Drastic personality change in a corn snake?

What can cause a previously (Once you get him out of the cage)easy to handle corn snake to suddenly turn into a little ?

One of my sub adult corns has decided that it is going to take chunks out of me every time I try to pick him up. when I picked him up today he bit be multiple times in only a few seconds! Literally flipped out, thrashed around and just started biting.
Has anyone ever had that kind of problem before?

I didn't have the biting problem, but I used to have an RO corn that was my tamest snake. One day, he just started flailing all around when I picked him up and became very skittish and jerked around at any sudden movements, when he was in his tub and when I was handling him. He was still eating and shedding perfect and I have no idea why he suddenly became so untame despite being handled alomst every day since a hatchling.

Hope yours calms down!

Me too, since I don't want to pick him up anymore! Going to go out and get some gloves so I can safely handle him.

Check your temps. If it gets too hot, they tend to get agitated.

HIs temps range from 82-85. That shouldn't cause this should it?

Originally Posted by reptilebaby

HIs temps range from 82-85. That shouldn't cause this should it?

It should have a thermogradient where it can seek cooler temps as well to conserve energy. On one side 82-85 it is fine for properly digesting meals, but when temps start getting a constant 85 or so in the entire cage all the time, it is getting too warm. I find that many colubrids will start going into their water bowls at around 84-85 if they cannot retreat to a cooler side of the enclosure in an attempt to seek more optimum temps.



~Doug

This may not be the problem but I am going to mention it because it Can make snakes reactive to ppl they once were ok with.

Have you changed soaps, shower gel, sanitizer, laundry soap/softner... anything like that? Or maybe the time of day when handleing? I have had a couple do this and it came down to the fact that I had changed my hand soap and they werent sure it was ME anymore and reacted accordingly. Hope he calms back down for you!

I haven't changed anything. At least I don't think I have. I suppose that could have happened though.

The soap suggestion is an interesting one. I used to work with animals and they were much calmer with people who did not wear make up, nail polish, perfumes etc. My snakes don't seem to care to be handled by smokers, although the reaction is not a violent one, just a perpetual walking off the hands thing.

Is he still snotty or did he settle down?