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So I've had my new corn snake since June.

When I got him he was eating great and shed twice perfectly. No problems.

Oh except that he was super-aggressive. He not only struck at me like crazy when I took him out of the cage, he tried to attack me through the glass when I came into the room. He was constantly hitting his face on the glass. I felt bad. He's even in a room sort of out of the way and it's not like he's being harassed by other pets (dogs/cats). But the breeder did tell me when I bought it that he owned thousands of snakes so they didn't get handled too much. I just didn't think that would be THAT big of an issue.

So I read on here that one way to calm a snake down is to put a t-shirt that you've worn in the tank with him so he gets used to your scent. So I decided to give that a try.

Well, it worked... sort of. Jake crawled up into the shirt and I basically didn't see him again except when it was time to feed him. But I thought that was the point to the t-shirt thing... to make him feel secure around my scent, so I left him alone and didn't pester him too much. This was, by the way, over a two week period when I wasn't home very consistantly to be handling him anyway.

At the end of the two weeks, when I took him out of the shirt to feed him I realized he was shedding but had only been successful with the top half of his body. The bottom half of his body just didn't shed.

I read through Kathy Love's manual and did the fifteen minute soaking and tried to get the skin to slide off. After three tries over two days it finally worked.

Great. Now her book said that such problems are usually the result of dehydration. I figured this was the result of hiding in the t-shirt ALL THE TIME and not being exposed to ANY humidity as a result, so I took the shirt out.

But the t-shirt did seem to help. He doesn't like being picked up and still strikes a little, but calms down after a minute or so of handling. And he strikes at the glass A LOT less. I noticed this calmer behavior when I was handling him to soak his skin the first time.

But now a month later, I noticed this morning he's having the same shedding problem. So I guess I'll be soaking him tonight.

And I should add that I have to this day NEVER seen him go near his water dish. I change it a couple times a week and there's never any aspen in it or anything to suggest he's been in it.

So what I guess I'm looking for after this giant rant is advice on how to prevent further hydration problems. For example, my wife has a 2-year-old sulcatta tortoise that she has to soak in a large bucket a couple times a week to keep hydrated. Is that something that would work with a corn snake? Any advice is appreciated.

>>So I've had my new corn snake since June.
>>
>>When I got him he was eating great and shed twice perfectly. No problems.
>>
>>Oh except that he was super-aggressive. He not only struck at me like crazy when I took him out of the cage, he tried to attack me through the glass when I came into the room. He was constantly hitting his face on the glass. I felt bad. He's even in a room sort of out of the way and it's not like he's being harassed by other pets (dogs/cats). But the breeder did tell me when I bought it that he owned thousands of snakes so they didn't get handled too much. I just didn't think that would be THAT big of an issue.
>>
>>So I read on here that one way to calm a snake down is to put a t-shirt that you've worn in the tank with him so he gets used to your scent. So I decided to give that a try.
>>
>>Well, it worked... sort of. Jake crawled up into the shirt and I basically didn't see him again except when it was time to feed him. But I thought that was the point to the t-shirt thing... to make him feel secure around my scent, so I left him alone and didn't pester him too much. This was, by the way, over a two week period when I wasn't home very consistantly to be handling him anyway.
>>
>>At the end of the two weeks, when I took him out of the shirt to feed him I realized he was shedding but had only been successful with the top half of his body. The bottom half of his body just didn't shed.
>>
>>I read through Kathy Love's manual and did the fifteen minute soaking and tried to get the skin to slide off. After three tries over two days it finally worked.
>>
>>Great. Now her book said that such problems are usually the result of dehydration. I figured this was the result of hiding in the t-shirt ALL THE TIME and not being exposed to ANY humidity as a result, so I took the shirt out.
>>
>>But the t-shirt did seem to help. He doesn't like being picked up and still strikes a little, but calms down after a minute or so of handling. And he strikes at the glass A LOT less. I noticed this calmer behavior when I was handling him to soak his skin the first time.
>>
>>But now a month later, I noticed this morning he's having the same shedding problem. So I guess I'll be soaking him tonight.
>>
>>And I should add that I have to this day NEVER seen him go near his water dish. I change it a couple times a week and there's never any aspen in it or anything to suggest he's been in it.
>>
>>So what I guess I'm looking for after this giant rant is advice on how to prevent further hydration problems. For example, my wife has a 2-year-old sulcatta tortoise that she has to soak in a large bucket a couple times a week to keep hydrated. Is that something that would work with a corn snake? Any advice is appreciated.

Ok,
How big of a tank is it in?
Does it have a screen top and under-tank heater?
Easiest thing to do is put a larger water bowl in the tank. Try to go two or three times larger then what you have now and block about 1/2 to 3/4's of the top.
This will help keep the humidity a little higher which will help the little guy shed.
You should not have to soak your corn snake.
Now, one other thing you can do is when you see your snake go into teh "blue" you can put a deli cup with moist sphagnum moss in the tank to allow for a humid hide for your little snake.
Obviously you will need to cut an access hole in the deli cup.
I think a larger water dish and covering part of the top will do the trick, though.
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

when my snakes are going into shedding i will mist down their tanks every couple days till they shed. i also have half their screen lids covered to help keep moisture in. once the eyes clear i will handle my snakes and even mist them. all my snakes have great sheds.
i tried the moist hide box and they don't go in them.

if u still have trouble with the misting, then i suggest you put your corn in a tupperware with moist paper towel and keep em in a warm spot for about half an hour, this helps with problem sheds that misting doesnt help.

Sounds like you've done a great job getting your corn snake calmed down-

One of our tanks has an artificial stone warm-side hide with two chambers, I just shove a wad of wet paper towel in one side for a week, end of shed problems...

When I specifically use a "wet hide" I take the regular hide out of the warm end and replace it with an upside-down butter tub with the top on, and a hole in the side, and a couple of pretty wet paper towels in it. My snakes use them readily that way...

I also cover 3/4 or more of the screen with a barrier (I use cheap kid's whiteboards, masonite boards with a white waterproof surface on one side) and that way one misting will keep the humidity way up for a couple of days.

Good luck with the sheds-

-JAC