Feeding process

Hi everyone!
I just got my first snake, Charlie, almost two weeks ago and I'm still in the process of figuring out how best to care for him. He's 3 months old and eating frozen and thawed pinkies.

I was wondering how you all feed your snakes. I know it's best to feed them in a separate enclosure, so i put Charlie in a paper grocery bag with his lamp for heat and feed him there. My question is what next? I know it's important to be careful when handling a recently fed snake, and when I tried to put him back he rattled and lunged at me. How do I put him back in his terrarium without hurting him or me?
Thanks so much!
Zach

This is what I do. Thaw the pink in hot water for a couple minutes. Run the pink under very hot water for a few seconds. Put the pink in a small container- the size of a margerine dish. Put the snake in. No need for supplemental heating, because the snake is only going to be in there for ten minutes or less. Go get the snake, weigh it, put it in, put the lid on, leave it alone, come back in a few minutes when the snake is done eating. Gently lift him out and put him back in his viv. If you have something like a ten gallon tank, you can just set the little dish in there and let the snake crawl out, or tip him out gently. Then I don't handle for three days. That is conservative; two days is standard and most likely enough digestion time.

I wish mine would let me pick him up after he's eaten. :/

But thanks! I'll get a smaller container that I can just put in his tank after.

-Zach and Charlie

What do you mean, let you? Have you ever been bitten by a baby cornsnake? You can't even feel it! I understand you don't want to upset him, but you don't need to fear him.

I'm not concerned about it hurting, I just wish he didn't feel the need to bite me.

Do you reach in real fast or do you move very slowly? I know With mine what I have been doing is using a big Rubbermade container (30-40ish gallon) and he wont eat unless I put the lid on so its dark and quiet. After he eats he ALWAYS climbs up and 'perches' for a lack of a better word, on the inside part of the handle. At that point I open the lid up and just let hang out there for about 30 mins. I then get up real slowly and walk over slowly. When I pick him up again I move very slowly and I am very gentle when I pick him up. He hasnt struck at me once yet. How ever he could just have a mild temper but I have known people who have had snakes and watched them move quickly when handling them and they ALWAYS get bit when they do move fast.

I do not claim to know much about snakes, but I thought I would mention the above. Does he bite you any other time or only is it only after you feed him.



O and I like your snakes name lol. My name is Charlie

Haha thanks!
He's only lunged at me when I try to pick him up after feeding, and I don't think I moved very fast. Also he's only 3-4 mo. old so hopefully after a little while he'll feel less vulnerable. How old's yours?

zwgarsha said:

I'm not concerned about it hurting, I just wish he didn't feel the need to bite me.

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He is in feeding mode and you are huge compared to him, he is scared. You can feed him in a small contianer, put it in viv, remove lid after he eats and let him crawl out on his own. Again the bite doesn't hurt.
I would also worry about the bag light thing catching on fire and getting too warm. He may be bitey because he is over-heated.

I got mine a week ago and they said he is a year old, but I got him from a pet store so im not sure how reliable the info is. http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107663 This is my snake. Some one mentioned to me in chat the other night they may think he is older then 1 but I dont know for sure. He seemed still fairly small to me but then again im still learning too haha.

Well from one newbie to another, at my favorite small pet shop they're really knowledgeable and had a yearling corn snake that looked almost that size, maybe a bit smaller.
I look forward to my Charlie growing a bit so he doesn't seem so fragile!

I think a big factor is just that babies attack more.
When mine were babies, they attacked me- except for one really mild-mannered one. Now that they are yearlings/adults, none of them strike at me.

Nanci said:

This is what I do. Thaw the pink in hot water for a couple minutes. Run the pink under very hot water for a few seconds. Put the pink in a small container- the size of a margerine dish. Put the snake in. No need for supplemental heating, because the snake is only going to be in there for ten minutes or less. Go get the snake, weigh it, put it in, put the lid on, leave it alone, come back in a few minutes when the snake is done eating. Gently lift him out and put him back in his viv. If you have something like a ten gallon tank, you can just set the little dish in there and let the snake crawl out, or tip him out gently. Then I don't handle for three days. That is conservative; two days is standard and most likely enough digestion time.

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You must spread some reputation around before giving it to Nanci again! I took more heed to when you have told me than I thought. lol

This is exactly what I do!!! It works perfectly for me because they are still in feeding mode when putting them back into their viv's. I haven't ever had a problem doing it this exact way. Good luck!