Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i finally got a new corn snake at a show last weekend, a show i've been waiting a good 8 months for.
Valentine is a snow about three feet long. she is gorgeous. but she won't sit still, which i was expecting because the baby i used to own was always on the go. but i can't help but hope that she will settle down and let me hold her if i handle her enough.
maybe i'm just handleing her to soon? are everyone elses corns all this restless, or do some calm down once after a while.

also, she's rattled her tail twice when i've went to pick her up. and it made noise. i guessed she hit it on the glass, but that doesn't sound right.. can corns rattle a little? could she have rattle in her? do i have an active imagination?

thanks in advance for any feedback or good stories.

-Abigail

Give her a couple weeks to settle in.Then for short periods of time try to hold her.She should calm down.Make sure you dont have the temps to hot and she is in a quite place...Paul

Sounds like you just got a snake that isn't used to being messed with too much.

I'm starting to think that I have too many, because it can be a good month before I get around to holding each of my snakes for any length of time. I just don't have the time anymore to spend with each of them. (I don't know how some people do it with collections larger than mine.) If they aren't handled consistently (every few days) they usually get very nervous and flighty around people when they are handled. I have to deal with squirminess in 3 of my snakes, and although the other ones don't squirm when handled, they will rattle their tails or hiss at me from time to time.

If you keep handling her, she should calm down.

As for the rattling, she was hitting her tail against the glass or some other object in the cage. A few of mine do it, especially when I feed them. I figure that in my case it's because their mouths are occupied, so they feel they need to show me somehow that I still need to watch out. One of mine "rattled" yesterday the entire time I stayed in the room while she was chowing down on the mouse I brought her.
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colubridlady@gmail.com

3.3 Adult cornsnakes, various morphs
1.1 2004 Hypo cornsnakes
0.1 2004 Normal Het Hypo cornsnake
0.0.2 2004 Caramel cornsnakes
0.0.1 2004 Amber cornsnake

Congratulations on your new Corn. As Amanda said, rattling is common. I have a Rat Snake that Rattles quite a bit. As for the restlessness, I could not tell if you meant in the enclosure or in your hands. If you meant in your hands, most snakes will continually move while handled, won't just sit there still. One exception being Ball Pythons which will sometimes just sit still. All of the Corns I've ever had moved continuously while being held. That's normal. I have alot of snakes, so not much time to just play with them, but I feed out of the enclosure. So each of them are handled at least once a week to get them out of their enclosures and into the feeding tubs. They all stay "tame" with this minimal amount of handling. An active snake in the cage could mean a few things. First, it's a new environment and he is exploring and trying to find hiding places and whatnot. Second, he may be hungry. Third, as mentioned above, the temps could be off and he's trying to find a place that is warmer or cooler. I would check your temps to be sure he has appropriate warm and cool temps, and he should have an adequate hide. If you bed in nice deep Aspen, the whole enclosure will be a hide which is nice. Have fun with your new Snake!

"Mysty"

"Suezo"

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Lyns Lair
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
2.0 Rats (Inky & Oy)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose (Wilbur)
1.0 Malagasy Giant Hognose (coming soon)
1.0 Yellow/Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snake (Suezo)
0.0.3 Eastern Milk Snakes (Uno, Dos, Tres)
1.0 Ball Python (Slytherin)
2.0 Smooth Green Snakes (no names yet)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (Squirt & Shyanne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Moose)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Dragon (Tiramasu)
0.1 Oustalets Chameleon (Cera) coming soon
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
0.1 American Toad (Bump)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)