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Conditioning a Corn?

H

HMSTL

New member
Hello, first post here!

I have a blizzard corn who seems healthy and is a few months old.
I have her in a 40 gallon tank but with a lot of places to hide- a bunch of layers of newspaper as substrate, toothpaste boxes, overturned paper plates, paper towel roll tubes, a fake rock, and sterilized branches.

I put in all this stuff so she could have plenty of places to hide, thermoregulate, and explore, but I'm worried that by giving her so many places to hide that she won't get used to humans being around. She's very well-mannered, never threatens me (despite being a very strong feeder), but slithers under something whenever there is the slightest bit of movement near the cage. I know this is a natural response but I am worried that she won't be as tolerant to human interaction as a snake who is say housed in a simpler vivarium with fewer hiding options and is therefore forced to cope with a lot of movement around the cage.

Not sure what to do, as I want her to be comfortable, but also want her to get used to activity around her tank.

I'm hoping to hear that she'll grow out of being skittish with regular handling.

Thanks!
 
It's perfectly normal for a young Corn to be very nervous. They grow in confidence as they grow in size, and as they get used to you. The process can take many months, so patience is the key.

Hides are essential, and the more the merrier. It sounds odd, but the more hides and ground cover they have, the more confident they feel about moving around the tank, and eventually, the more you'll see them out and about. Remember that in the wild, pretty much everything is out to eat baby Corns.

Taking hides away is likely to make the problem worse. If the snake doesn't feel that it can move around without being seen, then it might just decide on a favourite hide and stay there.

The thing is, you have to accommodate yourself to the Corn - not try and get them to behave in a way that's contrary to their natural instinct. That's a way to end up with a sick, stressed snake. Also, bear in mind that Corns are naturally active at times when you're not - dawn, dusk and overnight. They're not going to be the kind of snake that you can routinely expect to see out and about during the day.

Patience, patience and patience are your friends now. Handle regularly and gently (apart from the 48 hours after feeding) and you should find things settling down in the coming months. Your Corn will have 15+ years with you, so there's plenty of time for you to get used to each other.
 
I do know that she lurks plenty behind my back, though my sleep schedule isn't exactly normal, either.

She's always in a different hide and I found droppings on the fake rock so she must get around. I guess that means she's acclimating well and is comfortable.

Good to know it will pass with time, thanks.
 
Sounds like your snake has a lovely home! You'll likely see more of her as she grows. Many things in nature like to eat baby snakes, and little ones often spend the majority of their time staying safe. Scurrying out of sight when there's a movement nearby is just instinct. You'll probably see more of her as she gets older.

One benefit of having your little one in a 40-gal tank is that she won't have to make adjustments as she gets older. Every time a corn moves into a new home, it's a stressor for them.

You might be able to arrange the viv in a way to promote your seeing the snake more. You say she uses many of the hides, but if you've noticed any preference for hides or temperature, you could arrange things so that the favored spaces are near your viewing areas. It may work, it may not, but it's noninvasive and nonthreatening for your snake while you wait for her to grow bigger.
 
My snake still ducks into a hide if she catches me watching her and I've had her almost a year now. Every snake is different some are more timid, others will slither into your hands. Reptiles can not be trained, the key to giving them a stress free life is to carefully study their movements and keep a snake diary. When you track their cycles you'll be able to understand them better and know when they aren't acting the way they usually do.
 
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