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Tail rattling

Almase

Almase

New member
Is it normal for a cornsnake to rattle its tail while its eating? I was sitting down watching it eat then I got up and it started rattling its tail. (Whell, shaking it but it made a rattle sound hitting the box I had it in. (In box cause I just brought it home and gave it the mouse while I finished the setup) I've had a corn snake before but it was a young one and never did that.
 
Almase said:
Is it normal for a cornsnake to rattle its tail while its eating? I was sitting down watching it eat then I got up and it started rattling its tail. (Whell, shaking it but it made a rattle sound hitting the box I had it in. (In box cause I just brought it home and gave it the mouse while I finished the setup) I've had a corn snake before but it was a young one and never did that.
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Very normal, no need to be concerned.
 
Ok. So is it just a sign of food aggression maybe. Like it doesnt want me putting my hand anywhere in there? (Not that I would cause I wouldnt harass it while its eating, just trying to figure out the snake)
 
Almase said:
Ok. So is it just a sign of food aggression maybe. Like it doesnt want me putting my hand anywhere in there? (Not that I would cause I wouldnt harass it while its eating, just trying to figure out the snake)
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Yeah, its probably a little of both. He is doing it to keep you from messing with his food.
 
Ok cool. THats what I figured. I wanted to make sure it was food agression and not something to do with scaring the mouse or something. So now I know to definetly keep fingers out of there with it. Course now I wanna put it back into its habitat and its standing up following my fingers. lol
 
It's probably the time a snake is most vulnerable. Since biting is out of the question, it uses it's tail to warn you to keep back.
 
That makes sense. I've heard garter snakes I think it was will do that in leaves to make you think they're a rattle snake. Maybe it was some other snake. I dont remember.
 
Three of my five tail rattle when being fed. One tail rattles constantly while being handled. I think it's adorable. Big snakes, in the wild, like a bull snake or whatever, will tail rattle to scare you off, and, if you didn't know snakes, you'd never know it wasn't a rattlesnake.

I wonder which came first- venomous snakes with a rattle, that tail rattle, and the other non-venomous snakes mimic that, or all snakes tail rattled, and rattlesnakes just developed the rattles to make their tail rattling more noticeable. It seems so universal that it is unlikely they _all_ developed it as rattlesnake mimicry.

Nanci
 
Raydin used to raddle as a hatchling before being picked up. As soon as it saw my hand get in the cage it started thumping that thing like mad. Grew out of it after less than a month though. It was probably just afraid you were going to interfere with it's food or eating. Again like the others said since the mouth of the snake is full with the food and it has no way to bluff or strike at you, it uses the tail as the warning sign. I'm sure the habit will wear off as time goes by. Though some never grow out of it. Regardless, these guys are harmless anyways, just tryin' to be bigger than it's size. Ha!
 
My MBK tail rattled constantly for the first week or two that I had her. Once they realize you are not a threat, and don't intend to harm them or take their food, they usually stop. It's a fear/aggression response, and once they become accustomed to you...it stops. They no longer feel scared nor aggressive towards you, and those responses just stop happening. My MBK also used to musk the heck out of me everytime I went near her...she doesn't do that anymore either. In fact, she is currently my most docile little snake. She spent 8 hours at work last night hanging out in my shirt pocket, occasionally popping her head out and flicking her tongue at me, and crawling up to hang out around my neck. They'll get used to you...
 
I've never had a snake do it during feeding, but Connor would rattle like mad when I first got him - and he could really rattle! He'd not only vibrate his tail when I went in to the cage to get him, he'd even do it when he was in my hand! It's totally normal for snakes to rattle their tails. Your snake may grow out of that. Connor no longer rattles his tail.
 
Are cornsnakes at full size strong enough to choke somone to death? (An adult human that is) PS I might ask some weird questions sometimes but only because I am curious and I cant find them elsewhere lol.
 
Proven way to get a milksnake to tail rattle: put the snake's rear portion by your lips, and, while touching the snake with your lips, say "Pretty Girl!!!" Works every time.

I don't think even a 1000 gram snake could strangle an alert, healthy, not-disabled adult human.

Nanci
 
Almase said:
Are cornsnakes at full size strong enough to choke somone to death? (An adult human that is) PS I might ask some weird questions sometimes but only because I am curious and I cant find them elsewhere lol.
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I doubt it. I've had an adult royal python get round my neck, those in my opinion are much stronger than a cornsnake. I was quite able to get a hand between the snake and my throat and pry it away from me. So I highly doubt that a fit, healthy adult would have any problem getting a corn off their neck.
 
I have no intention of putting it around my neck. But its always nice to know the facts just incase. :)
 
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