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So feisty at first but then settles, input?

I think I get the picture. I appreciate the comic book artistry :)

When holding him firmly but gently, it is ok to hold them so they can not slide? If I grab him from near the end of the body, how far up can I go with my other hand? Should I hold this grip until the initial frantic struggle is over?
 
No ... don't hold the snake so that it can't move. That will only cause it to freak out more in my experience (which is limited). Just try and keep up with the animal and wait for him to calm down. If you think you are going to have trouble keeping up and that you might drop him hold him over the tank until he calms down. That way if he falls it's not that far and he will land on soft substrate.

My corn loves to try and dart away frantically for like 5 to 15 seconds after we pick him up ... sometimes. He has been a part of the family for 9 months now. Admittedly, we probably haven't handled him as much as we should but the "frantic" days are few. Usually we can move his hide to expose him and just either scoop him up or grab him about 1/2 to 2/3 the way down his length and he is just fine with it.:cool:

As the others have said ... give it some time. Remember, he has to learn how to handle you too. ;)
 
Thanks for comforting me guys!

I was watching him roam his tank last night and this guy can undoubtedly jump right out of there once the lid is off so my difficulty becomes more the chance of escape when i don't restrain him enough.

Seeing as his bites are not dangerous at the moment, if I do allow him to strike at me, will this make him more likely to strike in the future or possibly let him realize I am ok now and help him calm down?
 
IMO the biggest thing here would be confidence. If you reach in with hesitation (pull back several times before actually picking him up) he will pick up on this and become nervous and scared himself. That will cause him to want to strike more.

The willingness to strike should calm down or go away completely with repeated handling as he will get used to you and realize you aren't going to eat him. Let him do what he wants and if he does strike while you have him out don't put him back right away. Snakes can't be trained like dogs, etc. but they will associate a bite with going back home. The same goes for picking him up. If he strikes at you while you are reaching for him go ahead and pick him up anyway. This assumes he is not acting super stressed and really does need to be left alone. Try to read his moods as best you can and choose whether to handle him or let him be from there. :)

Guy A Rankin IV
 
yup- and remember, if he starts to poop on you, just clean up and keep him with you- that also will become a defense if he thinks it will work to put him back in his tank :)
 
A small snake hook is a great tool if you have a bitey/flighty snake and an encloure that opens from the top. It eliminates the sight of a giant hand coming down from above, which is definitely a defensive trigger.

I started doing this when working with hatchling Love line Okeetees, which are the most nippy corn snakes I've dealt with. Just gently hook about midbody and bring your other hand around to suppot the back end as you lift the snake out. Then put the hook down and bring your other hand up to support. This way both grabs are from below.

This method will get you past the bitey stage quickly and painlessly. It's also great if you ever get the rare, intractible corn. It's easier and less stressful than grabbing it with gloved hands.

You can unbend a wire hanger to jury rig a free hook, then buy an inexpensive telescoping model if it works for you....

Scott
 
Great advice. I have seen a lot of opinions from opposite ends on the use of a hook.

I am not afraid of being bit (any more than the natural reflex of jumpiness from a fast strike) but do not want it to be a regular thing that happens when I reach to get him out. I'm sure I will not appreciate the bites from a full grown corn on a regular basis. My only fear right now is of him escaping as he jumps from me and the messures I will have to go through to get him back.

I will give him another 2 days before I try to handle him since I fed him Tuesday night. I will be sure and update you that helped on my progress!
 
a hook may just work for you then- if your prone to jumping from a bite, it will only make things worse, and if your worried of escape. i would suggest looking up some videos on propperly hooking a snake and examin if your guy will handle that well or not.
the key is observation and persistance.
 
StarpphireEnigma said:
a hook may just work for you then- if your prone to jumping from a bite, it will only make things worse.
Click to expand...

How?

I've been giving/using this advise for years and have never heard anyone report that a hook will somehow make a bite worse. My experience is that any reasonably handleable snake will almost never bite when gently lifted with a hook.

If you reread my post I recommended using it just to lift the snake out. There is no greater risk of escape. In fact, if you're likely to jump when bitten, I would argue that the extra calmness and control afforded by the hook will make escape less likely.

There is no huge learning curve to hooking small colubrids. Most don't even react to them. just gently pick it up mid body and follow up with your off hand as you lift it out. It's a world apart from clamping down on a hot snake or working with a giant python.
 
@ScottyK, I believe he meant that you had a good idea and that the hook would be preferable to reaching in with your hand if you were scared of a bite and that THAT would make it worse ... not the hook.:shrugs: I agree with you as well and suggest that the OP try your idea until they become comfortable and confident handling the animal. :)

I, personally, have never used a hook and before I did I would research the technique before trying it. I can, however, see how it isn't really rocket science I just like to know before I go. :)
 
grankin01 said:
@ScottyK, I believe he meant that you had a good idea and that the hook would be preferable to reaching in with your hand if you were scared of a bite and that THAT would make it worse ... not the hook.:shrugs: I agree with you as well and suggest that the OP try your idea until they become comfortable and confident handling the animal. :)
Click to expand...

Understood, and I just want to be clear. I'm offering the suggestion as one way that seasoned snake keepers deal with a specific behavioral issue, not as a way to pick them up until new keepers are more confident. The idea is to use the hook until the "snake" gets more comfortable being handled

I have kept and am very experienced with handling difficult snakes. I don't now, nor did I ever use a hook as a substitute for learning. It's merely a tool that works in certain situations. Hooks can work almost miraculously with nervous corns. The change can be dramatic. They just don't recognize the slender hook as a threat. It usually completely defuses the initial defensive reaction. This usually results in the subject settling down much more quickly...
 
I agree and also didn't really explain myself too well either.:uhoh: Along with the human element of nervousness I took for granted that it was understood the snake would benefit from less stress as well (I know better than that ... take NOTHING for granted). The less stress the animal endures the faster it will settle down into a chill life.

Out of my three the milk snake is the one that tries to race away the most but it only lasts for a few seconds. She does, however, make the corn snake look like he moves in slow motion. I have yet to run into a "difficult" animal and welcome the challenge and learning experience. :D
 
Understood x 2 :cheers:

Sooner or later you'll run into a difficult one. Hopefully you'll try my suggestion as it will make your life much easier. Especially if it's something like a Bull or Pine snake that can give you a good hard bite...

I love milks too, and also find them more prone to run away, which is a good thing. Those Love Okeetees threw me for a loop though. My wife renamed one female Satan it was so bad. It would assume the S position if you got within five feet of it's enclosure!
 
:laugh01: Aptly named

Orion has rattled against the side of the butter dish we feed him in once. I think this was his way of telling me to leave his food alone though. :eats02:
 
sorry, i ment a hook would be better than him reaching in with his hands and pulling back from a bite- sorry for the missunderstanding :)
 
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