Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have a yearling corn that we bought. When you first pick him up he exposes his hemipenes. he does not appear to keep them out when he is just sitting around or in a rubbermade tub and once you handle him for a few minutes he puts them back in. What is going on?

My Florida Kingsnake does that when I pick him up, usually about the same time he's musking to try to discourage me from holding him. The two cornsnakes I have are older (2-3 years) and they don't do it at all. When he's bigger and more comfortable with himself (certain that you're not going to eat him) he should stop that.
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Holly

0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Lizzie Borden) (missing )
1.0 Florida Kingsnake (Eddie Gein)
0.0.2 Cornsnakes (Lyle & Erik Menendez)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Black Cat (Shadowfax)
1.0 Egyptian Arabian (Bagan) (Deceased )
1.0 Tennessee Walking Horse (Durango)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)

Maybe he thinks you are cute

Some lizard species do it - I've not seen an adult snake do it, but I have seen some young snakes do it.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

at least now you know for sure its a boy
adam
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" a.k.a. farfrumugen "
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.

And he seems to like you
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Wade's Weptiles & Wodents

Ok, so after more handling, we have determined one more thing. The male half of this couple picks him up, he barely does it if at all. The female half of this couple picks him up. He does it a lot. We had a female friend hold him the other day, yep you guessed it, he sticks them out then. Maybe he just really really likes girls?

does the male hold it more than the others?? if a stranger holds the snake its a new "smell" so he'd get scared again i'm thinking..... maybe if the females held the snake more often it wouldnt happen as much OR everyone make sure to wash your hands before holding and he cant tell which person is holding him,.....
~kin
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~Sober Serpents~
www.freewebs.com/soberserpents
Corns, Creamsicles, A Black Rat, A pair of Leucistic Black Rat X Leucistic Texas Rat Intergrades, Thayeri, Cal Kings, A Jungle Corn, A pair of Ball Pythons, A pair of Candoia, Leopard Geckos, Green Anoles, a Snapping Turtle, a White Cheeked Mud Turtle, an Adult Rescue Iguana, and A Baby Iguana

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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

>>We have a yearling corn that we bought. When you first pick him up he exposes his hemipenes. he does not appear to keep them out when he is just sitting around or in a rubbermade tub and once you handle him for a few minutes he puts them back in. What is going on?

I caught an adult eastern black king that was one of the most angry king snakes I have ever seen. Every time I tried to handle him his came out, he musked like crazy and tried to repeatedly bite.
As the little snake gets more used to handling it will stop doing this.
Like Kin had touched on, it could be more familiar with the man that handles it and he may also handle it more loosely allowing the snake to feel less threatened.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

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Strangely enough I haven't handle him that much, she handles him way more. I dunno lol.