So excited to be a Newbie, I have to share!

Okay, so I'm absolutely IN LOVE with my princess, so much that I keep trying to tell people about her but they get really disgusted with the idea so I can't word vomit my feelings.

I think this place will enjoy!

Her name is Aurora, she is maybe? 3 months old, and previously believed to be Opal but upon further research she is a Snow morph(I think?? Haha).

I'm new to snakes, so I literally have no clue what I'm doing except for the mass amounts of internet reading. There are so many conflicting views that I've decided to pick and choose based off what makes her happy.


Which brings me to the questionable feeding question! Well...
The people at Petsmart failed to mention when they last fed her. Despite being a little antsy seeing me hover by her tank, hoping to catch a glimpse of her sweet little face, I wanted to try feeding her on her 3rd day here.

I am terrified of the idea of her choking on substrate. She is so little that one piece of aspen would cause her a lot of discomfort. So despite NUMEROUS advice saying not to use a separate tank, I did anyway. And I can confidently say that the experience was fantastic and I will continue with this method.

Aurora seemed apprehensive at first. I have not handled her except for a 2 second hold at PM. Tbh, I'm very nervous that she will bite me and I will accidentally squeeze or drop her, so I basically coaxed her into the tub. She was escape-y as normal, but not frightened. I did my thang with the pinky and decided to leave her alone. I went to put on makeup till i felt a ping to check on her, and she was moving around quite energetically! I wanted to leave her be for a few hours to digest but I could just tell she was done being there.

And guys...I can't express how completely different her demeanor was after that. I could tell by her eyes she was so HAPPY. Instead of shying away from me moving her around, she cheerfully got onto my little cardboard plate, even got close to my hands w/o doing her lil snapback, and was just so pleased and chill. I kinda haphazardly dumped her on a branch so she had to climb down to her cave...I haven't wanted to spook her yet but I'll be double checking to make sure she hasn't regurgitated the mouse tomorrow.

But to see her eyes shine! Idk. I know snakes aren't as emotionally evolved as mammals, but we definitely bonded(well, she bonded to me) and I think we are going to be fantastic buds for the rest of her existence.

I'm so pleased with this moment, the oxytocin is flowing through me.

If anyone has felt this similar about their beloved, please feel free to post below. It's an addiction to read about other people's experiences.

There are those that feed inside the tank and those that don't. It's probably 50/50. I have always fed all my snakes in a separate enclosure with the exception of a 10 ft Red tail Boa I used to have. I didn't have another enclosure big enough for her so she was my only snake that got to "Eat at Home." lol

I would suggest not handling her for a couple of days after feeding.

Congrats on your new baby Cornsnake, and welcome to the forum!

Do what works best for you when it comes to feeding. Feeding inside enclosure or in a separate one is a matter of choice. There is no right or wrong in that aspect.
I feed in their enclosures, regardless of age, size, species.

I agree with Dennis, do not handle your snake for a few days after feeding. Increased stress (handling) can lead to regurges.

Karl_Mcknight said:

There are those that feed inside the tank and those that don't. It's probably 50/50. I have always fed all my snakes in a separate enclosure with the exception of a 10 ft Red tail Boa I used to have. I didn't have another enclosure big enough for her so she was my only snake that got to "Eat at Home." lol

Click to expand...

There are a bunch of these 50/50 ethics, so I'm just going to do what feels right and what Aurora is comfortable with.
Haha you would need a separate feeding closet for her!!

In relation to handling her, I did my first attempt last night, making sure her stomach looked fine.

The cutest thing she would do, is when I would stick my fingers and thumb in the Aspen and make a cave shape, she would sneak in/around it then burrow like barely passed her neck area if she had one, and then pop her lil head out to investigate.

At one point I accidentally wiggled my thumb a lil and she did the primal head snap like when I fed her a pinky. Oops!!

She would slither away if I tried picking her up, but would always come back to check out my hand. Never really ran or showed signs of stressed until I kinda tried cupping her to pick her up and she went back to her tree permanently, no longer interested. So I left her be. I feel bad for trying to pick her up - but the next few times instead of focusing on holding, she can just get used to my hand not "grabbing" her.

No bites this time. There's a genuine curiosity in her red eyes. Like she knows that she will be able to put trust in this humble predator, but of course in her own due time.

I'm overflowing with love for this creature, cant wait till she's comfortable and happy.

keep in mind, no matter how gentle and careful you are, handling a snake after it has eaten is not good at all. It can cause the snake to regurgitate and this can be deadly for snakes. After a snake eats, it's best to leave it alone for about 2 days before handling.

I waited about 60 hours, is that enough time?

Yes. That's enough time. The warmth of your hand will make her somewhat comfortable. I'd hold her a little and let her go back in her tank for a couple of weeks. Always let her 'marinate' after eating. That's what we call it in my house. My Peach is about 2 years and I can take her anywhere. I just read her body language and if she gets uncomfortable I put her back in her tank. She's a lovely corn and trusts me and my daughter. It sounds like you are attentive so do what your gut tells you and your snake will be fine. They are wonderful creatures.