hi i have a hatchling

[shaunb]

hello everyone i have just brought my first hatchling corn on tuesday, the corn is hiding all the time and only a few times has it shown it's head but if u walk over to the tank or by the tank it shoots back into it's hide, it had it's 5th feed on wednesday, how long do they take to settle in and when should i try to pick it up to get it used to being handled? it's about 9 or 10 inches long.Im just a bit worried as it is my first corn is this normal.

thnx from shaun

[candyc0rn]

I usually give them 2 days to settle in. My anery used to be veryyy shy so I would handle him everyday for about 15 minutes or so and hes really improved.

[bitsy]

This is all normal Shaun. As babies, they're very nervous and jumpy (in the wild, everything would be trying to hunt them and eat them), and he'll be doubly scared as he's just arrived in his new home. He should settle down in a few weeks.

Usual advice is to leave them completely alone for the first week, to let them get used to the new sights and smells of "home". After this, don't handle him for 48 hours after feeding, otherwise he might regurge (throw up).

As far as activity goes, be warned that even as confident adults, most Corns aren't that lively during the day and will prefer to stay tucked out of sight.

[shaunb]

Brought my baby corn a vine today and put it round the tank,ever since i have done that, i think i have solved the hiding problem cos it's out and moving and laying down on the vine, it seems to really like it cos it aint been hiding since so i'm a happy bunny.

[shaunb]

I am going to take some pics and post them on this forum for u all to see soon.

[diamondlil]

Some people handle more frequently, but personally I don't handle hatchlings much at all. Most young animals need to eat/sleep/grow, so I think of the snakes in the same way.

[JoshnJJ]

I handle my snakes every other days, for up to 10 min at night where it's active.
They get really active when it's 8 o'clock pm here.
I handle them and have TP just in case, lol...

I bought my snakes a vine with large leaves, and one of them really love it and it rest on the leaf and it's cute!

[reptbilly71]

Hey there when I got my first baby corn snake I was told to allow two to three days for it to get settled in then work with it for about 5-10 mins a day then gradually work into longer periods of handling. One thing that is a good point, because it happened to me and my snake is handle it above the cage for about a week or so for if it slithers out of your hand it will land in the viv. I was lucky mine landed in a cardboard box. Hope this helps have fun with your baby corn.

[or1olesfan]

Hey there when I got my first baby corn snake I was told to allow two to three days for it to get settled in then work with it for about 5-10 mins a day then gradually work into longer periods of handling. One thing that is a good point, because it happened to me and my snake is handle it above the cage for about a week or so for if it slithers out of your hand it will land in the viv. I was lucky mine landed in a cardboard box. Hope this helps have fun with your baby corn.


my my 2 1/2 month old (we think) seems to really like being handled. i take him out just about every day after he has poo'ed and before the next feeding. since he is about to shed, we i set up the bath tub so that most of the tub was full, but the very end was dry, so he could go there if he got tired of swimming. i broought this up because, after about 20 minutes of swimming, i put my hand in the tub, and he immidatly swam right to it and slithered on. i think that this is because of his recognising my scent from the handling.

long story short, i think that handling your snake is something you both with enjoy, and will help the snake trust you more

[shaunb]

I have had a lot of usefull info thnx to everyone who replyed to my post it has been a great help.
thnx everyone

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

after about 20 minutes of swimming, i put my hand in the tub, and he immidatly swam right to it and slithered on. i think that this is because of his recognising my scent from the handling.



I think this might also be because most would rather be out of the water than in it.

I have a texas rat that was, when I first got him, a nasty angry snake! I bathed him a lot when he was about to shed and he always tried to get out of the water. He even went so far as to try to escape the water by using my arm. Came right over to me. I thought it was cute though.

I know I definetly enjoy handling my snakes. Can't say the same for them lol!

Shaun, has the corn ever tried biting you when you handled it? or1olesfan is right that the corn will gain trust with you over time. Just make sure not to stress the snake out. Its still very young and it takes time to get a young snake to trust you enough not to stress out too much during handling.

I also have to agree with diamondlil that the most important thing you could be offering your new corn at this time in its life is a strong foundation in its health. And that means making sure it gets the best of basic husbandry. With all of that your snake will, in time, become a well tamed hand snake lol.

Good luck!

[shaunb]

I hav'nt picked it up yet what i do is put my hand in the tank very slowly as not to startle it, and leave my hand near it so it gets used to my scent, yesterday it slid across my hand but it is still very jumpy, but no it has'nt gone to bite me all it does is go in a s shape when i put my hand near it and i just keep my hand still and it straightens out and comes close to my hand, but if i go up to the tank to quickly it darts into it's hide so i am just being carefull at the moment i really want to hold it, but i don't want to scare it to death so i will be patient. I know if i saw a big hand coming towards me i think i would have a heartattack.

[or1olesfan]

well after a week or so to settle in, you can start to handle him (remember, wait at least 48 atfer he eats to handle him). start out with like 10 minutes of holding, and then add 3-5 minutes each time you handle

[shaunb]

I am buzzing now cos my hatchling actually slid onto my hand tonight for the first time, and let me handle her for a little while it was fantastic and every time i put my hand in it comes straight to my hand now so it has finally got used to me and settled in, i will be getting it sexed in 2 weeks so i will be able to call it a him or her instead of it.