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How long do i play nice?

Jimmysan00

Jimmysan00

Cornsnake-aholic
I've had my corn for only a few weeks, and have been very gentle so it can learn to trust me and keep being docile and in attempts to keep her that way and make her tame I just try to be as gentle as possible all the times. It's mainly because she's new to me and the house. I was told the correct way to handle a snake and i understand to do this all the time, but i have a question of how long do i need to baby her? I figure after 6 months to a year i won't have to be "baby" gentle anymore, and not have to worry so much about scaring her and biting. Because i would assume she'd be use to me by then. I not sure if I really expressed my question clearly, so i hope people don't think i'm going to be rough after a year. I just want to know roughly how long i have to be extra nice, or how long does it take to gain trust. Or how will i know once i have her trust, if i don't have it already, which i think i might. If I'm wrong to assume these thing please let me know, anyone. Thanks in advance.:awcrap:
 
I don't know if I ever change the way I handle corns to be less gentle? It's more that the babies are flightier, and smaller so easier to get lost. And they are more likely to be scared and can dart out of your hands and dive to the floor.
As your snake grows it will (or at least most do) begin to be more relaxed and move slower. You should still always handle it gently, support its weight, etc. It's just it will be bigger and more mellow after you have had it for a while.
 
Always be gentle, always move slowly and deliberately, never pick them up quickly and without warning.

You will have her trust when she remains relatively calm as you hold her. She won't be struggling to get away, but will just be looking around, appearing interested and trying to move away slowly just to explore (as opposed to getting the heck away from you at all costs).

You can lose a snake's trust easily, if you're too rough or you do something that it isn't expecting. Then the process has to start all over again - and it can take months or years to regain the trust of an adult when lost (much to my shame, I've experienced that).
 
Thanks, well the good news is she doesn't dash to get away anymore, even after all the stress with the mite treatment. I'm so proud of her. Well thanks again for all your answers. BTW i came up with this theory mainly because when you go to reptile shows and expos people pick up their snake like it's nothing with no care or thought of biting. That's why i thought maybe after a year you could just handle gentle but whenever you wanted, since the snake was use to you. Guess not.
 
Not wanting to highjack your thread Jimmy, but I know what you mean about babying the snake...
I got mine on the 7th, and yesterday was the first day I actually got to handle him. He still tries to get the hell out of my hands, stretching himself towards the viv. I move in slow motion, and never from above, always trying to be at his eye level. The neighbors must think I am crazy. :)
So, just to reinforce Jimmy's question, will I ever be able to enter my garage in normal speed and standing straight again? :roflmao:
 
I don't think it's a question of 'babying' your snakes... It's more like learning how snakes need to be handled..... ATM you are learning techniques on keeping your snake calm....It's the same with all snakes... You'll always have to handle them that way.....
Thats how it's always done....
 
well jp brings up a good point, not only handling, but how long before you can ask normal, instead of bent over and real slow motion, and using a clam voice, or is this all the time, for their entire life?
 
how long before you can ask normal, instead of bent over and real slow motion, and using a clam voice, or is this all the time, for their entire life?
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Not sure how you mean about bent over, but any movements you make when going to pick up a snake should be slow and deliberate. If you go to grab it without warning, then you'll scare it. That's a whole life thing.

There's no real need to "sneak up" on the tank when approaching from across the room though. They have to get used to the fact that there will be movements beyond the glass that don't constitute a threat. By the same token, don't allow visitors to knock on the glass, nudge the tank or do daft stuff like that.

As for using a calm voice - what else would you do? You can speak in a normal tone and at normal volume and still sound perfectly calm (unless you're a habitual shouter, I guess). You don't have to do the babytalk thing or whisper in order to sound calm. Personally, I love talking to my snakes. They're great listeners!

The best thing you can do to present yourself as calm, is to take a deep breath and let it out slowly before you pick up the snake. That will slow your heart rate down and the snake will pick that up from your heartbeat. Relaxed handler (is more likely to) = relaxed snake. Again, that's a whole life thing.
 
bitsy said:
Not sure how you mean about bent over, but any movements you make when going to pick up a snake should be slow and deliberate. If you go to grab it without warning, then you'll scare it. That's a whole life thing.

There's no real need to "sneak up" on the tank when approaching from across the room though. They have to get used to the fact that there will be movements beyond the glass that don't constitute a threat. By the same token, don't allow visitors to knock on the glass, nudge the tank or do daft stuff like that.

As for using a calm voice - what else would you do? You can speak in a normal tone and at normal volume and still sound perfectly calm (unless you're a habitual shouter, I guess). You don't have to do the babytalk thing or whisper in order to sound calm. Personally, I love talking to my snakes. They're great listeners!

The best thing you can do to present yourself as calm, is to take a deep breath and let it out slowly before you pick up the snake. That will slow your heart rate down and the snake will pick that up from your heartbeat. Relaxed handler (is more likely to) = relaxed snake. Again, that's a whole life thing.
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It makes perfect sense now Bitsy, thank you! I was actually doing the whisper thing, and not moving fast when in the room not to disturbe it. He'll need to get used to my "normal speed" beyond his enclosure.
You mentioned not tapping on the glass, but also not sneaking up on the snake... How do you make your snakes aware of your presence? Voice only?
 
I get loud when I'm going in........ If I get too quiet when going in to the coastals viv. He is sometimes asleep, and he falls off his branch when I touch him. So I make a bit of noise as I open it up to let him know I'm there.
 
Usually when I take the top off Samson's cage I figure it's enough to wake him up if he was sleeping. And I talk to him too, so he's used to the regular sounds of my room. I'm just calm and pick him up from the side.
 
I always talk as I am working in the my snake room. Whether it be cleaning, watering, feeding or rearranging animals. I always expect them to be sleeping so I open bins and vivs with respect. After all, they are snakes, and they may bite if startled. There are some snakes that I have to just reach in and just pick up, if they get the chance to know what is coming, it is all over but the biting. As with my baby JCP's but that is expected of them. They are getting better as they get older but if I am in their vivs, they are always on the watch and ready to bite. All our animals are fed in feed bins so they seem to understand that I am not food.

I have a few breeder males that always seem to be flighty no matter what you do. They need about 5 minutes of thinking they are slithering off and then they calm right down.

I always treat our animals with respect and kindness. That is with ALL our animals, snake or not. After all, they just animals in our human controlled homes. We do what is best for our animals always, no exceptions. And the children and visitors are taught to treat them that way too.

PJ
 
I would like to Thank all of you for your advice and words of wisdom. I haven't had any trouble with biting for being aggressive yet. So i want to keep it that way. But i know about falling off things. My snake likes to lay on the ledge under the screen top and sometimes i don't notice her and just figure she's in her viv and when i take the top off she falls off or she'll hook herself to the ledge to ease her fall. Everything time happens i freak out and think she'll wanna bite, but she's still calm as can be. Mostly when i handle her she'll hang out and lay for 5-10 minutes and then start up my arm or smelling my body, and if i let her get close to my face she starts licking my nose. Pretty funny and cute, but i'm still cautious just in case if she gets to thinking about biting my nose.
 
Unless your nose smells like mouse, I doubt she would. The reason for keeping snakes away from your face is the chance of salmonella, which I don't know how well that's been proven.
 
Thanks makes sense, but i'm sure if she had salmonella i would have gotten it already. lol i've been handling her every chance i can for at least 15 minutes.
 
akki_neko said:
Unless your nose smells like mouse, I doubt she would. The reason for keeping snakes away from your face is the chance of salmonella, which I don't know how well that's been proven.
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lol well this guy didnt learn his lesson. lol

Actually snakes will bite the face, its some weird instictual thing. This happens with mainly tree snakes. Not sure if they are typically aiming for the face as they are used to hitting birds in mid air?
Its some thing I have actually had discussions with trained herpetologist. Its a fascinating topic.
 

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One of the main senses snakes use to hunt, is heat perception. Compared to other parts of the human body (usually covered with clothes), the face emits a large amount of heat - especially around "target" areas like the nostrils and mouth.

Basically, if the snake's feeding instinct misfires and your face is in the way, it sees your nose as an easy lunch.

And I speak as someone who has had an adult Corn Snake hanging off her nose making those excited little huffing noises....
 
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