Little Jerky Corn Snake

[rattekonigin]

My stupid little corn snake is such an a**hole. It's nothing like my big girl, who's super nice. I know that different snakes have different personalities, but what the hell does this little worm think he is? All striking at me and shaking his tail and flattening out his head...he's a corn snake, for God's sake! I saw Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) grab up a wild one on the show the other day, and it's all, like "Hmm?...meh..." and just goes about it's business, but then my little NON-wild one is all up in my face!

[Linds]

Well, he's not bein an stupid little a$$, he's just very afraid. That is his way of dealing with fear. He obviously sees you as a threat. It is very common for young snakes to be quite nippy, that is their survival instincts. Hehehe... I think it's cute, little guys acting like they are so tough :p All you can do is persist with patient, gentle handling sessions. With time, patience, and persistence he should calm down some. Good luck and happy herping :)

[Kate]

I also think it's adorable when they do that! Tiny little snakes that are sooooo cute are trying to act scary! And if you're scared of getting bit by a baby corn then there's something wrong here.... if it does strike at you it won't hurt at all!

[rattekonigin]

I'm not afraid of being bitten, he's done it several times...it's nothing at all...it's just frustrating for me because he used to be perfectly friendly and then all of a sudden *blam* he becomes a complete spaz, I stopped picking him up with my hands because I figured it was freaking him out, so I use a stick to get him out of the cage, but it didn't seem to help, because all I have to do is look in at him and he starts the tail rattling and fit taking...I just don't get it, out of nowhere he starts acting like that.

[Pythonian]

My Corn is being the exact same way! before he would go in my hair and make a nest to chill out in, he'd crawl in my shirt and stay there when i have people over cause he doesn't like others, but he would come to me if I put my hand in the cage and he would crawl up my arm and everything.. now! he hisses, gets into striking position, and won't even let me feed him!! what is wrong with these guys??

[gunnerslakeshor]

Hey Rattekonigin Dont worry theyll grow out of it just persivere with them and after a while they will calm down, I have one young bloodred corn and he's the same way.
I havent been taged this much in a long time , its kinda fun .
But it will subside after a while.
Not to worry.
Phil

[Simon]

Hey guys,

Don't really worry that much. With increase handling, the snake should calm down. I have a collection of 16 corn snakes 2 pythons, and 2 milk snakes also has 3 more boas to come. Most of these snakes were a bit nippy at first, but then with time and handling they most of them have calmed down already. There is only one little milk snake phase corn that I have right now still is nippy.....but it's because I haven't handled it too much.....other than that one, out of the 20 I have right now (excluding the 3 that are coming) all of them are calm and never bit me after good handling.

So with more handling, the snake will calm down very soon. But of course there are exceptions......that is personaility. Each snake has it's own personaility. Some will calm down right away, some will calm slowly, and some will never calm down. But from my experience (Have been keeping snakes for 15 years now) that corn snakes are mainly tame animals. So I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Good Luck and Happy Herping!