Getting an Adult Corn Used to Handling

LespaceSerpent · 08-04-15, 06:11 PM

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.

prairiepanda · 08-04-15, 07:03 PM

Actually, it sounds like your approach is perfect! You've got a good balance between showing confidence but also giving him enough space so as not to get too stressed. I say keep doing what you're doing, and eventually you'll start to see results. Once you get to the point where you can take him out of the enclosure, I suggest keeping him out until he's calmed down in your hands. In this way, being put back into his enclosure will be a desirable reward for good behavior and will show that defensive gestures will only lead to the undesirable result of being held longer. (Be reasonable, though; if he's totally freaking out and won't back down at all then let him be so he won't get too stressed)

I have a couple questions, though:
1) Have you asked the pet store about his temperament? If so, what was their experience with him? If not, can you ask them?
2) What did you feed him? Do you think it might be possible that the meal he had was too small and he is still hungry?

Any pics of the setup you have would help too.

LespaceSerpent · 08-04-15, 07:51 PM

I hadn't asked at the time, I admit it was a bit of a rushed decision because the store was having a sale on them at the time and the other one I was looking at was bought the day before. I can try to though.

I gave him a medium mouse before, as he's kind of slim, but he is a little long so should I be giving him two?

I'll take some pictures when I get home from work

Edit: ALSO THANK YOU I really appreciate the help. ><

**EL Ziggy** · 08-04-15, 08:29 PM

I agree with Panda. You're on the right track with your new corn. Sometimes it just takes a while for them to settle down. I take a pretty straight line when it comes to handling my snakes. I don't give them much of a chance to react. Even if I know I'm going to get tagged. I just reach in and swoop them up. Sometimes I use a glove

. They might strike, hiss and thrash for a few minutes but after that they almost always calm down. After he realizes you're not a threat, and he can't scare you away with his defensive behavior, he'll give up and be a good snake

.

LespaceSerpent · 08-04-15, 08:37 PM

Thank you >-< I really appreciate you guys helping out. I'll take lots of pics of him when he lets me hold him. I think I will pick up some cotton gloves from 7-11 on th way home

Jim Smith · 08-04-15, 09:07 PM

I also think that when you intend to handle a snake, you should simply open the cage, reach in and pick it up without hesitation. Most times, once they are in your hands and realize that you're not going to hurt them they settle down quickly. If you are tentative, it gives the snake a chance to become frightened and it starts coiling to strike. By the way, while I don;t keep Corn Snakes (they're not allowed here in Georgia), I seriously doubt that a 2 foot snake is any more than a juvenile. It should get closer to 4 feet as a full adult.

LiL Zap · 08-05-15, 06:22 AM

Seems like you're doing fine to me. Eventually he'll get used to the handling. He seems young enough to tame down much easier then an older snake.

LiL Zap · 08-05-15, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Smith

I also think that when you intend to handle a snake, you should simply open the cage, reach in and pick it up without hesitation. Most times, once they are in your hands and realize that you're not going to hurt them they settle down quickly. If you are tentative, it gives the snake a chance to become frightened and it starts coiling to strike. By the way, while I don;t keep Corn Snakes (they're not allowed here in Georgia), I seriously doubt that a 2 foot snake is any more than a juvenile. It should get closer to 4 feet as a full adult.

This is a very good point as well.

LespaceSerpent · 08-07-15, 09:20 AM

Okay guys I appreciate all yall advice. I'm having a lot if trouble getting passed that fear of being bitten. My heart knows that it won't hurt much but my brain goes into panic mode. I really want to work through it.

LespaceSerpent · 08-07-15, 09:43 AM

Update: I managed to pick him up, he tried to get a way for a little while and pooped on my floor, but calmed down enough that I let him back to his cage c:

Sylphie · 08-07-15, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LespaceSerpent

Okay guys I appreciate all yall advice. I'm having a lot if trouble getting passed that fear of being bitten. My heart knows that it won't hurt much but my brain goes into panic mode. I really want to work through it.

Don't worry I'm still afraid of it, even after 2 years of having my snakes... And I'm having 5 of them at the moment. It's just instinct that makes us afraid of being bitten, even if we know that it would be a lot weaker than cat scratchs.

My boyfriend is also the type of "just grab, and don't give them time to coil and start to be afraid of you", but I just can't be that bold with them, haha!

SnakeyJay · 08-07-15, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Smith

I also think that when you intend to handle a snake, you should simply open the cage, reach in and pick it up without hesitation. Most times, once they are in your hands and realize that you're not going to hurt them they settle down quickly.

Yep, a little bit of confidence goes a long way with handling snakes. However don't handle during shed (when his skin goes grey/white until you find the shed skin) unless needed.

Jim, this is true depending on the snake and what they're used to.. My lot are tap trained and my retic is being fully hook trained. If I just reach in with my hand I'll have a nice kiss off my bigger male boa. My BRB is the only one I can just reach in and pull out, as that's what I used to do until I got my first BCI. .

Jim Smith · 08-07-15, 01:40 PM

Snakey-Jay - Good point and I agree with you completely. I have a rule of thumb for the snakes I keep. That is, I don't keep any snakes that can seriously injure me. The big constrictors pretty much all come equipped with a set of nice long, very sharp teeth and strong jaw muscles that allow them to hold on to large struggling prey. I've seen photos of some of the injuries made by these large snakes and it looks like the person shook hands with Freddy Kruger. Even if my Hondos bit me, which they never have, it would barely draw blood. I've been bitten by many, many wild caught snakes and with the exception of odd event with a 2 foot garter snake, big water snakes were the only ones that consistently drew blood, usually in several places if you gave them the chance.

SnakeyJay · 08-07-15, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Smith

Snakey-Jay - Good point and I agree with you completely. I have a rule of thumb for the snakes I keep. That is, I don't keep any snakes that can seriously injure me. The big constrictors pretty much all come equipped with a set of nice long, very sharp teeth and strong jaw muscles that allow them to hold on to large struggling prey. I've seen photos of some of the injuries made by these large snakes and it looks like the person shook hands with Freddy Kruger. Even if my Hondos bit me, which they never have, it would barely draw blood. I've been bitten by many, many wild caught snakes and with the exception of odd event with a 2 foot garter snake, big water snakes were the only ones that consistently drew blood, usually in several places if you gave them the chance.

That's a fair rule mate, we should all only keep what we're comfortable handling and dealing with on a daily basis.. Yeah there are some nasty bite pics about for sure.

prairiepanda · 08-07-15, 09:05 PM

I was bitten by an adult cal king once. I didn't even realize what happened at first. It felt like my finger was touching sandpaper, or a cat's tongue, and when I looked down I saw her clamped on! She let go right away, though. There was a lot of blood, but after I washed up the finger I could hardly see the teeth marks. But after feeling what a small colubrid bite was really like, I wasn't nervous at all when dealing with defensive individuals. I used to get real nervous when they got into a strike pose, but now that I know it's just like touching sandpaper I don't worry about it at all. Just knowing "oh, it won't hurt" isn't really enough, but having first hand experience set my mind at ease.

Larger boas and pythons, or rear-fanged colubrids, would be an entirely different story however.