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06-13-2018, 01:21 AM
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#1
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I'm in (not desperate, but some) need of help. We adopted a 2 y/o (36") corn snake (on 6/3/18, and all of his "stuff") from a family who felt they were "neglecting" it. He'd been great until Saturday (6/9/18). That evening -- it was a Saturday, and we were to feed him on Sunday (the next day), and he bit my son. We had been handing Steve-the-snake, and he seemed to be fine. (His previous owners said their main problem was that they fed him in his tank and that was the only time he "saw" them. He had gotten "bitey" whenever they put their hands in his tank.) That first day (S, 6/3) that we got him, we left him alone for just over 24 hours. The next few days we handled him and he seemed to love it. He was all over us; cuddling, slithering, etc. This past Thursday (6/7/18) he rattled his tail a bit, so we left him alone. Saturday (6/9/18) he was out of his hide, looking at the screen at the top of his tank, so I opened the top. He seemed interested so I used a hook to pick him up. He did his usual happy slithering, and then left my arm for my son's. In just a moment, he "clamped onto" my son's forearm. It startled my son more than anything -- we're on our 2nd cat (in 22 years) and her teeth as a kitten, hurt more than Steve's. Here's the biggest issue: yesterday morning I saw fang marks on the top/edge of Steve's hide. It looks like he gnawed at/bit into it a couple of times. We really like this new guy, and we want him to like us too. I've shared/posted/etc. the above info and haven't gotten any tips/thoughts back. Any ideas? Thank you for reading... AlexLou
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06-13-2018, 05:41 AM
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#2
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Anything with a mouth can bite.
The primary reasons a Corn snake will bite are, 1). It's hungry, or 2). It's trying to defend itself. There is no way to tell why your snake bit your son, but it probably comes down to one of those reasons.
The fact that the previous owners did not handle much could play a part. The snake may just be scared of you. They have to get to know you. Was your son playing with the cat before he handled the snake? You have to remember, snake's have a really good sense of taste and smell, and if you look like a human, but smell like a rodent, a dog, a cat, a hawk (or whatever), you may end up getting bit.
They rattle their tails (as all snakes do) to show fear, or anxiety.
If they are about to shed, they may not feel well and some snakes can be a bit "Bitey" during this process, (but this is considered also as part of reason #2 above.)
A lot of folks feed their snakes in the enclosures with no ill effects. Some folks have reported problems. I personally do not feed in the enclosure. I take my snake out and place him in a feeding bin. "He Knows" what that feeding bin is. When I place him in there his whole attitude changes and he starts looking for food. He knows he's about to eat. And so, if that's the case, and your previous owners only put their hands into the cage to feed him, then won't he associate your hands in his cage as food? (He might). Snakes are not stupid and are capable of learning and remembering things.
One more thing to consider is proper temps, as a snake can be uncomfortable and become "Bitey" in uncomfortable situations. There should be a minimum of 2 hides in his enclosure, 1 on the warm side and 1 on the cool. The cool side temp is ok to be room temperature so long as it does not drop below 70. (74 would be better). The warm side should be 82 to 86 (I keep mine at 85) and that temp should be the actual temp "inside of the Hide."
And lastly, Corn snakes don't have fangs. Those marks you see may be teeth marks, but I have no idea why a corn snake would be chewing on its hide box. I'm curious, what is the Hide made of?
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06-13-2018, 06:06 AM
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#3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexLou
I'm in (not desperate, but some) need of help. We adopted a 2 y/o (36") corn snake (on 6/3/18, and all of his "stuff") from a family who felt they were "neglecting" it. He'd been great until Saturday (6/9/18). That evening -- it was a Saturday, and we were to feed him on Sunday (the next day), and he bit my son. We had been handing Steve-the-snake, and he seemed to be fine. (His previous owners said their main problem was that they fed him in his tank and that was the only time he "saw" them. He had gotten "bitey" whenever they put their hands in his tank.) That first day (S, 6/3) that we got him, we left him alone for just over 24 hours. The next few days we handled him and he seemed to love it. He was all over us; cuddling, slithering, etc. This past Thursday (6/7/18) he rattled his tail a bit, so we left him alone. Saturday (6/9/18) he was out of his hide, looking at the screen at the top of his tank, so I opened the top. He seemed interested so I used a hook to pick him up. He did his usual happy slithering, and then left my arm for my son's. In just a moment, he "clamped onto" my son's forearm. It startled my son more than anything -- we're on our 2nd cat (in 22 years) and her teeth as a kitten, hurt more than Steve's. Here's the biggest issue: yesterday morning I saw fang marks on the top/edge of Steve's hide. It looks like he gnawed at/bit into it a couple of times. We really like this new guy, and we want him to like us too. I've shared/posted/etc. the above info and haven't gotten any tips/thoughts back. Any ideas? Thank you for reading... AlexLou
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Hi the only thing I can add try feeding him out of the cage
I’ve got a feeding box
I never feed them in the cage
Because they might think your hand is food
Good luck with him I’m sure things will improve in time
Pat
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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06-13-2018, 07:36 AM
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#4
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That sounds like a hunger bite to me. I have no idea what happened with the hide! I'd have your son wash well before handling him, so there isn't anything enticing. Snakes rattle all the time. It has a lot of meanings- mostly just you startled me.
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06-13-2018, 09:17 AM
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#5
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I am in no way an expert, but I am a rescuer of unfortunate Corns. I still have my Sterling, who was a pet store return/rescue. When I got him I was told he was incredibly tank aggressive. It turns out, the back story was he was a 5 year olds pet...I'd be tank aggressive too. Since I got him he has been handled daily, for the last 2 months, and still has his "eat Mom" moments. As others have said, scent has a big factor, especially if I have pet or handled my cats. I have seen him multiple times, even right after eating latch onto the plastic leaves and the hide in his tank. No idea why, but he does. As long as yours is not injuring itself, I say let them nibble. Good Luck!
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06-15-2018, 09:41 PM
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#6
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Unfortunately, I haven't the experience to share however, this is the right place to go with questions. Be patient and I'll bet it'll work out for you
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06-15-2018, 11:01 PM
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#7
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Thanks everyone. I do think he got a little bitey because he was hungry. Today, he "mouthed" my daughter once (opened his mouth, and just laid it on her arm) -- almost like, "put me back in the tank. I'm grumpy and hungry." He'll be fed the day after tomorrow. (We do feed him a separate tank, leave him alone for several hours, and then let him slither back into his "home" tank.) I really appreciate everyone's idea. I hope I'm posting this in the right place...
Alexandra
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06-15-2018, 11:34 PM
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#8
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Hi Karl. Thank you so very much for all of your ideas. In advance, from further reading, I think it was a hunger "strike." (If you're going to request "another", I thought I could throw that in there ![Smilie](images/smilies/smile.gif) .) We do have dog (ancient, Lab) and a cat (6-ish, thinks she's a dog), and it could very well be that my son was with one of them right before handling Steve. I have read up on the "rattle." (So I do thank you for that point as well.) On the advice of a clerk (who really did seem reptile-knowledgeable) at a big pet store, we got him a feeding tank. While we've only fed him once (and that one time was in the feeding tank) it seemed to work very well. Living with us, he has become used to the snake "hook" coming in, scooping him up, and then being handled by warm hands. He really is a nice guy (unsexed). Lastly, (more or less), I think the tank temp and humidity are fine -- from what I understand. His tank is 20 gal, 30" x 12" x 12". He has two hides (that came with the set from the previous owners) that look like hollowed out logs then cut in half. We were given a third (and unused) one by the first owners, but the tank seems a bit tight for hide #3. He also the bowl and "plant/ivy" that came with him. I so appreciate all of your thoughts, feel free to keep them coming. I'm new with snakes, but I really like them. Thanks again, Alexandra & Co. (daughter 14, son 11, and husband who is NOT a snake fan, but IS a really good sport) Kai, yellow lab(15-ish), Hip-hop, cat (6-ish), and Steve-the-snake (2).
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06-16-2018, 04:14 AM
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#9
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As mentioned, snakes bite for a number of reasons, the two primary are hunger and defense. Hunger strikes usually entail holding on, and sometimes the snake "wraps" your hand/arm. I've only received those when the snake misses the rodent I have on the tongs and gets my hand, or if I had been handling a rodent and they smell it.
They can get "cranky" if temps are off, and sometimes they're just cranky in general. Some morphs can be known for being more cranky than others.
Feeding inside/outside of the enclosure is up to you, whichever works best for you. They don't get "cage aggressive", but rather can associate you opening the cage with feeding time, if that is the only time you open the cage.
I feed all of mine in their enclosures, and have no problems.
They're not social like dogs and cats, they are solitary creatures. Regular handling can get them used to being held, but they're ok if you don't handle them often.
I don't handle mine just to handle them, it's usually when I clean enclosures, weighing snakes, etc that I handle mine.
If you don't already, make sure you have a thermostat (not just thermometer) to monitor/control the temps in the enclosure. It is the only/best way to make sure the temps stay consistent, and in a safe range for your snake.
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