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Suddenly spooked by handling??

hprice93

hprice93

New member
I don't know if spooked would be the right term but my corn snake hatchling about 4 months old now, has all of a sudden become very scared of being picked up.


He doesn't show major signs of aggression he lives his head up at your hand then effectively runs off, (best terms I can put it in) and I have to just pick him up as quick as I can as he tries to run.

I handle him most days, when he's fed he gets 3 days, then he's handle every day other then that and he's only been acting this say in the last few days.

Am I over handling him?? Any reason this behaviour may have started??

When I pick him up I aim to just slide my hand under him and pick him up, this was fine untill recently when I pit my hand in to pick him up he raises his head to it and then as I move my hand closer runs off lol, never gone to strike at me tho just runs away.

I don't want to make him worse but picking him up quickly, but I also don't want to leave him to get away with not being handle and then get aggressive but I also don't want to turn him aggressive by upsetting him lol





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XenDrgn said:
probably going into shed. when they are close to going into blue they get flighty
Click to expand...
He had just finished a shed about 2 days before this behaviour Started and both eye caps come off correctly

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He might still be feeling a bit vulnerable after his shed.
Are all temps okay? That can also make them nervous.
Have you fed him since he shed? He could just be hungry if you haven't yet.

If all that's okay then I'd say he's probably just been spooked and to continue handling as you normally would. Be confident when going to pick him and keep at it. Sometimes hatchlings just decide they don't want to be picked up! Good luck [emoji4]


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baby snakes in the wild are attacked from above by predators. Some snakes may view a big human hand coming at them as an animal trying to eat them. You might try approaching the snake from the side, making sure you don't surprise him letting him know you are there, and then pick him up in that manner.

Also if you hesitate or express fear or anxiety in your approach to him, he can sense that, and if he squirms and you release him, then you are in fact training him to squirm because he gets the result from you that he wants. You should be deliberate, and go ahead and hold him even if he squirms or tries to get away. Just like teaching a dog to do tricks, you also have to train a snake to some degree.
 
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