Proper Handling of Corn Snakes

Video Transcript

"Hi I’m Debbie McCanna on behalf of Expert Village.com. We are discussing in this clip the care and maintenance of corn snakes. Specifically today, with regard to proper handling of your snake. If your snake is presently in its container, you lift the lid or otherwise open the container and check first to see what the snake is doing behaviorally. In this case, our snake is simply resting on the bottom and if they are unwilling to come out on their own and you need to reach in there to pick them up, it’s always important to do so carefully and quietly without startling the animal. You can lift your snake to encourage it to start moving somewhere along the midpoint of the body. It is important never to grab the face or the head of your snake or make it feel threatened by closing off its face. Never startle your snake by poking directly into its eyes or face. Always give its head free access of movement so not to startle your snake. These all wild animals even if they are captive bred and you have to remember that they do have the potential to bite as does any animal when faced with this startling situation. While handling your snake, you want to let the snake do the movement. You don’t want to restrict the snake’s movement and you want to let the snake freely choose where to move. Occasionally your snake because it senses the warmth of your body, may actually move up your clothing through a sleeve or other pant leg or something like that. This is not harmful. Just be still and calm and the snake will find its way out. I’ve had snakes before go through the belt loops of my pants which is quite amusing when walking down a hallway with a snake entwined in your belt loops. The snake will find its way out when it is ready. It is important not to try to force a snake into or out of an area. This snake is perfectly comfortable just crawling around on my arm as it would on low substrate in its natural environment. It is actually not a tree dwelling snake so it is recommended that you do not put it up high off the ground in a tree. If you do, take it outside. But instead handle it with both hands and keep it moving freely through your fingers and arms. "