HI guys, I need help. I got this cornsnake yesterday from work. Apparently, it was neglected by it's previous owner, so as you can imagine it is pretty mean. Anyway, I was wondering if there was any way to tame it down, because cornsnakes are supposed to be one of the best pet snakes, and I do reptile shows all the time, so I need handleable reptiles for the kids. BEsides that, it is a beautiful specimen, and I hate to see all the nice colors go to waste with being a "display only Specimen". Any help you guys could give me would be much appreciated. see you guys later
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Aggressive Snake, how to fix?
weevax65
Sep 22, 2003 06:44 AM
Replies (3)
redmom
Sep 22, 2003 08:40 AM
n/p
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~redmom~ 
My Email
Herps:
1.0 Normal corn snake "Ed"
Others:
1.0 Blue Betta fish "'Beta' test"
0.1 White/Lemon/beige splotched and spotted hound mix "Angel"
Human pets:
2.0 Children "Matthew" 7 yrs, "Duncan" > 1 yr
1.0 Hubby "Roger"
"Life will find a way." Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) Jurrasic Park
duffy
Sep 22, 2003 04:24 PM
How old is it? Redmom's answer is still a good one, but the older it is, the more "set it it's ways" it may be. If it is a habitual biter, I would suggest latex gloves. Not only will you pick him up with more confidence (and that does make a diff), but the snake will not like the taste of the gloves, and it may teach him that biting is no fun. Good luck with him. Duffy
patricia sherman
Sep 22, 2003 10:24 PM
One thing I've noticed that's consistent with my snakes, is that the hungrier they are, the more aggressive they are. If it is well-fed, it will likely be a lot calmer. Also, they tend to become more mellow as they age. Very young corns & rats will be veritable hissing demons, and often will tag anything that moves near them. They outgrow this tendency as they get larger. I think it may be because the smaller they are, the more vulnerable they are to injury or predation. It is just an instinctive defensiveness.
Feed your acquisition, then try handling him after he's had at least 48 hours to digest his dinner. He should be quite laid-back if his belly is satisfied. If he strikes at you every time that you reach for him, try using a piece of light cloth to cover his head before you pick him up. Usually, once they're in hand, they'll quit biting.
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tricia
