Any snake keepers in here?

[Postmalone35]

Hey,

I’m looking to chat with any snake owners that use the tap training method, or something similar to help them distinguish between food, and me NOT being food

I inherited my brothers corn snake about 7 years ago, and I think he’s around 12/14 years old.
I’m not what you’d call knowledgable when it comes to snakes in general, but I do know this snake very well and I know when somethings not right with him.
Until last night he’s NEVER shown any aggression or fear, and has never bitten anyone ever with me and whilst he was with my brother. He’s always been super chilled out, social and easy to handle. He’s also never really been very food orientated and usually very slowly and calmly sniffs his mouse, and gently starts to eat it.
About two months ago he’s started to strike out at his food and go crazy wrapping him and his mouse into a twisted noodle ball.
Last night I went into his tank to fill his water and spot clean like I always do every night, and for whatever reason he latched onto my hand with his teeth and stayed there for about 10 minutes just biting down and wrapping himself around my arm and hand.
Since then I’ve been racking my brain as to what and why it happened. Nothing about the routine was any different to normal.
I think it was more of a food response than him feeling threatened or moody. Like I said I’m not knowledgable on snake behaviour but the way I see it is if he was meaning to bite me and tell me off for something surely it would have been a quick strike bite and then him recoiling to the back of his tank?
But the fact it was a slow bite and then he hung onto me for a while maybe says he mistook my hand as food? I don’t know how because I always feed with tongs and around midday on feeding days, and when I’m handling him or doing tank maintenance and water changes I do them on an evening.
I always make sure he’s seen me before I actually put my hands inside the tank and that if he’s in his “bedtime cave” as I call it, I don’t disturb him if he’s in there as I want him to know that’s his safe place and he usually goes up to that cave as I’m doing nighttime checks and locking up etc. I like to keep a routine with my pets so they have some structure and absolutely nothing about last night was any different to how it normally is, but for some reason we got our wires crossed somewhere and he felt the need to try eat me or tell me off for something.
I’ve seen people use tap training with reptiles and big snakes, and wonder if this is something that might work for mine so this incident doesn’t get repeated.
What’s your thoughts on this if you have any?
Would a clicker work instead of a bang on his tank, or would he not hear it? I have a spider collection above his tank so I’m not keen on banging it and upsetting the spiders. Is there another method I could use?
Looking forward to anyone’s ideas or advice

It may be temperature. Good luck!

 

[Westicles]

Hey Victoria, one day are you going to try your hand at any other snake species? My personal opinion, they're more addictive than tarantulas!

 

[Malum Argenteum]

I love that they come in so many morphs, and scaleless as well.

FWIW, scaleless corn snakes are a hybrid animal (with P. emoryi). Most are a handful of generations away from that hybridization, but scaleless is not simply another morph. Unfortunately, since het animals get around, this muddies the entire captive corn snake population when people consider it just another morph.

 

[Ian14]

FWIW, scaleless corn snakes are a hybrid animal (with P. emoryi). Most are a handful of generations away from that hybridization, but scaleless is not simply another morph. Unfortunately, since het animals get around, this muddies the entire captive corn snake population when people consider it just another morph.

Corns are all a complete genetic melting pot.
Whatever you buy, genetic-wise, will not be what you expect.
Most corns now are hybrids.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

Corns are all a complete genetic melting pot.
Whatever you buy, genetic-wise, will not be what you expect.
Most corns now are hybrids.

Mostly, yes probably. There are still some classic Kathy Love line animals that were kept pure and are available from time to time. There are true locale animals available in the US, also -- WC specimens are readily available here.

 

[VictoriaBR]

Hey Victoria, one day are you going to try your hand at any other snake species? My personal opinion, they're more addictive than tarantulas!

Probably not snakes, or not more than one at a time for sure. I would love an emerald tree boa or a green tree python one day, they’re definitely my bucket list snakes, but I doubt I will ever be lucky enough to have one of those.
I have a large jumping spider collection and I’d love to start breeding some of the rarer ones properly eventually. I also have 2 T. Seladonia tarantulas.
I’d also love either a pair of crested geckos or Tokay geckos, and a huge dart frog paludarium, but again I doubt these will ever happen sadly.

 

[Westicles]

Probably not snakes, or not more than one at a time for sure. I would love an emerald tree boa or a green tree python one day, they’re definitely my bucket list snakes, but I doubt I will ever be lucky enough to have one of those.
I have a large jumping spider collection and I’d love to start breeding some of the rarer ones properly eventually. I also have 2 T. Seladonia tarantulas.
I’d also love either a pair of crested geckos or Tokay geckos, and a huge dart frog paludarium, but again I doubt these will ever happen sadly.

Why doubt?

 

[VictoriaBR]

Why doubt?

I live in military housing so we move every 2-3 years. Seems a bit cruel and also non practical to have to pack up and disturb the animals every couple years. Especially seen as most of the animals I want are quite sensitive. Plus a paludarium itself probably doesn’t travel very well
I also happen to have picked some pricey reptiles for my wish list which is typical me, I have a taste for the rare and expensive!

 

[Westicles]

Yeah, you're going from corn snake(inexpensive) to green tree python/emerald tree boa($$$$)! Lol

 

[VictoriaBR]

Yeah, you're going from corn snake(inexpensive) to green tree python/emerald tree boa($$$$)! Lol

I’d need to sell a kidney to buy one of my dream snakes
Do you have a bucket list snake?

 

[Westicles]

Not so much a bucket list snake, but definitely a few more. Problem is there's no more space in my snake room!!! Lol

 

[VictoriaBR]

Not so much a bucket list snake, but definitely a few more. Problem is there's no more space in my snake room!!! Lol

Move house?

 

[Westicles]

In a perfect world, yes!!! But not feasible. There's so many species I like and have never kept, but I have to be realistic too. I have several enclosures that are 4 or 5 ft long for my bigger kids that occupy a lot of space. But as they get older and die off, they'll be replaced

 

[Westicles]

Just curious, is snake keeping prevalent in England? In the states, you more or less can get what you want. Is it the same over yonder?

 

[Ian14]

Just curious, is snake keeping prevalent in England? In the states, you more or less can get what you want. Is it the same over yonder?

Unless it's venomous, you can keep what you want in the UK.
Even then, as long as you can work with the local council and get a Dangerous Animals licence then you can keep those too. (A simplistic answer, getting a licence isn't easy and is species specific).
Snake keeping is a big hobby over here compared to keeping other exotic animals.

 

[Westicles]

Unless it's venomous, you can keep what you want in the UK.
Even then, as long as you can work with the local council and get a Dangerous Animals licence then you can keep those too. (A simplistic answer, getting a licence isn't easy and is species specific).
Snake keeping is a big hobby over here compared to keeping other exotic animals.

Cool. I was just curious. I'm showing my ignorance I guess. I'm only familiar with the hobby here in the US. To some it's a huge hobby, to others reptile keeping is alien.

 

[Westicles]

And yes, in the southern US, we say yonder!!! Lol!!

 

[Westicles]

I live in military housing so we move every 2-3 years. Seems a bit cruel and also non practical to have to pack up and disturb the animals every couple years. Especially seen as most of the animals I want are quite sensitive. Plus a paludarium itself probably doesn’t travel very well
I also happen to have picked some pricey reptiles for my wish list which is typical me, I have a taste for the rare and expensive!

I live in military housing so we move every 2-3 years. Seems a bit cruel and also non practical to have to pack up and disturb the animals every couple years. Especially seen as most of the animals I want are quite sensitive. Plus a paludarium itself probably doesn’t travel very well
I also happen to have picked some pricey reptiles for my wish list which is typical me, I have a taste for the rare and expensive!

Are you gonna live in military housing your whole life? I guess my point is never say never. If you truly want those species you mentioned, one day you can make that happen!!! 20 yrs ago I never thought I'd have 2 boas and a coastal carpet python

 

[VictoriaBR]

Are you gonna live in military housing your whole life? I guess my point is never say never. If you truly want those species you mentioned, one day you can make that happen!!! 20 yrs ago I never thought I'd have 2 boas and a coastal carpet python

I’ll probably be in my 60’s before I have a house of my own and I don’t have any kids or family so I’d worry about getting something when I’m that old and if it outlives me I have no one I can leave it to, and I wouldn’t want it ending up with some randomer I didn’t know.

 

[Westicles]

I’ll probably be in my 60’s before I have a house of my own and I don’t have any kids or family so I’d worry about getting something when I’m that old and if it outlives me I have no one I can leave it to, and I wouldn’t want it ending up with some randomer I didn’t know.