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Stressing out my new snake?

S

steviesnow

New member
Hi everyone! I'm Natalie and I am a new first-time corn snake owner and though I've been following these boards this is my first time posting.

I am home from college in Miami, FL (I normally live in New York City) where I purchased my 6 mo. male snow corn snake Stevie on Dec. 23 (got him as a Christmas present!) and the snake shop owner told me he'd help me ship him back to New York. I still haven't figured out the timing of it all, but my flight home is Jan 12th. Before I list my concerns, you should also know that I just returned from an 8-day ski trip when I was away. When I got him on the 23rd the shop owner told me to feed him in 3-4 days, so I fed him 1 thawed frozen on the 26th before I left. The shop owner also told me he'd be fine without eating for the time I was gone.

So of course I want to feed him today, but I thought I should handle him first because he's been alone for so long and I haven't handled him since Christmas day. Just now when I went to go into his tank he tried to strike me. I'm assuming he's just spooked because he hasn't seen anyone for so long (there were other people in the house while I was gone so I'm sure he's heard noises or seen them when they checked on him but other than that no).

Do you think he's just hungry and I should just feed him? Or should I try to handle him again?

My main concern is that I am stressing him out with all the abnormalities. I'm worried about his trip to New York and already anticipating a long adjustment period for him. Just after the car ride from the snake shop to my house, when I opened the bag to put him in his new tank he also tried to strike me. I'm sad that I haven't had enough time to get him used to me and want to make sure he his comfortable and happy and I'm not really sure how to minimize the inevitable stress of this situation.

So main questions:

1. Should I handle him today even though he tried to strike me? I do need to clean his tank... (although my roommate sent me a picture of his feces and now looking in the tank I don't see it so is it possible he buried it? or ate it? sorry if that's a stupid question, I'm new to this!)
2. Should I feed him today and handle him in a few days?
3. Do I need to worry about his temperature when I ship him? I'm leaving everything up to the snake shop owner because he's shipped many snakes but maybe you guys have some tips for me...I am concerned about the recent cold weather in the northeast...
4. What should I do in general when he tries to strike me when I go to pick him up? I don't think he likes me!
5. How long should I wait to handle him once I am back in New York? I am assuming the shipping trip is going to be very stressful for him.

Thanks everyone! Looking forward to posting much more on these forums.
 
The best thing you can do when they try to strike you, is let them. Don't pull away, don't end the handling session. Corn bites (especially from youngins) don't really hurt, and your insistence will teach him that striking isn't going to work on you.

As for handling frequency, at 6 months he should be hardy enough to be handled a bit. I've never been quite sure on how much handling is too much handling though. Hopefully someone else can chime in there.

If it's time for him to eat again, then I'd say feed him. Then of course let him alone for 2-3 days, and continue handling again. Expect to be pooped on!

I've got nothing on shipping. I've never done it. I know a lot of breeders here won't ship if temps are forecast to be below a certain point. Even with the shop owners experience, it might be better to try and wait till weather lightens up a bit? Again, hopefully someone more experienced can chime in here.

Once he gets to his permanent home in NY, it's generally advised to leave them be for about a week. This gives them a chance to settle in, explore, relax, and ultimately feel secure and de-stress. If feeding is scheduled to occur during this time, you'll get many mixed reviews and opinions on if you should feed regularly or wait until the end of the week. It's hit or miss in that department.
 
Thank you so much! You're right...handling him was the best option. Now he's happy and fed and clueless (for now) about the cold bumpy trip he's about to take to New York :(

I'm going to look at some of the older threads on here about shipping through Fedex to make sure he's warm and safe, and hopefully that will minimize the stress.

Thanks for the patience with my first-timer's paranoia lol
 
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