Reptile & Amphibian Forums

do corns bite alot? i have read that they dont. what does it feel like? ive never been bitten by any of my pets before (only someone elses untame hamster)aparently its just like a pinch or something, im not too worried, just curiose n want to be preparedif i do get bit. is it best to get an adult or a baby corn?

sorry so may qs but thnks

Yes they can and do bite. Getting bit is a part of our hobby, If you are going to keep snakes you will eventually be bit by one of them no question. I have never been bit by an adult Corn but I would imagine its not much different than a bite from a Gopher Snake witch I have had and it really dose not hurt, I have been bitten by several baby corn snakes and I would say it feels like sand paper as there teeth just are not big enough to get into your skin. I would always recommend getting a baby and raising it rather than buying an adult
Foot Hill Reptiles

>>it is more prevelant in young corns but it can happen with all ages.
Now, don't worry hatchlings which tend to bite the most grow out of it quickly enough. Thier bite is painless. Doesn't hurt.
As they get older it is usually just mistakes that cause us to get a quick bite.
Hand too close when they sense food. Hand dangling in front of their face for too long.
regular handling and being careful make for rare bites.

and one point I would like to make
I would much rather be bitten by a snake then a hamster.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

LOL AMEN to that, I have throughn many a breeder rodent into the snake jaws for biting me, Try getting nailed by a mad mamma rat, Right in one side and out the other I tell ya and boy dose it hurt.
Foot Hill Reptiles

I'd totally rather get tagged by a corn snake then a dwarf hamster, or a rat protecting her pups.
Rats might bite through your fingernail (Takes a long time to heal.), and with a dwarf hamster it's more of a gnaw or extremely aggressive chew than a single bite (They don't let go.).
I have a king snake that is homicidal and wants to eat me, but he can barely draw blood, I let him gnaw on my arm for 2 hours to see if he would get bored. Nope.
Corn snakes are mild and I can't imagine being afraid of their bite.

corn snakes can and do bite at all ages. They are not prone to biting alot, most tend to bluff before trying to bite, or do alot of mock bites (closed mouth strikes).

Hatchlings and wild caught corn snakes tend to be more nippy. Hatchlings instinctively feel everything is trying to eat them, hence they act completely defensive at any movement bigger than they are.

Does a baby hurt? If you even notice the bite...it doesn't hurt at all. Like tapping the blunt side of a pin.

Adult corn snake bites can hurt, they can bleed, but in general, they hurt about the same as a mosquito...just a bunch of them at once. Corn snakes have several rows of teeth on the upper and lower jaw curved towards the back to make it easer to pull prey into their throats and hang on. How painful it feels to you though, its hard to say. The strike is quick and more like a 'OUCH it bit me' and it doesn't hurt anymore..though you may bleed a bit from the bites. Just wash the injury, bandage up if necessary...worse thing that could happen is a bit of an infection due to one of the corn snake's teeth being stuck in your skin. Pop it out and a bit of antibiotic cream and you are all set.

Attached is a bite from a Texas Rat Snake...related to corn snakes (colurbids) and is actually a bit bigger overall in body length and thickness. This bite didn't hurt at all...it was actually amusing watching him working all those teeth into my arm for nearly a minute before he let go. If he had hit me on the fingers, he would have been able to get a more powerful bite...but even then I doubt it would have hurt much more. But it shows you nicely how the rows of teeth are arranged.

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PHLdyPayne

lol hamster bites bleed lots dont they!? (mine did, once the hamster had finally stopped swinging around on it)

all sounds like its just funny when they bite, the way they think they are inflicking so much pain and yet you cant really feel it at all!

thanks

LOLZ, corn snakes think the bite hurts, the expression on their face has got to be like gary coleman trying to take down mike tyson.
As for dwarf hamster bites, I wore those steel and kevlar puncture resistant gloves whenever I had to have my hand in the cage. They would routinely jump up and latch on trying their best to chase me out. That wasn't happening.

getting tagged doesnt hurt but feeding bites hurt a little more, hard bite and coil. still less than a rodent bite but you need to pour could water in its mouth and akkiver it for a while or they wont let go.
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jake barney

my addiction:
1.1 ball pythons
0.2.1 corns
1.0 cal king
0.0.1 wc garter

Most of the time a drop of vodka or everclear in the corner of their mouth will get them to open up without too much drama. Ever see a snake break dance? You will if you use this method.
They look at you like WTF?????