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Tell me about your corn snakes

C

Clairlevee

New member
I'm getting a hatchling corn this summer, and I'm curious about their... sentience, I guess?

Do your corns have people preferences?
Do they seem to "like" you or being around you?
Do they know you from other people?

Tell me cool stories about your babies! :)
 
I had one corn that I swore knew me, he was my first and he had the most time spent with him. The ones I have now don't seem to care either way. My anery is my most personable corn, she comes to the glass anytime some one or some thing is near by. I'm pretty sure she just thinks it's dinner time, but oh well, it's cute. My little amel stripe enjoys hanging upside down in his tub, so he's cute.
Honestly though, I don't think that my corns really have people preferences. They just like people who are confident, so they don't think they are going to fall. My boa, on the other hand, definitely knows me. I figure that it is more of a scent recognition than a "you're my mommy" recognition, but he always tries to get back to me when someone else is holding him.
 
Personally, I know that my anery and ro can tell when its me or hubby. They seem to be more familiar with my husband. He isn't a corn person but has grown attached to these two.

Our anery will come out and greet hubby when he is in there changing water or cleaning poop but with me she stays in hiding. It might be the different smell.
Our RO is in the dinning room at the moment in quarantined and there is a lot of traffic. She seems to come out when she hears hubby in there. It might be a coincidence but she doesn't come out when it is me or the kids.
 
My boa, on the other hand, definitely knows me. I figure that it is more of a scent recognition than a "you're my mommy" recognition, but he always tries to get back to me when someone else is holding him.
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That's what I'd heard! It kind of made me want to get a boa, but I think a corn is a better beginner snake for me.

I was curious, because I'm a horse owner, but I've also worked with birds of prey. I figured if anyone would have an opinion about it, it would be corn snake owners :)
 
Our bloodred seems to know the difference between me and my bf...she's much better behaved for me (in general). The rest of the snakes seem fairly indifferent to who's holding them, although two or three of them show a marked preference for my shirt, especially if I'm wearing a sports bra (they like to curl up in there...it's apparently nice and snug for them)

The only thing most of them really don't like is being passed from person to person. Our snow is the only one who doesn't care who's holding her, how much she gets passed, anything except that she's out. She loves being out (and I'm looking forward to her being big enough to be a shoulder snake...she's only 250g currently, so just a little small for it. She'd be out and crawling on one of us all day if we let her though.

The boa, however, is fairly new but seems to have imprinted on me. Which is kinda sad, since I bought her for my bf, but she has both hissed and struck at him, but she's pretty placid when I pick her up. The first time he held her, she lept from his hand trying to reach me (I was across the room cleaning her tank) Luckily, he was sitting on the floor, so she really didn't fall far, but it put him off wanting to hold her until she's a little friendlier :(
 
I definitely think my snakes recognize me or at least my smell. If someone other than me holds their hand to have a snake slither on to them non of my snakes will go. They always turn around and come back to me but if it is the other way they will calmly slither back to me. I think they know I am the one who feeds them and they know I am save.

As far as being around that is by a snake by snake basis. I have a few large tanks that are in the living and dining room but there are a few snakes that I know don't like being out where things are active and will just hide all the time but if I move them into the office they will be active and out all the time. However, others could care less and are out interacting with everyone that passes by.
 
Hermes loves to come out, when he hears you opening his viv he comes right over, eagerly getting on your hand. He's just a little guy and I hope he keeps his great personality as he grows up. He does seem more comfortable with me than my daughter, but I do handle him more than she does so it could just be familiarity. Nessie is our new corn, we only got her last Sunday so we need to get to know her and she needs to get to know us better.
 
My milk and ball stay hidden pretty much all the time. The milk snake is moody (we haven't handled her much lately I'll admit) so she needs some handling time to get back where she was when we got her. She's really racy for a few minutes when you get her out but calms down after a while and just chills in your hand. She also doesn't care who holds her. The ball python is just a ... ball python. lol She takes a while to uncoil when you get her out but is fine after that and doesn't care who has her. The corn snake loves to spy on you from under his rock/water dish hide (love those things btw lol) and will sometimes watch TV with us (I swear). He seems to prefer my wife but doesn't mind if anyone else holds him and he'll cuddle with you a little while he's out. My BCI LLLOOOVVVEEESSS to be out and about. When you try to put her back she fights like ... to stay out. She cuddles, bumps noses, and tickles your nose with her tongue. She also has the most awesome, laid back, personable attitude about her.

Whoever says that snakes are PURELY instinctive animals has either never owned one or never been owned by one. My boids (boa and python) are VERY curious and study everything around them whether in tank or out. Their movements are slow and deliberate and you can see them "choosing" what their next move will be. My colubrids (milk and corn) aren't as slow and deliberate but still study things around them and make "choices" about their next move.

I definitely don't want to turn you off to the idea of a corn snake (this was my first snake) but most boas are very hardy snakes and will eat anything. If you want to explore more options and are curious about boas kokopelli is the man to ask. He's here on the forum and really knows his stuff. Any questions you have I'm sure he could answer for you.
 
Snakes by nature do not enjoy human interaction. It goes against their natural instincts. Many snakes will recognize the scent of a particular human that works with them, but they will not seek you out. Some elapids such as King Cobras and Naja Cobras will I.D. their owners, but those species have much better evolved eye sight. In all honesty, snakes could do without us handling them, but occasional handling is just fine. Snakes are not like dogs, and if you're looking for that type of interaction with a reptile get a monitor. I have a Vietnamese Blue Beauty Snake that flips out when I try and handle him. I never handle him because it stresses him out. I don't want to turn anyone away from handling their snakes, just make sure they're not stressing out!

Although Cornsnakes seem to do very well with handling and are fantastic pets. I still will get my old Sunglow boy out watching TV in the evenings.
 
Thanks for all the replies. It's clear they certainly have personalities!

In all honesty, snakes could do without us handling them, but occasional handling is just fine. Snakes are not like dogs, and if you're looking for that type of interaction with a reptile get a monitor.
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No, no. I'm perfectly happy with a tame corn that will simply tolerate me. I think reptiles are fascinating. As I said, I've worked with raptors. They are AMAZING creatures. But they would rather have absolutely nothing to do with you. [without food] I was just curious about other people's experiences.
 
My four corn have no problem being handle.

A matter of fact, I just let a brother-in -law son handle them all and they show no stress or threatening behavior. The two older ones seem to just chill out on him. lol
 
I've worked with hundreds of Corns and some are the sweetest snakes in the world, some are mean as hell. It's the luck of the draw!
 
Of our two:

Mithril is always "go!go!go!" when being held. He does like sitting on the wife's head, curling up around her hair scrunchy, and just peeking out from there though.

Ori (short for Orichalcum), however, is totally calm. At only 30 grams, he just curls around a couple of fingers and is quite content to sit there chilling for as long as anyone feels like holding him. He'll also crawl into and sit inside my shirt pockets with just his head hanging out if I let him.
 
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