Corn snake feeding and handling

Question
Hello Paul,

I just bought a young corn snake about a year old. Its about over a foot long and looks healthy. I just feed it the second day Ive had it and it was successful. I was wanting to know if I fed it once a week if that would increase its growth. Are there other ways to make it grow faster?
My other question is about handling. I bought him at a pet store and obviously they didnt handle him a lot. When I go to reach into the cage to pull him out, he acts scared and tries to crawl away and sometimes flinches when i tough him. Is that just normal for a snake in a new enviorment?

THanks for reading!

Answer
Feeding once a week (except during a shed cycle) is what most people do. Make sure that the food item is large enough to make a small but noticeable bulge in the snake that should disappear withing two days. If you follow this routine your snake will grow at a normal rate. Some people like their snakes to grow faster, and thus feed them more often. Sometimes they do this by feeding every 4-5 days, or else offering more than just 1 food item per feeding. You have to be a little careful doing this because if the snake gets over-stuffed it will regurgitate (just like a person would).

As far as handling, most snakes a year old or younger are skittish. Some corns will just act nervous, some will actually strike and try to bite. Showing the snake that you're afraid by avoid handling or putting it down if it bites will just reinforce this behavior. So if you want to hold your snake go ahead and do it. Corn snake bites don't hurt very much, they just shock you a bit. You can also try using gardening gloves until you and the snake are more comfortable. Also, remember not to handle your snake with a day or two of feeding, as this can also cause regurgitation.