How long before your snake came out of hiding?

I know I need to learn patience and that snakes are most active at night, but am curious as to how long it took your snake before it starting coming out of hiding and would slither to you to be picked up?

I have had Hunter for 6 days. The first 24hrs, he was nervous. Now, after we mess up the aspen and find him, we can pick him up without him being flighty.
The only time I have seen him moving around above the bedding was the first 24hrs after we fed him. He would chill on the heated side, then move to the middle. Other then that one time. I never see him unless he is balled up in his hide. Does it have to be quiet for them to start roaming at night? I have stayed up until 2am before and nothing.

If we happen to see him, this is what we see:

I have only had hope for 8 days, so I'm not an expert. Sometimes she comes out, sometimes she doesn't. She will not allow me to pick her up yet. Last night I tried to put her in the container she came in so I could clean her viv. I got bit about 10 times in just a few seconds. She is still very flighty.

He's just a baby. And 6 days is very short time. Give him 2 weeks then handle him a short time and you can gradually increase the time you hold him. It takes time for them to realize that they don't have to be afraid of you. By a short time I mean like 5 minutes a couple days then 10 minutes. Wait 48 hrs after feeding while still so little.

As for the biter. That will get better with time too. When you pick him up do it more toward the tail end than the head. Wait till he stops biting you then put him back. You can use light gloves so the bites don't make you flinch.


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I've had my baby corn snake for almost a month. From what I've been told, he really shouldn't be handled for a week or two while settling in unless it's necessary for something like cage cleaning or if you have a health concern. Also no handling for 48 hours after feeding to prevent regurgitation. This seems to have been good advice, at least when it comes to my Ekans. He still doesn't like being picked up and maybe he never will, but he's calmed down a lot when I do handle him. I would also suggest giving your guy more hides! He probably still feels pretty exposed under that big log, and a couple of toilet paper tubes might help him come out more if he feels like he has more snug places to get away. I have 8 hides made of egg cartons, paper towel tubes and various cardboard, a log like you have, and a bowl of substrate for burrowing because I use reptile carpet in his enclosure. I’m probably going to get him climbing vines soon because when I take him out I’m often on skype with family or friends, and he loves to climb my headset cord and all over my mic! Snakes don’t think the way we do of course, but I know that if I lived in a house in the middle of nowhere and food was delivered to me, I would never leave. But if my house was in the middle of coffee shops and parks and places to eat and shop and hang out, I would be a lot more adventurous! The more hides he has to explore, the more likely you are to see him moving around. I’ve noticed that this makes a HUGE difference with Ekans; if there’s something new in his enclosure, as soon as he thinks I’m gone he has to come out and explore it and climb on it and inside it and it’s great fun to watch.

He'd have more confidence to travel about his viv if there was more cover. If you put in several paper towel tubes, squashed, and some vines stuck to the walls, and along the ground, he would feel like he could come out and explore.

My boy was older (much older... 9) when we got him, so he had already supposedly been taught not to fear people. I believe he was a bit neglected, not out right abused/hurt, just not wanted. So I'm not sure outside of the petshop and my partner and I how much he's been handled.
The first night we put him in his viv, his viv was rather empty for a corn snake, and I've got to admit that probably made him a little nervous. But as soon as we put in the extra hides, vines, toilet roll holders, kitchen roll holders, and cardboard boxes he really came out of his shell and started exploring. I waited a couple days, maybe 48 hours before I actively put my hand in his viv with the intent of taking him out to handle, before that I just hand my hand in his viv, moving around touching his hides water bowl etc to let him get used to my scent and my hand moving around in his space. Last night, I had Alfie out of his viv for cuddles and when I put him back in I left my partner watching Alfie as I had the viv door open while I went to freshen his water and I came back and Alfie slithered over and popped his head out the viv door as if to see what was going on. I feel like he's realised that we're not going to hurt him, that he's safe. I know everyone likes to think their pets know they're loved, but I'm just happy if Alfie doesn't see us as a threat right now. We've had him a week and 3 days.

I don't see my little guy out wandering much. His viv is pretty basic though. I have caught him up and around the lid looking for a way out when I've walked past in the middle of the night.

Pretty certain we're fixing to find a shed in there soon, so I haven't seen him at all the past two days.

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Originally Posted by noraandthenoodle

I've had my baby corn snake for almost a month. From what I've been told, he really shouldn't be handled for a week or two while settling in unless it's necessary for something like cage cleaning or if you have a health concern. Also no handling for 48 hours after feeding to prevent regurgitation. This seems to have been good advice, at least when it comes to my Ekans. He still doesn't like being picked up and maybe he never will, but he's calmed down a lot when I do handle him. I would also suggest giving your guy more hides! He probably still feels pretty exposed under that big log, and a couple of toilet paper tubes might help him come out more if he feels like he has more snug places to get away. I have 8 hides made of egg cartons, paper towel tubes and various cardboard, a log like you have, and a bowl of substrate for burrowing because I use reptile carpet in his enclosure. I’m probably going to get him climbing vines soon because when I take him out I’m often on skype with family or friends, and he loves to climb my headset cord and all over my mic! Snakes don’t think the way we do of course, but I know that if I lived in a house in the middle of nowhere and food was delivered to me, I would never leave. But if my house was in the middle of coffee shops and parks and places to eat and shop and hang out, I would be a lot more adventurous! The more hides he has to explore, the more likely you are to see him moving around. I’ve noticed that this makes a HUGE difference with Ekans; if there’s something new in his enclosure, as soon as he thinks I’m gone he has to come out and explore it and climb on it and inside it and it’s great fun to watch.

Originally Posted by Nanci

He'd have more confidence to travel about his viv if there was more cover. If you put in several paper towel tubes, squashed, and some vines stuck to the walls, and along the ground, he would feel like he could come out and explore.

Thank you for the ideas guys!!! All the poor guy has is water dish and the log. Even though he is roughly 16in long, he does look rather tiny in the 40gal viv that I have him in. Since it is summer break here, I will rob the TP rolls and Paper towel rolls that I save for a friend of mine, (Kindergarten teacher)

should I place them here and there so to speak? warm side? cold side? The log is in between and if he is burrowed under the aspen, it is usually in the middle as well.

he should have places to hide on both the warm and cool sides. And the more places the better.

You're welcome! Glad to be able to help. I have multiple hides on both sides of Ekans enclosure. It does make it a little difficult if I have to find him and go through 8-10 hides but it makes me glad to see him using them all! The nicest thing about using squashed TP tubes is that you don't have to wash them, just toss em if he poos on them. As long as it's not something he can get cut on or squished by, feel free to experiment with different things he could use as hides! I'm slowly collecting decorative things for Ekans for when he's bigger but if he uses the cheap homemade stuff I don't need to spend a bunch of money decorating until he grows out of them :P