| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| AngelX |
Posted - 14/06/2010 : 17:13:05
Recently rehomed a female corn snake and she looks pretty big! She is just under 4ft in length and I was wondering if anyone knows the ideal weight of a female of that size? Or does someone know of a guide like the one about feeding?
Also, the previous owner has told us to leave her alone for a week as she is in the shedding period, and she needs time to adjust, but today I tried to refill the water, I went nowhere near her, but as I unlocked the lock, not even sliding the doors open she went bonkers! Rattling her tail and striking out. Any advice on what to do when it comes to actually picking her up? I am hoping that she calms down seeing as she is new and she is shedding, and I was given some gloves that feel like flesh and has her scent, but I would just like some advice on picking her up without harming her or me!  xx |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Kellog |
Posted - 21/06/2010 : 04:11:37
That is all such good and positive news Angel....and I am so glad to hear it! It sounds like she is already settling in well with you and understanding that you are not a threat - all of which will be down to how you are handling her, how calm and gentle you are being, and your confidence....so well done  !
Cant wait to see pics of her....does she have a name by the way? (or am I having another brain fog moment and totally missed it  ?)
xxx
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| AngelX |
Posted - 20/06/2010 : 18:55:06
Yes sorry about that! Now that I have seen her properly she doesn't seem overweight at all, but will post some pictures so someone with a more experienced eye! I picked her up on Friday and she did strike out, but as soon as she was around me she completely calmed down! Then on Saturday she only rattled her tail once, AND then, today, she seemed fine with me holding her!!! I was really surprised and so happy!! She shed in the early hours of this morning I am guessing, so she is a lot brighter! I will upload piccies soon!! Thanks everybody |
| Kellog |
Posted - 19/06/2010 : 05:22:05
It does sound positive Angel....it really does just take time and patience....and you being very calm and confident. You have got to remember that it is very early days at the moment.
I am sure that fiddling with the substrate makes a difference as not only are you getting your smell into her viv, but you are getting her smell onto your hands and warning her that you are in her viv when you go to pick her up.
I can totally understand the glove thing....and it is actually what she is used to. It sounds like a good idea to use them to get her out and then, if you feel confident enough, take them off so she can feel you properly. But if it feels too soon then dont worry....you have lots of time to get used to her and for her to get used to you, so you dont have to rush to de-glove if you dont feel it is the right thing to do.
By the way, you didnt say how much she weighed (although I suspect you dont know that) or what she is feeding on or how often.....just out of interest.
I cant wait to see some pics of her....but only take them if you feel that she can handle it and you can handle it - we may be demanding but we can wait to see her  !
xxx
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| AngelX |
Posted - 18/06/2010 : 18:08:49
Thank you very much Kellog!!
I have to pick her up tomorrow as it is cleaning out day tomorrow! I will post a few pics of her on if I can!!
She has calmed down quit a bit, when I went in to change the water a couple of days after getting her she went mental, striking at mid air and speeding along the cage, and even when I moved her lock she was rattling her tail, Yesterday I noticed that she seemed a lot more calm even just watching her roaming around her cage, so when she was in her hide I started to rub the substrate through my fingers on both sides, she didn't seem to mind much, she watches me a lot when I am looking around her viv, but she is still pretty nervous, as for gloves, I am probably going to use gloves for the first time I hold her as I am not sure how she will react, but as soon as I have her out of her viv I will take them off so she can get used to my smell without her getting protective etc in her viv. Thank you everyone!!! xxx |
| Kellog |
Posted - 15/06/2010 : 21:02:42
Hi Phoebe....I am Kellog, who KdLang mentioned.
When I took on Silvesta his previous owner only handled him a few times a week, with a glove after being bitten, and he was very obviously underfed. When we went to see him the owner got him out with the glove and Silvesta was all over the place trying to escape....I immediately took him from his owner (with my bare hands) and within a few minutes his movements had calmed down. I think he was truly picking up on the vibes of his previous owner that he was scared of him.
Once I got him home I treated him as a hatchling, giving him the week to settle in and then only handling him twice a day for a maximum of 5 minutes. To begin with he would try to escape when I went to get him out of his viv (and caused total chaos spreading substrate everywhere!) but now, 6 months on, he will let me pick him up without fleeing from me. The handling sessions have lengthened and he has become accustomed to me running him through my hands and letting him roam my body. I am now able to let him explore, although I always keep a hand on him because he is exceedingly fast and I know that if he decided to he could escape before I could get near him to catch him. It has been so worth it as he is a wonderful snake....but even now there is the occasional re-occurrence of his previous behaviour, with tail rattling (which my OH never believed until he heard it a few weeks ago) and a quick rush away - usually when he hasnt been handled for a while due to me being too busy or when I have to leave him while he is blue. But within a few handles he is back to his normal self.
I, personally, would avoid using the gloves if possible. You are wanting her to get used to your smell and the touch and warmth of your skin, and gloves are just a barrier to that. Having said that, if you are so scared about being bitten that the only way you are happy to handle her is to wear gloves then that is the way to go. Hopefully, in time, you would be able to feel confident enough to handle her without the gloves. I must admit that I would miss the feel of the snake gliding through my hands - you know how amazing that feels!
It really is down to time, patience, being calm and confident....you dont need telling all this, you know it already.
Regarding her weight, as Eeji has said a pic is the best way to tell. You say she is just under 4ft. How old is she and how much does she weigh? What is she feeding on and how often?
xxx
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| n/a |
Posted - 14/06/2010 : 20:56:09
put something in the cage that smells of you, leave her for a week just changing the water. |
| eeji |
Posted - 14/06/2010 : 18:59:49
photos will help loads to see if she's fat or not, its more a visual thing rather than a strict weight:length thing |
| AngelX |
Posted - 14/06/2010 : 18:38:30
Plus, half the reason for selling her was because she didn't have enough time for her so I hoeshe will get used to me! |
| AngelX |
Posted - 14/06/2010 : 17:54:39
Thanks both of you, I know that was a bit of a hard question to answer so thanks! About the handling thing: kdlang, thank you very much, I know that you shouldn't flinch away and you have to be quite sure and know you should try and not be nervous! Thanks and will look at that link from Kellog! |
| DannyBrown91 |
Posted - 14/06/2010 : 17:45:26
For the weight issue i don't believe there is an average healthy weight per say but if you can see the skin inbetween the scales when the snake is stretched out then she is overweight. |
| kdlang |
Posted - 14/06/2010 : 17:36:36
Not really sure about weights for each size corn as they vary alot. But I know that if you were to imagine taking a cross section of the snakes body, if it would look triangular then they are underweight, arched is just right and round is overweight. Not sure if that helps.
She is probably feeling scared and especially grumpy with being in shed although to me it does sound excessive. Maybe she isn't used to being handled much. Kellog has some great advise for handling young or nervous corns. I'm sure you will find it in a search or she will be along soon. I think it's just a case of being brave, or pretending you are, and just going for it gently but firmly. 'fake it til you feel it' I think the saying is.
Edited to say I found a linky to a post by kellog. Hope you dont mind Kellog
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9043 |
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