| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Mrswilbz |
Posted - 29/12/2014 : 21:27:02
After nearly a year, I gave into my daughter wanting a corn snake, after doing the research, we decided we were ready to commit.
The idea was to get one in the new year, but I found someone selling one which had been a school pet, the teacher was moving schools and unfortunately couldn't take it with him. I went to see her a few times and handled her and learnt as much about her care and routine as I could take in.
She is unsexed, (but we say her), around 4 years old and is just over 5ft.
We brought her home, didn't move any of her viv around left it as it was, gave her a couple of days to settle in, and began handling her, no problems at all
After a week we gave her a jumbo mouse and left her 48 hours.
Since then she has been very hyper and quite defensive tail rattling and going to strike. I have left her the last two days without trying to handle her and I don't think she has been out of her hide. I can see her little face peeking out.
Does anybody know what could have caused the change in behavior.
We did have an indoor guinea pig cage on top of the viv, which my daughter suggested moving as she thought there movement on top may be vibrating through the viv.
Just searching for ideas which could have caused this change in behavior, is it us or something we are doing wrong |
| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Mrswilbz |
Posted - 30/12/2014 : 14:29:18
![]() I swapped her heating set up when she arrived. She originally had a heat bulb on a thermostat, but was also controlled by a timer so was only on from 7 am to 5 pm, and a uv bulb just for light also set at the same time.
This didn't seem right to me as the temp dropped too low on an evening and contradicted everything i had read and learnt.
She is now heated with a heat mat, covering one third with a thermostat and the uv light, just for light this is set with natural daylight hours.
The warm end is 81 and the cooler end is 72.
She has a jumbo mouse every 7 - 10 days as this is what she was on before i got her.
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| Moppet |
Posted - 30/12/2014 : 09:51:36
Two of my snakes live in the same room as my guinea pigs (opposite sides of the room) and they seem to have gotten used to the smell and don't react as if they're hungry all the time from the scent. They also have two crested geckos on top of their vivs, they are the animals I have to watch out with. If I handle a gecko then handle a snake I become the best smelling prey item in the world apparently! |
| Kellog |
Posted - 30/12/2014 : 08:40:56
You've been given good advice Diana, unsurprisingly. It's so good knowing that you did lots of research before you got her  . So many people don't  .
Does she have a heatmat in her viv, controlled by a thermostat and monitored by a digital thermometer? What is the warm end temperature?
One thing I picked up on is that you're feeding her jumbo mice. How often is she being fed?
Xxx
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| Razee |
Posted - 30/12/2014 : 08:33:17
Good idea with moving the guinea pigs - snake's main sense is smell ( and it's excellent, they smell and taste at the same time )- and she would most certainly have smelled "rodents" all the time. She doesn't know they might be too big to eat, she could just smell them, and would probably have been in feeding mode all the time. Best thing would be to have them in different rooms, and also, always make sure you don't handle the guinea pigs, or their bedding etc. , and then handle her, you would most likely get bitten. Just to be on the safe side, always wash your hands before handling her ( not too strong smelling soap ).
Otherwise, what Donnie said - check all her set up and temperatures are right - and then, it's just patience. She will need time to settle in her new home.
Also, some snakes don't like being disturbed whilst still digesting, if she hasn't done a poop yet, she's still digesting.
My snakes go hyper, and then into hiding, just before they go blue as well. I see lot of activity for around a week, then they hide somewhere, then start going blue. I can usually guess a shed is coming, just by this, even before they change colour.
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| Moppet |
Posted - 30/12/2014 : 01:01:22
Great answer from Donnie  . Perhaps you could also put something in her viv that smells like you to help her get used to the change. |
| Donnie |
Posted - 29/12/2014 : 22:34:25
First thing I would do is check my setup and make sure the temperature and things are as they should be. He/she maybe going into a shed cycle which can sometimes make them more defensive or it could just be adjusting to the new environment. Make your checks and monitor for a while. |
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