He or She??

[Dreana]

We bought my son a Snow Corn last August (01) and were told that she was a she, and everything was going fine. She was shedding every 2 months to the day, her last shed was January 16th she never refused food but she hasn't shed since, and has refused her last two meals. We feed her an adult mouse every week. She has been really active this last week, but after reading some threads I'm thinking now she may be a he, someone said males go into breeding behaviour and refuse their food. She normally spends most of her time hiding but his last week she has been going crazy!! Any ideas what could be happening?? P.s This site is great, there isn't much help in the UK for cornsnakes!!

[Rachel]

Hi!
Welcome to the site...I know what you mean about the uk site...Im in the same boat! As for your question..your snake could be a she. Females also display breeding behaviour. Especially now that we are seeing some warmer weather (about time!) it would be quite normal for her/him to be acting "strange". If you are still unsure and want to know if it is a male or female take it to a vet or the shop you bought it from and ask them to verify. They will either probe or "pop" it or both. Many people here will say you can do this yourself but I wouldnt recommend it unless you are 100% sure of what you are doing!
A quick way....look at your snakes tail(from the vent, where it poos from to the tip). If its a male it should have a short stumpy tail. A female tends to have a longer tapered tail. You can see pics on the web of male and female comparisons. I cant remember the web site...it might be kingsnake.com...I just searched using altavista.com.
Good luck!
Rachel:)

[lynn]

Yes I go with what Rachel said, also you could get the Kathy Love cornsnake book it has pictures in that show the difference also it really come's in handy for other thing's as well and of course this site is brilliant. My female didn't eat for two weeks and she didn't shed last month but once she did shed her appetite was back. Wilma had been shedding every month up until then.

[Khaman]

Rachel, You have it backwards, males have the a gradual slope to their tails because that is where the harpenis is kept. Females tails taper quickly after the anal vent

[peteworrall]

Regarding the lack of appetite, one of my corns went 10 MONTHS (!) without eating, despite eating well up until that point. This was following a move to my brother's house who was looking after him for a while when I was working away.

I've got him back now, and his appetite's back big style (he's always moving around, hunting).

Don't worry, a healthy and well cared for corn will eat when hungry (provided the food is OK).

Cheers.

Pete Worrall

[Dreana]

Which is right then? She has a very long tapered tail, so is that male or female? And can a cornsnake really go 10 months without eating???? But thanks for the replies its put my sons mind at rest he was worried she was going to starve to death and didn't like us anymore!!!

Another question, does everyone bath their snakes?? How do you manage to keep hold of them?

[Khaman]

If (s)he has a gradual taper to her tail after the anal vent then it is a male if it starts tapering almost immediately after the vent then it is a female.

Yes a well fed corn can go a long time with out eating but after a few months it can take a toll.

I let me females swim it in a tub. it helps keep muscle tone and helps prevent egg binding. But a bath no.

[Rachel]

Oops yeah just realised my typo.....sorry what I meant was males have longer thicker tails (oh and its hemipenises Khaman) in comparison to females. Female tails can taper rather abruptly whereas males tails can remain the same width or bulge slightly just past the vent. Sorry about the confusion before I was typing quicker than I was thinking!!:o

[Rachel]

oh and ps....
I bathe my snake...Im not sure what the difference of a tub and a bath is maybe thats an American thing. I bathe mine in a shallow bath with lukewarm water. Just keep an eye on it to make sure it doesnt try to escape. Make sure whatever you bathe it in is clean and has no residue in it (like soap, bleach etc). Bathing is also very good to help with shedding and keeps your snake "regular"!

[Khaman]

My tub is a 120 gallon aluminum horse trough that I keep feeder goldfish in I don't let mine in my bath tub because of the risk of salmonella contamination

[floss]

Hi ive just joined aswell, what i think you should do is get him probed or is he not big enuff yet ?

[Katie]

Um, as soon as a snake is too big for popping it is big enough for probeing and I would think an 01 eating adult mice is quite big enough. You really should have it probed to find out for sure, assuming it matters to you...Lol. If it doesn't make any difference and it is just a pet, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Sex makes no difference in pets, just breeders.

As for keeping a hold of her, you don't really have to. She can swim quite well. Do keep your hand in the water though so if she needs a place to rest she can slither up on your hand to rest. Most corns (IMHO) don't like the bath at first but after a few times they calm down and begin to like it more. So don't worry if she gets all excited the first few times, just handle her gently and calmly.

Oh, and I've been saying "her" in reference to your snake because that's what you are calling it. In my opinion, from your description, it is a male and I should probably be calling it a "he" not "her". But no one is ever 100% correct without probing so don't just take our word for it!