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Is He Too Stressed?

Recluse

Recluse

New member
I have a young male, Riolu, who I estimate at about 6-7 months. He is about 13 1/2 in. long and simply handsome :) I've had him for about a month and try to handle him regularly, 3-4 times a week for about 15 minutes. But, Riolu is always in his hide. I know that this is normal for many younguns' and it doesn't worry me much as he comes out at night when the lights go off. However, he always does his business on the bottom of my vivarium..? Is that at all normal? He eats perfectly, he shed for the first time a week ago perfectly, but I can't spot clean his cage very well because his poop is almost impossible to find. I know this is a rather long thread, but I have another question about handling him. He always trys to escape from me when I go to hold him and once I have him he tends to freak out a ton before he eventually calms down. I don't want to stress him out at all, but I also don't want this to develop into an adult habit. Is there any way I can fix his pooping and handling situation? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks
 
Unfortunately you can't really change where he poops. My corns all go under their paper towels and poo too. The flighty at first and then calming down is normal. Eventually it will go away. I would start handling for longer periods a day though. My first corn used to be out with me for upwards of five hours at a time in my sweater hood. Unfortunately every snake is different, so I cannot say with certainty if the squirming at first will go away. But if he calms down after a few minutes I do not for see an issue. I also don't think that it will stress him out too much to increase handling times. It may help the squirming.
 
But, Riolu is always in his hide. I know that this is normal for many younguns' and it doesn't worry me much as he comes out at night when the lights go off.
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Corns are most active at dawn/dusk and overnight, so this is their natural behaviour and it's likely to persist through his life. However, if you have lights in his viv then I'd advise turning them off completely for a few days, to see if he comes out more. Corns don't need artificial light as long as the room they're in has some kind of daylight. Some folks have found that they hide away from artificial light and are more active when it's turned off.

However, he always does his business on the bottom of my vivarium..? Is that at all normal?
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Some of mine do seem to have particular favourite places to "go". There's no real way of stopping it. In this respect, you have to adapt to the snake rather than the other way round - there's no snakey equivalent of litter training. I just put an extra deep patch of substrate there, which makes spot-cleaning easier.

I can't spot clean his cage very well because his poop is almost impossible to find.
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This is a prety common problem with hatchlings. If it worries you, try switching to kitchen paper or newspaper substrate for a while, which makes tiny poop easier to see. Don't worry - as he grows, you'll have no trouble at all finding it!

He always trys to escape from me when I go to hold him and once I have him he tends to freak out a ton before he eventually calms down. I don't want to stress him out at all, but I also don't want this to develop into an adult habit.
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This is absolutely normal for a hatchling. Until he gets completely used to you, his first instinct will be that you're a predator, out to eat him. It's a good sign that he's already calming down once you pick him up. Once he's figured that it's you, he'll realise that you're a safe place to be. Quite a lot of adults will still "object" to being picked up in the first place, but will then be very relaxed about being held once you have them. Persistent gentle handling is the best way to make friends, so keep doing what you're already doing!
 
Awesome :) Thanks AliCat37 and bitsy. About the artificial light...that's an awesome idea. I have never thought of it that way before and I will try it :)
 
If you are concerned about spot cleaning use newspaper or paper towel, that way it will be very easy to find and you can just change out the paper. As far as handling, snakes don't like being handled, it is not in their nature. Even gentle handing is uncomfortable for them. The best way to get a snake use to you is very gentle handling once week for about 10 minutes. As it grows older handling will be much easier, and the snake won't stress so much during handling.
 
bitsy said:
Corns are most active at dawn/dusk and overnight, so this is their natural behaviour and it's likely to persist through his life. However, if you have lights in his viv then I'd advise turning them off completely for a few days, to see if he comes out more. Corns don't need artificial light as long as the room they're in has some kind of daylight. Some folks have found that they hide away from artificial light and are more active when it's turned off.


That was so helpful :) the day I tried it he came out around 4 in the afternoon opposed to 9 at night! It was so great to see him! Opening my drapes in my room let in natural light and even lowered my temps (i was having temp problems- 90 at the highest! Scary!) So you solved a bunch of my problems! I will be cleaning his cage this weekend and fixing his substrate. So thanks so much :D
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