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im scared ive really stressed out my snake..
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Old 06-19-2017, 10:52 PM   #1
destinywilder
Unhappy im scared ive really stressed out my snake..

so i got a corn snake yesterday and i was really happy about it. i made sure it was in its viv before i went to bed, and when i woke up to check on it, i thought it had escaped because i couldn't see it anywhere. i took all furniture out, inspected it, and ran my hand through the bedding multiple times and i couldnt find it. i tore apart my room looking for it and everything. a few hours later i grabbed the tree-like hide out of the viv and began shaking it, trying to see if there was any sign of it in there. (bad move, i know, i was just desperate.) turns out it was in there, and i was really relieved. i fed it another pinky mouse (it had eaten the night before) and then i moved the tank back where it was. about 20 minutes later i went to check on it, it was outside of the hide but as soon as it saw me it zipped inside. now it just stays in the one part of the tree hide, completely out of my view. i got worried that i had scared it so much trying to find it. now im really worried that i had scared/stressed it out so much that it might hate me forever, and i'll never be able to properly handle it. its only a baby.
 
Old 06-20-2017, 12:56 AM   #2
noraandthenoodle
I have a baby corn snake of my own, named Ekans, and I can sympathize with you on thinking they escaped! There's actually a whole thread on a log hide which a TON of people have "lost" their snakes inside and then couldn't get them out, you should take a look at it. A lot of people had to cut off part of the hide and modify it to make it safe. Here is the thread.
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/sho...=109391&page=2

It sounds like this might be the hide you're talking about. If it is, I would recommend modifying it the way people recommend in that thread, or removing that hide and replacing it with something else (like a few toilet paper tubes) for your peace of mind. Fortunately I don't have that log and have never had this problem, but I have a couple temporary cardboard hides that Ekans can REALLY wedge himself into and I CANNOT get him out. If they weren't so easy to pick up and look into to see if he's in there, I would worry.

May I ask why you fed him two days in a row? Even as babies, snakes don't need to be fed that often, especially if they're on the right size food. Ekans gets a pinkie mouse every 5 days. After eating, I don’t see heads or tails of him again until he's finished digesting (don't be tempted to handle him during this time, it's super stressful and not good for him!) and comes back out after about a day and a half to two days, poops, and starts exploring and that's when I know I can try handling him again.

The most important things you can do for him right now are to make sure the temperatures and humidity are correct in his enclosure, change his water every day or two, and other than that, leave him alone for one to two weeks (or at least a couple successful feeds) to let him settle in, especially since the event with his hide was probably as stressful for him as it was for you. He was probably very scared during that event, but it’s totally normal for him to hide from you, and that might last his entire life. It doesn’t mean it hates you, but snakes (especially babies) are prey animals that often get carried off and eaten by things like birds, so while some snakes have a more outgoing personality, they’re not really “exciting” pets and you probably won’t see them as often as you would a cat or dog. During the week or two that he is left alone to settle in, try and do as much research as you can. I’m a new snake owner myself (I’ve had Ekans for three weeks or so) but asking questions and reading books and just browsing this community have helped me feel a lot better about my shy little snake being normal. It’s also helped me to start handling him on a good foot and I can see him getting a little bit less scared every time I handle him.
 
Old 06-20-2017, 01:21 AM   #3
destinywilder
Quote:
Originally Posted by noraandthenoodle View Post
I have a baby corn snake of my own, named Ekans, and I can sympathize with you on thinking they escaped! There's actually a whole thread on a log hide which a TON of people have "lost" their snakes inside and then couldn't get them out, you should take a look at it. A lot of people had to cut off part of the hide and modify it to make it safe. Here is the thread.
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/sho...=109391&page=2

It sounds like this might be the hide you're talking about. If it is, I would recommend modifying it the way people recommend in that thread, or removing that hide and replacing it with something else (like a few toilet paper tubes) for your peace of mind. Fortunately I don't have that log and have never had this problem, but I have a couple temporary cardboard hides that Ekans can REALLY wedge himself into and I CANNOT get him out. If they weren't so easy to pick up and look into to see if he's in there, I would worry.

May I ask why you fed him two days in a row? Even as babies, snakes don't need to be fed that often, especially if they're on the right size food. Ekans gets a pinkie mouse every 5 days. After eating, I don’t see heads or tails of him again until he's finished digesting (don't be tempted to handle him during this time, it's super stressful and not good for him!) and comes back out after about a day and a half to two days, poops, and starts exploring and that's when I know I can try handling him again.

The most important things you can do for him right now are to make sure the temperatures and humidity are correct in his enclosure, change his water every day or two, and other than that, leave him alone for one to two weeks (or at least a couple successful feeds) to let him settle in, especially since the event with his hide was probably as stressful for him as it was for you. He was probably very scared during that event, but it’s totally normal for him to hide from you, and that might last his entire life. It doesn’t mean it hates you, but snakes (especially babies) are prey animals that often get carried off and eaten by things like birds, so while some snakes have a more outgoing personality, they’re not really “exciting” pets and you probably won’t see them as often as you would a cat or dog. During the week or two that he is left alone to settle in, try and do as much research as you can. I’m a new snake owner myself (I’ve had Ekans for three weeks or so) but asking questions and reading books and just browsing this community have helped me feel a lot better about my shy little snake being normal. It’s also helped me to start handling him on a good foot and I can see him getting a little bit less scared every time I handle him.
haha yep, thats the hide. when i bought it and i honestly didnt think he was going to use it this much, but its been the only place his gone since ive gotten him. he hasnt even used his other one. i think i might need to modify it, because i was really upset today lol. also i really dont know why i fed him again today, i had the mouse in his tank all day because i thought he wasnt in there and i was using it to lure him. but once i found him i thought maybe i could calm him down by eating.. because after i put the hide back in the tank he was really jumpy and skittery. im new at this, i didnt really know what to do. the thing about the temperature and humidity... i live in california, and currently we are experiencing 95-100+ degree weather. even with the ac on its still quite hot in my room, enough for me to be moderately uncomfortable. the tank i bought came with a heating mat that i stuck on the bottom and it is on and plugged in. he hasnt gone near it, and i can see why. i think its about 85-90 in his tank right now according to the thermometer in the middle of it. humidity, im pretty sure its around 50%, but ill check. hopefully thats good, the last thing i want is a constantly stressed out snake that i can't handle or anything.
 
Old 06-20-2017, 02:24 AM   #4
noraandthenoodle
Quote:
Originally Posted by destinywilder View Post
haha yep, thats the hide. when i bought it and i honestly didnt think he was going to use it this much, but its been the only place his gone since ive gotten him. he hasnt even used his other one. i think i might need to modify it, because i was really upset today lol. also i really dont know why i fed him again today, i had the mouse in his tank all day because i thought he wasnt in there and i was using it to lure him. but once i found him i thought maybe i could calm him down by eating.. because after i put the hide back in the tank he was really jumpy and skittery. im new at this, i didnt really know what to do. the thing about the temperature and humidity... i live in california, and currently we are experiencing 95-100+ degree weather. even with the ac on its still quite hot in my room, enough for me to be moderately uncomfortable. the tank i bought came with a heating mat that i stuck on the bottom and it is on and plugged in. he hasnt gone near it, and i can see why. i think its about 85-90 in his tank right now according to the thermometer in the middle of it. humidity, im pretty sure its around 50%, but ill check. hopefully thats good, the last thing i want is a constantly stressed out snake that i can't handle or anything.
It's a beautiful hide, but I have to say I'm glad I don't have it because there are multiple threads with horror stories! If the temperatures in the tank are that high in the middle of the tank, I'm assuming the hide he likes is probably on the cooler end? Hmmm. I mean I'll admit that I'm new and so I think it'll be good when some more experienced members chime in (and I'll gladly take any advice they give that might help me, too!), but Ekans explores all over both the warm and cool sides of his setup, and has been eating and pooping well, so I'll describe how I have it set up for you

Ekans is a baby and he's in a 20 gallon long tank... I was recommended a 10 until he outgrows it, but instead I just use a TON of hides. They like to hide a lot, so he has a half log (he doesn't use it as a hide but uses it kind of like a highway to get from place to place with some more cover), a commercially sold driftwood climbing branch, a corner water dish, and anywhere from 4-8 cardboard hides made of paper towel rolls, egg cartons (those were his FAVORITE for a while), and other cardboard things that make nice snug little 'caves'. I have my heating pad on the very right side of his cage, and it should only take up about 1/4 to 1/3 of the cage so they can warm up if they need to or cool down if they need to. In my apartment, the cold side of Ekans enclosure runs about 69-72 degrees, which is lower than the 75ish that I often hear for the low end, but I often find him on that side, except after he's eaten and needs to be warmer to digest. I try to keep the other half of the enclosure around 83-86 in his warm hide. If your room is significantly warmer than mine, you might not need his heater at all right now. But, it might be a good idea to plug the heater into an inexpensive thermostat, like the one I have. That way if the temperature is slightly low, or dips at night, it will help regulate it without it being so hot. I can to check what brand it is and find the amazon link for you, if you'd like. You might also want to invest in a temperature/thermometer gun, since it's not the air temperature, but the ground and the area where he's crawling around that the temperature really matters.

Everyone is new at some point, and this might sound like a lot but once you get started and the setup is doing well, it's not as overwhelming as it can sound. It makes sense to use the mouse as a lure, but I think now that you know that he was in that log your best option might be to modify it to avoid scares. Did he actually eat both days? And what do you use for substrate?

Also, once he's settled in a little more, I'd be really interested in seeing pictures and maybe videos of the little guy! I'm going to start a thread for Ekans (who is in the middle of attempting a jail break right now and has managed to wedge himself along the ledge of his cage) to show him off a little bit, and maybe you should consider doing the same for your little friend!
 
Old 06-20-2017, 02:31 AM   #5
destinywilder
Quote:
Originally Posted by noraandthenoodle View Post
It's a beautiful hide, but I have to say I'm glad I don't have it because there are multiple threads with horror stories! If the temperatures in the tank are that high in the middle of the tank, I'm assuming the hide he likes is probably on the cooler end? Hmmm. I mean I'll admit that I'm new and so I think it'll be good when some more experienced members chime in (and I'll gladly take any advice they give that might help me, too!), but Ekans explores all over both the warm and cool sides of his setup, and has been eating and pooping well, so I'll describe how I have it set up for you

Ekans is a baby and he's in a 20 gallon long tank... I was recommended a 10 until he outgrows it, but instead I just use a TON of hides. They like to hide a lot, so he has a half log (he doesn't use it as a hide but uses it kind of like a highway to get from place to place with some more cover), a commercially sold driftwood climbing branch, a corner water dish, and anywhere from 4-8 cardboard hides made of paper towel rolls, egg cartons (those were his FAVORITE for a while), and other cardboard things that make nice snug little 'caves'. I have my heating pad on the very right side of his cage, and it should only take up about 1/4 to 1/3 of the cage so they can warm up if they need to or cool down if they need to. In my apartment, the cold side of Ekans enclosure runs about 69-72 degrees, which is lower than the 75ish that I often hear for the low end, but I often find him on that side, except after he's eaten and needs to be warmer to digest. I try to keep the other half of the enclosure around 83-86 in his warm hide. If your room is significantly warmer than mine, you might not need his heater at all right now. But, it might be a good idea to plug the heater into an inexpensive thermostat, like the one I have. That way if the temperature is slightly low, or dips at night, it will help regulate it without it being so hot. I can to check what brand it is and find the amazon link for you, if you'd like. You might also want to invest in a temperature/thermometer gun, since it's not the air temperature, but the ground and the area where he's crawling around that the temperature really matters.

Everyone is new at some point, and this might sound like a lot but once you get started and the setup is doing well, it's not as overwhelming as it can sound. It makes sense to use the mouse as a lure, but I think now that you know that he was in that log your best option might be to modify it to avoid scares. Did he actually eat both days? And what do you use for substrate?

Also, once he's settled in a little more, I'd be really interested in seeing pictures and maybe videos of the little guy! I'm going to start a thread for Ekans (who is in the middle of attempting a jail break right now and has managed to wedge himself along the ledge of his cage) to show him off a little bit, and maybe you should consider doing the same for your little friend!
wow, thanks for the description of your snakes tank. hopefully it'll help me in my setup when i get a bigger tank (im currently using a 10 gal). m not sure the brand of the heater, because it came with the tank. i'll try to see if i can figure it out though. i will most likely try to get the thermometer gun, because i really dont want him to be too hot. and yes, he ate both days. he shoved down the 2nd mouse pretty fast, too. also, i use aspen shavings. and i have some pictures of him, i just dont know how to post them lol. maybe in the future when he gets a bit larger ill start a thread for him. also, i really want to get that hide out of there but since he just ate i really dont want to disturb him. (hes back in the spot where i though he had gone missing) what should i do? should i wait or try to get him out?
 
Old 06-20-2017, 02:33 AM   #6
destinywilder
oh, and i just unplugged the heater just in case. i might plug it back in later though.
 
Old 06-20-2017, 02:45 AM   #7
noraandthenoodle
Quote:
Originally Posted by destinywilder View Post
wow, thanks for the description of your snakes tank. hopefully it'll help me in my setup when i get a bigger tank (im currently using a 10 gal). m not sure the brand of the heater, because it came with the tank. i'll try to see if i can figure it out though. i will most likely try to get the thermometer gun, because i really dont want him to be too hot. and yes, he ate both days. he shoved down the 2nd mouse pretty fast, too. also, i use aspen shavings. and i have some pictures of him, i just dont know how to post them lol. maybe in the future when he gets a bit larger ill start a thread for him. also, i really want to get that hide out of there but since he just ate i really dont want to disturb him. (hes back in the spot where i though he had gone missing) what should i do? should i wait or try to get him out?
No problem! A 10 gallon will be great for a baby, you'll just want to make sure you have a warm side and a cool side that are in the right temperature ranges. Also, your humidity should be just fine, but you might want to offer him a humid place to hide full of slightly dampened paper towels or sphagnum moss when you think he might shed. Also, aspen is fine, but you might want to feed him outside the enclosure, or give him his mouse in a bowl so that he doesn't wind up eating any bedding. As far as getting him out, I personally think that as long as you know where he is and he got in there easily by himself, he should be okay in there and be able to get out by himself, too. What I would probably do is add more hiding options like toilet paper tubes, and stuff, and then if you spot him outside of the hide, take the log out of his cage. You can then either modify it, or just not use it for him. If he doesn't come out in the next few days, then you might want to browse that thread to see the methods people used to very carefully saw and break off the piece that the snakes have been hiding in.

Do keep an eye out for him checking out the lid for escape routes, though! I just had to go save Ekans from his attempted jail break He managed to wedge himself along the rim of the inside of the lid and was nosing around, and then fell and was dangling from the first quarter of his body and couldn't get himself figured out. After a minute I went and opened it, took out the driftwood that he uses to get up high and check out the lid, and he fell down and was a grump at me He's just fine and my lid was secure enough that I watched him try and fail to get out, but he's lost his climbing ornament privileges for now lol. If you see him climbing the glass, watch where he goes just in case he might lead you to a weak spot :P
 
Old 06-20-2017, 02:55 AM   #8
destinywilder
Quote:
Originally Posted by noraandthenoodle View Post
No problem! A 10 gallon will be great for a baby, you'll just want to make sure you have a warm side and a cool side that are in the right temperature ranges. Also, your humidity should be just fine, but you might want to offer him a humid place to hide full of slightly dampened paper towels or sphagnum moss when you think he might shed. Also, aspen is fine, but you might want to feed him outside the enclosure, or give him his mouse in a bowl so that he doesn't wind up eating any bedding. As far as getting him out, I personally think that as long as you know where he is and he got in there easily by himself, he should be okay in there and be able to get out by himself, too. What I would probably do is add more hiding options like toilet paper tubes, and stuff, and then if you spot him outside of the hide, take the log out of his cage. You can then either modify it, or just not use it for him. If he doesn't come out in the next few days, then you might want to browse that thread to see the methods people used to very carefully saw and break off the piece that the snakes have been hiding in.

Do keep an eye out for him checking out the lid for escape routes, though! I just had to go save Ekans from his attempted jail break He managed to wedge himself along the rim of the inside of the lid and was nosing around, and then fell and was dangling from the first quarter of his body and couldn't get himself figured out. After a minute I went and opened it, took out the driftwood that he uses to get up high and check out the lid, and he fell down and was a grump at me He's just fine and my lid was secure enough that I watched him try and fail to get out, but he's lost his climbing ornament privileges for now lol. If you see him climbing the glass, watch where he goes just in case he might lead you to a weak spot :P

sounds like you have a pretty sneaky snake, lol.. mine hasnt tried too hard to get out, just a couple of noses to the lid but nothing much. i have a heavy book on top of the lid just in case he decides to try and make a break for it. i think im going to leave him in there for a few days, but ill check up on him periodically to see if hes going to come out. i saw on that thread that the hole is sort of sharp, im worrying he'll cut himself accidentally thanks for all the advice you've given me, its really calmed my nerves haha.
 
Old 06-20-2017, 03:06 AM   #9
noraandthenoodle
Quote:
Originally Posted by destinywilder View Post
sounds like you have a pretty sneaky snake, lol.. mine hasnt tried too hard to get out, just a couple of noses to the lid but nothing much. i have a heavy book on top of the lid just in case he decides to try and make a break for it. i think im going to leave him in there for a few days, but ill check up on him periodically to see if hes going to come out. i saw on that thread that the hole is sort of sharp, im worrying he'll cut himself accidentally thanks for all the advice you've given me, its really calmed my nerves haha.
He's certainly trying to be! I have a lid that latches, and it's making me feel a lot better about his chances of succeeding lol. There are also lid clamps you can buy, if you think you might need them. And yeah... That is definitely a worry... But he got himself in there unharmed, as far as we can tell! I'm glad I can help you feel better, though. I spent a lot of time panicking my first few days and now that Ekans is eating and pooping and seems happy (aside from thinking the grass is greener on the other side) and healthy I've calmed down a lot. Everyone I've interacted with around here has been very helpful, and it definitely helps with the nerves to feel that there's a support system! How on earth did people get by before the internet... :P
 
Old 06-20-2017, 03:14 AM   #10
destinywilder
Quote:
Originally Posted by noraandthenoodle View Post
He's certainly trying to be! I have a lid that latches, and it's making me feel a lot better about his chances of succeeding lol. There are also lid clamps you can buy, if you think you might need them. And yeah... That is definitely a worry... But he got himself in there unharmed, as far as we can tell! I'm glad I can help you feel better, though. I spent a lot of time panicking my first few days and now that Ekans is eating and pooping and seems happy (aside from thinking the grass is greener on the other side) and healthy I've calmed down a lot. Everyone I've interacted with around here has been very helpful, and it definitely helps with the nerves to feel that there's a support system! How on earth did people get by before the internet... :P


yeah, i've found answers to almost any question. its really reassuring. i'll look into lid clamps for sure. thanks again for your help, and goodnight!

also, here are some pics of my little noodle.








 

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