can start to handle it a little bit each day. Wear those rubber gloves if you need too, but eventually you shouldn't need them, hopefully. The more and more gently you handle it and get more confidence the more confidence your snake will have in you as well and will learn that you are not going to eat him. Mine even falls asleep curled up around my arm, even sometimes while I am reading this very forum :crazy02: . So it is possible for your snake to eventually chill out and get used to you, but first you have to wait. Be patient, you've got 15 or so years to enjoy your snake.
entertheste
the 1 and only
u sure u handlin it right an it depends on the age of the snake the young ones bite alot
Ocelot
New member
Well I fed my corn today, after a lot of hassle. I'd say I spent an hour trying to get him into a seperate box because I'm afraid to pick him up! I was waiting for ages for him not to be looking for me to grab him, so that he wouldn't get all aggressive! So when I did, he bit me, like 4 times! He even drew blood! Well it wasn't much, but still....
Its weird, like 2 weeks ago he was all fine and dandy, but now its like he hates me! What could bring on this sudden change in attitude? I am now really afraid to pick him up! Its not that the bites hurt, its just the whole shock of a bite. Its like getting a shock off a car. It doesn't really hurt, but your afraid to touch it. I just don't know
Its weird, like 2 weeks ago he was all fine and dandy, but now its like he hates me! What could bring on this sudden change in attitude? I am now really afraid to pick him up! Its not that the bites hurt, its just the whole shock of a bite. Its like getting a shock off a car. It doesn't really hurt, but your afraid to touch it. I just don't know
It's going to be okay if your patient. Whats happening now is he is scared~ and he can feel that you are not confident (you probably snatching at him trying to avoid the bite right?) YOU and the SNAKE need to build some confidence. Corn snakes are really very mellow~ given a chance.
Try this.
Buy your self a set of kitchen gloves (Latex gloves) or ask your doctor or dentist if you can have a pair of gloves (they keep boxes of them and will probably just give you a pair)
Next time you want to pick the baby up (and you want to pick it up once a day for about 20 min ~ BUT NOT while he is digesting~ give him 48 hours after a feed alone) So next time you pick him up put on the gloves. You'll not feel the little nips anymore, so you don't need to flinch. Try to teach yourself NOT to flinch when you think he is going to tag you. Toss a papertowel over him, and pick up the paper towel snake and all. Don't "Snatch" the snake with two fingers your afraid will be bitten. Your wearing the gloves. Pick up the snake in your whole hand and just cup in in the palm of your hands. Just hold onto him in the palm of your hands until he calms down and stops struggling. Keep doing that until he is confident you don't want to hurt him~ and until you are confident he can't hurt you. THEN try freehandling him with bare hands. Let him crawl between your fingers and get to know you~ if he starts acting "zippy" or stressed again, quickly cup him in the palms of your hands and just hold onto him until he calms down.
Good luck
It won't take long. A couple weeks if your diligent and gentle. Remember not to let him get into that thrashing and "zippy" mode they do just before the defensively bite you.
Try this.
Buy your self a set of kitchen gloves (Latex gloves) or ask your doctor or dentist if you can have a pair of gloves (they keep boxes of them and will probably just give you a pair)
Next time you want to pick the baby up (and you want to pick it up once a day for about 20 min ~ BUT NOT while he is digesting~ give him 48 hours after a feed alone) So next time you pick him up put on the gloves. You'll not feel the little nips anymore, so you don't need to flinch. Try to teach yourself NOT to flinch when you think he is going to tag you. Toss a papertowel over him, and pick up the paper towel snake and all. Don't "Snatch" the snake with two fingers your afraid will be bitten. Your wearing the gloves. Pick up the snake in your whole hand and just cup in in the palm of your hands. Just hold onto him in the palm of your hands until he calms down and stops struggling. Keep doing that until he is confident you don't want to hurt him~ and until you are confident he can't hurt you. THEN try freehandling him with bare hands. Let him crawl between your fingers and get to know you~ if he starts acting "zippy" or stressed again, quickly cup him in the palms of your hands and just hold onto him until he calms down.
Good luck
It won't take long. A couple weeks if your diligent and gentle. Remember not to let him get into that thrashing and "zippy" mode they do just before the defensively bite you.
Here's the problem in a nutshell, I think. If it took an hour for you to get up the nerve to pick him up, imagine the stress the snake was under wondering what you were going to do to him. You need to just grab him without hesitation, trust me, it's the only way. Like I said before, wear gloves if you have to, but just pick the little fella up. It works! :cheers:
dwyn127
Cinderazzo
(Edit) Yea! What mbdorfer said 2 minutes ago! You type faster!
Your taking so long to pick him up is probably stressing him out more than you just picking him up! You have to go in without hesitation or he will stress out.
Here's my suggestion. Go to the gas station and buy 2 boxes of Junior Mints, my favorite (yummmm!) Now eat them! Now take the boxes and without messing up the little closer flap on the top, notch a hole big enough for him to climb into. Put one on each side in place of your current hides. 9 times out of 10 he'll be in one of them. Now when you want to hold him, pick up the box, open the flap and gently slide him into your hand. This way HE may see YOU as an extension of HIS environment instead of seeing HIMSELF as an extention of YOUR food chain!:eatpointe :eatsmiley
Your taking so long to pick him up is probably stressing him out more than you just picking him up! You have to go in without hesitation or he will stress out.
Here's my suggestion. Go to the gas station and buy 2 boxes of Junior Mints, my favorite (yummmm!) Now eat them! Now take the boxes and without messing up the little closer flap on the top, notch a hole big enough for him to climb into. Put one on each side in place of your current hides. 9 times out of 10 he'll be in one of them. Now when you want to hold him, pick up the box, open the flap and gently slide him into your hand. This way HE may see YOU as an extension of HIS environment instead of seeing HIMSELF as an extention of YOUR food chain!:eatpointe :eatsmiley
colinmcc
McSnake owner
mbdorfer said:
Agreed.
And when you do get him, you said you're grabbing him when he isn't looking. He'll be getting a nasty surprise when you do that and that'll just upset him more ... which is probably why he bit you 4 times when you did finally get him.
Try just putting your hand in the tank and keeping still and leaving it there. Let him come over and check it out and get used to it. It might help.
Main thing though is you gotta not be scared of him. You've been tagged now and realise it isn't exactly agony so surely nothing to be scared of ?
Just gotta persevere with him.
TandJ
Ole' Stoic Viper...
It really sounds like you are not ready for herping, nor does it seem as if you are able to follow the directions the members here gave you.. You might consider giving the snake up to someone who has more expieriance, because it sounds like your friend is stressed, which might be the death of it. I am not trying to be mean, but I think the consideration for the animal is something to really look at.
Regards...
Regards...