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15 month old Snow Corn

NH93

New member
Hey!
This is Sydney; I just brought her home today :)

First time snake owner - super excited! She was very aggressive when I bought her, striking several times at the previous handler (got her from another breeder, had her in a reptile store but closing in order to breed snakes apparently).
Funniest thing, the guy kept telling me she'd bite me lots and maybe even poop on me... since I've had her home I've handled her three times, and not once has she tried to bite/strike, coiled, rattled her tail, or any other defensive act that she did at the reptile shop! She has actually been very sweet, as far as snakes go, by allowing my partner and I to handle her and whatnot.
 

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Welcome! She is very pretty. I brought my first snake home almost exactly 1 year ago. It is still exciting!

I was at a pet store recently and asked to hold a kingsnake about the size of Sydney. It was striking and biting him (he was wearing gloves) but when I took it, it was fine and acting just like my snakes at home. I loved it! I figured I would be bitten, too, but I was okay with that if it happened.
 
Aww such a cutie! Pet stores are often too stressful or have inadequately set up enclosures which can make them defensive. I personally think they can tell when the person handling them is nervous. Some of my co-workers swear our snakes are "jerks" but they all do fine when I handle them :)

Glad to hear yours is doing well and I love that last pic, you both look so happy.
 
Oh she is adorable. My first corn snake was a snow. I am glad she is in a good home now. She sounds like she was very unhappy where she was.
 
Must be first timer luck ;), j/k. It is amazing how a change in scenery and/or a new home set-up can really make the difference for these guys. So long as you allow it to get acclimated and it is feeding well I think you are going to do a great job with it.

Almost got a snow for my first cornsnake, but my wife and son liked the Anerys better. Love the color, especially the subtle yellow on the underside of her head. She's a keeper.
 
Thanks everyone!

I don't think the reptile shop was necessarily "bad", but definitely not a forever home... especially being there for over a year, it must have been stressful for her.

Syd was taken out to "play" for about a half hour yesterday, and she didn't get upset or squeemish but I put her back in her vive anyway. Since then, she hasn't come out. She has moved from hiding spot to hiding spot, so I won't touch her until tomorrow when I feed her for the first time (which will be interesting!).
 
I'm already looking at other snakes... I can definitely see how snake keeping can be addicting!
I won't get anymore for the time being, though. I need to get on with caring for one, first! Maybe in a couple of years I will try another as well ;)
 
Update:

Sydney has decided to upgraded from a bracelet to a necklace - all on her own.
 

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Haha, cool pics NH. And just so you know, no chance you can go a year if you're already contemplating. I give you six months... tops, lol.
 
Haha, maybe!

Those pictures were from a few days ago...
but today was different. I'm a little discouraged, after today's behaviour.
I know corns have good and bad days like everyone, but today she was really quite rude (if you will). I checked to see if she had pooped in one of her hides (she has been in the same hide for 2 days, curled around a piece of my sock). No poop, but I had already disturbed her so I wanted to take her out. She bit me for the first time, a couple times, but I got her out (it actually drew blood which was surprising, but didn't hurt).
Once out, she was very hesitant, unlike the other times she's been out. She curled around my hand tightly for a bit, then started to check my arm out like normal, then when I passed her over to my partner she bit him! I think he moved a little quick and scared her, but she kept trying to get back to me (like reach to me, not the ground we were sitting on, but my arm). Once back on my arm, she curled around really tight and just kept looking at him.
I put her in a container to weigh her, and she instantly got into a defensive curl.
I must have really pissed her off...

I'm worried that, because her previous owner didn't say anything about it, and because I didn't read about it beforehand, I may have handled or fed her too quickly after getting her.

Here's some more info:

Got her last Tuesday, she pooped on the way home - 5 days after feeding. Successfully fed her one fuzzy on Thursday morning (as per normal feeding schedule by the advice of her previous owner). Took her out Saturday night, and again Monday (today - being aggressive). Still hasn't pooped.

Her cool temps are: 72-75F (72F at night)
Warm temps: 84-87F
15 gal tank, 4 hides (two on each side), med. size water dish, two plants, one faux branch aspen shavings, 45% humidity.

She is 24-27" long, ~73g (is this underweight? Also my scale could be 5 grams off either way, it was cheap).

I don't think she's about to shed, her last shed was 3-4 weeks ago (approx). No blue eyes, can't tell if she's dull skin because of her colouring.

I was warned that she is cage-defensive but... what should I do?

Any advice/suggestions/comments/the like would be MUCH appreciated... :(
I know I shouldn't be too upset, she is a snake and maybe doesn't know any different... but I am kind of sad (offended?) that she was so unhappy. I just feel awful.

Thanks...
 
Most people recommend waiting 7 days before the first feeding and then waiting another 2 days for digestion before handling. If you want, you can give her a week with no handling just to let her calm down a bit before trying again. I'm sure some of the more experienced owners on here will be able to give you some more detailed info.
 
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