I need help with my snake?

[Pooki]

Hi I am new, and I really need help with my snake.

I have grown very fond of my pet snake over the past 2 months. I love my cornsnake very much. But I have been trying to pick her up, and when I do she seems extremely afraid as me. I feel very bad about this because I love her like any other pet, its like if your pet dog that you have had for 5 months happened to not want to be around you.

does anyone have tips or help? I want to be able to handle her better.

[GyGbeetle]

Don't be afraid to handle them, even if it seems like they are not fond of being handled. Try to incorporate it into a regular routine with her. Start off with 5-10 minutes of handling time a day, and keep working with her. Most snakes will seem timid at first, but will learn to tolerate the handling, which is good for the snake on cleaning days (less stressful when they don't constantly want to bite you and eat you), and can be beneficial for that perceived "bond" humans feel towards their animals.

Give it a couple of weeks of about 5-10 mins sessions, and see how it progresses from there.

[Doug 351]

I agree^^^^

[Scubadiver59]

BTW, welcome to sSNAKESs!! :D

[eminart]

Well the first thing you should understand is that it's a snake. And snakes aren't anything like dogs. Your snake would be perfectly happy if it never saw you, or any other large predator again.

But, most of them adapt well to being handled. Like the others mentioned, the more you handle it, the more tame it will become. However, some snakes will become stressed and stop feeding with too much handling. I doubt you have that issue with a corn snake though.

[Scubadiver59]

My King still shakes its tail at me and both it and the Corn normally run for cover after I remove them from whatever I need to clean. C'est la vie!

I expect it will get better as they grow especially since they live for >10-15 years...I have plenty of time to acclimate them.

Besides, I still have my three dogs to cuddle with!


Well the first thing you should understand is that it's a snake. And snakes aren't anything like dogs. Your snake would be perfectly happy if it never saw you, or any other large predator again.

But, most of them adapt well to being handled. Like the others mentioned, the more you handle it, the more tame it will become. However, some snakes will become stressed and stop feeding with too much handling. I doubt you have that issue with a corn snake though.

[Jim Smith]

I think that you've gotten good information so far. Try handling your snake a couple of times a week. When you reach in to the enclosure, do so with confidence. Be calm and gentle and when holding your snake, support it completely while allowing it to slither through your hands. Keep moving your empty hand out to hold the snake and it crawls along. After a while, it will begin to realize that you are not a predator and will calm down. None of my snakes "like" to be held, but all of them remain calm and do not seem to mind it too much. I don't hold my snake often, just when I am doing a full cleaning or moving them or every once in a while so they stay used to me handling them.

[Doug 351]

Funny, my snake loves it, and REALLY loves to meet new people. (I don't think she knows she's a snake.)

I know it sounds funny, and you may wonder how I know, but just like tail rattling tells you they are are upset or scared, rapid tongue flicks coupled with relaxed muscles indicates anticipated excitement.

[dannybgoode]

Funny, my snake loves it, and REALLY loves to meet new people. (I don't think she knows she's a snake.)

I know it sounds funny, and you may wonder how I know, but just like tail rattling tells you they are are upset or scared, rapid tongue flicks coupled with relaxed muscles indicates anticipated excitement.

Except this isn't true. You don't know if your snake is excited or stressed to the point of trying to act calm.

I'm not saying it's one of the other but to say you know a snake is 'excited' to meet people is nonsense I'm afraid.

None of my current snakes seem bothered by handling whether by me or anyone else (even my ATB isn't defencesive) but I don't assume I know how they feel because I simply don't.

They may well be relaxed, they may be terrified. I therefore work on the assumption its the latter and keep handling to a minimum.

[Doug 351]

Well, since I got my snake as a baby, and have had her 15 years, I think I know her just a little bit better than you.

She has been handled by over 100 people, most kids.

And just maybe, I can actually read animals better than you. I catch and play with wild animals all the time.

And I should have added, just like a happy dog, she can't sit still....it's just she's not tense. I think if she was scared, she'd have bit someone in 15 years.

Let me tell you something else...I used to tease her a lot, one time, I pushed her too far, and she bit me, but didn't even break the skin. She was just telling me to quit! So, to think or say Oscar could be stressed into compliance is absurd.

I KNOW MY SNAKE!

My personal best: tying her in three knots....( she doesn't like that game....and now...I can barely tie her in one!)

I have to add one more thing...I have gone to local stores with Oscar draped over my neck. She is perfectly fine with that.

[BillyCostume]

Snakes don't get excited to meet new people. Your snake may not be defensive and tolerates handling really well, but that's the extent of it

[BillyCostume]

Except this isn't true. You don't know if your snake is excited or stressed to the point of trying to act calm.

I'm not saying it's one of the other but to say you know a snake is 'excited' to meet people is nonsense I'm afraid.

None of my current snakes seem bothered by handling whether by me or anyone else (even my ATB isn't defencesive) but I don't assume I know how they feel because I simply don't.

They may well be relaxed, they may be terrified. I therefore work on the assumption its the latter and keep handling to a minimum.

I wish I could handle my ATB without getting bit haha. He's getting better but still a feisty bugger.

[dannybgoode]

I wish I could handle my ATB without getting bit haha. He's getting better but still a feisty bugger.

I get him out before he knows what's happening and once he's out, whilst always ready to strike, I don't give him a target.

There's plenty of time yet though for him to have a nibble :)

Now when I get the scrubs...

[eminart]

I'm going to try my best not to comment again past the following:

The ultimate form of respect for an animal is to see it as it actually is - to understand how and why that animal behaves a certain way in respect to its OWN evolution, not that of a social primate. Projecting your own human characteristics upon it is dishonest and lazy, and not a way to truly respect and understand it.

Anthropomorphism is my pet peeve.

[EL Ziggy]

To each his own to believe what they want but beliefs are not always facts. I couldn't agree more with the fact that snakes are not social animals that enjoy being handled or meeting people. Some just tolerate it better than others.

@ OP- Hang in there. With time, patience, confident and consistent handling your snake should mellow out.

[saturnascends]

We have 2 kingsnakes which we've had for about 2 month as well. The first (California) is much more shy than the second (Mexican black). I usually leave the Cali alone, I don't want to stress him out too much...on the other hand I do want him to get used to handling. Just yesterday I got him out of his terrarium and he peed on me. A few weeks ago I got musked. But I'm going to keep at it now and again despite the occasional grossness and hope he chills out as he gets older! I'm guessing this can be a waiting game of sorts (especially since they're still young).

[Magdalen]

I'm kind of in the same boat as you. I have a cape house snake who is young and pretty much a little bigger than a pencil at the moment. I've had him for little over a month now, haven't handled him. What I have been doing is when I've been changing his paper towels out, changing water, generally anything to do with this is stuff, is I'll leave my hand in there when I notice he pokes his head out. He is very curious little snake but also very skittish (which is understandable since everything is bigger than him). The other day he actually stretched out to get a better sniff of me. I'm going slow with him and might try in a month or two to hold him when he's a tad bit bigger.
Kind of the same thing I did with my leopard gecko. I didn't hold her much the first couple of months or so when she was super tiny. The last few months I've been taking her out to handle so routine stuff is easier. In fact last night she decided to crawl up my arm while I was changing out her worms and chill on my shoulder for a bit. Once she started getting a little antsy I put her back.

[HillBillyHerper]

Hey everybody, didnt mean to piggy back off this thread but dont know how to start my own!! Lol so any way my ball python just recently started rubbing his head, i think its called cage rubbing or some **** like that. He hasent hurt himself yet but i cant watch him all the time, please help with your advice!!!! Thank you!