A couple days ago, my mother-in-law found a cornsnake in her health center office... in Wisconsin. I have to say that it was a pet of one of the doctors, and not wild, since all of our native snakes have been dormant for a couple weeks now. This little guy is about 12-14 inches long, and looks to be a normal phase. Well, "Mom" decided she didn't want to keep it anymore, so I picked it up and brought it home. Being a baby, I have it in a 10 gallon tank with brown astroturf as a substrate... a large rock with a heat pad under the turf, and a full cage length driftwood that has multiple hiding places.
I know that all reptiles are inclined to snap, bite, strike, and be generally mean if they are scared or stressed, as I already own a pair of breeding bearded dragons and a pair of spotted turtles. (I guess I have a thing for Guttatas...) My own knowledge of reptiles is keeping me afraid of sticking my hand in the cage to examine the corn to make sure he's healthy. Top-down handling of my dragons is risky enough with all those sharp spikes and razor sharp teeth, though I have yet to be bitten, I often experience the "puff and poke" manuever.. =)
This little baby 12 inch long snake has got me staring down the headlights of an oncomming vehicle. So I have a few questions for the masses of people who have owned cornsnakes for longer than I've been alive... and the ones who are just plain experts.
1. How should a corn be handled?? I expect he'll nip the hell out of me a few times the first time I get the acorns to pick him up.
2. Does that first bite hurt like hell or does it just startle you? I am by no means timid when it comes to handling animals... my Sugar Gliders bite harder than most dogs when they are just exploring, so I know how to take the pain.
3. I saw a post about corns being arboreal... or having the capacity to be. Can I put him in a true arboreal cage with no ill effects? He is currently sleeping... or resting between the cage top and the locking cover.
4. He had his first feeding today since we've had him, of 2 pinkies... likely day old or 2 day old. He has held them both for a period of over 8 hours now, so I expect he'll keep them down for good. How often should he be fed, and should he be offered as many as he will eat, or should it be limited to 2 per feeding?
I think that's about it for now... everyone knows I'll have more questions later... I'll post a pic of him after this message.
) in Feb 2003. It's a amel, female I think. I also have a ghost, male. I keep them both in their own 20 gal long tanks with under the tank heaters. In the day I have a light on the same side as the heater. This is their 'warm' side. My lights are on timers so they come on and off for a natural day/night cycle. I have a couple hiding places for them. I feed mine about every 7-10 days. My female eats 3 pinkies. She is about arms length, not including your hand. My male is arms length from sholder to tip of fingers. He's eating a fuzzie and a pinkie. Both mine were squermy when I first bought them. They were both around 12-14 inches long. You've got to handle them often so they get used to it.Mine have calmed down alot. (Remember your is basically a 'wild caught' baby and will be squermy.) I handle mine every couple days but not after they have just eaten. (I usually wait 2 days after feeding to handle them). When feeding I take them out of their enclosure and put them into another container. This way they won't eat any of their substrate and they won't get the idea that everytime you handle them they get to eat. 
