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new corn settle-in time?

jennixnay

jennixnay

New member
I'm adopting a 2-year-old female corn snake from an owner who is downsizing his reptile family. She comes home tonight.

My sons (seven and a half year old twin boys) are very excited -- we've done lots of research about corns, & they've handled snakes before & know to be gentle. They will ALWAYS be supervised with her.

My question: obviously they (& I) will be eager to hold her, but I'm sure she'll need some time to settle in. She'll be coming with her existing tank & set-up.

How long should we give her before we try to hold her -- & how long before we should feed her?
 
An adult will generally settle in faster than a baby, and she will be in her own home, so that will make it easier on her. I think I would take her out, let the boys say hi to her and pet her for no more than five minutes, (take pictures so they have those to look at!) then explain that she now needs time to get used to her new surroundings and relax. I would give her at least four days of no handling, then offer her a smaller than normal meal, (you can have the boys participate- maybe one gets her feeding bin ready, one gets the mouse ready, everyone practices washing their hands) and then put her away for a minimum of 48 hours. Explain to the boys that the most important thing is making sure she feels safe enough to eat, and that she will be with your family until the boys are in high school or even college, so they will have plenty of time to enjoy her! You can teach them that snakes are different from humans, or even cats and dogs, in that they eat one very large meal with enough caolries to last them for a week or longer, and in order to digest this meal, they need to remain hidden and motionless. Explain that handling while digesting can cause the snake to regurgitate the meal, which is dangerous to the snake's health, and this is why it is so important to leave the snake strictly alone during this time. You could also go on to explain that snakes periodically need to shed their skin, and they also prefer to be left alone at this time, because their body is undergoing changes, preparing for the skin to separate, and the snake has greatly reduced vision, and does not feel safe if they are removed from their hide at that time.
 
Take in everything Nanci has said. This is great advise and sticking to it will be the best for your new arrival.
 
Thanks so much, Nanci -- this is great advice!

Having them take some pictures is a really good idea. Maybe even a little video. They are obviously very excited, but we've been talking a lot about how she'll need some time to get to know us & to feel comfortable in her new family.

Will post photos!
 
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