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am i bout to get bitten?

S

Seejay

New member
my snakes in his viv. had him almost a week now. handled him only twice and he was ok. but today everytime i put my hand near him slowly he rattles his tail at me. if i pick him up will he bite me?

thanks
 
A friend of mine gave me a baby that he said was "the meanest snake I've ever seen." He reportedly rattled, musked, and struck. When I went to pick him up, he rattled, but I took him out anyway. He didn't musk or even open his mouth. I've had him a couple months, and in that time he's rattled at me one other time when I scared him by digging him up from his tunnel, but he's never bitten or threatened to or musked.

So maybe not- and even if he bites- you can barely feel it- their teeth are so tiny they can't penetrate your tough finger skin. He's just afraid- so just go slowly and gently with him. If he _does_ bite, resist the temptation to put him back immediately- that just rewards him for biting.

Nanci
 
ok thanks. although he's not a hatchling he was born in 2005 :p

although i dont suppose it makes much dfference, he's stll a baby and the bites just might hurt a lttle more :p
 
I wouldn't worry too much about the pain. Last night, I had a hatchling decide she didn't like being rushed back to bed after finishing her meal. She tagged me three times while I was transferring her from feed tub to home.

It didn't hurt so much as it itched. I guess I'm one of those who have a mild reaction to corn-spit. ... oh, and the itching went away after I washed my hands.

Although, she and I may have a heart-to-heart about not making this a habit once she's bigger. :grin01:
 
Nah thats it....he just hates me. picked him up gently and sat down with him but he just constantly rattled and tried very hard to get away. very quick mover for his size of about a foot and a bit. so i put him back in the viv quickly and then he sat there coiled and poised to strike at me for about 1 minutes.

so my plan is now to just leave him for about a week until feeding time. meh. i have a new hatchling coming tomorrow. maybe she will like me :(
 
Don't do that. Putting him back when he misbehaves will condition him to be bad all the time. It's like giving in to a child throwing a temper tantrum. Hold him for the entire 10 minutes or so, no matter how he behaves. He'll calm down eventually.
 
Some snakes are just biotches, like mine. :) But after some regular handling, even Rose doesn't try to kill my hand every time.
 
BeckyG said:
Don't do that. Putting him back when he misbehaves will condition him to be bad all the time. It's like giving in to a child throwing a temper tantrum. Hold him for the entire 10 minutes or so, no matter how he behaves. He'll calm down eventually.
Click to expand...

I agree BeckyG,by putting him back its teaching him to be "bad" and it becomes second nature to him.

:wavey:
 
He doesn't hate you, he is terrified of you! That's why he musked you. Rinse your hands off in the sink, and keep him out, and cuddle him in your hands and talk to him reassuringly and quietly. He'll come around when he learns you aren't a threat.

You said he was older- he's probably had months of solitary without handling then- this is a big change for him.

I know it is startling to have a bigger snake (or even a tiny one) strike at you, but the reality of the bite isn't bad at all. Think a couple pin pricks.

He'll be ok- just be patient with him and don't give up. He's just afraid.

Nanci
 
Some snakes do require a LOT of patience. My corn, who was physically abused, came to me practically wild and labelled as "vicious". I was the only person who would put my hand near him. He would thrash about, strike, bite, musk and rattle. Now, after six long months of patience and handling, he's taming down. So be patient, and if nothing happens stick at it - while some snakes don't tame down, the majority will get the message in the end.
 
Seejay, I just got a new snake two days ago that musks. I just keep holding her, walk over to the sink, run her and my hands under warm water, blot her with a towel, and go back to what we were doing. Last night she even got my foot! It's no big deal. I'll let you know how long it takes to get her to stop doing that. To help her get used to me, I hold her in my hand, curled up, and talk to her, and gently stroke her sides. I'll keep her out for quite a while. She seems content to just sit there- it must be nice and warm. My other baby likes to do that too. My adult is more active-she really likes to climb- but eventually she, too, will coil around my hand and arm and sit there.

Nanci
 
Well I don't feel like such a bad person now lol the snake we traded back to an experienced handler for our new baby would coil and try to strike, rattle but never musked.. he sure didn't like to be handled though and from the time he was a little guy he would just panic if you tried to pick him up.. to the point he'd never come out of his aquarium :shrugs: I was afraid of being bitten and I think hubby was more afraid of being bitten lol but I do realize the anticipation of the bite is worse than the actual bite. The guy that took him though knows how to handle them and had no problems so I don't feel so guilty.. I wish I had found this forum then :shrugs:
 
Err that should read NEARLY come out of the aquarium up the side if you tried to pick him up.... no edit button? lol
 
Nanci said:
He doesn't hate you, he is terrified of you! That's why he musked you. Rinse your hands off in the sink, and keep him out, and cuddle him in your hands and talk to him reassuringly and quietly. He'll come around when he learns you aren't a threat.

You said he was older- he's probably had months of solitary without handling then- this is a big change for him.

I know it is startling to have a bigger snake (or even a tiny one) strike at you, but the reality of the bite isn't bad at all. Think a couple pin pricks.

He'll be ok- just be patient with him and don't give up. He's just afraid.

Nanci
Click to expand...

Snakes won't hear you talk, they have no ears...
 
Nanci said:
Seejay, I just got a new snake two days ago that musks. I just keep holding her, walk over to the sink, run her and my hands under warm water, blot her with a towel, and go back to what we were doing. Last night she even got my foot! It's no big deal. I'll let you know how long it takes to get her to stop doing that. To help her get used to me, I hold her in my hand, curled up, and talk to her, and gently stroke her sides. I'll keep her out for quite a while. She seems content to just sit there- it must be nice and warm. My other baby likes to do that too. My adult is more active-she really likes to climb- but eventually she, too, will coil around my hand and arm and sit there.

Nanci
Click to expand...

Stroking sides is nor reassuring, is it the opposite. Snakes are different form furry pets.
 
Blutengel said:
Snakes won't hear you talk, they have no ears...
Click to expand...

Actually, though they have no external ears, but they do have inner ear structures, and can hear. I've read that a study was done showing snakes can hear sounds, including the human voice. I know mine certainly seem to respond to my voice.
 
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