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Need Help-agressive corn snake

MissKitty

MissKitty

New member
Help please? I have had Phoenix now for a week and half...he is about 4-6 months old (stripe/cube)...He has fed great twice, and was last fed Saturday night...I went to feed him today and he will not eat. All he does is flicker his tail at me and try to strike.
Actually, here is what I need help with:
1. He strikes and bites me constantly (I try to pick him up every 3 days or so, with socks on my hands because of biting)
2. today, all he would do is flicker his tail at me and try to strike- ignore the mouse totally-I tried warming it up and brained it-no luck (Is fed in a separate container that I coax him into.)

I have done:
1. put a sock I wore in the tank to get him used to my scent
2. try to come from the side (which is hard since he will only stay under the aspen and I have to dig him out at all times)
3. Put on a UVB light for a couple hours a day (which I know ids not needed, but was told it could improve behavior)

Help! I don't know what to do about the fact that he is soooo defensive and scared, thus striking and trying to bite me...and now, he won't eat!
 
When you feed him I would put him and the mouse in the feeding container and put a towel over the container. No peaking for 30 minutes. My snake use to not eat if he could see me at all. Eventually he got over it and eats right in front of me.

As for the biting I would loose the socks, at that size it really does not hurt at all, their teeth are tiny. The sock just makes your hand look bigger and therefore more scary. If you want to wear gloves that's fine.

They tend to be more defensive/jumpy when they are babies. He's just scared. He should mellow out with regular handling. Just keep handling short. When you go to pick him up try to scoop him from underneath to make him feel more secure.
 
I sounds at though maybe he is getting ready to shed. If he was eating fine before and acting fine before and now he won't eat and is getting nasty then that is a very good possibility.

Only having the snake for a week and a half and him already eating twice also sounds like he hasn't had enough time to adjust to his new home. It is often recommended no handling or feeding for the first 5 to 7 days when you get a new snake. Then offer and meal and no handling for 2 to 3 days then you can handle for short periods.

If it was my snake I would start all over. Leave him be for the next 5 days or so with not getting in the tank other than to clean water if it needs it. At that point you can take him out and feed him. Like already stated don't worry about getting bit. With babies it feels like you are getting attacked by Velcro. Hopefully by this time if he is getting ready to shed he will have done it or be obvious that is what is happening. If you see cloudy eyes then I would not mess with him at all till after you see a shed even if the 5 days is up.
 
Take the UVB light off, and NOW!!! I can't stress this enough.

After that, follow Christen's advice, and I bet you'll have a feeding snake. Calming them down can be done with the worst of them, but let's cross that bridge later. Thanks for signing up here and asking!
 
Chip said:
Take the UVB light off, and NOW!!! I can't stress this enough.

After that, follow Christen's advice, and I bet you'll have a feeding snake. Calming them down can be done with the worst of them, but let's cross that bridge later. Thanks for signing up here and asking!
Click to expand...

Oh yeah I stopped reading before I got to that, I admit. Take Chip's advice and ditch the light. It is not needed and can actually do more harm than good.
 
One more thing, an uptight snake usually HATES to be removed and put in a separate feeding container. It's worried and fearful and upset. The last thing on his mind is eating after being picked up and dropped into a strange environment. I'd offer the next meal or 3 in its cage. If you choose to feed in a separate container, that's fine, but it needs to be a snake that isn't terrified of handling/being moved.
 
I agree with removing the light. I think he has been overwhelmed. You have only had him a week and a half and you should wait 7 days before handling them for the first time to let them settle in to their new environment. the light is stressful because these are nocturnal animals by nature and they don't need to UVB the way lizards and turtles do. When feeding, you might want to do it in the evening before bed and leave him with it overnight if you have to. I always feed in a seperate bin unless its a snake that just plain refuses to be fed that way,in that case I leave the mouse on a deli cup lid overnight. I make sure it is a very hot (dipped in boiling water) before leaving it. I would wait the 7 days before attempting to feed again and make sure he is eating regularly before handling him anymore. Can you also tell us what temps you are running, if you are using a heat mat (you should) with a thermostat(a must).
 
No, the UT heat mat does not have a thermostat..I have never found one that has this. Can you send me a link? (USA) :shrugs:
The heat from one end to the other goes 80-75-74... I use a digital laser thermometer...I use this for my lizards, as well.

He is not shedding...he is not dull or have cloudy eyes. This I have already eliminated... that and the fact that he has always been like this. Just getting worse. A week ago I could pick him up to put him in his feeding bin...today, I had to encourage him in because he would not stop striking.

I will leave him alone for now...and for biting-I will stick with wearing something- it's more for my confidence level than to protect me from him. It will not help him at all if I am pulling back from him all the time...I do this unconsciously when I do not have something on my hands, thus, the socks.

with all due respect, working in the Veterinary field for years, I already had learned to not feed a snake in its viv...especially if it is already defensive. By feeding him in it, you can make the snake even more defensive, for it will associate your hand (or cover coming off, etc.) with food, thus striking...as he is already defensive, I am sorry- but I will not feed him in his viv.

I admit I am new to owning a snake-and still learning. I really do appreciate all the advice. I will leave him alone for now...
 
The thermostat is bought separately and helps keep the mat from overheating. I bought mine on amazon. It was hydrofarm one made for plant heat mats.
 
Thank you! I will look that up. :) What temp. should this say? I have just been keeping track of the temps in the enclosure...
 
As far as feeding in the viv, I've heard that too about them associating the hand with food, but don't confuse aggressiveness with defensiveness. Attacking a mouse is aggressive. Striking at you and vibrating his tail are defensiveness because he is most likely scared out of his little snakey mind.

Plus, I don't think feeding him in his viv a few times will make him forever associate your hand with food.

One other thing to try, if you haven't already, is to make sure his tank is in a quiet part of the house without a lot of activity.
 
To add to the above, putting some thick paper on 3 sides of his tank can make a snake feel more secure.
 
Well, update:

I did try feeding his today (since it's been 8 days since last feed) and no luck...so (against my own gut) I left the mouse on top of the "hill" hide, in case he decides he wants it.

I moved the heating pad closer to one side to give a wider temp. variant (in case that is affecting his behavior)

I fixed all of his aspen and items today and he did strike a few times (far from me) but did stop after a little bit.

He has been moved out of the living room and into my bedroom, in hopes it is a bit quieter for him and perhaps less commotion will help him chill out a bit.

Today starts the 7 day "no touching, no unburying him, no feeding, no nothing" week. I will clean out his water bowl if needed, but that is it.

*crossing fingers this helps*
 
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