Hello i got my corn snake on tuesday and left him for a bout 2 days to relax. When i try to take him out of his cage and put my hand in he is soo shy and always curles up in a defencive strike position. If i touch him he runs as fast as he can to hide and burrow but the second i have him out of the cage he is fine and he will walk around my hands but getting him out is such a struggle. I was wondering an explaination and if this happens to anyone else and how long it lasted. I have been handling him about twice a day for about 5-10min each. I have been taking him out of this postion using a stick to get him out of the positon. Please help any advise or experience really helps.
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Confused and need help
- Thread starter Paulm4095
- Start date
lilivoryflower
New member
Is your new corn snake a baby? If so, he might just need some time to get used to people handling him. If he's little, a big strange hand coming toward him might be seen as something trying to eat him. Don't worry, he will probably become easier to pick up when he realizes you are not there to make lunch out of him. I'm no expert mind you, but thats the way it was with my two little ones. Good luck!
~Emily~
~Emily~
TrpnBils
22 is not enough snakes
Well normally it's suggested to leave them be for about a week before you start handling them, but if he's letting you do that already and he's not too stressed, that's great. When mine was a little jumpy about coming out, I figured out a little method that seemed to work great because (as you can see by my avatar) he's anything but shy now.
Can he get INTO one of his hides (as opposed to just under it)? If so, wait til he's in there and then get the entire hide out and set it on your lap. Watch some TV, browse the forum, or whatever....just give him some time to come out on his own. If nothing else, I'd get rid of the stick.... getting bit will not hurt at all, and he probably doesn't enjoy being prodded.
Can he get INTO one of his hides (as opposed to just under it)? If so, wait til he's in there and then get the entire hide out and set it on your lap. Watch some TV, browse the forum, or whatever....just give him some time to come out on his own. If nothing else, I'd get rid of the stick.... getting bit will not hurt at all, and he probably doesn't enjoy being prodded.
BeckyG
Making it up as I go
Yes, this is normal behavior. Mine did this as babies, too. You've gotten some good suggestions so far. The only thing I would add is to lose the stick. Just pick him up with your hands. Even if he does bite you, at two months of age, it wouldn't hurt. Oh, and try not to pick him up from directly overhead as this is how most predators come at them. Try to slide your hand under him from the side. Good luck, and be patient and gentle with him and he'll settle down eventually.
Slippery Ernie
New member
This is what has been working for me:
I try to make it a rule never to remove the snake from his hide. I figure he's in there for a reason and I want to let him know that he always has a safe place to go whether I want to pick him up or not.
While he's out of his hide he's fair game. Sometimes he'll quickly scoot into the hide when my hand enters the cage. Sometimes he'll stay put. But so far he always jumps a little when I touch him. But he's like yours. He's fine and dandy once hes out of the cage. I've actually seen him improve in the past few days. He came up and smelled my hand the other day and didn't seem to want to go back into the cage after handling.
Also- maybe he's getting ready to shed. Mine hissed and threatened me a little when he was ready to shed.
I try to make it a rule never to remove the snake from his hide. I figure he's in there for a reason and I want to let him know that he always has a safe place to go whether I want to pick him up or not.
While he's out of his hide he's fair game. Sometimes he'll quickly scoot into the hide when my hand enters the cage. Sometimes he'll stay put. But so far he always jumps a little when I touch him. But he's like yours. He's fine and dandy once hes out of the cage. I've actually seen him improve in the past few days. He came up and smelled my hand the other day and didn't seem to want to go back into the cage after handling.
Also- maybe he's getting ready to shed. Mine hissed and threatened me a little when he was ready to shed.
I would not take him out of his hide but snakes are hiding animals. If i never took him out he would never get handled. I just wait for him to begin to sniff and out in a straight line in stead of picking him up when he is in ball with the "S" defence shape. Then it all works out fine