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35 Posts |
 Posted - 04/03/2009 : 22:05:49
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Hello
New to this forum so please bear with me.
We got our first carolina corn from the pet shop yesterday. It was fed JUST before we took it home so we could see it feeding (it seems to "offer" feed rather than have food placed in its tank, which i understand is a good thing???
However, I am quite keen to handle it and was wondering if I should start immediately or give it time to settle into its new surroundings first.
Also, and this may sound stupid (but remember im a complete snake noob), i dont really know HOW to handle it? how do i pick it up? will it strike at me? if it does will i SH*T myself and run for the hills LOL.
Any advice would be good. It is in its hide now and was wondering if i should move the hide and give it a little cuddle, or leave it be?
is it too early to pick up after being fed yesterday afternoon?
Carl |
0.0.1 Carolina Corn "Chequers" |
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matty18714
The Count of Corniness
United Kingdom
4428 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2009 : 22:11:04
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Hello and welcome 
Leave it for at least a week to settle in (after every meal it will also need to be left alone for 48 hours). After this time, if it is due to feed, feed it, if not you can start to handle it.
How big is the snake? |
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35 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2009 : 22:12:58
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hi,
oh, he is a baby, about 4-6 months and is about 12in in lenght. |
0.0.1 Carolina Corn "Chequers" |
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Tizzy
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
1202 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2009 : 22:14:39
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| Hi Carl welcome to the site, you want to give your snakey friend at least 48 hours after each feeding before you handle it, and it's good practice to leave him a week to settle in (they get stressed when moving house too). That bit kinda sucks coz i bed you cant wait to have a play but when it is time it will be worth it! |
3.2.0 corns 0.3.1 Leopard Geckos, 0.1.0 Mad Staffys 1.0.0 Moggie. 1.2.0. Devils in training.
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34 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2009 : 22:18:59
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quote:
Originally posted by ukdeveloper
will it strike at me? if it does will i SH*T myself and run for the hills LOL.
mine did when i first started handling them but after a while thay got used to me and now they dont strike at all.
oh and by the way if it does happen you will sh*t urself, but really try not to be intimadated, he is only little. |
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35 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2009 : 22:24:23
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ok, thats fine. Just wanted to be sure. Also im having real difficulty keeping the tub at the right temp. I have a small tub 12in x 6in x 4in (i am buying a Really Useful Box tomorrow so it might be a bit easier then), and I am using a heat mat with about 1/3 of the tub on the heat mat.
The temp has reached 91F before ive removed the tub from the heatmat and let it cool down before replacing the tub on the mat again. I have a themometer probe sitting in the substrate to monitor the temperature, but it seems to go way too high even if the smalles amount of heat mat is under the tank, and the temp just keeps rising and rising.
I have only started monitoring the temerpature this evening, and, as im getting a bigger box tomorrow, dont really want to have to fit the stat i bought for the bigger box to the smaller tub tonight. at the moment i have the heatmat sitting NEXT to the tub up close to it but not on it, and the temp is semi-stable at around 83.3 and was wondering if you thought this would be ok until tomorrow when i can set up the bigger box with stat correctly?
Carl. |
0.0.1 Carolina Corn "Chequers" |
Edited by - n/a on 04/03/2009 22:26:10 |
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35 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2009 : 22:27:07
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mine did when i first started handling them but after a while thay got used to me and now they dont strike at all.
oh and by the way if it does happen you will sh*t urself, but really try not to be intimadated, he is only little.
[/quote]
Will it hurt? if so whats it like?
Am i being a big girls blouse? LOL
Carl |
0.0.1 Carolina Corn "Chequers" |
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35 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2009 : 22:27:55
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quote:
oh and by the way if it does happen you will sh*t urself, but really try not to be intimadated, he is only little.
Will it hurt? if so whats it like?
Am i being a big girls blouse? LOL
Carl
[/quote] |
0.0.1 Carolina Corn "Chequers" |
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2009 : 22:37:29
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heya and welcome
ignore what temperature the stat is actually set to and just go on the thermometer on the substrate at the warm end. a basic on/off stat won't kick in till the temp drops a degree or so below the ideal, and won't cut off till a degree or so above the desired temp, so if you aim for around 28-30*C with the fluctuations. |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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34 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2009 : 23:07:46
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quote:
Will it hurt? if so whats it like?
Am i being a big girls blouse? LOL
Carl
no it wont hurt, but hopefully it will never happen. |
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Janos
Hatchling
United Kingdom
180 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2009 : 01:48:54
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Yeah, you'll find corns generally run and hide rather than strike, you'd have to really upset them to get them to bite OR have your hand smelling of mouse.
And I've never been tagged (I'm still wet behind the ears, lol) but yeah, people who have been have told me a hatchlings bite just feels like being stabbed with multiple pins, a bit of a shock, bit it doesn't really hurt. |
1.0.0 Normal Royal Python - Ozzy
0.1.0 Anerythristic Corn Snake - Astra
0.1.0 Leopard Gecko - Zilly
0.0.1. - Sinaloan's Milksnake, Harley
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125 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2009 : 07:40:25
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quote:
Originally posted by ukdeveloper
ok, thats fine. Just wanted to be sure. Also im having real difficulty keeping the tub at the right temp. I have a small tub 12in x 6in x 4in (i am buying a Really Useful Box tomorrow so it might be a bit easier then), and I am using a heat mat with about 1/3 of the tub on the heat mat.
ideally you should have made sure you had a correctly set up environment for your snake before you got him home... because now you're having to 'fire-fight' whilst the snake is in there which makes it more difficult as you'll both be stressed trying to get everything right. (but to be honest I made the same mistake - we got ours as a 'complete kit' so it was a mad rush to get everything set up correctly whilst the snake was in there)
quote:
The temp has reached 91F before ive removed the tub from the heatmat and let it cool down before replacing the tub on the mat again. I have a themometer probe sitting in the substrate to monitor the temperature, but it seems to go way too high even if the smalles amount of heat mat is under the tank, and the temp just keeps rising and rising.
It sounds like you don't have a thermostat - not your fault as pet shops don't often say you should get one, but you really do need one because as you've seen a heatmat is capable of heating up to temperatures that are unsafe for your snake. The thermostat has a probe that goes on top of the substrate (like your digital thermometer has) and when it gets too warm it simply cuts power to the heatmat. When it's getting too cool it turns the heater on. You can get 'pulse proportional' stats that are slightly more expensive, but keep the temperature more stable (a normal on/off stat gives a fair variation in temps - anything from a 5 - 10c swing - but saying that it wouldn't hurt your corn at all and is much better than overheating your corn).
quote:
I have only started monitoring the temerpature this evening, and, as im getting a bigger box tomorrow, dont really want to have to fit the stat i bought for the bigger box to the smaller tub tonight. at the moment i have the heatmat sitting NEXT to the tub up close to it but not on it, and the temp is semi-stable at around 83.3 and was wondering if you thought this would be ok until tomorrow when i can set up the bigger box with stat correctly?
Carl.
Oh you do have a stat!  As long as the snake can move away from the heat mat if it's too warm it should be alright. It's when the heatmat covers the whole area of the floor and is 90+f that it can cause problems...
As for been bit - it's never happened to me yet, and I've really ****ed him off a few times (he has had problems shedding the skin on the tip of his tail so I have to handle him and get him to slither through wet paper towel and try and get it off) - he's been so good about it and never looked like he was going to strike.
The problem I had was picking them up from the tank - as soon as your finger touches their body they do a little flinch and turn their head quickly and it's hard not to go 'whoah!' and move away. The easiest I found was to take most of the stuff out of his tank, remove the hide he was in, and wait until he doesn't look too alarmed, you'll find they often then slowly start slithering around the tank then gently lift... |
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Edited by - n/a on 05/03/2009 07:51:52 |
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83 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2009 : 15:18:30
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| i have a corn that really try's to act like a rattle snake, when i go to lift him out he starts to rattle his tail, and strike at frist i was afraid because i know if they strike and you pull away they can loose teeth, but just be confident and having a confident snakes helps if he feels secure in his viv he will be ok in your hands |
0.1.0 boxer dog ruby
0.0.1 snow corn rocket |
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362 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2009 : 15:02:06
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I was bricking it the first few times I picked up my baby corn, but all the advice above is sound.
Pick up his hide and let him know you're there for a few mins, that way you don't wake him up suddenly.
I've been bit by a baby, nothing. Didn't even break the skin. Felt slightly itchy (if that's the right word) almost like stinging nettles but like less than half as bad.
The first time I picked him up, to give me more confidence (laugh it up guys  ) I bought some marigolds LOL. But you don't feel much at all through those so I ditched them. |
1 Carolina Corn Snake
1 Royal Python |
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244 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2009 : 15:16:51
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| i was well nervous when i got my baby corn about 2 weeks ago, but after it settled in i just put my hand straight in and picked it up without hesitating. the snake looked as though it was going to strike at me but it didnt. im guessing the snake is more afraid of you hurting it than youre afraid of it lol |
0.0.1 - carolina corn snake
0.0.1 - royal python
0.1.0 - honduran milk snake
1.0.0 - mexican black king snake
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Budaholic
Yearling
United Kingdom
689 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2009 : 16:51:13
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| A bite from a hatchling corn feels a bit like velcro. Harmless, unless it's super sharp, toughened, honed, diamond impregnated industrial velcro!! |
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10 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2009 : 17:40:07
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Hey
my corn snake never has bitten me i doubt i hope he wont now everytime im gonna pick him up what i do is change his water and then gently remove the hide..and i give him at least 2 min to know im there and yeh he does coil a little but theni gently reach my hand in and lay my fingers over his head gently i heard this calms them down and then i stroke him untill he starts to uncoil n move a little then i pick him up gently and letting curl up in my hand he usually just lies there fotr 10 min and then starts moving its fun n therpeutic to be honest..so enjoy dont be afraid of them..show them ur mummy n speak to them :D xxx speak snake language heheeh |
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Kehhlyr
ǝʞɐɔ sǝʌoן
United Kingdom
8173 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 23:10:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Budaholic
.......unless it's super sharp, toughened, honed, diamond impregnated industrial velcro!!
That stuff is bad, You only get caught by that once, then you steal Paulusworms gloves. |
-=Kehhlyr - The Resident Loon
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