HELP!!!! Cant pick him up!!!

[smallzxx]

Hi guys this is going to sound really dumb but i cant pick my snake up. I've had him for nearly 2 weeks now and i bought him on the 25th of July ive let him settle coz he's feed twice since being with me but every time i've tried to pick him up he starts darting about and when i try to touch him he jumps and burrows. This has got me anxious and the longer its taking the more fustrating im getting coz i have handled snakes before (well ball pythons which just laid there) but never had n e experience with a baby corn and all i wanna do is hold him and get him use to me can n e 1 give me some good tips please.

 

[leftycrane]

maybe try taking it slow. start off just by putting your hand in the tank and get it closer and closer to him to he can smell you and get used to your smell. then after a while of this move to touch him. they may be a little jumpy in the tank, you just gotta try to grab it gently and lift it out, it should settle down once its out and realizes youre not trying to eat him.

 

[HermesMom]

Sometimes two of mine can be like that, I just go for a quick, gentle grab towards the middle of their body. I usually remove most of their hides and climbing stuff first. It took a bit of nerve for me in the beginning, but I found after a handful of times of me just going for them anyways and getting them they don't dart around as much or as fast... they seem to know no matter what they do, I'll get them anyways lol.

 

[smallzxx]

Thanks will try that dont know whats making me so nervous coz ive wanted snakes for the longest. Just feed him last nite so i will try in a couple days. Is their a time period you should try before you give up for the day dont wanna stress the lil guy out

 

[avfox12]

I had the same problem with my snake, and I tried going slowly by putting my hand in closer and closer. That just seemed to piss her off more, she would spring her neck into an "s" and rattle her tail. I asked a friend what to do and he said that the best thing to do is just pick them up quickly. Idk if they can sense your fear or hesitation, but I tried just grabbing her (gently of course) and it was way less stressful for the both of us and she was calm once she settled down on my hand.

 

[bitsy]

They tend to be very wary of being picked up, as they'll react like you're a predator and out to eat them. Generally once you have them in your hand, they eventually calm down. It gets better as they get older and gain confidence.

 

[Nanci]

If you know where he hides, I would just lift the hide and grasp him gently in the middle like you were picking up a pencil. Be careful not to drop him. Be careful not to let him whip himself into anything. Once you have him up, use two hands to gently restrain him. Don't let him fall, but try to let him move as freely as possible.

If he is in his viv and is coiling up and striking at you, just put your hand down flat over him and then scoop him up with all your fingers.

What part exactly is making you nervous?

 

[smallzxx]

Whats making me nervous is the quick movements and the way he jumps when i touch him it makes me jump and i withdraw my hand i know its a mind thing and im blowing things way out of proportion but your tips are very helpful and will be trying them

 

[HermesMom]

My daughter got me into snakes, I wouldn't even hold our first one unless she was *right there* next to me. We got our first one last November, now we have four and she's hesitant with our two snow corns and won't even get them and I'm comfortably doing it now lol. She won't even hold our snow Nessie, who out of nowhere once shot like an arrow from my hand trying to get into the crack of the back cushions on the couch. She didn't make it, luckily my reaction was quick enough

I keep a cool whip container with a hole cut in the cover in Nessie's viv, sometimes I get lucky and she's in there when I go for her {or in her paper towel tube}... that makes getting her a lot easier. Another thing I do with these two snows who do this, is put one hand sort of flat on each side of them and move one slowly closer. If it doesn't entice them to get on, they'll try to dart across at which point I scoop them up I also do a lot of just putting my hand in there and letting them check it out, with no goal other than doing that. That alone I have found really helps.

 

[Nanci]

Are you afraid of him biting you? It won't hurt, I PROMISE!!! But it can be very startling!

Try just resting your whole hand down on top of him- he should calm down almost immediately.

 

[ruraldean]

You've had the best advice here - adopt a "balls of steel" approach, dive in accurately and just pick him up. Once you get into nervously going backwards and forwards, and the snake is looking like he's in attack mode, you're lost. We're into mind games here and the snake will win. What would Chuck Norris do? I think you have your answer...

 

[jakedadude]

The best place to grab a corn snake is the back of the neck they may wiggle thier tail a little bit but should calm down in a matter of seconds

 

[Nanci]

The best place to grab a corn snake is the back of the neck they may wiggle thier tail a little bit but should calm down in a matter of seconds

No way. That is guaranteed to freak the snake out and make him think you are trying to harm him! If you look at the photos posted at the end of this thread those three are totally wild snakes, picked up seconds before- not being restrained forcefully in any manner, and they are not flailing or biting. they are relaxed and calm as any pet snake.

 

[Chip]

Welcome to the forums, Jakeaduke. I am sorry for my first post to you to be that I disagree with you, but there is really seldom ever a reason to pin or grasp a harmless snake such as a corn from the back of the neck. It's just too hard on them.

 

[wrensong]

i was very hesitant and a little afraid to pick up my snake in the beginning, but by being gentle, confident, and not hesitating, we were used to each other in no time!!

 

[Lindseybree]

I too was a nervous nelly when it came to picking my baby up. Every time I held him before I brought him home he was just handed to me, so I never actually did any of the picking up. The first time I tried on my own I felt awful. He was slithering away all over the tank. My movements were jerky and it made me scared because I knew I was probably making him more nervous by not being smooth about it. He ended up sitting in my palm for what felt like forever, but was probably around 7 minutes, frozen and not moving. My goal was to just hold him until he felt comfortable enough to move around and explore like he always did when I held him before. He finally calmed down and started moving around. Took him out last night again after his shed so I could feed him. He still tried to slither away out of his hide, which I'm guessing is just instinct on his part, but I just kept going and scooped him up and didn't budge like I did before. This time he was slithering around right from the beginning of me holding him . I figure he just has to become more comfortable with me and will soon realize I'm not trying to eat him! Lol.