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Handling baby - question

kurt1288

kurt1288

New member
How should I go about actually picking up my baby (literally a baby, not just dear to me ;))? The first, and so far only time, I've tried he was very flighty. Which is understandable completely, but it makes actually doing anything quite difficult. Short of actually grabbing him, which I figure isn't a good thing to do, how else am I supposed to actually pick him up? And if he's tunneling, should I just keep moving substrate or just leave him (he's smart, just go down underneath makes it harder for me to get him)?
 
I always tell people who are new to baby corns to start holding them while sitting on the floor. Like you discovered, they are squirmy little guys! If I want to get my snakes out, I dig them out of their substrate. He will be wiggling, but just hold him gently, but firmly over the tank until he calms down, then move to the ground for handling. Hope this helps! I know I always worry I'm going to break babies :p
 
Well I managed to pick him up; just let him go between my fingers and then up. Only lasted about a minute though, if that, until he dropped back into his viv and scurried under the substrate.

I don't think I'll be taking him "out" of his viv until we're both more comfortable. If he accidentally gets out of my hands while on the floor...well that could be bad.
 
With our really little one we just held our hand there, for what seemed to be forever lol, until he explored it. Took a lot of patience, but eventually {when he was already up and moving} he'd come right onto our hand. If he's not up and moving about already we have to scoop him up. Our newer corn, which is older, is a totally different story though... I get her exactly like AliCat describes. Except with her, I keep her from anything she can "shoot off" to because once she tried to shoot herself off my hand quite fast and was aiming for the crack of the couch cushion. I'm hoping she stops that over time with more handling.
 
My little one is a jerk so I can't help you. I'm hoping he will chill out as he gets older. The other one has never had an issue being held etc.
 
There is not a real good way to help one calm down but continued gentle holding of the snake. Babies are always squirmy. I think it bothers most people more then it does the snakes. When handling always let it do its thing and slither thru your hands. A tight restraining will usually scare them and hender the process. Best of luck to you and the snake on it.
 
Thanks. I'll probably spend more time handling him once he actually decides to eat. He didn't eat his pinky last night again :(.
 
crotalis40741 said:
There is not a real good way to help one calm down but continued gentle holding of the snake. Babies are always squirmy. I think it bothers most people more then it does the snakes. When handling always let it do its thing and slither thru your hands. A tight restraining will usually scare them and hender the process. Best of luck to you and the snake on it.
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This tend to be the truth!!
 
Thanks for the vids. The hardest part for me was actually getting a hold of him as he is really darn fast.

I've also realized that I maybe jumped the gun a little bit. My guy was only attached about a month and a half-ish ago. So until he starts eating now, I'll probably hold off on handling.
 
The hardest part for me was actually getting a hold of him as he is really darn fast.
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No hesitation! That is what I tell every new person that purchases a snake from me. You just have to got for it with confidence. Animals can sense your hesitation and sense if you are nervous, some feed off of it and get flighty like young corns tend to do. But if you get right in there with confidence they will calm down a lot faster. Once the snake is out control the direction of the movements with your hands but do not restrict the snake. In other words do not hold onto it, they get a sense of feeling trapped setting of the flight or fight response which is why they thrash about, of course this cannot really be avoided when taking them out but once in your hands they will calm down faster.

My guy was only hatched about a month and a half-ish ago. So until he starts eating now, I'll probably hold off on handling.
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You dont have to worry so much about age, I am not saying it does not play a part in how and when you handle the snake because it does, but you need to worry more about how good a feeder it is. For a snake that young it MUST be eating steadily before you start to handle it and when you do keep it short as it gets accustomed to you and its surroundings, do not handle the day of or the day after a feeding.
 
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