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Anonymous
Hey /an/, I recently bought a corn snake as I have been interested in reptiles for a long time and I wanted to get a beginner level pet so that another creature doesn't have to potentially face suffering due to my lack of experience. I've done my research and I believe the snake is in good care with me, the issue is handling.
Since I'm not used to owning a reptile, I'd like to get it used to being handled while its young in hopes that it will respond well when its fully grown, but I'm a bit nervous with it as I wouldn't usually touch something that didn't wish to be handled.
Its a bit skittish at the moment, if I put my hand in the tank it attempts to retreat to its artificial branch, so I just let it be to avoid causing it stress. Its also jumpy when I attempt to touch it to pick it up when its on the bottom, so I end up backing down because I feel like it doesn't want to be held.
Any snake owners here? Is it fine to just pick up the snake as if it were a lace on the floor? (providing I pick it up by the middle and not the head/tail) I don't want to harm it or stress it out, but I'm also a little worried about being bitten.
I know corns rarely if ever resort to biting humans but its that whole fear of the unknown, not necessarily fear but uneasiness, if I knew what it felt like then I wouldn't anticipate it nervously.
>> Anonymous
In my experience smaller snakes like corns and rats tend to be skittish no matter how much they're handled. These were friend's and breeder's reptiles though, and not my own.
I've only ever owned larger snakes, the constrictor variety, and they are like other animals and can sense when you're nervous. Just be careful in handling and don't move too quickly. Don't grasp, let it run through your fingers and over your hands. If you do worry about being bitten you can get reptile handling gloves, but that may be overboard for such a small snake.
>> Anonymous
It should be fine. Even larger snakes can be skidding when around someone new, especially after being transported. Just gingerly pick him up and let him move around in your hands a little, and he'll eventually get used to you.

Even if he does bite you (he won't), it's not going to hurt very much if he's a young corn anyways.

Diving right in is the best thing to do. You'll be handling Reticulated Pythons in no time.
>> Anonymous
>>266138
The holding part is fine, its the initial picking up, since the tank is his territory and I have to respect that, I'm just unsure how to go about picking him up when I want to hold him. Gloves do seem a bit too far, especially for a corn as you said, I'm not too nervous to touch it, just uneasy about actually picking it up out of its tank. Somebody suggested to me that rosy boa are better beginner pets although being a bit bigger, and that they respond much better to being handling than corns, even though from what I've read, people seem to suggest corns for handling.

>>266144
Are you absolutely positive about that? I just don't want it to react negatively or feel stressed out by me, once I find a decent way to pick it up that myself and the snake are both comfortable with, I should be fine.
>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
People who handle snakes are subconsciously longing to caress a lengthy penis.

Faggots.
>> Anonymous
>>266257

Christ! What does that say about me when I handle my burmese python?!
>> Anonymous
once the snake is aware that you're there, scoop the snake up with both hands, supporting the full weight of its body. remove branches and whatever obstacles before handling so he has nowhere to hide, but put it back in later cause snakes need a place to hide or they get stressed
>> Anonymous
Young snakes are naturally skittish, it's their instincts at work. They don't recognize you yet as something that is not a threat.

When you try and grab the snake from the top it will freak them out because their instincts will tell them it's a predatory bird trying grab at them.

try to put your hand down flat on the substrate and move it under the snake and they might react better.

Granted any attempts to touch the snake will result in stress, but if you want to eventually be able to handle it you have to get it used to it while it is young.

Take it out for short periods of time every/every other day.

Do not handle it for 3 days after you feed the snake or there is a chance it will regurgitate its last meal which is really bad for it.

Corn snakes are probably the least demanding pet you can get, and they tame down rather quickly.

Goodluck!
>> Anonymous
>>266275

Says you have poor taste in giants. Retics for the motherfucking win.
>> Anonymous
>>266524
Thanks anon, glad to see my thread is still getting some responses. And only one troll, success!
It's currently on two pinkies per week so that doesn't leave too much time to handle it, giving it time to digest its meal. And I was unsure about handling it before a feed because I'm not sure if it will begin associating me picking it up with food coming soon, I don't want it to spend a few minutes being handled and then think its going to be fed.
>> Anonymous
>>266531

I assume you are feeding the snake in its enclosure?

I think it should be fine if you handle your snake before you feed it.

It will associate your hand with receiving food but not necessarily as food.

It shouldn't be a problem if you using tongs to grasp the pinks when you feed it.

Even if you don't I doubt any problems will arise.

If you are feeding it twice a week then you can probably handle it around 2 days after feeding since it must be digesting its food rather quickly.
>> Anonymous
>>266532
The guy I bought it from suggested I feed it in a separate container, I'm worried about it eating the beech chippings so I didn't really feel a need to disagree with him.
I don't use tongs/forceps yet as I've been feeding it in the tub and the snake eats without requiring any encouragement, I usually just leave the pinkie towards a corner as to reduce the likeliness of the snake going from the rear (har har) and it is usually gobbling away within under 30 seconds.

I just like to be able to handle pets, chameleons are my favorite animal but they are pretty short lived and don't enjoy being handled at all, while I love reptiles, they would be expensive to buy if all I did was look at them so I tried to find an easy to maintain reptile that didn't have too many problems being handled, but now with having to pick it up to put it in a tub I'm just paranoid that as it grows its going to think that being picked up means that food will be following shortly and if I don't feed it within X amount of time it will bite.
>> Anonymous
>>266547

If you feed it in a separate container that's good. It's a lot better for the snake.

It also provides you with the perfect opportunity to handle your snake before feeding it once you take it out of its cage.

Do not worry about it getting hungry and biting you. Corns rarely bite, and really when they do (which I don't know anyone who has been bitten by one) I doubt it would even break the skin.

Instead the snake should be excited to be handled because it knows that eventually it will be fed.
>> Anonymous
Thanks again anon. Much love.
>> Anonymous
>>266639
no. there is absolutly no difference in feeding your snake in its home or in another container.

op: i have never been bitten by any cornsnake period. usually if they're going to be pissy its because they're shedding (sometimes esp if the eyecaps are still on and they cant see well they'll get pissy) or such. just pick the snake up from behind ie dont grab a part of its body that is in front of its face and you'll be fine
if the body is making an S shape and it looks poised to strike, try getting some Tongs and gently pressing around the snake to calm it down OR leave it alone for a little bit. usually i go ahead with handling a snake that tries to sass me because they will learn i'm going to get them when i'm going to get them.

i was a bit nervous about handling my first baby snake (first snake ever). he squirmed a lot and freaked me out but if a baby bites you, if you can even feel it.. man it wont hurt. but then again you didnt mention how old your snake was

just be gentle with it if it's shedding or if it's making an S striking shape.
just keep handling it for little amounts of time every day and get it used to you.

cornsnakes make amazing first snake pets.


and because i have to skim /an/ snake threads because of the HUGE amount of bullshit...
Why do you people advise feeding a snake out of the enclosure? if a snake is going to recognize your hand as food because you drop in the food by hand then by the same reasoning the snake should recognize your hand as food because you pick it up to put it in the container.


>>266547
from what i've read, if your chams keep having 'short' life spans you're not caring for them properly.
>> Anonymous
>>266683
OP here again, this:
"Why do you people advise feeding a snake out of the enclosure? if a snake is going to recognize your hand as food because you drop in the food by hand then by the same reasoning the snake should recognize your hand as food because you pick it up to put it in the container."
is what made me paranoid about having to put it in a separate container to feed it, the rest of your post provides some nice insight for me, so thanks for that.
And this:
"from what i've read, if your chams keep having 'short' life spans you're not caring for them properly."
I would feel ashamed but I have never owned a chameleon, I would do my damndest to take care of it, its just that webpages I've read, books, owners I've asked all say that in captivity they only tend to live 2-3 years, like 5 on a rare occasion, its not that I've owned them and killed them off, if I was that hapless I wouldn't bother starting with a beginner pet that requires less attention. I'm starting from the bottom because I want to learn more and work my way up.
>> Anonymous
>>266732
I feed my ball python in her enclosure and have never had any problems with her associating open cage with food. She will go into hunting mode once she smells the mouse, though.

But that's a ball python. I'm told they're more docile.
>> Anonymous
>>266744
What substrate do you use though? I'm using beech chippings and the pieces are smaller than a pinkie, I just worry that if I just put the pinkie in the bottom and let the snake take it in its own time that it might pull a piece of the chippings with it and do some internal damage.
>> Anonymous
>>266754
I used cedar chips at first. After she swallowed a couple of pieces, I switched to newspaper with some moss scattered around. Easier and cheaper to maintain. Use more than an inch, though, to insulate the floor of the enclosure.
>> OP
>>266774
Isn't cedar based substrate supposed to be a prime cause of respiratory problems? Its good that you switched though. Who told you to use cedar?
>> Anonymous
>>266799
Pet-store-guy and "Ball Python Manual".
>> Anonymous
Use cypress mulch or aspen shavings. Or newspaper if you want a black-bellied snake.

Also, get rid of the corn and get a kingsnake. Better yet, feed the corn to the kingsnake.
>> Anonymous
>>266147
when i pick up my snakes i tend to ball up my fist and place it in the tank knuckles down, that way they can smell me and realize my fist is too fucking big to fit in their mouth. then from there you kinda move a little slow to grab them but after a while they get to know you and dont mind your hand at all

i feel also an important part of teaching your snake to be okay with being handled , is feeding them in a separate container, snakes are smart and if you continue to teach them that there is a place for eating and blood shed, its in the other cage, or box, or plastic thing, or what ever, but after that, they tend to not like being handled after feeding, makes their tummy upset ;.;
>> OP
>>266820
Why the king snake suggestion? Obviously because you think they're better/make better pets or something to the effect, but I'm curious as to your reasons.

>>267000
Yeah, I understand. What I've been doing is putting it in a separate tub with the pinkie, it eats without requiring encouragement. I let it alone a while to make sure its swallowed it properly, then I put the container in the snake's tank, take off the lid and let it come out in its own time before removing it, its been going well so far.
To any ball python owners, I know they grow a few feet bigger than corns, but do they have enough strength to constrict you without being overpowered? Probably a stupid question, I know, but I'm curious about other beginner level snakes.
Any rosy boa owners here? How are they as pets? I heard they were even better than ball pythons and corn snakes.
>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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Rawr.
>> Anonymous
>>267230

>Why the king snake suggestion? Obviously because you think they're better/make better pets or something to the effect, but I'm curious as to your reasons.

Because they aren't pussies. And they're constrictors, so handling them feels a lot more natural.