Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, you guys have gotten my daughter and me through biting, and feeding - finally ate a furry last night after almost 3 weeks. Shed in the cage this a.m.

If, when you're holding a corn with both hands gently, he swings his head and upper body wildly from side to side, what does it mean? Is he happy-dancing or trying to tell me to get lost?

Your corn is just a youngin and will do evering in its power to escape from you.Your corn is just scared and with handling should improve.Getting a corn to eat is the biggest hurdle for most people and you passed that with flying colors.The rest of the ride should be downhill.

cool - we thought it was totally funny but didn't want to laugh if inappropriate!

Thanks much!

Your snake is demonstrating classic “fight or flight” behavior. This is what animals (and humans for that matter!) do when they believe their life is in immediate danger.

It’s hard wired in those little snakes that anything that picked them up is going to eat them.
He’s basically frightened as hell.

It’s important to gently handle them and allow them to sit in your hands and crawl through them rather than “grasping” them.

Act like you are the branch and let them explore you…and soon the snake will come to understand that you are not a threat and calm down. But when it’s held in a grasping manner…it’s going to panic.

Fight or flight…your snake must not be a biter, because if he was, that’s when you would have gotten bitten.

If your going to act like a branch make sure your over something to catch your corn.I have 2 hypos and they both will fly right outa my hands.And there is nothing worse than tearing your room apart and trying to find it.You wont believe how fast they can move.

Glad to hear he ate for you. Last night I went to feed all of the new hatchlings. The one we have named Mean Boy would strike and bite the pinkie and then start flipping around like an earth worm or something. Hes just plain crazy. It was pretty funny though. I just left the mouse in with him and decided to leave him alone. I cant wait until he comes around.

EP
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Occupants not paying rent:
16 eggs incubating
7 balls
2.2 corns(candy cane, creamsicle, ghost, normal)
1 pueblan milk
1 everglades rat
1 cal. king
1 gray band king
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
2 fish
1 rat
1 mouse
5 cats

was it frozen? I've heard mixed about feeding live for fear the snake will get hurt.