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Baby Corn Handling Help?

Zero

New member
On Thursday last week I bought my first corn snake, an anerythristic hatchling with black and silver markings (he's very pretty). He's very flighty at the moment and has been a little aggressive. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to hold him much as he was fed the day I bought him, pooped two days later, then I was away for a couple days and he's just finished shedding today. He's due his next feed tomorrow and is probably feeling relatively hungry so should I wait until I've fed him and he's pooped before I try to handle him again? Thanks :) :eatpointe
 
Welcome to the forum and congrats on your snake. You can open a thread in the introductions forum and show off your baby :)

It seems events have forced the acclimation time for you. You should definitely wait for poop before handling again. If you really can't wait any more, maybe you could do some 5 mins handling before feeding, leave him relax for a couple of hours as he might not eat due to stress, and then feed and wait for the poop.
 
Welcome to the forum and congrats on your snake. You can open a thread in the introductions forum and show off your baby :)

It seems events have forced the acclimation time for you. You should definitely wait for poop before handling again. If you really can't wait any more, maybe you could do some 5 mins handling before feeding, leave him relax for a couple of hours as he might not eat due to stress, and then feed and wait for the poop.
Thank you, I really appreciate it :) I wanna hold him so badly aha, but I'm also wary of stressing him out and putting him off my food so I just want to do what's best for him
 
I would feed him and make sure he accepts the first meal and then letting him like 3 days in perfect peace ... just sometimes open the viv and mess around with substrate, water bowl etc to let him know there's usually some "traffic" though not directly involved with him :)

I was super scared before handling my first little baby too, but he's awesome little critter. Also had to wait cause he was in deep blue when I got him and then I fed him ... currently 3 days after feeding and no regurge, so guess all that patience paid off :) will leave him tomorrow too and then try my luck again. :)

It's so irresistible to handle them, but waiting really pays off :)
 
I think you have the right idea - and I'm sorry that circumstances are making you wait! I try to wait until after pooping before handling. I'd suggest short handling sessions since babies are notoriously flighty and I would not want to add too much stress. Your snake will acclimate to handling over time and be more calm, generally speaking.
 
Baby Corn snakes are eaten in the wild by Owls, Raccoons, other Snakes, Eagles and Hawks etc....

Most predators jump down or swoop down on the small snakes and pin them down.

So when your baby corn snake sees you, A big scary creature, reaching down on top of him, he's trying to "Not get Eaten." He wants to escape because he's scared of you.

It will take a while for your snake to learn that you mean him no harm. He will learn eventually what you look like and smell like and understand that you are ok. But until he figures it out, he's just trying to stay alive.

In the mean time, rather than coming down on top of him, try slowly bringing your hand(s) up to his side. Gently rub his side for a minute to let him know you're there. Then try to slide your hands under him and lift him up.
 
Thank you so much everyone, I got him out today to feed him and he was in his toilet roll tube so I let him come onto me as opposed to trying to shake him out. When he finally came out, he got onto the floor and there was a minor panic as I scooped him quickly up, and there were a couple minutes of frantic slithering on his part and hasty hand swap overs on mine, but he calmed down and just explored me for a minute or two and then I put him into his feeding box when he was calm and after a couple of minutes he gladly accepted his pinkie, and now he's back in his tank sleeping. So I'm quite chuffed that on the most part it was a success!
 
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