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not a novice but not a pro either

slithering

slithering

New member
I have ghost corn about 14 inches feeds on 2-3 critters 2 times a week and has shed 4 times since march 28 and i still havent got the nerve up yet 2 reach and take hold of him when is the best time for this . yes hes clean and his domicile stays clean but thats a sight 2 see as i swap him 2 another tank lol any help would be appreciated. oh and MR LEE says thanks also thats my snakes name:confused:
 
Bite the bullet and grab him! Why would you have a pet snake if you are scared of it? At 14" what harm do you really think it's gonna do to you?

My fiance was nervous about being bitten. And I kept telling her that once she has been bitten, it's a no big deal thing! She has now been bitten and guess what? She says "You know, you are right!" She hates to admit that....hehehe

I have have gone 3 weeks now without being bitten on feeding day! I have a few very fiesty 03's in my collection. But I have been bitten many many times. Generally with corn snakes it does not hurt, even on the rare occassion that an adult strikes and bites! It scares ya more than anything but only because it happens so fast!

Quigs
 
The longer you don't hold him for the more adjusted he'll become to only being fed. I'm assuming you don't feed in a seperate tank or bin.
Are you scared of being bitten? Wear gloves or socks even. More than likely, your corn won't even bite. If he does, well how much of you could he bite? He's only 14 inches! You wouldn't feel it, it'd just be sudden.

Good luck, they're sweet snakes.
Annie
 
I wasn't scared of being bitten before I was, I have been bitten a few times now, not by any of the snakes I own, and it never hurt, but every time I am bitten I get more scared. :uhoh:
I am sure your corn won't bite you, sure some corns bite, but I think most do not, and if he was going to be an agressive snake, you would already know!
 
i havent been biten yet *knock on wood* and a couple of my 03s are a little fiesty, but when they're spooked they'll just rattle their tales until i pick them up. then they chill out.

might i also recommend, that once you do start taking him out, that you begin feeding him in a separate container. that why he won't associate your incomming hand as a food despenser. thus you'll cut down your risk of being bitten even more.
 
I agree with the other posters.

One of the benefits to getting a baby snake is you can tame it to you easier. If you only ever go into the tank to feed it, it may learn to associate you with food only.. and I'm sure feeding response bites are not what you're aiming for here ;)

They can sense nervousness, and if you're slow it gives them time to react. Just go in and pick the snake up. Alternatively, you can get it to crawl into a paper tube, etc. and let it come out onto your hands. Don't handle it for too long at first, shorter sessions are best when taming.

Have fun with your corn :)
 
Umm...you are worried about getting bitten by a 14 inch corn? Now fortunatel I've not been bitten by any of my snakes, but how bad could a bite from that little thing really be. Now I have to admit, I've been nervous getting my 6 foot redtail out to feed him a few times, but I've seen what a bite from him would be like. Course, then my 5 year old daughter offers to get him out for me and I feel silly, my daughters love to hold him. :) Anyway, I agree with whats been said, he won't hurt you even if he does nip at you. The longer you wait the worse it'll be, not only because he will go longer without getting used to being held, but also because you will agonize over it more and your anxiety about doing it for the first time will get worse.
 
Sometimes, taking things slowly can help. The day before the next feeding time, just put your hand in your snake's cage for awhile and let your snake check you out. As long as you don't smell like food, your snake will probably just smell and taste you, feel the warmth of your hand, get curious and try to climb up your arm. This way, your snake is making the first move and won't be alarmed. And you can always take your hand out if you don't feel comfortable. A word of warning, the flicking tongue tickles! And snakes just love to climb inside clothing!

The bite of a 14 inch corn snake barely even draws blood. I get worse wounds from the wild raspberry bushes than from an adult corn snake bite. However, the one (and only - Thank God!) bite I received from one of my 7 ft Redtails is something I wouldn't care to repeat. She didn't get a good grip on my hand, but my "pull-back" reflex response (I've overcome that with the corns) caused one of the boa's teeth to become lodged in a finger joint. It festered for 2 weeks (and hurt like a m#*^@$ !) before the tooth finally worked it's way out. I was on antibiotics for the entire time so the infection stayed very local. And I don't even want to think about what might have happened if I hadn't pulled back. The meer thought of having a snake whose girth is twice that of my upper arm putting "the squeeze" on me isn't very pleasant. I can at least "unwrap" my adult corns with no help.
 
I brought my 1st corn in March also. He/she's about 18 inches. I feed him 1 pinkie 2wice a week and is getting ready to shed for the 2nd time. He bit me a few time's in the 1st week when I reached my GIGANTIC hand towards his tiny-little body. No blood, and it kinda feels like the rough side of velcro. I literally said, " did you just bite me?" That's how much it didn't hurt, but the important thing is I picked him up anyway. I didn't want him to think "if I bite, I get put down." Now, I take a coat hanger with a blunt curved end and have used this to get him out since then. He is alot more relaxed with this approach and has already gotten used to me taking him out and holding him. You need to get over the initial fear of taking him out. After being bit, my heart would pound when I went to take him out, but I didn't let my fear keep me from holding him. It's become second nature in as little as a month and a half.

Good luck,
 
not scared

hey guys its not that im scared im just concerned ive never had snakes this small. ive had 4 rat snakes 4-5 feet in length that i caught wild but those were adults and after feeding them they kinda knew not to bite the hand that was feeding them i guess. by the way i just drop the victims in MR LEE's tank and the kids get a kick out of him when he snatches the prey up and wraps them up . thanx 4 all the helpful hints and constructive criticism.:cheers:
 
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