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scott1102
Egg
65 Posts |
 Posted - 16/07/2012 : 10:36:29
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Hi all, im a little bit sad :(
I'v had my ghost female corn for about a year and half now and she has NEVER EVER bit me or showed signs of aggression. Me and my partner used to joke that we must have the best behaved snake in the world.
Well.... shes become aggressive and i have no idea why. For the last 4-5 weeks every time i go to handle her or pick her up to feed her she will ALWAYS rattle her tail and have quick jerky movements when touched and she also bit me and drew blood. The bite obviously didnt hurt but with how fast she strikes it scares the living "you know what" out of me.
She is now doing this (s shape, tail rattle, quick movements) every single time i try to handle her and its got to the point where the anticipation of a bite has scared me that much im scared to hold her and for the last 4 days or so iv left her alone.
This is becoming a problem for me as this is the first reptile iv ever kept and its making me think "im scared of the strike so much should i just rehome her" but i dont want to quit at the first hurdle and would rather sort this problem out
Please help me with any advice :( |
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ScalySituation
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
5292 Posts |
Posted - 16/07/2012 : 10:51:08
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she hasnt been with a male has she? if so she could be getting grumpy if shes gravid.
Has anything changed in her viv and could you tell me how you have set up? |
1.0.0 Butter motley corn (Sheldon)
0.1.0 Caramel Corn (Maggie)
0.1.0 Caramel motley corn (Echo)
1.0.0 Cat (Angus)
1 mealworm colony
RIP Skye x
Sleep well Sonny, Mummy loves you xx
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Thorne Walker
Yearling
Canada
642 Posts |
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scott1102
Egg
65 Posts |
Posted - 16/07/2012 : 15:43:03
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thanks for your replies.
Nothing has changed really. The only thing i can think of is, we have a new puppy downstairs (snake is upstairs) and maybe she is smelling the puppy? But i am washing my hands and forearms thoroughly before handling so im not sure?
Her viv is the same for many many months, iv moved around a couple of decorations but thats it. the viv is this....
with a heat mat on the right hand side using a thermostat, water bowel on the left hand side hiding at the front under the glass.
Its the oddest thing, We literally have had her about 1 and a half years, actually closer to 2 years. And she has never shown aggression what so ever. Many people say baby corns are a bit bitey until they get used too you but when she was a baby she wasnt, never once did she even try.
But in the last 4 weeks or so, the first week she rattled her tail quite angrily, the second week is when she was quick jerky movements and i picked her up only for her to bite my hand (she didnt clamp on though, a quick bite that drew blood) the third week she rattled ALOT and slithered away super fast. And this week she rattled, made a noise used super fast movements and S shaped. So i fed her inside her viv (i never have before and i know you shouldnt but i was that scared in anticipation of a strike i just fed her inside her viv for now)
I called my local reptile pet shop and the guy said the only thing he could think of with a sudden aggression change was she had reached the age of maturity and breeding time so shes aggressive? |
Edited by - scott1102 on 16/07/2012 15:49:35 |
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scott1102
Egg
65 Posts |
Posted - 16/07/2012 : 20:30:23
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| any ideas folks? |
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cwblush
Egg
United Kingdom
53 Posts |
Posted - 17/07/2012 : 17:57:29
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We have had ups and downs with Ace handling wise and was put off holding him cause of the stiking. So today we started new regime, he gets handled every day and so l'm not scared to lift him staight away l put on new gardening gloves.
That way i dont hesitate and hes under no illusion that biting me will get him his own way.
After a few minutes he went to Morgan and was quite happy.
Just a thought? |
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Thorne Walker
Yearling
Canada
642 Posts |
Posted - 17/07/2012 : 19:10:57
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I'm going to put my .02 on the puppy.
If you smell like dog then you smell like a predator and I wouldn't bet a dime on you being able to completely remove the smell even with a thorough cleaning.
Try the sock trick.. put it in the puppy's bed to get it all stinky (relatively speaking) then pop it into the viv.. |
1.0.0 CB'11 Volcano Corn 'Kitty'
0.0.1 CB'11 Russian Rat Snake 'Monster'
2.0.0 CB'04 Roof Rabbits 'Baka Neko-San' and 'Usagi Neko-San'
My Setup :http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27228
The Kids: http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=26248 |
Edited by - Thorne Walker on 17/07/2012 20:46:20 |
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teabicky
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
23 Posts |
Posted - 17/07/2012 : 19:40:12
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| My corn, Wilson, is very placid unless the dogs are around. He hasn't bit but he gets really jerky. We had the dogs before the snake so he is used to the general smell but as your pup is new then just the smell could freak the snake out. I would just persevere with handling so that she can learn that she has nothing to fear. I think that the worst thing you could do is to be put off handling. |
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scott1102
Egg
65 Posts |
Posted - 17/07/2012 : 20:49:28
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thankyou for your replies everyone.
I think it has to be the new puppy like you all suggested because she has never been like this before and it all started happening when the new puppy arrived. I just paid no attention to it as we had a dog before we got the corn and she was fine.
Today i'v had a sock tucked in to the waist band of my bottoms for almost 5 hours with the puppy climbing all over me. Just popped it in the viv minutes ago.
(i need some gardening gloves lol because its my fear of the strike thats stopping me from handling her) |
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a2c7
Hatchling
United Kingdom
320 Posts |
Posted - 18/07/2012 : 21:02:12
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It might be best to put the sock in with the actual puppy, as she should be used to your smell, it's just the puppy smell that's troubling her.
Hope all goes well - I have read other stories about seemingly placid snakes turning into teenagers over night, guess they're always wild, but there is always a cause on the forums I've read. |
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Aggressive
