Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I thought corn snakes were supposed to be docile snakes. This is the reason I got one. It is my first snake, I am used to having tarantulas and scorpions.
I only have it a few days but it seem to be a crazy snake. It is a snow corn, which has beautiful markings and red eyes. The first day I picked it up it seemed to be ok, obviously it tried to get away from me but didn't struggle that much and moved from hand to hand.

Yesterday however I picked him up and almost immediately he tried to bite me, I put him down as I didn't really want to be bitten. A few seconds later I decided to try again as I thought maybe I startled it or something the first time. When I put my hand in the cage to pick him up he coiled up like a spring and snapped at me with super speed. Has anyone else experienced this from corn snakes. How hard would a bite be from a baby corn, it is around 10 inches in leant. Are they all like this or is mine just a physco!!
Thanks for you help
Dave

Let me start by saying that every snake has its own personality. Although, I have yet to see one that does not calm don. I have never seen an adult strike except at food. Babies can be a little nippy when small, in a new environment, or scared/threatened. Once picked up, they generally will not bite. The bite is nothing. Most of the time their mouths are too small to get around anything, so you hardly notice it. if they do get their mouth around part of you, say a finger, its not even enough to draw blood. What I do with my young corns, is present the flat of my hand or ball my hand into a fist. This way they can strike at me and feel better. Once they realize my hand is not going to hurt them and they can't hurt me, I pick them up. One of my new editions got its name for going after me so much. I named it Striker. LOl. That snake is the only one out of a clutch of 12 that strikes at me. Like I said, it is the snake, not corns in general. Give it time, let it get used to you and trust you. Try not to startle it or give it any reason to fear you.
I am sure others will have their say as well.
Oh, also make sure you don't smell like anything. Mouse for example. During feeding today, I had quite a few of my little corns strike at me. It took me a bit to realize that one one my little king snakes had musked me and I had not washed it off. I assume they smelled it and did not like it any more than I did.
Hope this helps.

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**********Misty**********
The more things change, the more they remain Insane!

2.1.2 bearded dragons
0.1.0 water dragon
1.3.0 leopard geckos
12.19.0 corn snakes
1.1.0 jungle corns
2.3.0 king snakes
1.0.0 royal (Ball) pythons
1.0.0 Sinaloan milk snake
0.1.0 Tri-Hybrid milk snake
0.1.0 rat snake
0.0.2 prairie ringneck snakes
0.1.0 chilean rose hair tarantula
1.1.0 emperor scorpions
1.1.0 Congo African Grey Parrots
0.1.0 German Shepherd hybrid dog

I meant to say calm DOWN not calm don. LOL.
Also, I wanted to clarify, I have had small corns draw blood, but rarely, and it is like a pin prick and does not leave more than a pin prick worth of blood - I wouldn't even call it a drop of blood. It is really nothing.
I think your instinct to pull back makes it seem worse, kinda frightening. Like I said, I just leave my hand there. Just be thankful you are not getting musked on. I'd take bitting over musk any day. LOL
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**********Misty**********
The more things change, the more they remain Insane!

2.1.2 bearded dragons
0.1.0 water dragon
1.3.0 leopard geckos
12.19.0 corn snakes
1.1.0 jungle corns
2.3.0 king snakes
1.0.0 royal (Ball) pythons
1.0.0 Sinaloan milk snake
0.1.0 Tri-Hybrid milk snake
0.1.0 rat snake
0.0.2 prairie ringneck snakes
0.1.0 chilean rose hair tarantula
1.1.0 emperor scorpions
1.1.0 Congo African Grey Parrots
0.1.0 German Shepherd hybrid dog

Thanks for the reply xblackheart

I will try what you said about putting my fist in.

This has been brought up several times on this and other forums.
A viv that is too hot can cause a snake to be very cranky.
If the viv is 90 or above you need to do what it takes to get those temps down.
Now, other then that, neonate corn snakes and any other snakes for that matter, are born with the basic instinct that anything bigger then them is a threat.
So, what could be more threatening then a giant hand comming towards a tiny little snake.
The good news is, they calm down with regular handling, and a corn the size of yours, will not hurt if it bites you.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes

_____

and you must go VERY SLOW around babies...they are new to this world...how could you feel if something that smelled different than you came to pick you up that was like 100 times the size of you? i dunno but i'd poop in my pants. but snakes do calm down after a while. i had one hatchling that struck at me all the time....but after a while he gave up....hes a cutie...i'll post a pic of him on here one day.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SNAKIES~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Corns:
.1 Normal (Gertrude)
1. unknown hypo? normal? (Romeo)
.1 Miami Phase (Emily)
1. Amel het Blizzard (Dunesbury)
1. Classic het Hypo, Anery, poss het Amel (Cobra)
1.1 Classics (Henry VIII, Cassy [Emilys babies])
.1 Amel (Pepperoni)
1.1 Hypo zig zags poss het Caramel (Bernard, Abegail)
.1 Classic het Hypo, Stripe (Gracie Lou)

Rats:
1.1 Black rats (Cecily, Willard)

Cal Kings:
1.1 Striped Cal Kings (Skunky, Dweezil)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~LEOPARD GECKOS~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Normal het Midnight Blizzard (Mr. Spot)
.1 Blizzard

~~~~~~~~~~~~~TURTLE~~~~~~~~~~~~
.1 white cheeked mud (Opel)

Snakes are animals, not machines. Darwin's first law of Natural Selection is "Variations occur within a species." All animals (even micro-organisms) have personality traits. That being said, most corn snakes are docile. But not all are. I once had an adult male Okeetee that was undoubtably the most bad tempered snake I've ever owned (I've owned hundreds of snakes over the years). He'd strike any chance he'd get.

On the flip side, some individual snakes that are "supposed" to be bad tempered, like water snakes and racers, can be quite tame.

Tim

Third Eye

micro-organisms have personalities?

I want proof? And P-OH-P's customers do not count!

>>Snakes are animals, not machines. Darwin's first law of Natural Selection is "Variations occur within a species." All animals (even micro-organisms) have personality traits. That being said, most corn snakes are docile. But not all are. I once had an adult male Okeetee that was undoubtably the most bad tempered snake I've ever owned (I've owned hundreds of snakes over the years). He'd strike any chance he'd get.
>>
>>On the flip side, some individual snakes that are "supposed" to be bad tempered, like water snakes and racers, can be quite tame.
>>
>>Tim
>>
>>Third Eye
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ontogeny recapitulate phylogeny

Charlie Mike

God knows all, and as man finds parts of that all, god changes those parts of all. Then he laughs at us!!!
(Me)

1.3 Bearded Dragons (Eenie, Meanie, Minie and Moe is the Male

6 baby female Western hognose, 3.5 adults some friend some mine,,,building breeding stock) All Named George
1 Corn snake (bloodred) 0.2 1 MIA In the house I hope (All corns named Ray Guy
1 baby creamcycle 0.1
2 Okeettes I think? 1.1 youngens
ochrocephala oratrix 0.0.1? Adult, and a killer!
ochrocephala auropalliata 0.0.1? Adult
2.0 Dogs, Michigan, Doc
0.2 Cats,, Sassie and Spooky (all black cat)
0.1 Wives, (Long term captive!,, I mean ME!) I call her (BOSS)
1.1 Kids (Paininthearsius takamemonii) J/K great kids
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tom

www.herpzilla.com

Snows are great, I used to have one. It is true that all snakes have their own personality. I have 2 corns and one is verry bussy and the other is the most calm snake I have ever seen. Did you leave him alone for a few days? I was told that when you get a new snake to let him settle in for at least 3 days. Maybe just leveing him be for a while might make him feel better about his new place.
Good luck
Jennifer

Corn hatchlings almost always strike with their mouths closed (their little teeth get torn out very easily), so they hardly ever bite even if they strike several times in succession.

But, if they DO bite, it hardly ever breaks the skin (little teeth again).

Even if they DO break the skin, the "damage" is not noticeable at all, and you can't even feel the bite.

Sooooo....

I would suggest that you pick that baby corn up, waggle your finger in front of it and try to entice a bite from it. Do that several times in a row until A) you learn not to be afraid of the bite, and B) your snake learns that biting you won't make you let it go!

When a hatchling is released into its vivarium immediately after a bite enough times, you effectively train your snake to bite you in order to get its way. Not a good idea.

It won't hurt. I promise!

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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

Darin's advise is great. Let the little thing bite to it's heart's content. It really cannot hurt you, and once you realize it doesn't hurt, you'll just laugh at the silly thing for trying.

I've got one little lavender gal who is convinced she's a rattle snake. She bites first time every time. Just her personality. Hopefully, by the time she's large enough that I might feel it, she'll get the idea that it does not deter me, and she'll stop.

Honest, it does not hurt.

Leslie

Thanks for the replies

Speaking of rattle snakes, do all corn shake their tails like rattle snakes do. When I go to pick it up he shakes it, i think to warn me but there are no rattles obviously. Just wondering if all snakes do this
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Snakes------

1 Snow Corn

Spiders ---------

1 Mexican Red Knee

Scorpions--------

2 Emperor Scorpions

A good number of snakes do this, including Gopher Snakes, I have never personally observed it in Corn snakes but there make up would lead me to believe they to do it. When this method is used in the wild the tail will be shaking in leaves and or other debris and effectively sounds like a rattle and scare of would be predators. It is my opinion that snakes can since fear. In my research I have personally observed several time if you reach in a cage and are clearly afraid chances are you will be bit. However if you just reach in with no problem chances are you will not get bit. I have personally seen this happen with many snakes in the wild, CB and supposedly tame snakes. They are just like birds, If you show your fear they will take advantage of it. The best method for a picky biter I have found is for larger species such as Boas and Pythons is to were a leather glove, I use a pair of Structure fire fighting gloves, those may or may not be available to you but a pair of leather gardening gloves should suffice, For smaller snakes such as young Corns, Gophers, Kings so on and so forth just look away, Honestly, note your snakes position, remove the lid, look away as you reach in to pick it up. Most of the time its not the though that scares you its when you see your snake coil up as you reach for it. So long as you can not see that because you are looking away then that helps out a great deal.
My Research and Collection

Corns definately all tail raddle. Even my most relaxed corn will do this if I move around her too quickly in the right situations.

Small hatchlings also need time. What everyone is saying about dangling your fingers in front of the snake to bite you repeatedly is, in my opinion, nonsense. It's stressful for the snake, and they could hurt a tooth biting you. Give your snake a couple of days to get used to its habitat. I never handle hatcling until they've had a week to feel safe in their space. Not everyone does that, but I do. If your snake bites you, it won't hurt, so don't be afraid. Try to be extremely calm while handling, if you think she'd going to bite, don't freak out. If she does bite, do not put her back in her tank; she'll learn that biting will get her back in her home.

Remember, she's just a baby so don't stress her out just cause you want to touch her. Give her space, make sure she feels secure, and don't be frightened cause she'll know it.

Just so you know, cornsnakes have a much worse weapon then their teeth. Sometimes they'll deficate on you defensively; thats seriously much worse. Yuck.
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Corn Snakes: Eden, Mars, Sierra, Lavendar, The Tweedle Twins
Crested Geckos: Parker, Emily Dickinson, Bonnie, Benz, Jude, Cali
Leopard Geckos: Paris, Helen, Annabelle, Artemis, Vesta
Jambea Dwarf Retic: Montague

"What everyone is saying about dangling your fingers in front of the snake to bite you repeatedly is, in my opinion, nonsense."

Nonsense?

Well, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I think you might try to tone it down, though, when attacking the writings of others. Some of us have actually been doing this for a while and quite successfully so.
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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742