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Trouble handling hatchling! (help please)

V

vertigofm

New member
Hello everyone! I recently got a hatchling corn snake. I gave it a few days to settle in, and the good news is that it doesn't bite me anymore! It's gotten more used to my hand, I can put my hand in there and if I move towards it (side or back of course) it still flees and hides, when I touch it, it freaks and moves fast. When I keep my hand still it cautiously approach it and then maneuver around it and go into its little log. I've been reading around and basically what I have understood is that at some point you have to get it used to handling, bites or not- so that when its older you don't have the same trouble. It moves so fast when I try to approach it, and I don't keep trying too often, maybe a few times a day as not to stress it. How should I approach this, I have heard from others to lightly hold its mid body so it cannot squirm away and then when you have a very light hold on it just to let it glide through your hand... I am just worried that holding it down might hurt it, but I have no other ideas. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!


Frank
 
I should calm down after a while, most hatchling corns have a bad dispostion, after youve been in there cleaning it and changing water, it will get acquinted to you, it should stop and be easy to handle. Snake rely on instinct and isnt sure if youre freind or foe, it just takes time and patiance. Hope this helps!
 
Yeah, What I've tried is leaving my hand in the tank for like 5 minutes. I also try to touch him more- even though it makes him run like hell, I hope it lets him know that my hand touching him doesn't mean death. I've tried the "just scoop him up" method, but he is so fast that it's too hard and if I try to lightly hold him it just aggrevates him... He doesn't seem as scared of my hand... I mean if I put it against the cage he will look at it, he used to just run when he saw it... But when it goes in the cage he freaks
 
you could try lettiing it run across your hands once a day if hes not striking, that has worked on my pines, other then that, waiting it out is your best bet,
 
He doesn't strike and if I keep my hand still in the cage he will cautiously approach and move around it- and if he rubs against it he gets scared and hides... I don't bother him in the day, usually a few times at night I'll try to touch him and he runs
 
Then the best thing you can do is wait, it will learn that your not going to hurt it and calm down, it just takes time and patence. If hes not striking, then hes already leatn, theres realy nothing you can do but wait. Good Luck!
 
I hope this does not disappoint you but it may take months before your snake becomes used to you handling it. I have some snakes that even as adults just do not like to be handled. Another thing that you have to consider is that the snake is very young and very small. It instinctively see you as a threat. It thinks that you want to eat it. It it's tiny little mind the only defense it has is to flee. Fight or flight! That is why it has given up the biting and striking. It has figured out that it just did not get you to leave it alone. In time it may come to not see you as a threat and may even be handled very easily. You may also notice that as the snake becomes more used to you feeding it it will begin to seemingly be waiting and watching for you.

I wish you all the luck in the world! Animal behavior can be difficult to interperate but it's great when you figure out what they want from you.

Mike Pinkston
 
Just reach in there and gently grab it. It will calm down once it's in your hands. Just don't keep badgering it as this will stress the snake. Don't try to handle it more than once a day. Start with about 5 minutes of holding it, and slowly work your way up.
 
BeckyG said:
Just reach in there and gently grab it. It will calm down once it's in your hands. Just don't keep badgering it as this will stress the snake. Don't try to handle it more than once a day. Start with about 5 minutes of holding it, and slowly work your way up.
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Agreed, just reach in and grab it. Poking it a few times a night is stressing it out more than just picking it up and holding it. If your afraid it will leap from your hands while doing this, hold the little guy over his viv. As stated above, start with about five minutes a day and slowly increase the time he's held. Remember to let him be for at least 48hrs after feeding to digest. Good luck...
 
Patience and persistence are the keys here, obviously it can learn to some extent and relatively quickly, it has given up the biting and striking having learnt that that doesnt help its situation, soon it will learn, through your persistence of regular handling that ur touch is nothing to fear either. As said, just scoop it up, you wont hurt it if you slide a couple fingers under its mid section then 'gently' press ur thumb to its back (gripping it so it cant just flee) then lift it out of the cage and let it weave through ur fingers, if it starts going too fast gently grip it, it will stop and eventually learn also that when it trys to flee ur hands it will be stopped.
Mine was exactly the same and with persistence over a month it is now easy to handle.
I also got mine into the routine of handling then feeding 10mins later. Now when i open her viv to get her she doesnt flee as often and seems to be trying to remember if im a threat rather than just assuming i am.

Hope this helps out
 
That doesnt mean that i feed her everytime i handle her though, just thought id mention that, else she'd be a right heffer! lol
 
BeckyG said:
Just reach in there and gently grab it. It will calm down once it's in your hands. Just don't keep badgering it as this will stress the snake. Don't try to handle it more than once a day. Start with about 5 minutes of holding it, and slowly work your way up.
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Agreed. Worked for my hatchling. If you try pokeing him and stuff it will just scare him and make him run away. Just get him cornered and grab him gently. Try not to bump your hands around and shake him. He will quite down quick.
 
See I get it cornered, but I feel so bad pursuing it further so I just gently touch it and let it run like hell. I guess I'll get it cornered and scoop it, it just looks so scared and I am afraid once its cornered its gonna like have a heart attack lol
 
Ok here is my update! I tried the ole scoop him up while he's in a corner method- that was a no no. As I did scoop him up he bit my like 5 times, he was damn scared. So I put on a glove which he still bit but at least I could get a better grip on him. I held him lightly in my hand, he calmed down slightly but still slithered fast and dropped back (only 6 inch fall no worry) into the cage a few times from which I went back down for him, after this went on for a few minutes he became less and less jumpy to the touch of the glove, he still squirmed away but it wasnt as bad. After 5 minutes of that I put my glove in there and let him rest. He seems pretty stressed from the whole thing so I won't bug him till tomm. Maybe he'll get used to the glove and I can slowly switch to my bare hand. Feedback and advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks and keep the advice/feedback coming! :crazy02:
 
Stop letting ur snake get its own way, it makes everyone jumpy when they strike and move fast but dont put it down when it bites and dont allow it to squirm away, ur meant to be conditioning the snake not the other way around!
Saw one good bit of advice on here for when they get aggressive when picking them out of the cage, avert ur eyes slightly and just grab it, hold on and handle for a while and just keep this up.
U'll get there eventually!
 
Alright! update! Put the glove in the cage, was just handling him with the gloves a few minutes ago and he calmed down a bit. I also found him sleeping in the glove so I hope he is getting used to my scent. I just fed him and I'm out of town for the next 3 days so that will give him some peace and quiet. Thanks guys, I'll keep working through it and keep you all posted on baby "socrates" progress! Thanks!
 
Hey if ur outa town make sure ur baby has plenty o water, ok so it wont be fresh but at least it aint gonna dry out, just make sure it has something!
 
Fordie said:
Hey if ur outa town make sure ur baby has plenty o water, ok so it wont be fresh but at least it aint gonna dry out, just make sure it has something!
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Yeah it has about a 6oz thing of water and I put a conditioner in it too!
 
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