• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

Stressed snakes due to housing?

Z

Zannah

New member
We've had Timone for a month now and Asali for a day and the difference in their behaviour is amazing. I'm wondering whether this is just natural differences or whether it's something to do with their housing. Timone is really shy and very rarely comes out of his hide, but when we get him out he is calm and seems to enjoy sliding through our fingers.

Asali, the new corn, very rarely hides, he's always out and about in the cage smelling everything, swimming and generally taking an interest in everything around him. We love having a corn we can see :spinner: , but wonder whether this could be a sign that he is stressed :confused:

Timone is housed in a 45 cm square glass terrarium while Asali is in the critter cage he was kept in at the petshop at the moment while we wait for his viv to be delivered (it will be the same as Timone's) - both have the same heat pads and temps. They are both the same age and both were kept in critter cages in the pet shop.

Should I wait a while before moving Asali into the larger viv to save stressing him out more, and if so, how long would you suggest? And should Timone be kept in a critter cage too rather than the larger viv to give him more of a sense of security?

Sorry for the long questions, but I'd really appreciate your advice

Thanks

Kate
 
A critter cage is a 12cm x 18cm x 12 cm high clear plastic tank with a removable coloured lid (very small!), obviously no good for long term use, but maybe I should use one for each of them until they are more settled? Btw, I forgot to say that the corns are about 5 months old.
 
(IMO)
The one in the little box feels secure , thats why its out looking around. That "small box" will serve you for quite a long time. More room = nice tank for you to look at= hiding snake
If you are always handling your snakes maybe wait for the bigger viv
 
You mean I could have saved my money :spinner: And there was me thinking I was doing them a favour. That teaches me to jump in without doing my research first!

Thanks for your response, I'll keep them both in the smaller tanks for a little while then and hopefully have two happy, secure little snakes (and hopefully we'll be able to see more of them too - always a bonus)

Kate
 
I've kept smaller Corns in three foot vivs and the trick to keeping them relaxed seems to be stuffing it with as many hides and as much ground cover as you can fit in there.

Their natural instinct is to not want to be seen (although some are more adventurous, like your other little fella!). If you can arrange things so that they can get from one end of the tank to the other without being seen, then that should make the nervous one feel a bit more at home.

You don't necessarily need to use anything fancy - just cardboard boxes and toilet roll or kitchen roll tubes cut in half lengthways. If funds allow, I like cork bark and lots of plastic foliage.

Don't worry - the big tanks definitely aren't a waste of money as you'll need them in the end for both. You maybe just need to use them in a slightly different way for the littler ones. Although I'd say keep your other guy in his Critter Keeper while he's happy there and until he grows out of it.

Remember that it will usually take a Corn a few weeks to settle in to a new home - maybe even a few months, if inclined to be suspicious of changes.
 
You can always put the critter box inside the viv when it arrives; that's what I did and although mine didn't use it, preferring to roam around the giant tank :/ most new snakes will prefer to hide for a week or two when they first move home.

Don't be concerned that this snake has such a different temperament to the other - that's part of the fun.
 
Thanks Tracee and Bitsy. I've moved Timone from his large cage to the small one, so they are both housed the same now, and hopefully he'll be happier in a more confined space (and easier to find!) and put the large ones away for when they're bigger.

Thanks for your help :)
 
Just an observation about the newer snake.
If you've only had him a day or two he might just be trying to figure his way out, and once he realizes that he can't get out will go back to the normal corn activities of sleeping and hiding.
 
Thanks Corny Noob, I think you're right as he is already a lot quieter now, which is a shame - I was really enjoying watching him being out and about :(
 
You never know, he may be out more often when he gets settled in.

I have one snake that is totally unphased by us humans. He's out practically 24/7 on his wood. Another one of mine is almost nevef out, except in the middle of the night, but that's not much help for us. They're all different.

Have fun with your new snake.
 
Corny Noob said:
Just an observation about the newer snake.
If you've only had him a day or two he might just be trying to figure his way out, and once he realizes that he can't get out will go back to the normal corn activities of sleeping and hiding.
Click to expand...



Thats exactly what mine do, its like their saying hey where they hell am I? Their out alot when their new....once they realize they cant get out, they settle into normal behavior IE hiding.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top