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Baby Corn Worries

B

Bear2123

New member
Just recently got my Corn, (Friday), and Monday was his feeding day. The pet store informed me that, they would put a pinky in a seperate cage and then put the corn in and allow him to find the food on his own time. When i attempted this myself, he got into his "S" shape and seemed to want to strike, figuring he was only hungry, and since he's in a strange new place. I decided to put a pinky on a newspaper and lay it over the bedding (wood chips). Now i know this isn't super safe since he could accidently get some wood chips in his mouth. But to my satisfaction he didn't move anywhere off the newspaper. I honestly prefer not to feed him like this, but i'm a new corn owner, and he's just a baby, and i honestly don't wanna clash with him yet.

Guess my questions / comments are; I know what i did was wrong, but is it still an ok suggestion for the first / second time?

How does everyone go about moving their corn back into the viv after feeding? I'm still a bit uneasy holding him while he is full of food, trying to move him back home. Should i let him lay in the feeder tank for a bit to let it digest, and should I add some items so he can re hide?

Any and all comments / suggestions are welcome. Only way to be a good owner is to make mistakes. Thanks.
 
I feed everyone in their own tank. But then again, I don't know of anyone who WANTS to mess with a 25lb boa while still in feeding mode. LOL. What you did for your snake sounds fine. You covered the substrate with the newspaper to avoid possible ingestion and impaction. Kudos to you for using your head!
 
Am i ok feeding him like this from now on or should i look into something different?

Just a thought i had, i think i may do turf for him, easy clean up, and don't have to worry about ingestion, but he likes to burrow i'd hate to have to take that way from him.
 
Bear2123 said:
Am i ok feeding him like this from now on or should i look into something different?

Just a thought i had, i think i may do turf for him, easy clean up, and don't have to worry about ingestion, but he likes to burrow i'd hate to have to take that way from him.
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I'd say you're going to be okay doing it like this. Eventually, he will learn that dinner is on the newspaper, and when you even start to get it out, he'll start watching the paper, because he now associates it with food. I know that there are quite a few other people on here who prefer feeding in separate bins, but I find it works just as well if I do it in their own tank. That way, I don't have the stress of moving them back and forth.
 
I feed all my snakes in feeding containers. You don't have to worry about the short period of time it takes to gently pick the snake up and replace it in its viv after feeding. Or you can carefully slide it out of the feeding container right into its viv. You can move the snake as soon as the meal reaches the stomach and stops moving. This is roughly one third to halfway down the snake.

If the baby wants to bite you, he's going to get you eventually, unless you just never handle him. You may as well get it over with. It doesn't hurt at all- it feels like you touched Velcro. You just have to be careful you don't fling the snake because it startles you.

The first week after you acquire a new snake is typically used to settle it in with no handling. I would recommend not handling your snake again until the next feeding day.
 
Well, i got him Friday and i had him out saturday :cry: but he seemed really happy, slithering around my arm, and even just relaxing in my hand. This was before i knew to leave them alone till they're settled in, which makes sense. Guess i was just trying to get him started off on the right path, but this needs to be done.

Thanks for the info. Guess the lil guy will have to wait till next Wednesday for some TLC.:sobstory:

Thanks.
 
I was told by one store owner to feed them in a separate cage, but another place told me that its not a very good idea since then they learn to associate being taken out of their cage with feeding and are more apt to bite, so I couldn't tell you one way or the other, Bear. :)
 
I'm personally feeding my corn in a separate box. If you don't want to pick the snake up after feeding, you could always simply put the feeding box in it's normal tank, it will then get out on it's own, so no handling. I've been picking my snake up from the feeding box after feeding for several months now and no biting, no regur... trowing up lol yet. Still, my snake is a very relax and calm one, that is.
 
abbyraptor said:
I was told by one store owner to feed them in a separate cage, but another place told me that its not a very good idea since then they learn to associate being taken out of their cage with feeding and are more apt to bite, so I couldn't tell you one way or the other, Bear. :)
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Maybe, but if you feed them in their tanks, they'll come to associate the tank opening with food.

I just bought an adult corn from a reptile store and I could tell that she's been fed in her cage because every time I open the tub, she follows my hand like she's about to strike...

If you feed in a tub, they should associate the tub with food, not the cage opening... and I feel like if you handle them enough and they don't get food every single time the tank opens, they won't associate it in that way.
 
I've always fed in separate containers and never had an issue. When my snakes were hatchlings they were in critter keepers. I'd just open it up and lower it into the tank. Sometimes they were quick to find the opening and other times they would try to go out the clear bottom.... then I would gently slide them towards the opening. I always had it so that a hide was close for them to slither into.
 
I feel more comfortable with feeding my snake in a separate container, which can be anything from a fancy critter keeper to a cardboard box. I used to have a corn snake that associated my hand with feeding, which is a very sad thing. D: So I'm simply taking precautions.
However, it differs from snake to snake and how hungry it is. The newspaper should work fine.
As for moving the snake, I usually just pick him up after he's finished and moving around, trying to find a way out. If this stresses him out, either wait another minute or two or put the open container in his tank and let him find his way out.
 
We feed all of ours in separate containers. With the smaller guys you can just take the top of and let them crawl out. We always feed with tweezers and through the kritter keeper door, so when we take the top off, they know no more food is coming.
 
I've heard pros and cons for each way of doing it. If you're feeding in a separate container then you don't have the risk of injesting substrate, but then there's the issue of getting the snake back in the cage. You could always just put the container back in the cage and let it slide out on his own, but i'm not sure it would be as easy when the snake is an adult. On the flipside, feeding in the cage runs the risk of injesting substrate but the snake doesn't need to be handled afterward and is in an environment that it's safe in. I'm a newbie, so I'm not sure if my opinion is the right one, but I'm probably going to use the paper towel/ cardboard technique and feed in the cage. My snake is docile so far (I've only had one feeding with her and haven't had her for very long) and I plan on handling her often, so I don't think she'll associate being picked up with food... more like the paper towel. So I think if you're just careful about it that either is fine, just like the previous posters said.
 
It's ok to gently pick the snake up and replace it in its viv after eating. You just wait till the food is in the stomach- nearly halfway down the snake's body. I've tried tipping them out of their containers into the viv, but they hang on for dear life like I am trying to throw them out of a plane or something. Babies, anyway.
 
Just an update for everyone who's been following this thread.

Last monday, scruffy did get some substrate on his pinky while eating it. Full Story Here

But, next monday is going to be my test date for a new feeding method. We just bought a crap ton of tupperware bowls so he should be pretty comfy inside one waiting on his din din.
 
Reptilia said:
I've heard pros and cons for each way of doing it. If you're feeding in a separate container then you don't have the risk of injesting substrate, but then there's the issue of getting the snake back in the cage. You could always just put the container back in the cage and let it slide out on his own, but i'm not sure it would be as easy when the snake is an adult. On the flipside, feeding in the cage runs the risk of injesting substrate but the snake doesn't need to be handled afterward and is in an environment that it's safe in. I'm a newbie, so I'm not sure if my opinion is the right one, but I'm probably going to use the paper towel/ cardboard technique and feed in the cage. My snake is docile so far (I've only had one feeding with her and haven't had her for very long) and I plan on handling her often, so I don't think she'll associate being picked up with food... more like the paper towel. So I think if you're just careful about it that either is fine, just like the previous posters said.
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FYI, paper towels can cause problems when the snake gets a bit bigger. There have been cases where the snake swallowed the paper towel and had problems as a result.
 
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Feed in your new Tupperware and you will be happy and less stressed!
 
I feed mine in a small tupperware bowl. And when she is done I gently slide her out of the bowl into her viv at the bottom and she isn't disturbed at all.
 
Wow time has flown by, i honestly forgot about this thread.


Mr Scruffy is alive and very happy. Watched him for about a month and didn't even phase the little guy. He's a trooper and i hope he's with me a long time...

Thanks for all the replies to both threads.
 
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