Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I normally just read the posts on this forum, but after my corn's behavior tonight, I'm inclined to post for new ideas.

Currently I possess numerous corns, one of my favorites being a 5-foot 1200 gram Amel male. This said male is always friendly, has never once offered so much as a hiss, and has even let me touch it while he is eating (I rarely due this though as such behavior is sheer stupidity on the keeper's behalf). Tonight, however, as I was walking by his cage, he began to rattle his tail. I thought "hm, that's odd". Coming closer for a look, the snake went crazy. He struck the glass at least 20 times (no exaggeration), started buzzing his tail like mad, just in general became a little hellion. He looked more like a P-O'd rattler than any corn in my possession.

I am now afraid to even go near the tank. What could be wrong? I fed him yesterday if it makes a difference, but it shouldn't as he has never acted like this when I have fed him otherwise. Any insight into such erratic behavior would be greatly appreciated.

well i have a female snow, she does the same thing. she will act all big and bad, shakin her tail and snap, will bite. but once i pick her up she calms down. in her case i see it as a female being a female (i dont know if female snakes have estrogen, but if they do shes RAGING). it could be a number of things, maybe someone/something besides you came in and spooked your snake, and sees a shape (you) coming and resembles it (you) as being what scared it. try picking it up (he may bite, but he wont hurt as i figure you know). and if he keeps biting you, well let me know cause than i will have to keep thinking what it could be. you said hes a male, maybe he just wants some snake love. who knows (if we could only talk to them)

All snakes can have a bad moment.At least with your amel corn I wont be reading your name in the paper.We forget there wild animals and can act like one.
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If lead paint is so deadly why do they make it so delicious?

you know, I just remembered something I had not thought about previously--
While doing feeding last night, I was also taking some photos of him for a collection I was doing...with flash. Maybe taking flash photos spooked him? He didn't seem to mind whatsoever, but whatever he did just now is certainly out of the blue.

There are a lot of factors that can cause this type of behavior in corns. I'm no expert, by any means, but I do have several years experience with keeping corns, yellow & black rat snakes, as well as others.

The camera flash could've startled it enough to put it on edge or it could be a number of other things that got it on edge. Breeding season will sometimes do it but this isn't a corn's normal breeding season.

Other factors could be:
Environment changes, like; temp and/or lighting changes, etc...
Feedings
Sudden increase/decrease in frequency of handling
Room activity
And several more; but I'm sure you get the idea.

How long have you had it?

The timing of your post is uncanny because I shipped a 3-ft corn to a fella last week and the corn's been behaving as nice as it did when I had it. That is, up until the yesterday, I think it was. He started "rattling" like you said yours is doing but this corn wasn't striking like yours.

I think the problem with the corn that I shipped is in the increased frequency of handling because me & my son only handled it about every two weeks or so. But yet it was still tame. Now that its being handled just about everyday (which I think is good) its trying to adjust to it and sometimes just wants to be left alone.

Here's what I told the fella that now owns my old corn:
Sometimes when they do that (rattle their tail) I'll leave 'em alone for a few hours or so and sometimes I'll go ahead and pick them up. Depends on how I feel, or, how much I think they're trying to bully or intimidate me. If I think they just want to be left alone for awhile I'll leave 'em be. If I think he's trying to be Mr. Tough Guy I'll pcik 'em up and gently handle them for just a few minutes. I handle 'em just enough to show 'em that I'm boss and they don't scare me but not so much that I tick 'em off. To me, it builds trust and overcomes fear, for both the owner & snake.

Like someone here already said, a corn's bite doesn't hurt and sometimes I feel its neccessary to take the chance in order to work out the problem. My 8-yr old son is practically impervious to a corn's bite. The main thing is not to jerk back when they do strike/bite. Could hurt snake and make actual bite worse.

And like was mentioned earlier, corns don't bite everytime they rattle or show agression and usually calm down once in hand.

Take care!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

to get your confidence factor back up, if necessary. I find that it makes me feel much better when I am scared of a snake bite.
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phflame
kingsnake.com host

I'm the one who got HappyHillbilly's snake. It's my first, and when it was rattling at me I just talked to it a few minutes with it's hide open (so it couldn't hide.) I did that a couple times during about an hour then called his bluff. He never struck me, and was fine once I picked him up.
I think you're right the flash spooked it. Just talk to it a little so it can hear your voice then go ahead and try to pick it up. You can do it in steps, like, 1) talk to it 2) open the cage and talk to it without picking it up then close it 3) try it a second time maybe still not picking it up 4) Go ahead and put your hand in but still don't grab it 5) Slowly go ahead and pick it up. You can wear gloves if it makes you feel better, but I think then it won't smell you and therefore not recognize you. So even though a bite might be immanent it would be better to do it bare handed.
Just watch it's reaction as you try the steps (it's head and tail tip) After mine did the rattle thing with the tail I gave it a coupld trys, not picking it up, then when I did to be on the safer side the first 'grab' was a little behind the head so it couldn't bite me. I figured once I picked it up it would calm down and it did.
Good luck
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**Kenn**
The Uros at home:
http://www.arabianwildlife.com/current/dubh.html
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/uromastyx.html
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/runningbrook/729/id19.htm

regular voices. So unless you have an incredible bass voice, the talking steps can be skipped.
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phflame
kingsnake.com host

np
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If lead paint is so deadly why do they make it so delicious?

even knowing that they can't hear me. And if I need to get my courage up, I DEFINITELY talk to them: "That's a good snake..... You don't need to get so upset..... I'm not going to hurt you......."
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phflame
kingsnake.com host

Okay - I have to say I talk to my rat snake (allegedly to calm him down) and it seems to work, so maybe I am the female Barry White or maybe he just smells my breath (no smart aleck comments here, please-it's got to smell better than dead rodent) and recognizes me as the treat lady! Or maybe we put off some fear funk and when we talk, it calms us down, thereby reducing the "odoir" and calming them down?