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New snake

Christichicc

Christichicc

New member
Hi all! I just got a new snake, and I'm not sure if his behavior is normal or not. I'm a new snake owner so not sure. He jerks when I touch him and he shakes his tail. Is he just a bluffer, do you think? He was pretty docile at first. Maybe he's just nervous about the new home with a lot of new animals? Maybe I'm not being as confident as I need to be? Any advice would be appreciated :) Thanks all!
 
how long have you had him? how frequently do you handle him? what kind of vivarium setup do you have? temps? etc? when you try to pick him up, how do you approach him? it sounds like he may be nervous and i believe the tail rattling is a 'stay away' sort of warning. when i approach my kiyo to take her out of her viv, i will apply a slow, gentle steady pressure so she can realize "oh hey she's not trying to eat me", as opposed to quick hesitant movements to which she would become more suspicious of my intentions. the more hesitant you are, the more wary they tend to become.
 
He came with his cage, and it's one of those exo terra ones that opens in the front. It's a 18*18*24, and he's got pine bedding (bought aspen to change when he's more settles), and he's got a hidaway cave, a large water dish, and I put in there a branch decoration for him to climb on if he wants (seems a waste of the 24" height not to!) and one of those long lights that, I believe they said, was a UVB bulb. And he's next to a window that I open the curtain on so he can get some natural light. The temp, I believe, is 80s up top, and mid 70s on the bottom (more room temp on the bottom). He didnt come with a heater, does he need one? And I was thinking about getting a snake den thingy, do they prefer those? I held him 4 times the first day (the first to meet and greet before I bought him, and the others out of necessity), and he was great about it. The second day he was fine too, and got to meet some of the other residents in the household, and he seemed ok with that too. Then later that day when I tried to pick him up to show him the tree branch thing I put in there he jerked away and shook his tail. And I've left him alone since then, because I thought maybe he needed some time to acclimate to the environment. My house is smaller and a lot busier than his old home, and I figured maybe he just needed time to adjust. But the man I bought him from said that sometimes he does that, and he is bluffing and if I'm hesitant at all then he will jerk away. So maybe that is just it? I've heard of others leaving their hand in there for a few mins so the snake can smell them and know that it's them before they pick them up, does this sound like a good idea? I appreciate your help on this!!
 
i'm terrible with visualizing dimentions lol...i have mine in a 20 gallon long tank with a screen lid which i've made lid straps to keep the lid on. the little guy may have had way too much stimulation the first few days you've had him. rule of thumb is when you get a new snake let it settle into it's new home for at LEAST a week before any handling, feeding, etc. when i brought kiyo home the temptation to hold her was really strong, but i didn't want to stress her any more than she already had been so i snapped a few pics and into her viv she went, and i didn't handle her again for 7 days.

her tank is set up with aspen bedding (NO PINE!!!) 2 hides, one on the warm end, one on the cool end and a water dish large enough for her to soak in, but not drown in. she also has a fake plant vine thingy that she loves to hang out in and use to help her shed.

i would be careful keeping the tank next to a window...i've accidentally lost some fish due to having the bowl near a window, and the sun baked them :( is there anywhere in your home that you could put the viv out of the way? somewhere quieter to let him settle in?

i think the UVB lamp is unnecessary, more important is an under tank heater with a rheostat/thermostat to help regulate the temps.

here is a link that has AWESOME info on proper housing/feeding/etc for your new guy :)

http://www.cornsnake.net/care-sheets.html
 
Christichicc said:
and he's got pine bedding (bought aspen to change when he's more settles)
Click to expand...

Get him outta the Pine ASAP! Pine contains oils that are toxic to snakes and can cause brain damage among other issues.

All the behavior sounds pretty normal though. Tail rattling is normal. My motley does it everytime I walk by her cage. Typically when moving a snake to a new home you should leave them alone for 1 week or more to settle in. Temps sound good, natural light is not necessary, but not a bad thing. Don't ever let her/him sit in direct sunlight as that could raise the temp of the tank rapidly.
 
Ok, I'll change the pine to aspen asap...poor guy, that means handling him again. Unfortunately it was necessary the first day, had to get more stuff for him and couldnt leave him in the hot car, so I had to run in and buy one of those plastic carrier things and put him in it, and then of course take him out again to put him back in the cage when we were done and the cars AC was on, and then when we got home we had to get the very heavy cage (2 girls had to, and I had just had surgery so couldnt lift anything!) and we had to get a dolly to carry it up 2 flights, and I pulled him out so he wouldnt get crushed or jolted around and just hand carried him up the stairs. I did the division thing to see what gallon size the tank was, and it's a 33 gallon. And dont worry! He's not in direct sunlight! He's in my bedroom (which is probably the quietest room (though we really only have 3 in this apartment!) and is in a corner kinda next to the window, so he's getting indirect light. I lost some crickets with the direct light and heat by accident one time (my sister opened the patio door and they were on a bookcase right next to it!), so I'm careful about glass and the sun :) The tank bottom is only an 18*18, so it's not that large, should I move him into a different tank? Most of this tank is height, not length. I wondered about that when I got him. Maybe a 20L? I have one that some gerbils are in now...can you reuse them if you wash them really good? I dont want him to get agitated because of the smell...
 
You're doing the right thing by asking questions and making the suggested changes! Good luck with him.
 
if it were me, i would switch him to a 20L. that will be suitable for him for the rest of his life :) corns are not an arboreal snake so they really don't need "height" to my knowledge? i've reused tanks before, just make sure to clean and sanitize it really well. make sure he has plenty of hiding places to help him feel secure.

how long have you had him?
 
18" x 18" floor space is not bad for a hatchling up to about a yearling. It depends on how big the snake is. I forgot to ask that and how old he is? If he's over a year he would probably like a bigger cage. Some cornsnakes like to climb so some vertical space can be used well. Use bleach to sterilize the new tank and you should be fine. Once you do make the switch leave him alone for atleast a week to settle. Obviously you can change his water, but otherwise leave him be. Don't worry, they are hardy animals.
:eatsmiley
 
Your viv setup isn't really right for a corn.

1) Corns are primarily nocturnal. They are most active at twilight and evening. They do not need (nor want . . remember, they have no eyelids) artificial UV lamps. Some reptiles do, but not corns.

2) You want belly heat, not overhead heat for corns. It really doesn't matter what the temp is at the top of the cage or out in the air [within limits of course, don't bake or freeze them]. What matters is the temps where they are...on the surface of the substrate or just down below it for the burrowers.

Get yourself an Under Tank Heater to use for the viv and get rid of overhead heat or uv lamps. Get a thermostat to regulate the UTH, set the temp to mid-80's, and measure the temp at the hotest spot the snake can get to (basically on the glass right over the UTH). That temp should be in the 82-86 degree F range.

3) Get rid of the pine shavings. Aromatic woods contain oils that are toxic to snakes, including Pine. Although some folks do use pine shavings so pine is probably less toxic than other aromatic woods. Why take chances though? Get him off of the pine and put in the Aspen. Aspen is safe.

4) You want at least 2 hide-away areas for him. One on the warm area over the UTH and one on the cool area on the other side of the tank. [and put his water dish over one the cooler area or in between the two areas]. Small and young corns will appreciate more than 2 hide areas, but 2 at a minimum. Also make sure you've got some ground cover for him. Young corns like to feel hidden away from potential things that might want to eat them.

5) It's generally recommended that you not bother them for a week or so after you get them, so they have time to settle in. Too late for that now, but you might want to keep handling to a minimum for a week or so.

The tail rattle is both a warning -- "Hey I'm a scary snake...don't eat me!" and a sign of anxiety or excitement (one of my boys tail rattles whenever he notices food being presented to him).

Young corns are often quite nervous about a lot of things, they are after all near the bottom of the food chain right now. Most get calmer as they get bigger and come to realize that you don't intend to eat them (not all, but most).

Have a look around at some of the other care sheets and viv setups, and you should be good to go. Welcome to the corn addiction :)
 
yes hardy indeed...when i was moving from oregon to montana i lost rune along the way...i had transported him improperly and he got loose and ended up underneath the trunk liner of my car...he was there for at least 6 hours if not more...once i was able to find him he had some weird black caulk/goo so i soaked him for a little bit to try to get it off but it wouldnt budge...so i placed him in his viv and hoped for the best...it was like it never phased him...after a few days he was ready to eat, and he shed not long after that and all the black goo came off :)
 
ok, maybe I will move the gerbils to a 10 gallon for the time being. I have them in a 20 long right now because I'm going to be breeding them, but the girl is still a little young, so they should be fine in a 10. And I'll use their 20L for the snake (they called him Lenny, but I am thinking about renaming him, but have no idea what to name him!). I'll make sure to bleach it so he wont be agitated by their smell. He's 2 years old, but my friend said he's small for that age, he's maybe quarter size thickness at his biggest and about 3 feet long or so, I havent been able to measure him haha so just guestimating on his size! It's hard to tell, he likes to tie himself in knots haha. And I have a heating pad I can put on one side, and I wanted to buy another den for him, so that will work out nicely, I think :) I will make sure to leave him be when I put him in the new tank, I've been trying to leave him alone since I got him, except for the first day and quick pics, I figured that was prolly why he was agitated. I've only had him for a few days haha, and it's been a real learning experience even in that short amount of time. Thanks for all your help!
 
Christichicc said:
He's 2 years old, but my friend said he's small for that age, he's maybe quarter size thickness at his biggest and about 3 feet long or so, I havent been able to measure him haha so just guestimating on his size!
Click to expand...

Mine is about that size o_o seems fairly normal I think. As long as they're happy and healthy
 
Good :) glad he's a normal size. My friend has one and hers is much bigger and he's 2, but he'll be 3 soon so maybe that's the difference?
 
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