Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello I recently got a cornsnake a few days ago. I named him blaze because he is a sunglow motley. Back on topic I tried to pick him up this morning knowing he would feed later in the day and I wouldnt be able to pick him up for a couple of days, well I picked him up and he started to freak out and tried to strike anything in his direction. He would S his neck and stuff, did I do something to him? Or is he just stressed because he's in a new enviornment with a different substrate and a person he's never seen before picking him up? He's not sick and today gobbled a pinky like it was nothing. By the way he is a hatchling and I try to pick him up by his neck, should I try a different way of picking him up? He reminds me of one of those pit viper snakes on tv that if you look at them wrong they strike.

don't worry he is young and they tend to be a bit nippy. just handle him a lot and he should calm down just give him a bit of time. try picking him up by his body if he strikes you he is to small to do any real damage he'll get used to you so don't worry

derek

I'm new to snakes myself, but from my own experiences and what I've read, you may be handling the snake a bit too soon if you only got him a few days ago. They need about a week with no contact in order to de-stress and get used to their new surroundings.

Also, being a hatchling, he may be a bit nippy anyway. If he still tries to bite you after you've given him time to acclimate, don't pull away. Hold your hand still and let him bite, and he'll learn that it does no good. If you draw away from him when he strikes, it'll reinforce the habit, and he'll learn that he can make you go away by biting.

Just my .02

I hope this helps and enjoy your new snake!
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Dani

Yea I hope He calms down and maybe I have been picking him up way to early. He actually bit me before but I didnt feel a thing. I was just worried because he will be kinda big when he is done growing (just like his parents and grandparents). Do you have any idea why he's always curled up in his little hide? Untill its time to feed which is when he's more than willing to come out. Also I plan to buy some plants for him to climb on since it already looks like he's more than willing to climb anything(he was trying to climb in the corner and on the thermometer. Are the aqaurium plants that they sell at the pet store good for him?I'm talking about the ones with the stoney base and have sturdy fake branches and leaves. Or should I buy bark?

Oh yea this question is going to sound really n00b but how do I tell if its a male or female corn? I have heard of popping or something but I'm way to inexperienced. I forgot to ask the guy if it was a m/f when I got him and if I did ask him I doubt I could remember.

Jayson,

Call around and find either a Vet,local herp club,or someone at a herp show that has the experience

Baby snakes can be very defensive. You must not let this behavior bother you. I wouldn’t try to secure the head he / she is too small and wiggly you could hurt it. Show the snake the back of one hand to give him something to aim at then gentle secure him with the other hand. Firm but gentle. Just teat it as if you were picking up an egg. You should do fine. Always make sure you hold the snake over something close, don’t let him drop from your hand to the ground because he wiggles loose (not good).

I actually think is kind of neat to see a neonate act this way. Tells me he is alert, active, and ready to defend himself, all good signs. This acting out will subside after time.

IMO, I only handle babies to remove them for cleaning or feeding. After about 6 months the snake should be accustom to his handler and the routine. I then start holding them for 10 minute or so during cleaning. Less stress on the snake will make them grow better.

Hope this has helped…an good luck….

Thanks dann, I was hoping for someone to answer the sexing question too though. You mentioned you take your hatchlings out for feeding? Today when I fed him I just removed the hide from which he was under and gave him the pinky with tweezers. Am I only supposed to feed him outside? I didnt really think it mattered because he has a paper towel substrate.

i used to move my baby corns to their deli cup to feed them but i find its more stress on them then to just feed them in their cages. if you just have paper towel down i think it should be fine. i have paper towels in 2 of my corns and just feed them in their cages. in fact i feed all mine in their cages now.

my baby butter motley is real flighty when i hold him too.he is very small still. i just hold on to him firmly but gently and he calms down. but he would take off if given the chance. just pick yours up mid body, not by his neck area. that will freak them out.
sorry don't know how to sex. all the snakes i've boughten the sellers has told me if it was m/f.

oh, about the fake plants. i have used the ones you can get at walmart back in the craft section and never had a problem. they are cheaper and more to pick from. i wouldn't use anything with like glitter on it though. my baby butter also likes to climb alot so i put a branch in there i got from around my friends house near the woods. just make sure to steralize it first. tis is one of my baby corns. she is a little bigger now.

Oh thats a nice looking corn. I like to call mine ball of fire since he looks and acts like one. I'm just happy he ate for me because I know he'll calm down over time hopefully. I'll start to let him nip me so he knows he can't get his way when I need to take him out of his cage. I can understand why he doesn't come out of his hide a lot but I wan't to see him more since he's so cool. Like I said I'll post pics soon enough and thanks to everyone that replied and now I know where to pick him up. =)

Am I only supposed to feed him outside?

*If you have a routine down and your snake is feeding I would go with it. After my babies reach size I move them to news paper and lager enclosures. Then the better stuff is added. But that’s just my method
• I also keep locality Okeetee’s (my secret project) baby snakes are kept in a shoe box rack with aspen substrata. I feed them in deli cups because I don’t like them eating aspen with there meals. IMO, because baby snakes are so reclusive the aspen helps cut stress and allows them many hide outs. My baby corns are kept on aspen with water dish and paper towel rolls for hides. The better stuff comes later after they mature a little.
• Sexing: The best advice I can give you is to have someone show you how to properly conduct these methods (popping or probing). There are pros and cons to both methods. If improperly conducted you run the risk of injury and rendering the snake unable to mate. My Vet uses probing to identify sex. I use popping for babies not adult snakes. I was shown the popping method by a well known Herper here locally. The tail length taper method is also used by many but that’s not a perfect science either. This doesn’t show until the snake reaches towards sexual maturity and size (varying sometimes).I do see this tail difference in my adult snakes but have had them sexed as babies. Local Herpetology Clubs are a great place to meet many knowledgeable people that can help you on an individual basis. Correspond with the nearest one in your area and see if someone lives close.
Also! If you perform a search on this subject here and the corn forum you will see this subject many times.

To much coffee….Later….Dann

Thanks once again dann for fueling me with knowledge lol. My snake is IMO adjusting very well in just a few days, he now starts to dip himself into the water bowl. He also has managed to find a way to get up and in between the tanks top, its hard to describe but in an aquarium ten gl tank there is a black little shelf that goes around the perimeter of the tank, Its about less then an inch so it really isn't a shelf but I had to get locks to make sure he doesnt push the lid off (even though he's so little he's strong). And last night I woke up to find him standing up or something on his commercial rock hide then he went back in. I'm glad he's doing fine and im glad you people helped me out, thanks.

Thanks once again dann for fueling me with knowledge lol. My snake is IMO adjusting very well in just a few days, he now starts to dip himself into the water bowl. He also has managed to find a way to get up and in between the tanks top, its hard to describe but in an aquarium ten gl tank there is a black little shelf that goes around the perimeter of the tank, Its about less then an inch so it really isn't a shelf but I had to get locks to make sure he doesnt push the lid off (even though he's so little he's strong). And last night I woke up to find him standing up or something on his commercial rock hide then he went back in. I'm glad he's doing fine and im glad you people helped me out. I fed him saturday afternoon I was wondering after 24 hours can I handle him again?? Its been about 24 hours or more. Once again thank you all for helping me I appreciate it.

Right now I wouldn't introduce anything new into his cage, it'll just add to the stress of being in a new environment. Wait for a while until he's completely settled in.

Snakes are secretive by nature and will spend most of their time hiding, so what you're seeing with your little corn is probably perfectly normal.

Hopefully someone with a bit more experience can help you with your questions about what is safe to put in the cage for the snake to climb on and how to tell what sex it is.

Good luck!
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Dani