• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

Signs of stress

PnyKlr

PnyKlr

World's Tallest Midget
I am researching corns before I go out and actually purchase them, and I have been reading old thread (and lurking) for quite some time.

Would anyone be able to give me a quick list of the signs of stress in a corn? (I know the signs in fish, but not reptiles). I figure that it would be best to know this from the start, instead of starting a thread titled "What's wrong with my corn..."

Once I realize what the actual signs are, I would be able to "fix" any problems causing it.

Thanks!
 
You might have a stressed corn....

if one day you come home to see your corn on the edge of the viv threatening to jump. :grin01:
 
ultimuttone said:
:shrugs: and I just thought they were acrobatic, time for bulk load of snakey zoloft
Click to expand...

I hear you can get that in the "sausage" form so it takes up less space in the freezer
 
PnyKlr said:
I am researching corns before I go out and actually purchase them, and I have been reading old thread (and lurking) for quite some time.

Would anyone be able to give me a quick list of the signs of stress in a corn? (I know the signs in fish, but not reptiles). I figure that it would be best to know this from the start, instead of starting a thread titled "What's wrong with my corn..."

Once I realize what the actual signs are, I would be able to "fix" any problems causing it.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Well if you been lurking for some time now you would know that I we all like a good laugh from time to time.
I'm still new here but I think some signs might be being shy /hidding in "hide" or under the substrate. I don't think a regurge would count as a sign but bitting could be.
With corns snakes it seems that if you just give them some time to chill and have your husbandry right they should be OK from stress. Sorry can't help you more but I know someone else will chime in soon.

Good luck :cheers:
 
Sorry didn't mean to make light of your question. As Lennycorn said we all like a little laugh now and again. I would say not eating, staying in hiding. But your best bet would be to do a search on stress, lots of good reading.
And again give your new one time to settle in and make sure husbandry is right and they should be fine.
 
Monona Reptile show

You may want to consider coming up to the Madison area this weekend, I see you're from Rockford. There is a herp show in Monona(barely east of Madison) from 10:00 - 4:00 pm on Saturday. The prices and variety of corns
will be pretty good.
 
Thanks for all of the replies!

When you speak of a snake being "shy," do you mean shy above and beyond the personality of the snake? I've read that some people have shy snakes. Is it more of a personality trait or stress? As I type this I figured it out (correct me if I'm wrong): If a snake suddenly become shy and reserved, that would be a sign of stress. Also, if a normally good eater starts refusing, this would be another sign.

Is there often more than one sign of stress at a time?


*Don't worry, I am the type that realizes "the snake threatens to jump" is a joke!*
 
i am pretty new here too, but i am studying an animal management course, and am currently learning about what messages an animal is giving by their behaviour. I know stress and aggression are different, but signs of aggression would be things like, rattling its tail, opening its mouth, and the sure sign it is going to strike is when they form an S-shape, this allows them to get into a better position to strike...

Im sorry that i have tried to answer a question you weren't asking.. thought it might be of interest to some people though..

As for signs of stress, i think its pretty much what everyone else is saying...
 
There is not a cut and dried response to your question

There is a big difference between instinct and stress. ;)

Hiding, tail rattling and defensive strikes are all normal behaviors displayed by snakes (especially young ones) when they feel threatened.

Stress is something that may be manifested thru more covert symptoms. Going off of food can be a sign of stress. A complete lack of movement or activity may also indicate a problem.

It is the behaviors that are "not normal" that usually indicates a stressed animal. Unfortunately, being able to separate "normal" from "not normal" is a tricky thing. This is where experience will pay a big part in learning to recognize stress.
 
Thanks. I wanted to know what to expect when looking for abnormal behavior. The signs of aggression are good to know as well.
 
Well that's the problem.

Each snake has their own personality and disposition. Some are docile and don't mind handling while others can't stand contact and will drop a poop cocktail on you every chance they get.

"Normal" is a relative term and varies greatly. You have to learn how each individual is programmed and what makes them tick. When you spend enough time with the animals in your care you will be able to tell when they aren't quite right.

The best rule of thumb I can offer is if your snake is eating, drinking, pooping and making the occasional appearance everything is usually fine. :)
 
CAV said:
The best rule of thumb I can offer is if your snake is eating, drinking, pooping and making the occasional appearance everything is usually fine. :)
Click to expand...

Hmmm, sounds like a good rule for teenagers as well.... :grin01:

I am very excited to get a few corns, but I want to make sure that I am as prepared as one can get before actually buying them. I am usually avery impulsive person...I just contain myself when it comes to critters.

Thanks to all of you. This entire forum has been a wealth of knowledge!
 
Glad to see you're taking the time to research before you buy. Other things to look for when you have the snake out and are handling it are if it "freezes" and then starts breathing heavily and rapidly (you would see the sides physically heaving). This is usually an attempt to remain invisible (for lack of a better term), and pump up the oxygen supply in the body in preparation for fight-or-flight. I can't recall ever seeing any of my corns do this, but some of the other snakes I work with at work are more skittish and do this quite frequently (can we say blue racer?). This is more in terms of short term stress though, and I think your question may be referring to long term stress. I thought it might help out though.:)
 
I guess I was thinking of stress as a whole. I hope to never get to the point that I have to guage symptoms of long-term stress. I have had the opportunity to handle many corns in the past, but I will not have the chance to handle the ones I will purchase ("online" order from South Mountain Reptiles). From what I've heard, this is a good breeder, and I have confidence in the stock he will provide.

Frankly, I am looking for a trio (1 male and 2 females) that I can use later for class experiments. Don't worry: When I say "experiments" I mean we will be supplementing a Science unit on genetics (punnett squares and all) with real-life implications. I hope to be able to successfully breed a male snow to a female normal het snow, have the students (8th graders) predict the outcome, and then analyze the results. Until then, I will be having a grand old time with my pets! They will stay at my home until the time comes (in a few years) for this to happen....gives me a looong time to plan.

I just want to keep the snake's health as my number one priority.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top