adopted a snake

[mattoxcw]

okay, a buddy of mine got a snake, had it nearly a year, and all he did was feed it. when i go to handle it, it rattles and coils up to strike. i've been able to get underneath it a few times, but still no slack in the attitude. has anybody ever had any challenging rescue reptiles? how do you adjust them to being handled? thanks for the help guys

[HeatherRose]

I know some snakes wiggle their tails...but are you talking about a rattlesnake? If you are...they're not really an appropriate snake to try to be 'handling' with your bare hands...

If not, let us know what kind of snake it is, what it's housed in, etc :) Then we can help you...

[marisa]

Is it a kingsnake or a cornsnake? Both species rattle their tails like MAD in some cases. Both can be aggresive when young as well.

The snake is simply acting natural. Keep it on a good feeding schedual, and consistant gentle handling sessions each week. With time you will see a change although some keep their attitude .

Marisa

[mattoxcw]

it is a corn snake. and when I say it rattles, i mean it shakes it's tail against the tank(making a rattling sound) :) but i'll just keep up what I'm doing now...thanks guys.

[thunder]

my advice is to get a good glove, and continue with gentle patient handling. eventually (maybe after it bites the hell out of your glove) most colubrids will calm down and become comfortable with you, and you wont need the glove. be forewarned however that i have come in contact with a few individuals whose own personalities were simply intractable, especially older or wc specimens who have gotten set in their ways. chances are youll be fine, tho. it also depends on the species. pits tend to be very huffy especially at a young age, but i find that it is often more bark than bite.

[LdyDrgn]

hehe, you don't know my bullsnake then.. He will huff, puff and strike constantly. He is getting a little better, though.

We've had wc adult cornsnakes and after the first handling they calmed down rather quickly. Our young corns still rattle their tails, too, but rarely strike. Just keep handling it and maybe try the "dirty t-shirt" trick, sometimes it helps. Take a t-shirt or tank top that you've worn a couple of days and put it in the enclosure with the snake. It helps the snake get familiar with your scent.

Good luck :)

[Brad C]

Sounds more like a ratsnake to me. My LTR would rattle its tail very fast and it was also pretty nippy lol. The onlyway to break a snake of its biting habit would be to hold it often and get it used to you holding it. It must learn trust and know that you mean no harm.

[lolaophidia]

With little rat snakes, often just covering their head (blocking their view of your hand coming at them) with a cloth or paper towel will allow you to pick them up. Once they're out, they tend to be kind of squirmy so try not to grip them too tight or they get frantic and will then musk or strike. They will try to get away for a while, then usually chill out for few minutes. I also have a little pocket hook that's perfect for getting the snake off the bottom or back of the cage so that I can grasp their mid body. I don't like gloves much for little snakes, because I can't get a good feel of when they're resisting me.
Just a few suggestions...

[zero&stich]

hehe, you don't know my bullsnake then.. He will huff, puff and strike constantly. He is getting a little better, though.

The northern pine, I aquired bout two months ago is a loud little hisser. Huff, puff, strikes, complete with tail wagging like a little puppy, lol. Most times it's a bluff, til yesturday. I assumed it was a bluff, nope. He did strike but I never got tagged. Bad aim, LOL.

These pits are LOUD hissers, not to say others aren't eaither.

[thunder]

my experience is with gopher snakes, and i found that they hissed alot but were reluctant to bite. except for the babies, who bit HARD.

[oscar]

our gopher is the most gentle creature you could imagine and has been since day one, although she will do the tail rattle if someone comes up fast on her. its our cali king that is the problem creature.. yeah, i know.. go figure.. he'd strike at the enclosure non-stop trying to get at us, but with some regular short handling, he seems to be getting better.