Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a young Lavender Corn (sex unknown-but I call her a female) named Violet. Violet is about 13 inches or so. She happily eats pinky mice (thawed, not live) and is incredibly tame. Violet doesn't even strike when I feed. Instead, she just starts eating.

When I feed Violet, I take her out of her tank and put her in a critter keeper with a thawed pinky. She starts eating immediately and when she's done I pick her up and put her back in her tank.

Is this the way to do it? I want her to associate her tank with being picked up and somewhere else with food. However, I am concerned that she will associate me with food and as she grows and attack me. Is this silly? As I said - I have never seen her strike - she just starts eating her food. When I pick her up after her meal she melts in my hand like usual. And yes, I do handle her several times a week other than during feeding.

Bottom line - she is tame - and I want to keep her that way. Am I feeding her appropriately so that she remains tame?

Thank you all.

P.S. Here are some picture links.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/dakski/IMG_0062.jpg
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/dakski/VioletinTank.jpg

Violet is pretty! You don't have a favorite color, do you?

No, your concern isn't silly, you're being cautious, and that's good.

Based on my experiences, snakes don't associate a person (as a whole) with food. They can associate a hand with food if they see the hand giving them their food. This is usually what happens.

If you put the prey in the cage with tongs, or, put it in the feeding cage before you put her in there, you shouldn't have any problems. By using a long set of tongs like the grabbers they sell at the major department stores for the elderly, you can safely feed her in her regular cage.

There are several ways to condition a snake to avoid feeding response strikes. Using long tongs is one of them. As an extra precautionary measure you can use a snake hook, or something other than the feeding tongs, to stroke a snake a few times before reaching in to get them.

Somewhere down the road Violet might decide to test you. Maybe, maybe not. During adolescence, some snakes do, some don't. Don't worry about it now, cross that bridge if/when you get there. If you haven't already, I suggest reading the thread below titled: "Agressive corn?" There were a lot of good points made that might help you in the future.

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.

That is a beautiful corn you have there. Great choice. I'll be getting a Lavender myself within a week. As far a feeding your corn in her enclosure or in a seperate critter keeper, that's up to you. Either way is fine, but I can tell you it's ok to feed your snake in her tank if that's what you want to do. Not only do I keep cornsnakes, but I also keep eastern kings, as well as florida kings, and other common kings. All my kings have an insane feeding response. Much stronger then corns. And I feed every snake I have in their enclosure. So long as you handle your corn on a constant basis, you'll have no worries feeding in her tank. To me, I'd say the chances are greater of me getting bit, by picking up my snake I just fed, while still in feed mode, and placing it back in it's enclosure. Either way is fine, which ever way your comfortable with.
Steve

Steve,
I want that king!!! Nice!

Later!
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.

Thanks Mike. I have quite a few cornsnakes, but you would be hard pressed to find a better snake to own then a big husky Florida king. Without a doubt, he's one of the family favorites.
Steve

>>Steve,
I want that king!!! Nice!

Its a beauty!

I grew up in central FL and spent most of my life there. I've ran across many different kinds of snakes in the wild (corn, yellow rat, pine, indigo, rattlesnakes [EDB & pygmies], coral, cottonmouth, etc...), but, NEVER a FL king. I've always thought they were pretty.

That pic may have just kindled a desire. Like I need another animal. I'll tell my wife its all your fault.

Have a good one!
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.

>>I have a young Lavender Corn (sex unknown-but I call her a female) named Violet. Violet is about 13 inches or so. She happily eats pinky mice (thawed, not live) and is incredibly tame. Violet doesn't even strike when I feed. Instead, she just starts eating.
>>
>>When I feed Violet, I take her out of her tank and put her in a critter keeper with a thawed pinky. She starts eating immediately and when she's done I pick her up and put her back in her tank.
>>
>>Is this the way to do it? I want her to associate her tank with being picked up and somewhere else with food. However, I am concerned that she will associate me with food and as she grows and attack me. Is this silly? As I said - I have never seen her strike - she just starts eating her food. When I pick her up after her meal she melts in my hand like usual. And yes, I do handle her several times a week other than during feeding.
>>
>>Bottom line - she is tame - and I want to keep her that way. Am I feeding her appropriately so that she remains tame?
>>
>>Thank you all.
>>
>>P.S. Here are some picture links.
>>
>>http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/dakski/IMG_0062.jpg
>>http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/dakski/VioletinTank.jpg

Yes you are doing fine.
Most of my older snakes get fed in their tanks but all my yearlings and hatchlings are fed in separate containers.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

I agree....Feeding your cornsnake in its enclosure wont make it mean. Its really up to you if you want to feed in the enclosure or out.
I'd also think about increasing the size of food your feeding that snake. A pinkie mouse isnt much of a meal, that snake could take pinkie rats easy and probobly hopper mice. I have one about that size and it took a hopper yesterday easily.

Very nice looking snake btw.