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419 Posts |
 Posted - 16/03/2010 : 10:25:10
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Right OK, so I have had my corn for a week now (well 8 days) he fed on Sunday and was told to leave him 48 hour before handling.
I haven’t held him yet, as was also advised to leave him alone for a week to settle in & I have been good and not handled him yet :)
He hangs out in his egg box quite alot, and I know this sounds stoopid, as he is a corn, but a little nervous to get him out.
How do I go about getting him out of his egg box, do I just scoop my hand under him, as I have seen him move & he is fast!!! And don’t want him dropping or escaping (again lol)
Any help would be great :D
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0.1.0 Crested Gecko: Keiko
2.1.0 Corn Snakes: Picollo, Morph, Sookie
0.1.0 Royal Python: Luna
0.0.1 Pueblan Milk Snake: Chilli
2.4.0 Leopard Geckos: Cleo, Echo, Tiffin, Roley, Scarlett, Ludwig
1.0.0 Understanding Boyfriend: Nick |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 16/03/2010 : 11:04:10
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I am not experience with handling hatchlings or little ones, but I have had an adult that was not handled at all well by his previous owner so had to ‘start from the beginning’ with him, the way I would imagine you would with a hatchling.
I always fiddle with my snakes' substrate whenever I change their water, so every morning...just airing it and checking for poo, but it is a really good way to spread my smell around their viv. Also, when I go to handle them I go in slowly, and again I fiddle with the substrate a bit because that way I am getting their scent on my hands, which I think must help in keeping them calm. It also warns them that you are in their viv so they are not surprised.
I cant remember...is she actually in the egg box or under it? Both my corns are usually in their hides, so it is just a case of picking up their hides and then picking them up. If he is in the egg box I guess you could just remove the whole egg box from the viv and then remove him from that.
Neither of my corns come onto my hand...wanting to be picked up. It is a case of me choosing to pick them up from wherever they are in the viv. I know some of the forums' corns do this, but not all...so dont worry if he doesn't. When you do pick him up try not to come at him from above, but rather scoop him up from the sides....that will scare him less.
Very calmly and confidently scoop him up, using both hands and being careful to support him so he isnt dangling. Hold him firmly and gently as he WILL try to escape from your grip - but that is a natural reaction for him and you must not react to it but continue as you are. Hold him fairly firmly but gently to bring him out of the viv. Once you have him out sit with him (covering your lap with a towel is a good idea in case she decides to poo on you) and just let him run through your hands, moving one to the other to the other and so on. He will seem flighty and scared to begin with...but again, you have to realise it is natural and something both he and you have to get used to. You must just be very calm and steady with your movements. Dont have him out for more than 5 minutes, and return him gently and calmly to the viv if he is showing signs of stress. Repeat again and again and again....(except for 48hrs after eating of course!)....and you will begin to notice a difference in his behaviour as he gets used to being handled and will begin to tolerate it. As he gets used to it so will you and your confidence will grow. You can then lengthen the amount of time you have him out and allow him to begin to explore your body and then around you...but that is a long way off. At the moment it is a case of quality not quantity.
He will be able to tell you are not confident and that will make him more stressed. It is a case of you needing to 'fake it until you feel it'...behave calmly and gently, with no sudden movements, and he will respond positively to that. His reaction when you go to pick him up will be a fear response...but that will lessen with time.
Now I can talk from actual experience. When I took on Silvesta, his previous owner only handled him a few times a week, with a glove after being bitten, and he was very obviously underfed. When we went to see him the owner got him out with the glove and Silvesta was all over the place trying to escape...I immediately took him from his owner (with my bare hands) and within a few minutes his movements had calmed down. I think he was truly picking up on the vibes of his previous owner that he was scared of him. Since having him I treated him as a hatchling, giving him the week to settle in and then only handling him twice a day for a maximum of 5 minutes, less if he was showing signs of stress. To begin with he would try to escape when I went to get him out of his viv (and caused total chaos spreading substrate everywhere!) but now he will let me pick him up without fleeing from me. The handling sessions have lengthened and he has become accustomed to me running him through my hands and letting him roam my body. I am now able to let him explore a bit, although I always keep a hand on him because he is exceedingly fast and I know that if he decided to he could escape before I could get near him to catch him.
It really is a case of time and patience and quality of handling rather than quantity. Take it slow and trust yourself...only when you do that will he trust you.
xxx
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419 Posts |
Posted - 16/03/2010 : 12:32:53
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WOW what an amazing response, thanks so much for all the advice, that was brilliant :o) x x x
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0.1.0 Crested Gecko: Keiko
2.1.0 Corn Snakes: Picollo, Morph, Sookie
0.1.0 Royal Python: Luna
0.0.1 Pueblan Milk Snake: Chilli
2.4.0 Leopard Geckos: Cleo, Echo, Tiffin, Roley, Scarlett, Ludwig
1.0.0 Understanding Boyfriend: Nick |
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DannyBrown91
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3070 Posts |
Posted - 16/03/2010 : 13:22:15
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| Yup, you can always expect a thorough answer from Judith, but it is indeed all correct. Just be slow and calm when he sees you. You may want to fiddle with the substrate so you get his scent on your hands. Make sure he can see you and slow come towards him and scoop him up. He may try to get away so be carefull. Casper was like that when i first got her, trying to get away from me when i picked her up and striking and hissing when i entered the faun but now she is absolutely fine. Reggie used to try to get away but calmed down very quickly and candy has always been fine just curls up in your hand and wriggles through your fingers so the technique varies for each corn. If your corn tries to get away just try your best to keep a firm hol but at the same time not putting any real pressure on the snake, handle for a couple of minutes and put him back gradually extending the time you handle. |
0.0.1 Ghost Corn - Casper
0.0.1 Diffused Corn - Reggie
0.0.1 Amel Corn - Candy A.K.A Baby
1.0 Commom BCI - Rocky
0.1 Japanese Akita - Sasha
Location: Liverpool |
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n/a
deleted
419 Posts |
Posted - 16/03/2010 : 13:26:57
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| Cool, getting nervous now LOL, he looks so small and fragile, I wouldn't want to hurt him :o( ekkk |
0.1.0 Crested Gecko: Keiko
2.1.0 Corn Snakes: Picollo, Morph, Sookie
0.1.0 Royal Python: Luna
0.0.1 Pueblan Milk Snake: Chilli
2.4.0 Leopard Geckos: Cleo, Echo, Tiffin, Roley, Scarlett, Ludwig
1.0.0 Understanding Boyfriend: Nick |
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HannahB
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
5491 Posts |
Posted - 16/03/2010 : 14:38:01
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just bite the bullet so to speak and be confident 
once he gets used to you and you get used to him you'll be fine |
2.0 Normal Royal Pythons - Q and Little One
1.0 Chihauhaun Mountain Kingsnake - Simba
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DannyBrown91
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3070 Posts |
Posted - 16/03/2010 : 16:12:44
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quote:
Originally posted by xvickyx
Cool, getting nervous now LOL, he looks so small and fragile, I wouldn't want to hurt him :o( ekkk
I know where your coming from, i am very nervous when i handle candy, she is so tiny, especialy in comparison to my hand. |
0.0.1 Ghost Corn - Casper
0.0.1 Diffused Corn - Reggie
0.0.1 Amel Corn - Candy A.K.A Baby
1.0 Commom BCI - Rocky
0.1 Japanese Akita - Sasha
Location: Liverpool |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 17/03/2010 : 03:15:01
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quote:
Originally posted by DannyBrown91
quote:
Originally posted by xvickyx
Cool, getting nervous now LOL, he looks so small and fragile, I wouldn't want to hurt him :o( ekkk
I know where your coming from, i am very nervous when i handle candy, she is so tiny, especialy in comparison to my hand.
Vicky - I would feel exactly the same!! I have only ever handled adults and I know how nervous I would be about handling a little one, for the same reasons you say....I would be scared to break them! But I also know that corns are a lot hardier than we give them credit for, so logically it is not something we should worry about (but that doesnt stop us worrying  ).
Just be gentle but firm and you will be fine  .
xxx |
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Time to handle...
