One pissed off corn snake

Originally Posted by Seakat

I missed that one..sry.

I think that is the problem with trying to find a subject thread close to a question I want to post. There are years of threads here and it takes years to go through them. Even a search gets the same results...like google...I don't want 10 million pages of stuff to search, I want results!
Oh, well, I guess that's why I don't use this often.

Originally Posted by dhs545

My snake is a very violent snake. Ever since he bit me he has never been the same. He never seems content when i try to handle him. When i do try to handle him he tries to squirm out of my hand and fall to the floor where he runs under my bed and quickly gets into his defensive position. Every time I try to get it out of its tank it cocks its head back ready to strike my hand at any moment. But recently i managed to piss off my snake really bad. It was feeding day for my snake, so i picked up the rock he hides under and tried to pick him up to get him to his separate tank with newspaper. But before i could pick him up he managed to get into strike position. I took a pencil to try to pick him up from underneath his body rather than my hand. He started to run but i managed to get him on to the snake and into his other tank. As soon as he got into the other tank he struck at the glass(most likely going for my hand). He then cocked his head back again, and started to rattle his tail just like a rattlesnake. Now i know he cant actually rattle his tail, but his tail was moving so quickly against the newspaper, that it sounded just like a rattlesnake. I have never seen this behavior in my snake. Is this normal for all newborn snakes? How do i get my snake to become more comfortable. Is there a proper way to pick up my snake, because it seems that when i use my finger to scoop up under his body it seems to startle him. If i cant use my hands to pick up my snake what should i use? I appreciate any advice or comments.

you stolen my corn snake :P

mine is just the same, i had him in my hands and he was trying to get away, so i was moving one hand in fount of the other, n he stopped n went its the 'Strink possession' (didn't relies at first, thought he was just relaxing) n his tail started shacking (didn't relies this meant anger) the next thing i know, ''bang'' lashed out at me, i just put him straight back in his cage

aint read the topic yet, but i hope someone has helped ya on this as it will be helping me aswell

/Garry

Originally Posted by ntcs

you stolen my corn snake :P

mine is just the same, i had him in my hands and he was trying to get away, so i was moving one hand in fount of the other, n he stopped n went its the 'Strink possession' (didn't relies at first, thought he was just relaxing) n his tail started shacking (didn't relies this meant anger) the next thing i know, ''bang'' lashed out at me, i just put him straight back in his cage

aint read the topic yet, but i hope someone has helped ya on this as it will be helping me aswell

/Garry

Careful you don't teach him that when he really wants to be put back or left alone, all he has to do is strike. Make him calm down and relax first before he gets what he wants.

I wouldn't say tail rattling means anger. More likely it means "Leave me alone" with maybe an "or else" thrown in. Or maybe not.

Nanci

Mine will often shake their tails like a rattle when I try to get them out, but just show them who is boss and they soon stop.

Hi all

I think a 70 gal tank is way to big for a young snake and at 18 to 20 inches and i think you snake is acting like this because he feels insecure.

Try and put yourself in her position remember back when you were a young nipper and you found yourself in a big new place like the tube or a big shopping mall or even a new school. the big space will certinly be a factor to him being the way he is.


I had the same proplem with my corn (Mia) when i got her i just preservered and now she is the most calm and placid snake i know. I dont handle her at all for 3 days after feeding, other than that i handle her every day. She also does the tail shaking thing normally if i look in the tank after feeding i find it so funny. Its a sure sign of them saying Just back of sunshine.

Do you have a really dark hide for him so he can hide totally? If not try using a plastic plant poy with a little door way cut and upturned it worked a treat for me. But i would seriously try him in a starter tank til he grows a little

Anthony

for a day or so after I gave him his first hide...but not that bad! Thank goodness! He is only about 9 days old, however...and I've been handling him since the day he was born. I know he loves the security of his new hide...and he is thinking, "What the HELL!?!" When I take him out when I get in from work...haha...I can't resist, however...he has not striked at me...just a lil jumpy the first couple of minutes he's in my hands.

Good luck...I hope things go well...I like the t-shirt idea. It may sound silly...but even slow, deliberate moves on the OUTSIDE of the cage to begin with and getting progressively closer may help, too...I'm a psych under grad...did a lot of behavioral studies...

Originally Posted by 13mur 6

Heehee, sometimes when I give my snakes their mice after a longer than usual time period between feedings I see them actually drool while they're eating. And sometimes they get really excited and start biting random things, as if they were in a feeding frenzy. But I don't think it's an "aggressive" thing, more like an excited thing, like when people are hungry, they're so engrossed in the eating that sometimes they bite their fork or their own tongues .

-13mur 6

LOL111!!11111

ah yes, neVER pick up you snake's hiding spot, or never bug it when its hiding, itll feel very unsafe for a very long time.

Something else you might try is when you reach in come in from the side rather then straight down. Just a thought but it was something suggested to my younger siblings when they got pygmy hamsters the reason is that one of their big natural predators are birds if you come in from straight down it may associate you with a predator I tend to come in from the side with my guy lowering my had into the cage on the opposite side of the cage then come in slow so he sees my hand and rembers that its just me.