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John Nicholson
Egg
United Kingdom
61 Posts |
 Posted - 14/08/2012 : 20:54:48
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Hey, I'm new to this forum this is my first post.. I've got a few questions.
I've owned a Corn snake called Zeezee for about three weeks now, she is about 1-2 years old, a friend gave her to me because he couldn't look after her anymore. I'm not an expert with looking after snakes yet and I have much to learn
Today I brought my Corn snake to the local reptile shop to see why she wasn't excreting any waste, and after looking her over they assumed she was fine just eating the wrong size rodents. She has been eating bald Ratpups (not sure if that's their proper name that's just what I've known them as) and they told me to feed her a medium sized mouse with fur.
So I got home then my mothers friend came round while I was playing with her then my mum insisted that I let her mates 11 year old daughter hold her for a bit, (bearing in mind I didn't really want to) so I hand her over and she seemed fine with her at first, then as she got a bit more confident with handling her to was getting a bit rough handling Zeezee like waving her about a bit too much and holding her wrong and Zeezee seemed quite agitated and annoyed.
Then I took Zeezee off of her and brought her back upstairs to her Vivarium and put her back inside. Normally she would just scurry off back into her cave and sleep or whatever she did. But this time she burried her whole body underneath the substrate... She has never done that before, she sometimes digs her head in then pull it back out again, so I just left her be in the hopes she would scurry into her cave. So I came back a few hours to feed and she was still burried just more sprawled out. So after a few attempts at pulling her out (because I'm not an expert yet) I got her out, she was rattling her tail and being really aggressive, so then I put her into her box to feed her. So I tried giving her this hairy mouse and she was not having it, and not interested in it at all, and as I continued waving it around in front of her face she tried to get out so I put her back in then she kept getting aggressive again, rattling her tail and stuff.
I was told by her previous owner that she DOESN'T like hairy food.
The stupid person in the shop guaranteed me she was 99% sure she would eat it after I told her that.
So my questions are: Why was she tunneling in her substrate? She's never done that before. Was she being aggressive because of my mothers mates daughter handling her too rough or badly. Or was it just because of the change of food and the fact it was hairy because she like them bald, and finally should I leave her alone for tomorrow for her to chill out a bit or carry on as normal? |
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ScalySituation
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
5292 Posts |
Posted - 14/08/2012 : 20:57:48
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tunneling is perfectly normal for corns :)
She might go for the mouse if its damp and warm, apparently it can be hard to wean them on to mice after being fed on rats, maybe try thawing the mouse with the rat pup so some of the scent transfers
A day to calm back down does sound a good idea IMO :) |
1.0.0 Butter motley corn (Sheldon)
0.1.0 Caramel Corn (Maggie)
0.1.0 Caramel motley corn (Echo)
1.0.0 Cat (Angus)
1 mealworm colony
RIP Skye x
Sleep well Sonny, Mummy loves you xx
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Edited by - ScalySituation on 14/08/2012 21:00:14 |
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John Nicholson
Egg
United Kingdom
61 Posts |
Posted - 14/08/2012 : 21:06:26
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Cheers for the reply and a fast one that that. And yeah but she's never tunneled like that before, I know I've only owned her for a few weeks but she's never his her WHOLE body under the substrate :/ and that's what the people in the shop said so they said dip it in some boiling water first, which is what I did and still nothing. and hmm that was the only one I had so I can't try that trick. And okay thanks I'll try that. Maybe try feed her again not tomorrow but the day after?
Sorry I'm just going out of my mind here, worried for her she doesn't seem right :( |
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kdlang
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3556 Posts |
Posted - 14/08/2012 : 21:50:19
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| She was probably just stressed out by the experience but I wouldn't worry too much. Some snakes don't like too much handling before a feed so that could have put her off the mouse and it doesn't mean she wont take one next time. I would leave her a week before attempting to feed her again. Leave her a couple of days before you handle her again so she can destress, then just keep it short and quiet. If she doesn't take her mouse next time, you could try shaving the fur off one for the following feed. I think one forum member has had to do that before. |
4.1.0 corns - Izzy (Carolina) Alice (Amel) Peanut (Butter Motley) Swayze (Ghost) Carmellia (Butter Motley)
0.1.0 cat - Kizzy
1.0.0 Dog - Dobbie
Location - Chesterfield, Derbyshire
www.support-dogs.org.uk |
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NexivRed
Yearling
United Kingdom
551 Posts |
Posted - 14/08/2012 : 22:18:23
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| Sounds like she was stressed out from the handling. She should be eating those mice and not he rat pups, so leave her alone for a day then resume normal handling (perhaps just a little each day and build up back to it so as not to stress her out any more), and offer a mouse in around 5 days. |
R.I.P. 0.1: CB10 Ophion - pewter masque het amel
1.0: CB10 lavender stripe het ??? - Alabaster (Bats) Codify
0.1: CB12 hypo plasma het amel - Nebula
0.2: CB13 diffused 66% pos het cinder - Demeter (Mimi) & Bombulurina (Reenie)
1.0: CB13 hypo cinder ?% pos het amel stripe - Huckleberry
0.1: CB13 anery aztec het amel - Tetris
1.0: CB13 gold dust motley stripe - Helios |
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John Nicholson
Egg
United Kingdom
61 Posts |
Posted - 15/08/2012 : 00:04:14
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| @Kdlang Wait a week before I try feeding her again? I usually try to feed her every 7 days, it's been 8 days since I last fed her she'll be starving if she has to wait another week won't she? O_o and NexicRed okay thanks I was only feeding her the ratpups because that's what her previous owner told me to do :/ and again why wait so long before I feed her again? Surely she'll be really hungry and trying to like eat my thumbs? Lol |
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Donnie
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3215 Posts |
Posted - 15/08/2012 : 06:49:49
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| Your snake will be fine waiting another week before feeding. Two weeks without a meal for a snake is not even like us missing breakfast, they can go a long time without feeding. It is best to let him settle for another week as if he is stressed then he might not feed again for you. Don't worry your thumbs will be safe :) |
1.1 Corns (Anery Stripe, Amel) 1.0 Rootbeer 0.2 Jungle Carpet Python 1.0 Zebra Jungle Carpet Python 1.0 50% Diamond Zebra Carpet Python |
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Isoldael
Yearling
Netherlands
999 Posts |
Posted - 15/08/2012 : 08:37:37
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| As for the tunneling... both of my snakes LOVE to tunnel. I'll regularly find my viv to be "empty" until I see a little nose poking out from under the substrate somewhere :p |
1.0 anery stripe (Nash)
1.0 hypo pewter (Loki)
1.0 bloodred het amel, charcoal, hypo, stripe 50% phet anery, lavender (Kasumi)
0.1 grey background normal het amel (Saphira)
0.1 tessera het amel, anery, stripe (Lilith)
0.1 amel (Aurora)
0.1 hypo bloodred het anery, charcoal, stripe 50% phet amel, lavender (Mara)
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Ell
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
1640 Posts |
Posted - 15/08/2012 : 09:02:52
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Again, I would just say that she was stressed and therefore didn't want to eat.
A snake is at its most vunerable when it is eating and if she has had a bad experience that day its most likely she wont eat it. You will probly find that (as kdlang says) if you leave her a week then try that she will take it. If not leave it in her viv overnight on some cardboard and see if its gone in the morning. I've not heard of a snake that won't eat furred rodents but constantly feeding rats will get her prone to obesity. Also as a note, I fed my guys once a fortnight at that age so it won't do her any harm, now-a-days now they are bigger I tend to feed monthly. |
 
1.0.0 Normal corn snake - Dusk
0.1.0 Strawberry Snow Stripe corn snake - Dawn
0.1.0 Harlequin Crested Gecko - Stickles
1.0.0 Sable Syrian Hamster - CoCo
0.1.0 Hognose snake - Truffles |
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John Nicholson
Egg
United Kingdom
61 Posts |
Posted - 15/08/2012 : 22:07:41
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| Sh okay thanks, I'ma going down to the reptile shop again tomorrow to get her some food, I'll tell them that she didn't eat the mouse and ask them if there is ANYTHING else they can give her that doesn't have fur. I spoke to her previous owner today and told him about it and he told me how he's tried to many times to feed her furry rats and tried to many little tricks to try and make her eat it but she never has, he really did stress it. Meh, I'll see what the reptile shop with say and give me tomorrow.. I'll also ask them when to feed her again, just to make sure they confirm what you lot have told me, what do I tell them? She got a bit stressed the day I fed her therefore when should be the next time I feed her? Something like that? |
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Donnie
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3215 Posts |
Posted - 15/08/2012 : 22:56:03
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| Don't be suprised if the pet shop tells you something different then the advice on here about when to feed next. Lots of them are known for giving out wrong advice. Don't get me wrong there are good ones out there as well and yours may be one of those. If you try to feed to often then it will put the snake off feeding and may take longer overall to get established feeding. You are going to have to get your snake feeding on "hairy" food as mice pinkies and rat pups are not going to be sufficient to feed a snake forever. Personally I would not handle the snake at all until the week has passed and only go in to change water. Once the week is up I would offer the appropriate sized mouse and if it is not taken straight away leave it in there for the night. If that still does not work, leave for another week and try again. As I said before snakes will go a very long time without eating so don't worry yet. Good luck. |
1.1 Corns (Anery Stripe, Amel) 1.0 Rootbeer 0.2 Jungle Carpet Python 1.0 Zebra Jungle Carpet Python 1.0 50% Diamond Zebra Carpet Python |
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John Nicholson
Egg
United Kingdom
61 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2012 : 00:07:14
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Donnie, yeah they really does make sense in my head. Just wondering why do you suggest not handling her for the rest of the week? I was just going to leave it two days like everybody else said? And through her hate for furry food if I do that for long enough do you think she will finally eat it? And eat them regularly?
I do have one thing not adding up, her previous owner was feeding her every 2-3 days, (she probably is classed as fat) how is she going to transition to two weeks without eating instantly? I know she'll probably be fine and I'm just being a noob, but that seems weird to me :/ |
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Moppet
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3315 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2012 : 00:35:21
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Wow, every two to three days is very excessive for a corn snake, especially one large enough to manage rat pups. I thought it was a little strange how little corn snakes needed to eat to begin with but you have to remember that their metabolism is much slower than peoples and in the wild they wouldn't eat regular meals anyway. It shouldn't be a problem for her to go two weeks without feeding, she might act a little hungry towards the end of the time because she won't be used to it but then she'll hopefully eat the hairy mouse.
I found this thread very interesting as it explains how to tell if your snake is the right weight or not. It is also a good account of dieting a snake.
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11891
Burrowing under her substrate may just be that it makes her feel more safe. My hatchling does it sometimes and as others have said, it is quite normal.
Hope this helps 
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2.4.0 Corn snakes
1.0.0 horse
0.1.0 Golden retriever
1.4.0 Guinea pigs |
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John Nicholson
Egg
United Kingdom
61 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2012 : 00:49:33
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Ah right okay, thanks!! And yes that's what I thought when I first got her.. Maybe he was only doing it because the food was smaller than what she should be eating? Like maybe he thought feed her little and often? I'm not sure. And cool cheers!! I don't think she's over weight yet my local reptile shop said she was in good health when I took her down there to get her MOT'd just to make sure, but I'll keep a good eye on her definitely won't let her get too porky :) baths are a good form of excersize for snakes aren't they?
I just have one burning question. Where is everybody getting these epic pictures of their snakes from? Like has everybody edited the pic themselves? I can't edit that well D: and what's with all these animals and numbers in peoples signatures!? |
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Moppet
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3315 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2012 : 00:56:17
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Some snakes don't mind baths and some hate them, it really depends on your snake. I think as long as the snake is eating on a sensible schedule and they are being handled regularly then they get enough exercise but a lot of it is personal preference or down to the snake themselves. If you do bath her, try to get the water to 28 degrees so that she will be comfortable.
I haven't managed to take any pictures that are good enough for my signature yet as both my snakes are too nosey and I get lots of blurred heads! Haha. But I can explain the numbers They tell you what gender the animals are. 1.0.0 is a male, 0.1.0 is a female and 0.0.1 means unsexed. |
2.4.0 Corn snakes
1.0.0 horse
0.1.0 Golden retriever
1.4.0 Guinea pigs |
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Donnie
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3215 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2012 : 07:08:08
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John, leaving her for a week is just what I would do to make sure she was as settled as possible before the next attempt at a feed. As others have said to leave for a couple of days, it is really personal preference and there is no right or wrong to either. Just do what you feel is right and I am sure things will be fine.
As for the pictures I don't think to many people edit them I just think they set up the light, background etc well when they are taking photos. I find that I will have to take lots of pictures just to get one that is half decent. My photography skills are not good and I am jealous of a lot of people's shots :) |
1.1 Corns (Anery Stripe, Amel) 1.0 Rootbeer 0.2 Jungle Carpet Python 1.0 Zebra Jungle Carpet Python 1.0 50% Diamond Zebra Carpet Python |
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Ell
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
1640 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2012 : 09:25:50
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So after all of that info we have a mission plan :}
1.) Leave her be for a week (as pointed out, just to ensure that she is certainly not stressed)
2.) Buy a small but furred mouse from the pet store, thaw this for about 2-3 hours (they take longer as they are denser than pinks).
3.) Ensure mouse is room temp and offer her food.
4.) If she doen't take it, leave it on a piece of cardboard in her viv overnight.
5.) Repeat process if mouse is uneaten.
Try this out and see how you go! If she has been eating rat pups every 3 days she may have a good few reserves so it may take awhile to get her to feed but don't worry about it!
Best of luck! |
1.0.0 Normal corn snake - Dusk
0.1.0 Strawberry Snow Stripe corn snake - Dawn
0.1.0 Harlequin Crested Gecko - Stickles
1.0.0 Sable Syrian Hamster - CoCo
0.1.0 Hognose snake - Truffles |
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John Nicholson
Egg
United Kingdom
61 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2012 : 23:38:54
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Moppet, Yeah I think mine likes baths, she didn't seem too unhappy with being bathed any way.. So that's good. And yeah, I'll try my best to get it around that temperature. And ah right, cool thanks, when I get a bit more... "Pro" on this forum I'll have to put that in my signature now I know what it means and stuff :) Thanks
And Donnie and Ell after going down to my local reptile shop and telling them. They did suggest the EXACT same thing. Leave her alone for 7 days then try again. This probably sounds ridiculous but it's gonna break my heart not going to be able to play with her for a week lol! I'm gonna feel well bad lol. Handling her and making her feel safe wouldn't help her un-stress would it? Or would literally just leaving her to her own accord be best?
She hasn't been the same since the other day when all this happened.. She hasn't been out of her cave since properly. Normally she's out and about a bit in the evenings and at night I can hear her but the most she's done is just poke her head out. Just to see what I'm up too, then scurries her head back in when I go to either turn her light off or fill her water up... Are these signs of her being stressed?
Thankyou you lot for the help and support and stuff, I really do appreciate it. |
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Moppet
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3315 Posts |
Posted - 17/08/2012 : 09:07:09
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Sometimes when a snake won't eat it is due to stress. If you know she has had a stressful experience it might be best to leave her be for a week to calm down again. Personally, that is what I would do as I think handling her more might make her more stressed at this point.
It is very difficult to leave a snake for a week without handling, but if it is the best thing for the snake then it is a necessary wait. Hopefully she'll settle again and be a happy, relaxed snake again so that she will eat a hairy mouse in a weeks time |
2.4.0 Corn snakes
1.0.0 horse
0.1.0 Golden retriever
1.4.0 Guinea pigs |
Edited by - Moppet on 17/08/2012 09:08:52 |
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smart bunny
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
5091 Posts |
Posted - 17/08/2012 : 12:59:43
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Most likely she was just unsettled by the experience and will calm down soon. As above, it is really bad to feed a snake every 3 days - their digestive system is not designed to work non-stop, it is designed to work for a day or two, then recover for a week or so and it will put far too much stress on it working constantly.
One possibility to bear in mind is that she may simply be going into blue and it coincided with the visit from your mum's friend. Snakes tend to hide away when they go into blue so it may not be anything to worry about at all! |
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NexivRed
Yearling
United Kingdom
551 Posts |
Posted - 17/08/2012 : 13:06:01
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It's horrible not being able to touch them :)
I'm not as experienced as other corn snake owners, so my advice isn't going to be as worthy. So I'll change mine to agree to leave her for a good week before trying again. The longer you wait, the more chance you have of her eating and if you crack early and she refuses or regurges, you have to start at the beginning again >.< So try and keep yourself occupied until it's pick up day :) |
R.I.P. 0.1: CB10 Ophion - pewter masque het amel
1.0: CB10 lavender stripe het ??? - Alabaster (Bats) Codify
0.1: CB12 hypo plasma het amel - Nebula
0.2: CB13 diffused 66% pos het cinder - Demeter (Mimi) & Bombulurina (Reenie)
1.0: CB13 hypo cinder ?% pos het amel stripe - Huckleberry
0.1: CB13 anery aztec het amel - Tetris
1.0: CB13 gold dust motley stripe - Helios |
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Help please.
