My idea for taming a snake

[hetfeildfan]

My snake is very timid and shy. She makes it clear that she does not want to be held by running away from me. If she even sees me coming close she freezes. Once I get her she is usually really good for a while. She is generally content roaming around my fingers. But only after she realizes she's not going anywhere else and that I am in charge.
I came up with a solution for taming her down and helping her trust me. I have a pouch that was used for eyeglasses. I gave her the pouch as a cool side hide. She took to it well.
Now when I want to handle, instead of chasing her around I pull out the pouch and set it on my lap. I sit and wait. sometimes a long while. Usually she pokes only her head out and stares at me for a good half hour. When she is ready she comes and climbs right into my hands. She will remain on my hands for a quite awhile and then always wants to go elsewhere. I leave the pouch on my lap so she can go back whenever she wants.
I went from scaring her and grabbing her to her willingly coming to me in 3 nights.

 

[carnivorouszoo]

Wow, that's interesting, but you should know that baby corn snakes are flighty in general and its not really because of you its just instinct to survive. Instinct tells them anything coming from above is going to eat them. But its still neat you found a way to lower the stress of being handled for your snake.

 

[kathylove]

WOW - you really have some patience!

It is true that this is very typical behavior for babies, and even yearlings, that haven't had much human contact - you just look like another giant predator! As they mature, they naturally calm down, since they have fewer predators when they are adults. But your patience will help your pet calm down more quickly.

 

[Valkyrie]

Young snakes are prey animals and will behave as such. Your snake is skittish because it thinks you are going to kill and eat it.

My Black rat was flighty too. But as he has grown he is content to wrap himself around my arm or explore my head and shoulders.

Just handle it for a few minutes every day, it will calm down.

 

[GSDlover]

My Amel is a big baby who loves being help, while our Okeetee is a "oh nooo, they're trying to eat me!!" kinda girl.

Neat experiment you've been doing though, that's for sure.

 

[Dreamsnake]

I used a whisk on my flighty hatchling. It took a steady hand, not to mention patience. I slowly turned the whisk and let her wind up in it, then she slithered out into my hand no fuss. I only needed to use it for a few times, now she usually holds still for me or jumps into my hands.

 

[Ronzie]

My young Amel (b July 9th) comes out when I take the top off. I just put my hand in halfway down the glass and he usually will come over and climb onto my hand. My other guy won't.
When I'm in checking his tank for poop he comes over checking me out.

 

[Karoni]

My young Amel (b July 9th) comes out when I take the top off. I just put my hand in halfway down the glass and he usually will come over and climb onto my hand. My other guy won't.
When I'm in checking his tank for poop he comes over checking me out.

Wow. I wish mine were like that. They don't budge from their hide. If I put my hand it and lay it there, they look at it or sniff it and that's it. Maybe one day.

 

[carnivorouszoo]

My young Amel (b July 9th) comes out when I take the top off. I just put my hand in halfway down the glass and he usually will come over and climb onto my hand. My other guy won't.
When I'm in checking his tank for poop he comes over checking me out.

Shade, my 09 ghost did that as a hatchling, now when I open her tub she goes for my knee, silly snake!