# Corn snakes advice



## s22jgs (Apr 5, 2009)

Hey 
I am looking at corn snakes at the moment and the only thing i am concerned about is if it bites or contricts when it is bigger !!

Has anyone been bitten or had their corn constrict ?

: victory:


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## lukeors (May 5, 2011)

theres nothing to be worried about with corns they haven't got a nasty set of fangs or any sense of nasty in their nature either and they can't constricting as strong as say a python so there great snakes go for one :2thumb:


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## s22jgs (Apr 5, 2009)

I think you have satisifed my concerns Thanks  I have read up and they seem like such friendly snakes.  I have held a hatchling i might go today and hold an adult snake justto make sure  and if i am ok with it then I think I will be going for a Hypo Motley if i can find one they are very pretty


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## Dibles (Nov 7, 2011)

Just don't introduce the snake to your gerbil!


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## Bruceyyy (May 9, 2010)

I have a few cornsnakes and one (a rescue) is an absolute b******, and he is getting on for 4 years old and well over 4ft!! He repeatedly strikes and leaves you with a bloody hand unless you handle him by the tail. So they are capable of being nasty, but if you have it from a wee hatchling and it gets handled moderately, there will be no issue when it gets older/bigger.

As for constricting, my 5ft 9" corn is really docile but sometimes he likes to have a little squeeze (especially if he is trying to use my body temperature to warm up and i keep handling him). but the squeeze is nothing you can't cope with and remove without trouble!


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## Zac Hinchcliffe (Dec 16, 2011)

Bruceyyy said:


> I have a few cornsnakes and one (a rescue) is an absolute b******, and he is getting on for 4 years old and well over 4ft!! He repeatedly strikes and leaves you with a bloody hand unless you handle him by the tail. So they are capable of being nasty, but if you have it from a wee hatchling and it gets handled moderately, there will be no issue when it gets older/bigger.
> 
> As for constricting, my 5ft 9" corn is really docile but sometimes he likes to have a little squeeze (especially if he is trying to use my body temperature to warm up and i keep handling him). but the squeeze is nothing you can't cope with and remove without trouble!


I can confirm that Bruceyyy's rescue corn is a right bugger! Both of my corns however are the nicest tempered animals I've ever had the good fortune of owning. I don't really think Corns constrict very much unless they are heavy animals and trying not to fall off you. 
Biting is a different story depending on the animal but most corns calm down after a decent amound of handling...

Good luck, and hope you get half as much entertainment out of corn snakes as I'm getting with mine 

Zac


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## lukeors (May 5, 2011)

no problem ^_^ and yeah well you'll always find an exception to everything but 9 times outta 10 they'll be good as gold :2thumb:


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## s22jgs (Apr 5, 2009)

hmm ok !! I did in deed go out today and handled a couple of adult snakes one corn and one milk snake both with a brilliant temprement. I held also a couple of hatchlings which were also fine  You have worried me now about the biting lol


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

If you get bitten their bite feels like loads of sharp little needles, my first bite was from my corn snake when she was 10 months old, her teeth felt like lots of tiny needles & even though she drew blood it wasn't that much.


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## lukeors (May 5, 2011)

you probs 4x more likely to get bitten by your gerbil then a corn lol it'll be fine wouldnt hurt near as much either gerbil bites are way worse


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## s22jgs (Apr 5, 2009)

Ok thanks  I have only been nibbled by my gerbil not an actual bite. If I do get mistaken for food what would I do to get them off ? As a beginner is it better to get a male or female ?: victory:


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## Paul B (Apr 16, 2008)

They will normally let go by themselves.

To be honest i would rather be bitten by a 10ft Burmese than a rat or a guinea pig. Its happened with all of them and the rat and the guinea pig hurt far more and left a nasty scar.
The burmese and every snake has such sharp fangs you hardly feel it happenning. Yes it does bleed a lot but soon stops and rarely hurts for any length of time afterward.


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## TEENY (Jan 4, 2008)

Firstly if its a corn don't worry about getting bitten, it hurts about as much as being slapped with a bit of velcro, they have teeny weeny little teeth lol
Secondly, the constricting, my biggest boy is about 5.5 foot and chunky, he does constrict sometimes and it is a good squeeze, but nothing you cannot remove one handed, tbh its more annoying when they go up sleeves/in pockets etc lol


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## TEENY (Jan 4, 2008)

s22jgs said:


> Ok thanks  I have only been nibbled by my gerbil not an actual bite. If I do get mistaken for food what would I do to get them off ? As a beginner is it better to get a male or female ?: victory:


If you need to get it off just wait a second and it will let go, they generally lose interest pretty quickly, normally as soon as they have struck lol


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## s22jgs (Apr 5, 2009)

aaah ok thanks guys that makes me feel a bit better  thanks for your help. Is there anything else i need to know at all ?


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## lukeors (May 5, 2011)

theres no difference between getting a boy or a girl just get the one you feel you connect with the most when your buying one : victory:


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## LittlestarRed (Sep 8, 2011)

My Corn has only ever struck at me once, it was my own fault too. I startled her as I didn't spot her asleep behind her water bowl as I moved it. I barely felt it at all. I have been tagged by Boas in the past and even that didn't really hurt that much.
My advice find one you like the look of and make sure it's been well handled and get an idea of it's temperament before buying.

Corns are fab for many reasons, do your research, find a nice one and go for it!
Good luck!


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## s22jgs (Apr 5, 2009)

LOL oops ha ha  Ok I am going to read up thanks for your help peeps


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## Alan L (Mar 29, 2011)

I can confirm that a gerbil bite is considerably worst than a wee corn. My daughter had gerbils up until last year and they give some bite. She also has preying mantises that have drawn blood. I have been tagged by her 9month old corn a couple of times in the first 3 weeks of having her. She would hiss, tail going and strike, but this was due to it being scared and not used to being in a new environment. I didn't realise she had tagged me until a drop of blood appeared (pinprick sized). We have had the corn about 6 weeks and my daughter, who is 12, now takes her out the vivarium on her own, without any reaction from her snake, as she is now used to the surrounding and scent of us. She is handled every day, with the exception of the 2 days after feeding.

You are probably worrying unduly - remember everything bites and just go buy your corn.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

I've never once been bitten by my corn, although, as with all animals, there are times when it is better not to disturb him- when he is in shed, for example, and feeling especially vulnerable. I just leave him alone then. Because he strike feeds (from tongs), I am always cautious about shoving my hand in from the top of the tank, but once he has realised that he is not being offered food, he is fine. On the odd occasion when he has escaped, I have had to bodily haul him out from under a bookcase or similar- again, he'll wiggle to get away, but has never once attempted to bite. Which is more than I can say for most small mammals (don't get me started on those Spawn of Satan, hamsters! :devil.


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