| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| n/a |
Posted - 07/02/2010 : 10:28:35
I new on this site but am on the king snake site they told me you maybe able to help had my king snake over a year now and we are doing great she out must days and comes to me with no problem but just got a 4 ft corn from someone that didn’t want it anymore and was told it been handled but I think they not been near the snake because as I go near the corn she strikes out & hissing at me even hitting the glass front . When we got her she was in a 2 ft by 2 ft by 10ins glass viv with cracks all over the thing cover in tape so happy we got her & was happy to pay £40 just to get her away from the people that had her she now in a 3ft plastic viv until I finish the wooden one I fixing I put a old plant pot in there as she didn't have a hide in the old viv and she don’t seem to come out only at feeding time witch she doing fine with large mice they was feeding her small mice it just the striking all the time how do I go about getting her to settle down so we can pick her up if it a she ?
Thank you for your time Darren |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Kellog |
Posted - 08/02/2010 : 05:15:38
Certainly Gmac's idea is a good one, not only because it will protect her but also because hopefully she will feel safer and less threatened for the period she is in that viv and while she gets used to your smell and the new surroundings.
xxx |
| HannahB |
Posted - 07/02/2010 : 13:46:35
shes going to take a while to settle down - shes gone from a house where she was mistreated to a new house where shes going to be treated a lot better - but she doesnt know that.. she will be snappy - understandably so!
personally i'd leave her for a few days without attempting to handle her, just change the water and check the substrate daily. It will take time and patience, it might seem like one step forwards and two steps back but it will all pay off in the end.. just treat her like a young hatchling.. get her used to your smell first, then slowly get her used to you touching her and then slowly start gently supporting her weight before picking her completely up, she will take a while to get used to 'good human contact' but theres no reason why she cant get used to it and become a fliendlier snake..will just take time
yeah i agree with gmac about protecting her nose - she could end up hurting herself a lot if she keeps striking at it
this topic might help you - http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8233 |
| gmac |
Posted - 07/02/2010 : 12:21:40
Is it possible to post any pics of your corn as does sound rather thin, I would think about covering the front of the viv with a towel or similar just to stop the striking as this may well damage the glass but more importantly the snake. |
| n/a |
Posted - 07/02/2010 : 12:08:17
I had the corn for two weeks now feed her the same time I feed my king .
She eat the big mice with no problems just when I look at her and then look at the king she seems thin about ¼ of the width of the king & I was to understand they are not a lot of differs in size I have no record of her before I got her think the people didn’t keep any the wooden viv is going to take another week as it a old rabbit hutch and a fish tank so the hutch had to be dried out and painted so wanting for the paint smells to go before moving the corn. Yesterday I was standing looking at my daughters lizards & the corn hit the glass three times try to strike at me
All the best Darren |
| Kellog |
Posted - 07/02/2010 : 11:03:54
Firstly, welcome to the forum! If you have been on the sister King site then you will know that this is a great forum with lots of experienced owners happy to give their advice and support. You also get lots of fun and friendship  .
I am no expert Darren, so can only comment on what I think is happening. It is obvious that she has been treated badly and I am so pleased you got her out of the situation she was in...but it is going to take a lot of time and patience to get her to settle in.
I am not sure how long you have had her, but am assuming you know The one-week rule...no handling or feeding for the first week to allow her to get over the stress of the move and for her to get used to the new smells and her new surroundings. This means just putting your hand in to change the water daily and straighten the substrate, which means she can get used to your smell and not be threatened by you. If you didnt do this when you got her it might be an idea to do it now. (doubt I need to tell you this but I always feel it is better to be heard twice than not at all  )
Obviously you have had to move her out of the viv, and I am so glad you did. You will also need to move her again once you finish the wooden viv. It may be an idea to leave her where she is for a while, but I guess that depends on when you finish your building project. She really does need to be left alone to settle in. I cannot believe she was without any hides, that is just shocking. You could maybe do with putting another hide in, so she can choose between the warm and cool end. It is not surprising she is such a scared and aggressive snake. Now she is in a better environment she should be less stressed and feel less scared....but it will still take time for her to settle down.
It is good news that she is feeding well and she must have been starving if she was only fed on small mice. Did you move up slowly or just jump straight to the large mouse?
When she has had the chance to settle in and is being fed more regularly you need to go back to treating her as though she were a hatchling. Getting her out very calmly, with no sudden movements. I know you are probably going to be nervous about handling her, but you need to be confident.....she will feel what you feel (so fake it until you feel it!). When you do handle her it needs to be for very short periods, literally for 5 minutes or less if she is showing stress. It is a case of quality, not quantity. You will then be able to build up her time outside of the viv as you and she get used to each other. Just be aware, again, it will take time and patience.
I am assuming you know a fair bit about snake keeping from your king snake, but it is probably worthwhile checking out http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/corn_snake_care_sheet.htm, it has lots of information for new corn snake owners. Also read this topic on 'Your 1st Snake' http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4133.
No question is regarded as a silly question on this forum  .....it is much better asked and answered, you will probably find others who want the info too! First place to look is in the top right hand corner of the screen where there is a search button...type in what you are worried about and see if you can find an answer, if not then dont hesitate to ask!
Did you manage to get any information on her when you got her....shedding history, feeding history etc. I keep my own 'Snake Diaries', noting things like weight, length, feeding dates and what you feed, shedding dates, health problems. I know it seems a bit over the top but it is actually really helpful keeping track of your snake's health - I even note when Kellog and Silvesta poo !!
Hope this is of some help to you, and I am sure that others with more experience will be able to give you more advice.
xxx |
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