Reptile & Amphibian Forums

She's the one that occasionally nibbles on me when I take her out for feedings, but tonight I didn't touch any mice at all. In fact, I had just washed them thoroughly after cleaning her set-up. She suddenly struck my finger and coiled around my other fingers. If I wiggled my fingers, she squeezed harder. I tried uncoiling her from the tail up, but then she just tied herself into a knot around my pinky. She was very earnestly trying to eat me.

So I have a few questions:

1) What are the odds that she'll still try to constrict me when she's an adult? It's cute now while she's still a baby, but I'm a small person and worry about being overwhelmed.

2) If this happens again, how do I pry her off? I know there are tricks with alcohol and lemon juice, but both seem like risky tactics to use on a baby corn.

Since she was obviously hungry, I could have easily gotten a pinky from the freezer and thawed it with my one available hand, but I just fed her two days ago. Luckily, after about 5 minutes, she ended up striking another one of my fingers and uncoiled herself in the process.
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chickabowwow

I really don't have any advice but this is really funny . Good luck - just keep handling her as much as possible, where latex gloves they don't like their taste.
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Matt from Minnesota
Cornsnake, Eastern Kingsnake, IL Bullsnake - all girls.
0.1 Crested Gecko "Camey"; 1.0 Crested Gecko "Spots" RIP

Yes, it actually was pretty amusing. Thanks for the reply.
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chickabowwow

are you hand feeding her. if you are then stop and use tongs (or tweezers since its just a pinky). my amel corn used to taste me when she was little but not to the extreem yours is doing. i would wash my hands very well before handling. she has since out grown that behavior. i would also feed her like every 5-6 days to curb her appatite. how big is she. she could be ready for 2 pinkies or even a fuzzie.
just my 2 cents worth...

I use hemostats to feed her. Sometimes on feeding nights she'll nibble my hand while I'm transferring her to the feeding container, but last night wasn't even a feeding night.

She's still too small for fuzzies, so I'm feeding her one large pinky every 5-7 days. Her last meal was on Friday night, so it surprised me that she was so hungry again.
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chickabowwow

So did you wash the mice? I wasn't very clear on that part. Why do you wash mice? You'll wash away the scent if you wash them off. Thats why people put the mouse in a plastic baggy when running under water to defrost it.

So had you been recently handling your pinkies before you handled your snake? If so your hands smelled like those things, and your snake thought he was eating a mouse!

Also, alcohol and lemon juice are LAST RESORTS!!! They can cause damage to your snake! For a corn, you should never need to use either one. They are only really needed for like a 10 foot blue beauty or 25 foot burmese python. If your snake bites and latches on, or constricts you again, run it under somewhat cool water. This will cause his whole body to slow down and piss him off so he'll let go. Just make sure to put him right back in the cage so he can warm back up!

And your other question of will your corn still do this as an adult? Probably, if you handle your snake after you've been handling his food. My general rule is i'll get a pair of tongs to feed the snakes, and don't handle them when you're preparing food. Then don't handle for 2 days.

have fun
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Claudius)... coming soon

Sorry if I didn't make this clear in my first post, but last night was not a feeding night. I did not touch any mice at all. In fact, I had very thoroughly washed my own hands prior to handling him.
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chickabowwow

well maybe he was hungry, or mad at your fingers so he attempted to teach 'em a lesson or two.

the best way to tame a "bitey" snake is constant handling.
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Claudius)... coming soon

>>well maybe he was hungry, or mad at your fingers so he attempted to teach 'em a lesson or two.
>>
>>the best way to tame a "bitey" snake is constant handling.
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>>-Chris

And sometimes constant biting LOL
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Joe

"Life is a banquet and most poor fools are starving to death"

1.2 Amel Motleys het Snow
0.1 Snow Motley
1.1 Emory Rats het Albino
0.1 Albino Emory Rat
1.1 Taiwan Beauties
0.0.3 Yellow Ackies
and a Partridge in a pear tree
actually he's a Blue & Gold Macaw

She sounds like she is hungry and is trying to tell you in uncertain terms LOL! Try feeding her 1 or 2 pinks every 4 days. That is the feeding schedule I keep all of my hatchlings on. Even when they can take fuzzies I feed them every 4 days. Once they are large enough to take weanlings/small hoppers, I still feed them 2, but bump them up to 8 days. This is a schedule I have used for years and my snakes are all healthy, not fat either. I feed the yearlings - adults every 8 days, and hatchlings - neonates every 4 days.

Here is a pic of my '03 everglades that was on this feeding schedule as a baby. He is about 10 months old in this pic.

Good luck.
Brian

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RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath" (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Yellow rat snake "Wolverine" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

MILKS
0.0.1 Eastern Milk snake "Cable" (KY locale)
0.0.1 Eastern/Red milk intergrade "Omega Red" (KY locale)
Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

I may have to try increasing her diet. Thanks for the advice, and that is a very gorgeous snake.
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chickabowwow

Hi!

You know what... I met this guy to buy a beardie cage and he had so many animals. I was afraid of his many snakes, but he let me hold one of his adult corn snakes that he's using for a breeding project. It was so nice and just kept slithering all over my arms and it didn't constrict my arm or bite me or anything!

So, my fear of THAT snake went away (but his boa almost bit him when he picked it up... so... I'm still afraid of snakes.. LOL). I was thinking of maybe purchasing one of his corns from him once I picked up enough money... But then I saw your post... LoL... THIS post Now I'm back to being afraid of snakes... LOL! Maybe I shouldn't get a corn. ANd then I read the other thread about "meaner morphs" - So... I'm a chicken
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Cookie Monster)
1.0.0 Crested Gecko (Vas-D)
0.0.2 Fire Bellied Toads (Norman & Forman)
0.0.2 Goldfish (Lenny & Carl)
1.0.0 Black Lab / Pit Bull (Mikey)

Corns are absolutely delightful. I think if you take a look at the babies with their big round eyes and cute little mouths, you'll find them irresistable. They're generally not mean-tempered. My baby was just hungry is all. I think you should try owning a corn and that'll change your mind about snakes.
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chickabowwow