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getting bitten?
- Thread starter brian86
- Start date
Taceas
USW = UB313
Heh, I've been bit twice by a couple of my adults, usually during feeding. When I drop the mouse into their feeding bin, they see my hand before they see the dropping mouse and wham!
Most of the bites I experience are by younger snakes. I think most of us out there have a snake named Fiesty for a reason. I've got one 2003 normal het lava that I think has the taste for human blood on her menu. She bites each and every time, doesn't matter the occasion. Of course since she's still a small thing, all I can do is giggle. =P
Tongs are recommended for feeding purposes. It's so they don't associate the sight of your hand with food and consequently bite the hand that feeds them. But for general handling and picking up, I just make sure I don't smell like food and just grab em, show em who's boss of the house.
In all actuality, I find that cat scratches hurt worse than a snake bite. It's the shock of a snake biting that's the clincher, thats what scares people the most. It's that ingrained instinct among humans that snakes can be deadly, and when they bite we revert to "fight or flight" for a split second. My heart rate jumps a few points when I get bit even by the smallest of snakes.
If they do bite, you just have to make sure you don't jerk too much. It can rip their little teeth out and also tends to do more damage to your skin. If you get one that won't let go, go run it's head under running cold water from a faucet, that'll get them to let go humanely and gently.
Just learn what your snake likes or dislikes, learn its habits. It'll learn about you too. I find the more nervous I am handling a particular snake, the more likely I am to be bitten. I think it's like dogs, they sence fear and take advantage of it. So just be assertive, and if they bite just giggle and be patient. =)
Hope that helps.
Most of the bites I experience are by younger snakes. I think most of us out there have a snake named Fiesty for a reason. I've got one 2003 normal het lava that I think has the taste for human blood on her menu. She bites each and every time, doesn't matter the occasion. Of course since she's still a small thing, all I can do is giggle. =P
Tongs are recommended for feeding purposes. It's so they don't associate the sight of your hand with food and consequently bite the hand that feeds them. But for general handling and picking up, I just make sure I don't smell like food and just grab em, show em who's boss of the house.
In all actuality, I find that cat scratches hurt worse than a snake bite. It's the shock of a snake biting that's the clincher, thats what scares people the most. It's that ingrained instinct among humans that snakes can be deadly, and when they bite we revert to "fight or flight" for a split second. My heart rate jumps a few points when I get bit even by the smallest of snakes.
If they do bite, you just have to make sure you don't jerk too much. It can rip their little teeth out and also tends to do more damage to your skin. If you get one that won't let go, go run it's head under running cold water from a faucet, that'll get them to let go humanely and gently.
Just learn what your snake likes or dislikes, learn its habits. It'll learn about you too. I find the more nervous I am handling a particular snake, the more likely I am to be bitten. I think it's like dogs, they sence fear and take advantage of it. So just be assertive, and if they bite just giggle and be patient. =)
Hope that helps.
WingedWolf
New member
Bites
I've never been bitten by a corn snake, but I've been bitten twice by baby ball pythons, and 2 or 3 times by garter snakes. I expect it's roughly comparable--the pythons probably have longer teeth.
No big deal...virtually painless, though they do bleed. Just have to be careful not to jerk or pull a lot until they let go. I think they have pretty clean mouths--didn't even become inflamed, let alone infect.
I've never been bitten by a corn snake, but I've been bitten twice by baby ball pythons, and 2 or 3 times by garter snakes. I expect it's roughly comparable--the pythons probably have longer teeth.
No big deal...virtually painless, though they do bleed. Just have to be careful not to jerk or pull a lot until they let go. I think they have pretty clean mouths--didn't even become inflamed, let alone infect.
boamampython
New member
snake bites
HI EVERY ONE,
IVE NEVER BEEN BITTEN BY ANY OF MY CORNS, BUT I WAS GIVING A TALK ON SNAKES AT MY LOCAL NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM WHEN A SPECKALD KING DECIDED TO EAT MY THUMB.
AS I HAD A REPORTER STANDING NEXT TO ME TAKING NOTES FOR THE LOCALE PAPER , I TRYED TO IGNORE WHAT WAS HAPPENING BUT BECAUSE ID HAD A HEART ATTACK I WAS TAKING MEDACATION TO THIN THE BLOOD. NEEDLESS TO SAY THERE WAS BLOOD EVERY WHERE WHEN SHE SAID DOES THAT HURT.
IT THEN TOOK A FRIEND AND THE CURAITOR TO GET THIS OFF MY THUMB, JUST AS I PUT THE KING IN HIS BOX HE GOT MY THUMB AGAIN, I THEN HAD TO WALK THROUGH CROWDS OF PEOPLE TO FIND MY FRIEND AND HELPED TO BE RELEASED MUCH TO THE AMUSEMENT OF THE CROWD AROUND ME BY THE TIME I GOT BACK TO TALKING HE GOT ME AGAIN SAME THUMB, SAME HAND I MANAGED TO GET HIM PUT AWAY ON THE FOURTH TRY.
HE HAD NEVER BITTEN ME BEFOR OR SINCE.
HE STILL COMES WITH ME WHEN I GIVE TALKS BUT I DONT TAKE HIM OUT.
SHOULD REALLY REMEMBER SNAKES LIKE TO BE FED NOW AND AGAIN.
HI EVERY ONE,
IVE NEVER BEEN BITTEN BY ANY OF MY CORNS, BUT I WAS GIVING A TALK ON SNAKES AT MY LOCAL NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM WHEN A SPECKALD KING DECIDED TO EAT MY THUMB.
AS I HAD A REPORTER STANDING NEXT TO ME TAKING NOTES FOR THE LOCALE PAPER , I TRYED TO IGNORE WHAT WAS HAPPENING BUT BECAUSE ID HAD A HEART ATTACK I WAS TAKING MEDACATION TO THIN THE BLOOD. NEEDLESS TO SAY THERE WAS BLOOD EVERY WHERE WHEN SHE SAID DOES THAT HURT.
IT THEN TOOK A FRIEND AND THE CURAITOR TO GET THIS OFF MY THUMB, JUST AS I PUT THE KING IN HIS BOX HE GOT MY THUMB AGAIN, I THEN HAD TO WALK THROUGH CROWDS OF PEOPLE TO FIND MY FRIEND AND HELPED TO BE RELEASED MUCH TO THE AMUSEMENT OF THE CROWD AROUND ME BY THE TIME I GOT BACK TO TALKING HE GOT ME AGAIN SAME THUMB, SAME HAND I MANAGED TO GET HIM PUT AWAY ON THE FOURTH TRY.
HE HAD NEVER BITTEN ME BEFOR OR SINCE.
HE STILL COMES WITH ME WHEN I GIVE TALKS BUT I DONT TAKE HIM OUT.
SHOULD REALLY REMEMBER SNAKES LIKE TO BE FED NOW AND AGAIN.
Quigs
"Got R Did"
I've been biten quite a few times by a number of different snakes. Couple adults but mostly youngin's. I used to have a down right HATEFUL cal king that would strike and dig in whenever given a chance!
Currently I have just the one snow corn and she's a little testy at times. But like Taceas said, I just kind of laugh and think nothing more of it. She's either a real late 02 or early 03...I'm not too sure, so still relatively small.
I sometimes relate the feel of a bite to that of the "bristley" side of velcro, scratchin across your skin...although a little faster!
Funny lil story...
Little background first, I'm a carpenter and do quite a bit of customs woodworking, therefore my hands have seen better days.
Anyway, I was at a local shop and looking at luecistic Texas rat snakes. Now, anyone that know texas rats...knows they tend to be a little on the aggresive side. I was holding one hatchling and looking at another in it's deli cup not really paying attention to the one in my hand. I was talking to the owner/breeder and when I went to put in back in it's cup I realized this little guy was firmly attached to my knuckle on my ring finger. Blood dripping all down my hand. The little guy just wouldn't let go! We ended up having to run water over his head to get him off, and bear in mind this was a mere hatchling!
Point being, even though my hands are pretty rough and calloused...I did not even feel not only the bite but also the attempt to swallow my finger knuckle first!
Quigs (I'm not skeered!)
Currently I have just the one snow corn and she's a little testy at times. But like Taceas said, I just kind of laugh and think nothing more of it. She's either a real late 02 or early 03...I'm not too sure, so still relatively small.
I sometimes relate the feel of a bite to that of the "bristley" side of velcro, scratchin across your skin...although a little faster!
Funny lil story...
Little background first, I'm a carpenter and do quite a bit of customs woodworking, therefore my hands have seen better days.
Anyway, I was at a local shop and looking at luecistic Texas rat snakes. Now, anyone that know texas rats...knows they tend to be a little on the aggresive side. I was holding one hatchling and looking at another in it's deli cup not really paying attention to the one in my hand. I was talking to the owner/breeder and when I went to put in back in it's cup I realized this little guy was firmly attached to my knuckle on my ring finger. Blood dripping all down my hand. The little guy just wouldn't let go! We ended up having to run water over his head to get him off, and bear in mind this was a mere hatchling!
Point being, even though my hands are pretty rough and calloused...I did not even feel not only the bite but also the attempt to swallow my finger knuckle first!
Quigs (I'm not skeered!)
fateamber
New member
I have! Not by my corn snake or ball pythons, but my little sand boa! It was funny, I was in the shop (where I get all my reptile things from) and he bit me, but i didn't flinch at all, so it took the person in the shop a few seconds to realise he had bit me! I think he was just hungry, I was laughing, but these little kids that was watching the snake looked horrified!
Darin Chappell
Very Senior Hillbilly
Too many times to even THINK about counting!!!
But twice last night, while feeding. The adults are out of brumation, and they are HUNGRY!!
But twice last night, while feeding. The adults are out of brumation, and they are HUNGRY!!
Ken Harbart
New member
Like Darin, I've been bitten more times than I care to count, from a wider variety of creatures than I cared to get tagged by. The three bites that stand out the most are:
1) An adult Argentine boa that got me on the palm of my hand. There's just something about a bite where the lower jaw catches the meaty portion at the base of your thumb and the upper jaw catches your fingertips that gets your attention.
2) A jumbo rat. I kid you not, my finger bled for two days. Her incisors sank into the inside of the first knuckle on my index finger and scraped bone.
3) A small (2' or thereabouts) Nile monitor. It just grabbed and hung on. Any movement, no matter how subtle, caused it to clamp down even tighter. At first, we tried holding it underwater until it released. Naturally, that didn't work out to well, as Niles are quite adept at staying underwater for prolonged periods. What finally worked was vodka... a shot for both of us.
1) An adult Argentine boa that got me on the palm of my hand. There's just something about a bite where the lower jaw catches the meaty portion at the base of your thumb and the upper jaw catches your fingertips that gets your attention.
2) A jumbo rat. I kid you not, my finger bled for two days. Her incisors sank into the inside of the first knuckle on my index finger and scraped bone.
3) A small (2' or thereabouts) Nile monitor. It just grabbed and hung on. Any movement, no matter how subtle, caused it to clamp down even tighter. At first, we tried holding it underwater until it released. Naturally, that didn't work out to well, as Niles are quite adept at staying underwater for prolonged periods. What finally worked was vodka... a shot for both of us.
Darin Chappell
Very Senior Hillbilly
Ken wins!
Ken Harbart
New member
A small shot was pourEd into the monitor's mouth to get it to let go, and I drank a larger shot...just because I could. :cheers:
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