Getting an Adult Corn Used to Handling
Okay so I briefly mentioned this in my other thread but I wanted to try and get more advice just because I'm not used to actually training snakes to be held all of the ones I've met were already friendly.
I bought a corn snake on the 7-23rd. His name is Ziti! I think he's between 1-2 feet at the moment but I haven't gotten a good enough look at him.
He seemed to do fine on the drive home, he was in a cloth bag that the store provided to me. When I got home I put him in a 10 gallon, but I realized that he was bigger than I remembered and instead got a larger exoterra from my mom.
He was really unhappy about being moved twice, and pretended to be a rattlesnake to try and scare me off, but seems to like his new tank just fine!
Up until I fed him on the 28th he didn't leave his tunnels in the bedding, which I googled and seemed fine. He ate without any issues and then went back to bed.
Now cut to today, I decided to take some of the extra bedding out so that I could see him a bit easier, he did the rattle again but I just ignored him and went about my business and once I shut the door he explored the tank.
A bit later I'd gotten the advice to try and handle him a bit since it was obvious at this point he'd not really been held before. I started by having my hand in there which he coiled at first but then backed off and sniffed around. I was told to go ahead and try to handle him even if he seemed upset because he was just scared and when he realized that I wasn't planning on hurting him he would relax. (Now note I know that won't be today. I don't expect /instant/ results)
I tried to scoop him up from the side like I had read about and then he struck. I only shrunk back a bit, paused and then tried again. He tried to bite again so i took my hand out but didn't leave the door until he had relaxed and was going around the cage again, cause I didn't want him to think he had scared me off.
I feel like I'm doing everything wrong though. I don't know how to get him used to me. Please anyone help.
(Anything I've done I found through google or reading some advice on here, so if I messed up I apologize. I really do want the best for him.)
I will reply with pictures when I get them on my computer.
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