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My First Corn Snake Like To Strike

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19 Posts

Posted - 20/04/2009 : 23:06:50

Wel i bought my first corn snake today

I got him from a reptile sanctuary close to me. His about 18" in length. So i am guessing his about a year old?

He does seem to be a bit strike happy at the moment im presuming it could be down to the new surroundings or he just dont like me lol.

The guy i got him off said to feed him 2 to 3 pinkies a week and as he gets older to go down to 1 full grown mouse every week to 10 days and to wait a couple of days for him to settle in before feeding him?

I havent seen much of him today though his spent most of his time hiding in his cave. Hopefully he will get used to being handled and the new surroundings soon as kids really want to hold him.

Any advise greatly recieved about how to break his striking habit.

Once when i put him in the tank to bring ome and 3 times when i was holding him for 10 mins. I made no sudden movements, he just wanted to get away from me i think lol.

I spoke to a reptile shop and they said that it could have been mistreated in the past or just never been held much. If this is so will he ever calm down?

Thanks in advance
Al

Tizzy
The Corn Snake Moderator

United Kingdom
1202 Posts

Posted - 20/04/2009 : 23:22:44

Hi Alan, welcome to the forum and weldone on the rehome.

Your new snake its gonna be feeling really stressed after all the excitement so it's bet to leave him alone for a week really, then feed him and leave him for another 48 hours before handling him. Really hard i know but what you can do is try and get him use to your scent by putting a glove or tee shirt you have been wearing in his viv.

It can take a while getting a snake who's not happy being handled to calm down but it can be done, if he's really bitey it may be worth wearing gloves to start with just so your not on edge as he could be picking up on your nerves.

3.2.0 corns 0.3.1 Leopard Geckos, 0.1.0 Mad Staffys 1.0.0 Moggie. 1.2.0. Devils in training.

lee2308
The Corn Snake Moderator

United Kingdom
3348 Posts

Posted - 20/04/2009 : 23:43:23

hi and welcome,i agree with tizzy's advice.

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19 Posts

Posted - 21/04/2009 : 08:52:02

Thanks for advice, will give it a go.

Hopefully i will get a photo up of him soon, if he ever comes out of hiding that is.

One good thing, atleast i dont think i will have any trouble feeding him if his this strike happy .... i hope lol

Thanks again

Kehhlyr
ǝʞɐɔ sǝʌoן

United Kingdom
8173 Posts

Posted - 21/04/2009 : 10:30:16

Hiya, and welcome

-=Kehhlyr - The Resident Loon

Ell
Sub Adult

United Kingdom
1640 Posts

Posted - 21/04/2009 : 17:11:21

Best of luck with your new snake, im sure he will settle down soon enough and welcome to the forum ^^

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

dantheman2944
Hatchling

United Kingdom
325 Posts

Posted - 21/04/2009 : 19:53:52

hey an welcome!!

thanks to solid for the sig

gingerpony
Queen Bee

United Kingdom
10455 Posts

Posted - 22/04/2009 : 21:14:36

heya and welcome

completely agree with Tizzy, leave him for a week, try a feed, if he takes it leabe another 2 days before starting to handle him

cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos

Location:Leeds/York/Selby area

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19 Posts

Posted - 22/04/2009 : 22:27:51

Well i fed him today with no probs whatsoever (2 pinkies), but then i was'nt really expecting any as he loves to strike. He spent a bit of time out of the hide today which was good as yesturday he spent every minute inside his hide.

His now just popped his head out of the hide and resting it on his water bowl after spending about 6 hours hiding.

Will leave him till friday night or saturday then try to handle him again. His still a bit wary as everytime i turn around he sort of backs away.

Think i have my work cut out for a while trying to tame him.

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225 Posts

Posted - 22/04/2009 : 22:41:07

Good luck with taming him. Mine was very hidey for the first 4 days, but like you I saw him trying to peek further and further out of his hide, and if I went to check on him at night I'd find him in a different spot (he has a few hides) or exploring a little. Now I've had him a week and held him several times and he's definetely more active, doesnt seem flinchy anywhere near as much even when I'm near the glass now and loves having a peek at me. If you leave him alone during the day then peek in on him at night he will be a little more active.

Another thing I've noticed with mine is as it was mainly me who would watch him, and its me that changes his water every day and lifts his hide up for a coupla seconds to have a peek (when i do this when i gradually put his hide back down he automatically pokes his head out, so cute) my Mum held her hand out to let him crawl onto her from me and he took an instant dislike. He headbutted her and started freaking out so I put him back and let him settle.

I don't know how many people you have in your house, but from this experience I'd suggest it gets used to just one person entirely for a little while, until you find him being completely comfortable in his home and also with you; before letting anyone else confuse him with a different but 'safe scent' and risking stressing him out more.

Hope that helped, feel free to elaborate on this anyone, I may be talkin' complete poop but if so, tell me cos Im still learning! c:

0.0.1 Anery corn
0.1.0 German Shepherd Dog [Tauni]
1.0.0 Tawny Ocicat [Rufio]

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19 Posts

Posted - 22/04/2009 : 22:59:58

Well i have a wife and 3 girls. The wife don't like him to much, as when i first tried to hold him he moved to fast and strikes. The eldest child just dont like snakes full stop so she wont even go near him lol. Its only really my youngest who wants to hold him but she is only 9 so until his got out of his striking phase i dont think its wise lol.

But its only me up right now, rest are in bed. His been watching me for the last 30mins, although when i move he does retreat back abit into his hide.

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225 Posts

Posted - 22/04/2009 : 23:04:55

Yeah, the retreating seems to be normal, he's just very shy and wary, at least he's not striking at the glass. c: Bare in mind to move very slowly when around him. Sounds like he's progressing though if he's watching you and when he retreats still showing that hes somewhat interested in you. c: Has he got plenty of places to hide so he feels secure and can be shy when he wants to?

0.0.1 Anery corn
0.1.0 German Shepherd Dog [Tauni]
1.0.0 Tawny Ocicat [Rufio]

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19 Posts

Posted - 22/04/2009 : 23:19:37

yeah his got 2 hides, a larger one and a smaller one. He tends to hide mostly in the smaller one at the moment. Oh and judging by the Corncob substrate he likes to burrow himself in it :-)

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225 Posts

Posted - 22/04/2009 : 23:57:59

Yeah, I read somewhere they like to feel completely enclosed, so they can feel the hide all around them even touching if possible, I was using squashed toilet rolls before I got this exo terra cave but it never went near the tubes, just covered itself in substrate. Its now using the hide pretty much all the time as the cool end substrate is quite thick so it can burrow so with the cave touching the glass viv the inside is raised up, snuggly and dark. c: Although, it still seems to enjoy tunneling INTO the cave through the floor rather than over the top of the substrate lol. Maybe try not disturbing it at all for 2 days apart from changing water. If he has also been mistreated I'd expect it to possibly take a little longer than 'normal' to settle, and even more again if it's been moved from pillar to post and not had anywhere to settle long enough

0.0.1 Anery corn
0.1.0 German Shepherd Dog [Tauni]
1.0.0 Tawny Ocicat [Rufio]

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19 Posts

Posted - 24/04/2009 : 23:27:51

Well today i put on some gloves and put my hand in for a while letting him get used to it, after a while he was coming up and then backing off. I made no attempt to pick him up then after sometime he actually climbed over and through my fingers. He then rested and let me stroke him and seemed content on that. After a while of doing that i thought, 'oh he must be ok with me so i went to pick him up' Nope 2 strikes very fast. So i just let him be.

Will do the hand thing again tomorrow without picking him up. This could take a while

Any other tips are welcomed.

His name at the moment is Sid Vicious, sems appropriate i think lol

Kehhlyr
ǝʞɐɔ sǝʌoן

United Kingdom
8173 Posts

Posted - 25/04/2009 : 01:26:55

Sounds like he's had a fairly rough time of it in the past, but you're progressing which is a good thing.

What sort of glove is it that you were wearing? If it's possible, put that in the viv, and then when you're ready to put your hand in and/or try picking him up, then using the same glove.

Kind of giving him your scent to show you're not gonna eat him, and to get his scent on you. So he'll feel a bit more comf as well. Hopefully the scent sharing will do some good.

-=Kehhlyr - The Resident Loon

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19 Posts

Posted - 25/04/2009 : 10:36:27

its an essembly glove used by machanics. Give you some feel, i tried garden gloves but could not feel snae with them on. Will put glove in tank as you say and see how that goes :-)

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225 Posts

Posted - 25/04/2009 : 12:48:26

As long as it's not dirty or anything, with oil etc

0.0.1 Anery corn
0.1.0 German Shepherd Dog [Tauni]
1.0.0 Tawny Ocicat [Rufio]

muppet9976
Hatchling

United Kingdom
254 Posts

Posted - 24/05/2009 : 12:17:57

i also have a similar problem. I have had him for around 4 days, and am leaving him at the moment. I will feed him for the first time next saturday, and hopefully handle him 48 hours after that.