Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well I posted something like this topic on the general board but now I have pics of my corn being agressive. My setup Is the best setup for my corn including heating,lighting and substrate. He ate about 2 days ago and Ive had him for about a week. Everyone was saying he will calm down but I have yet to see him calm down with me like he has with his enviornment (he moves from hide to hide and now climbs). This is a real concern because If I go away for a weekend and tell my younger brother to change the paper towel I dont want him to get bitten (my family already doesn't trust the snake but they have learned to deal with it). Please help I dont want to let him go but when He gets bigger I know he will deliver a hurtful bite unlike now. In pic 1 I was just changing the soiled paper towel and he tried to go at me, In pic 2 I had to clean one of his hides and he backed himself in the corner and tried to go at me again. Any suggestions are apreciated, I would be heart broken and mad if I had to let him go.

Seriously, your corn looks like a hatchling still and hatchlings are easily more nippy than other ages. First, you might want to consider giving him some bedding (like aspen) as it provides extra hiding spots (able to burrow). This will also help with the changing of the paper towel as it's easier to go a day or two (or weekend) without spot cleaning when there is something more to absorb the excrement. Next don't worry about getting bit - you'll do worse to yourself with a paper cut than getting a bite from a hatchling. It will probably take him a while to get used to you and feel safe (think a month or two or more). Whatever you do if he does bite don't put him back, this will teach him that biting will get him what he wants and he'll keep biting. If you haven't already pick up the Corn Snake Guide (can't remember the new name...think it's the Comprehensive Corn Snake Guide or something similar) by Bill and Kathy Love.

~Katie
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10.18 Corns (too many to name) plus babies
0.2 Columbian Red Tail Boa (Princess and Baby)
0.3 Leopard Geckos (Cutie, Lily, and Miss Piggy)
0.1.1 Pac Man Frogs (Gordito and Spud)
0.1 Suriname Toad (Squishette)
0.0.1 Red Eared Slider (Tiny)
0.1 Sulcatta Tortoise (Shelly)
2.3 Ball Pythons (Fluffy, Fred, Wilma, Betty, Aurora)

Thanks katie but are they really good for novices? I mean as Ive stated before I know he cannot do anything but when he curls up like that and goes after me it looks unhealthy and also looks like one of those venemous snakes that get ticked off just because you looked at them. He's a hatchling yes but why cant he warm up to me like he did his enviornment? I plan to switch the substrate with crushed walnuts because if any amount if digested it will pass throught the snakes system safely. But will the difference of his substrate cause stress? Should I take him back if he doesnt calm down within a month? When I picked up my friends hatchling cali king it was really docile and I even rubbed his belly however this snake is bugging me. I wont give up but I cant have a 4 or 5 foot snake showing his teeth at my family, I dont want to make it seem like I dont like snakes as Ive been around them for years and have read about them in different books for months but when is too much too much?.

When he curls up like he's going to strike when you go to pick him up, pick him up anyway. Once you pick him up make sure to support his body and not hold him from above (like a predator would) and kind of scoop him up. He will calm down with regular handling but some hatchlings are just nippier than others (it does go away eventually). He still sees you as that big scary thing that comes after him at the moment. It's actually almost a good sign that he's active and responding because it means that he's healthy. I'd be wary of a very docile and lethargic baby corn. Like I said before, don't be afraid of getting bit - it will eventually happen. As for substrate don't go with anything that you plan to have him be able to pass. Nothing is good substrate-wise for a corn to ingest no matter what the label says. You should also be feeding outside of the cage IMO so that there is no chance of ingesting substrate (if it is ingested it can lead to impaction or even be fatal). Just relax, grin and bear it and keep holding your little guy. Besides, there's something amusing in having a little pencil sized snake trying to do damage to your thumb like there's no tomorrow.

~Katie
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10.18 Corns (too many to name) plus babies
0.2 Columbian Red Tail Boa (Princess and Baby)
0.3 Leopard Geckos (Cutie, Lily, and Miss Piggy)
0.1.1 Pac Man Frogs (Gordito and Spud)
0.1 Suriname Toad (Squishette)
0.0.1 Red Eared Slider (Tiny)
0.1 Sulcatta Tortoise (Shelly)
2.3 Ball Pythons (Fluffy, Fred, Wilma, Betty, Aurora)

Well I just added the crushed walnut, I dont know why everyone doesnt like it, I personally dont trust aspen as they look very hard and brittle. Many people havent seen finely crushed walnut so they make an opinion based on what they imagine it looks like. Either way I had to put a sock around my hand to pick him up. I guess I will wait and see if he behaves but nothings worse than a pet that doesnt like anything. I have to feed him tomorrow so I'll take him out of his cage to feed like you said. I feel he will be more comfortable in a substrate he can burrow into and will make him cooler and if he needs to get warmer he will just burrow into the warm end of the tank even though he doesnt have to. Why does every one give mixed opinions to the new snake owner? A person can really get screwed up like that if one side is saying one thing and another side is saying another thing but what they are saying both sounds good. Im not saying everyone should do a uniform way but jeesh Im confused to no end and it wont really affect me as much as the snake itself.

Every one is saying exactly the same thing. The snake will calm down! Just hold him. That size snake it does not hurt to get bitten, not at all. YOu don't need a sock. Once he learns biting you doesn't get any reaction, HE WILL STOP.
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1.2 Ghost Corns, Beetlejuice, Casper and Spooky
1.1 Charcoal het pewter, Smokey and Flame
1.1 Hypo het lavender, Rosy and Rocko
1.0 Anery, Goku
0.1 Amel, Sunny
2.0 Tabby Cats, Daddycat and his son Brat
0.1 Australian Shepherd, Angel

Gypsy

That is exactly how all my corns (9) learned to be docile. And when I got them I had never had snakes before, except rescued and released black snakes. Every time my son would pick them up or hold them they would bite him. It got to the point where he found it so funny. He just kept holding them and not worrrying about being bitten. Eventually they figured out that biting him was not going to make him leave them alone so they quit. Just keep holding him and soon enough he will get used to people, even 15 year old boys. lol
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1.2 Ghost Corns, Beetlejuice, Casper and Spooky
1.1 Charcoal het pewter, Smokey and Flame
1.1 Hypo het lavender, Rosy and Rocko
1.0 Anery, Goku
0.1 Amel, Sunny
2.0 Tabby Cats, Daddycat and his son Brat
0.1 Australian Shepherd, Angel

Gypsy

honestly he/she should calm down. he is just a baby right now. my amel corn used to 'taste' my fingers when i held him but he is almost adult size now and doens't do that anymore.
when you need to clean its cage take him out and place him in another cage. just my exp, this is what i do. i never clean out the cages when they are in there. freaks them out. only spot clean if need be.
i use that green carpet then paper towel over that to help soak up poo messes.
i wouldn't give up on your new corn yet. just give it time and handle him often. they do calm down.

Yeah I wont give up on him. But you have to understand that I feel angry when He tries to attack me even when im not even bothering him, its frustrating at times. I dont want to be terrified of it but how cant you? I mean he looks like he doesnt play as you could see on the pics. I dont care and I still love him but darnit calm the hell down.

where do you have his tank setting? if its in a high traffic area that could very well be freaking him out also. even though my tanks are in my room i covered the sides and back with a background, petsmart has some picture ones or you can use any kind of paper you like, to keep my cats from bugging the snakes. it does help them feel more secure also.

sorry your getting mixed ideas but most folks are just posting their experiences. find what works for you and stick with it.

Settings not a problem he is in the corner of my room where the temperture is very fixed, Its almost enclosed and he has a nice rock commercial hide he can burrow into. when he does go in it you cant even see him. Thanks a lot though, for your replys and suggestions.

Thanks everyone, I had to let him bite me multiple times to let him know. I held a closed fist and aproached him with it, every time he would back his self into a corner and strike(he did this 4-6 times). Then we had a stand off next to his hide for about 3 minutes and then I attempted to pick him up,I cradled him and he was wary at first then I guess he figured biting wouldnt get him no where then he figured out i wasnt a predator. Within seconds he wrapped his tail around my index finger and then started to slither around my fingers, I expected him to shoot off in a direction and drop to the floor but he did the exact opposite. After 5 minutes I held him and let him slither into his hide. I know this is just the first step but I believe he will just learn that im seriously not a threat. Oh yea one more question, if his tail base is very slender and thin is he or should I say she a female? And do females get bigger than males?

I know that someone above suggested that you should get the Cornsnake Manual. You really should. Then, you be getting conflicting opinions on how things ought to be done, and you can more quickly learn not to be afraid of your snake.

They cost about $15 and would be well-worth the price for you. Research, research, research...it's a good thing!
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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

There is no real way to tell if he/she is a boy or a girl just by looking at such a young age. There is a way to sex then though but i am not sure how. Sorry I could not be of more help.

Dragonpitcher

>>Yeah I wont give up on him. But you have to understand that I feel angry when He tries to attack me even when im not even bothering him, its frustrating at times. I dont want to be terrified of it but how cant you? I mean he looks like he doesnt play as you could see on the pics. I dont care and I still love him but darnit calm the hell down.

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Yes, don't give up on him/she just yet. And try your best not to act scared. You must know that he or she is just a baby. He has come into this big world with big object, that we call hands,lol, coming at him. He doesn't know whats food and whats not, he doesn't know what will protect him and what will not. But give him time, he will. His bite is A LOT less the what you would get from a paper cut. Believe me, give him time and he will understand that you are his protecter not his enemy.
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Whatever makes you smile
Whatever makes your daily battle seem worthwhile
Whatever makes you feel like your time is well spent
Whatever causes you to be content
Whatever makes you feel alright
Whatever gets you through the night
Do whatever you want to do
Just be sure you follow through

it takes more than a week for them to settle down.... I would say he will be an angel within a month as long as regularly handled.
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
0.0.1 Butter Corn "Butters" (South Park)
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

Yea he just ate today in his cage and is now heating up and sleeping. I'll post pics when I can and thankyou all for helping. Even though he still squirms away from me when I try and handle him in his cage he doesn't bite anymore and doesnt go into an attack posistion. Thanks everyone for helping and making me see that corns are not agressive.