# Ball Pythons > General BP's >  What does a bite from a ball python feel like?

## vangarret2000

I was just curious as to what ball python bites are like? What they feel like? How bad does it hurt? Do they stirke and release or strike and hold? Will the bite bruise or swell? Stuff like that.

----------


## Kryptonian

A bite feels like an owey. It depends on the snake and why it bit you. I have startled hatchlings and they bit fast and released, felt like nothing. Little pin prick. I have never been bit by a bigger one. If you smell like foos they may hold on and I imagine that a bps bite would hurt more then. I have had a dig corn and a little king do that and its worse cuase they hold on and press down harder plus you are aware of it more so than a quick bite that is over faster than your pain receptors have a chance to know what happened.

----------


## Soterios

Quick and mostly painless from my little guy. Just once (well, two strikes in a few seconds)

A little blood, no worries. Little guy just got scared. 

They're cute even when they're nomming on me.  :Razz:

----------

CCarr33 (07-29-2012)

----------


## Wh00h0069

I have been bit by small ones and large ones, and it does not hurt much. It is very quick, so may startle you. From large ones, it also may bleed a little. They have very sharp teeth which puncture the skin easily.

----------


## rabernet

A cat scratch hurts more than a ball python defensive bite. Your poll didn't allow for multiple choice, as I've been bitten by all ages of ball pythons. 

I've never been bitten by a BP in feed mode (I make sure not to smell like dinner when I go in their enclosure), so I can't speak on an offensive bite.

----------


## Ranegyr

I think i told this story here before so i'll make it breif.  I held a rat then picked up the snake.  (dumb)  the 1500g adult male struck towards my belly.  the tiny teeth went thru my shirt and one of them lodged in my belly.  it scared the crap out of me, but i barely felt it.  this is the second time i've been bit.  it's been a rough 5 years. lol.  

to be more specific, it's more like a scratch.  there is sometimes a little blood, but that's from tiny cappilariesbeing broken.  i wash with alcohol and keep on going.  

snakebytes tv had chewy get but almost every episode when it started.  for comedic effect i suppose.  see the damage.

----------


## BallPythons9

I had an adult female in feed mode bite onto the top of my hand and coil around my arm. I tried putting her under warm water to make her let go and it seemed to work. It didn't really hurt much, just like a pinch with a few pricks.  :Smile:

----------


## Dave763

No worse than a kitty scratch.

----------


## pinkham64

i still have scares on my thumb where why bp bite me... but that was a long time ago when i thought it was cool to feed the f/t to her by hand... :o(

----------


## MinLynn

I agree in that it just feels like a pin prick(at least from a juvie). I too was stupid and while trying to get stuck shed off of my girls head I got tagged a couple of times. Really quick strikes and then let go. My husband also got one by her but we think that's because he startled her. She was underneath her hide, that she had pooed on and when he went to lift the hide his finger inside the hide must of either scared her or she mistaked his finger for a pinky! She quickly tagged him and the let go. Neither one of us bled. The site was just a bit tender for about an hour. No swelling or anything like that.

----------


## Jerhart

..I always tell people it feels like someone flicking you...

----------


## xdeus

I've been bitten many times by all sizes.  Sometimes I can't even feel the small BP bites and wouldn't even know I've been bitten if it wasn't for the little pinprick of blood.  The young snakes definitely bite more than the larger ones, but then they think everything is out to eat them.  :Smile: 

The worst bite I received from a BP was from a large, semi-aggressive female that I just received.  I was taking the temp of her enclosure with a tempgun and I guess she thought the strap looked like a rat tail.  She bit and wrapped around my arm thinking she was about to have a large meal.  :sploosh:   She eventually let go, but not after gnawing on my knuckle for a minute or so.  I didn't really notice the pain while she was latched on, but it ached a little for a few days after.

Even with that relatively aggressive bite, I don't think it was as bad as some of the bites I've received playing around with my dog.  Snake teeth are very thin and don't do much tissue damage.

----------


## JayBP

I got bit by one of my females a few months back when she was about 6 months old. I went to pick her up, but I scared her and she swung around and bit me. It didn't hurt. It felt like I got pricked with two safety pins and only a little blood dribbled out.

----------


## Stewart_Reptiles

Depends on the bite and the age of the animal a defensive strike will feel like a paper cut. (Quick bite and release)

A feeding bite depending where they hit can be a little more painful ( Bite + Constriction).

I had a big girl hitting me right on the knuckle (feeding strike) and it was painful for several days and my knuckle swelled up a little and bruised nothing really compare to the damage a big snake could have done.

Note: I will take a BP's bite over any other type of bites any day (rats, mice, dog, horse)

----------


## Muze

Felt like being pinched really hard while being pricked by tiny pins.  It did bruise a lot, but really wasn't as painful as I'd expected.  It was by my 5 foot, 3000 gram girl, and she thought I was food so she was hanging on until I put her under running water  :Very Happy: .  I suppose none of my future BP bites will be quite as awesome as this one (unless it's by the same girl).

----------


## littleindiangirl

> ..I always tell people it feels like someone flicking you...


That is the exact way I describe it too. Then you look a minute later to see yourself bleeding pretty good. Those little teeth are very sharp, so in turn you barely feel it.

----------


## ZinniaZ

My first bite was by this 1200 gram (?)snake that belonged to my friend.  He was supposed to be very lovey dovey, small children handled him, blah blah blah.  It was more than a pinprick.  He bruised my hand and I had blood flowing enough to stain my shirt and get on the floor and table before I realized it was making a mess.  It probably depends on the size of the snake and the type of bite AND on where they get you.  Some body parts are going to bleed and hurt more than others....

----------


## icygirl

I got bitten by my yellowbelly when he was around 400g and I was checking his enclosure for an uneaten mouse running around. It left a tiny scratch on my knuckle. I won't lie that I was pretty happy to have finally been bitten and knew what it felt like, and even more happy that he'd eaten the mouse!!

And I agree that it does feel a lot like a "flick"... at least from a juvie ball.

----------


## Slim

What's with all the bite threads lately?  I thought I was the only one getting eaten up on a regular basis....Yes, Dutch, the Cinny boy is still at it  :Razz:

----------


## MarkS

I've been bit many times by both babies and old adults.  Sometimes I don't even notice it until I see a little drop of blood on my hand.  Ball python teeth are very sharp, but they're also very short and don't penetrate the skin very far, usually you can't even tell where you've been bitten after a few days. 

Got a nice bite last night as a matter of fact.  I was feeding all of my sub adults and one of the mice got squirmy and I accidentally dropped it outside of the snakes tub. I reached over to pick up the mouse to get it in the tub and the snake, smelling food, reached out of it's tub and tagged me.  I just thought to myself, Hmmm, that was kind of stupid...  Then I washed the blood off my hands and then went on to feed the next one.    

Bloodiest bite I've ever received was from my Cat when I was trying to restrain her for the vet when she was in a lot of pain.  No stitches but I probably should have had one or two. 

Most painful bite I've ever received was from my Shetland pony when I was a kid.  I ticked him off one time and he swung his head around and chomped on my leg.  No blood but a nice painful bruise.   Snake bites are NOTHING in comparison.

----------


## DutchHerp

> What's with all the bite threads lately?  I thought I was the only one getting eaten up on a regular basis....Yes, Dutch, the Cinny boy is still at it


*sighs*

It's sad when someone counts on you reading a thread on a forum... it's a sign of being on here too much.


So have you dropped a pair and taken a few photos already?!

----------


## CamStatic

I was bitten by my 600 gram normal female by mistake.. she gets so insane when she smells food, and she missed the rat and hit my thumb.. felt like a cactus was attacking me. Didn't really hurt at all, but it bled like insane.

5 days later, and it was all healed up.  :Smile:

----------


## Jyson

> Note: I will take a BP's bite over any other type of bites any day (rats, mice, dog, *horse*)


I 2nd that. And to add to that, I would rather get bitten by a ball python, than get pinched. 

Getting bit by a ball python is nothing. The thought of getting bit is what scares people(except of course the ones who have already been bit more than once  :Razz: .)

PS: I know this is alil OT, but getting bit by a horse is the worse. (Speaks from experience.)

----------


## DutchHerp

It is the most horrid pain you will ever experience.  You lose all normal feeling in your hand and it feels like your hand is on fire for at least three days.  Your hand will swell to three times the normal size and you will remain passed out with all the medicine.  Necrosis will start to set...

oh wait... a BALL PYTHON bite...

----------


## murray2213

I just got tag'd 10 min ago, 600g and change male....I saw his head move 
didn't even realize he got me till 5min after his tank was cleaned, I saw the pin pricks with a bit of blood.

----------


## muddoc

I just happened to see this thread, and said to myself "Wow, have I got a bite to relay".  I received the worst Ball Python bite I have ever had last night during feeding night.  I had just started sliding the tub of a 1700 gram 3 year old female out, when she jumped out of the 3 inch gap and bit me between the thumb and wrist.  She didn't latch on, but I definitely felt the pain.  Instantly, my hand started to turn blue.  I went to the sink to wash off the blood, and realized she had left at least three teeth in my hand.  This is the first time that I have ever had a Ball lose teeth when biting me.  I also have some scabs that are linear, and not just holes, due to the fact that she retracted so fast, that she drug her teeth across my hand.

The second worst bite I ever received from a Ball was a 3 month old Het Hypo girl that latched onto the skin between my thumb and forfinger.  She bit down and wrapped my wrist for about 15 minutes before letting go.  The worst part about this occurance was that every time I moved a bit, she would think the "prey" wasn't dead, and would bite down harder and constrict some more.  The next day, I was amazed to see that the entire top of my hand was blue (bruised).  I couldn't beleive that little worm did that much damage.

After saying that, I will say that typically it happens so fast, you didn't know it happened until you look down at your hand.

----------


## bailey23

i was bitten by an 07 male. i doesnt hurt that much. your more suprized that it happened than you are in pain. it feels like getting sticked with a thumb tack. maybe you should try it. LOL

----------


## Jenn

I didn't feel a thing because the adrenaline rush was overwhelming. I think my hair actually stood on end.

----------


## DrLew

Never by my BP's - but my Brazilian Rainbow Boa - OUCH!!!!!!!

----------


## Melicious

I actually cried.  It didn't hurt at all.  I cried because I was so shocked that I'd been bitten.  When I realized what was going on, I just bugged out.  I deserved it though.  We always do.

----------


## DrEwTiMe

i got bit accidentally by my 4 year old BP during a feeding session. I was lowering a mouse into the tank and she miss calculated the strike and got my hand in stead. It made me jump but i really didn't feel much as far as pain goes. It drew a bit of blood and there was no pain afterwords either. It startled me more then it hurt me to be honest.

Whoever said that a cat scratch hurts a lot more could not be more correct!

----------


## vangarret2000

I am sure the more you get bit the more you get used to it, but the first couple times you were bit did you get startled and pull away fast? Do that harm the snake at all? Most of the post say they stike and pull away fast. Has there been anyone that had the snake try to latch on, but when you got bit and you were the one to pull away did your snake get harmed at all?

----------


## psycho

> I was just curious as to what ball python bites are like? What they feel like? How bad does it hurt? Do they stirke and release or strike and hold? Will the bite bruise or swell? Stuff like that.


well really my cuzin got bit by his ball python and he said that it doesnt hurt all u got to do to let go is put something in front of it and it will let go but if u pull back it will put its teeth deeper and that might hurt but after that he just put alcohol n he was good to go

----------


## vangarret2000

> well really my cuzin got bit by his ball python and he said that it doesnt hurt all u got to do to let go is put something in front of it and it will let go but if u pull back it will put its teeth deeper and that might hurt but after that he just put alcohol n he was good to go


I mean pull back real fast like a reflex action. You don't mean to do it it just happens. Would the snake stay clamped and get yanked with you, or would it just let go in time or could you like yank it's teeth out or damage its jaw or something?

----------


## mechnut450

snake bites are  nothing when comparesto some of the cat starches I gotten over the years.  I had one or 2  latch on  dureing a feeding response bite   and they mostly cause 1 my hand smelled like dinner . ( frome handling rodents and feeding to the other snakes first) and cause by the tiem I got to the other bps  they prey was coolingo ff and my hand was warmer target. Those times hurst more than  snap bite cause one they apply some pulling pressure as they wrap around your hand,and the teeth will work in deeper cause of the said pressure they apply.  THe best way I found ot remove them is unwind them   and have someown work butter knives between the teeth and the skin ( make sure to use the back end of the blade), and once you gotten the teeth free from the skin it simple  removal.   Afterwords it noting more than a normal bite feeling unless they break a tooth off when they bit you.

----------


## frankykeno

I've only been bitten once by an adult BP (she was 1,900 grams of fury back then) but I was prepared due to her situation and was wearing gloves at the time.  She still managed to get a couple of teeth through the gloves though.

The hatchlings/babies are another matter.  I've got one that tried to bite me when she was barely out of her egg and still to this day will nail me if she can manage it LOL.  She's just a treat that girl!  I always seem to laugh when the little bp's take a swing at me.  So small and yet so determined to bite the hand that feeds them.  It's sort of cute really.  :Smile:

----------


## snakelady

Well...it feels like a snake bite.  :Very Happy:  


OK. I'll stop being a smart ass. I was bitten by a overzealous baby at feeding time. Hurt some, not bad. More of a shock, "wow she's fast", that type of thing. 
Didn't bleed much. Washed it out and forgot about it.

----------


## PythonWallace

I think it feels like what it would feel like if a small child flicked you. I've been bit by a yearling macklott's python, too, and that didn't hurt either. I was holding her while I was cleaning the enclosure with my other hand, and she bit and latched on to me. I didn't even realize she bit me until I looked down and saw her latched onto my hand and a little blood dripping down my arm. Bites bleed easy, but they don't hurt at all if the snake is small. Abig one might hurt a little, but not much. My Biak type GTP had way larger teeth than a big ball would, and he bit me all the time. It always looks 20x worse than it feels.

----------


## grim reaper in NY

I remember the guy across the street from me in Florida had a Burmese Python and his roommate thought he was going to get friendly with it. That snake bit him on the shoulder and really did alot of damage to him. Skin tears, bruising, the whole deal. Of course this snake was going on 8' in length as well. Shortly after that the snake was destroyed because it had gotten too wild for the guy to keep. 
I work in the E.R. and we've had people come in with snakebites before.  A couple were pegged by Ball Pythons. Of those, a couple managed to get the bite site infected and ended up with i.v. anitbiotics for a couple of days. I guess it all depends on how well you clean the strike site afterwards and so forth as well. 
Had a rattlesnake bite come in last year as well. It was a "dry bite" and the girl was lucky. She was in the yard with her dog and went to sit down in the grass. The dog was acting reluctant to come over and she leaned over, putting her hand out on the lawn and startled the rattler. The snake struck between the thumb and forefinger, but again, it was a dry bite. She was kept in the E.R. for several hours though to ensure no ill effects settled in from the bite.
As everyone has said, cat bites and scratches are simply the worst.  We admit patients all the time because of infections that set in after a cat bite or scratch. Cats are nasty and dirty animals that harbor infection in the mouths and claws. I love cats, but man, when I see what they can do to their owners, even when they are just playing, I'll take my iguanas and bearded dragons anyday and hopefully a ball python in the near future as well.

----------


## mainbutter

Snake bites feel like kisses.

The bigger the snake, the bigger the kiss.

Hots just give you the hots afterwards  :Wink:

----------


## xXxFluffyEmoxXx

I think i have the worst one lol..FEEDING DAY!! and a 7 year old female..felt like a wasp sting..she tried to constrict but i get her to let go after about 5 minutes

----------


## Fallout32

My ball took a few strikes at me before. Couldn't really feel it at all. I think it might have struck cuz of my wardrobe choice but i guess we'll never know...


(Costumeshop.com) don't want any legal issues...  :Wink:

----------

_dc4teg_ (07-10-2009),dr del (07-10-2009),DustinB (07-09-2009)

----------


## NEguywil

Mine bit me and it really wasn't painful.  Like a pin stick maybe?  The biggest thing was just the suprise.

----------


## Patricia

> Snake bites feel like kisses.


Our little one (5-6 months?  120g) got me a few days ago.  I didn't even see the forward lunge, just the backward retreat, and the tiny touch/flick felt like a cotton ball.  

Has still made me as nervous as heck ever since when picking it up!

----------


## Hulihzack

Only time a ball bit me was when it missed the rat... I wasn't using tongs so I can't say it really suprised me.  Pain? nah.  He didn't hold on, just left a few pin pricks.

----------


## norse79

I got tagged once by an adult, but my hand hurt worse because when I jerked back, I hit my hand against the wall.  Few spots of blood, but nothing painful.

----------


## Oroborous

The few times I've been bit by a BP I didn't even feel it. Didn't notice either untill I saw the blood dripping down my arm, lol. That was years ago and none of my BPs have bit me since...now my blood python is another story, the few nips I've gotten from him sting!

----------


## BPsRule

I've had my BP (Chopper) for 6 1/2 years now and he's only bitten me once. He really latched onto me when he did it though! October of last year. He let go once he realized that I wasn't a tasty rat. But, I have a numb index finger on my left hand that reminds me of the incident. He must've got the nerve in my finger pretty good! I guess you can say that he really "got on my nerves" that night! Sorry, bad pun. Anyway, I have bad luck with my fingers! I had an accident with a utility knife several years ago that has another one of my fingers numb. I'm running out of healthy, fully functional digits!

----------


## dc4teg

i have, didnt hurt, it was a beginner feeding mistake......  :Razz:

----------


## guambomb832

When my big female ball's tooth scraped my finger, it kind of hurt because I pulled back, but nothing serious. When I get bit by my smaller 2 foot ball python, it doesn't hurt, its just a suprise and I freak out.

----------


## BPHERP

the shock is most always greater then the actual bite.

----------


## TheOtherLeadingBrand

Never by a BP

----------


## syvil

I got bit by my BP when changing his hides mid-day... it felt like a thump it's the shock that gets you.

----------


## harm286

Man king's suck lmao! I had one at scales N tails just twist on me, I thought I was holding a croc. Lol but my baby pythons strike fast never latched though.
The teeth are sharp you dont even feel it. My paradox Pin though is on steroids. Im scared of him cause he loves to bite you in the neck. Stupid, yes i can be. But I say the softer skin area is were your gon feel something.

----------


## h4y4sh1

I've been bitten by a 2000 grams Bp. It was a defensive bite, so I was more shocked than hurt  :Smile: . A bit from a hamster hurts more than a Bp's defensive bite

----------


## luna13

nothing to worry about, a paper cut

----------


## bad-one

I was bitten by my normal when he was around 1200g. It was a feeding bite, not a defensive (totally my fault). He latched onto my hand, coiled with the full intention of killing my hand, and getting him to let go was the "fun" part. 

It bled a lot but it hurt my feelings more than my hand!  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## dsmalex97

yeah i finally got bit last week by a boa, then some balls that I just got in.

Verrry weird too cuz they were nice when I took them out of there sacks, set there tubs up, went to handle em a couple of days later and they werent too happy.  I've only been nailed by 1000gram male. I got a 2400 gram female now, don't know what thats like but I imagine it being nothing.  The other guy felt like litteraly nothing!  I didn't even feel it!  You feel the snakes nose more then anythign hitting your hand or where ever its biting.  Deff nothign to worry about.

----------


## JUNKyardHOE

the first time I got bit it was cuz I was holding a mouse and he missed and he wrapped around my hand and it didn't hurt at all... I was more concerned with how I was going to get him off lol

----------


## omnibus2

First it's a quick burst of pain. You are shocked to realize you were just bitten, but you think it's not so bad. But within seconds, the area bitten begins to swell with increasingly concentrated pain as a bluish black mass emerges and eventually ruptures, revealing the inside of your skin. You panic in fear as you reach for the phone, but you are overwhelmed by a sudden rush of fatigue and nausea. You become light headed and pass out, and you wake up in the emergency room, only to see stitches being sown into your open fresh wound.



Oh wait that's a black widow, sorry. Being bit by bp doesn't hurt, in fact it's kind of cute to see your snake's face after he/she bit you.  :Dancin' Banana:

----------


## abuja

> First it's a quick burst of pain. You are shocked to realize you were just bitten, but you think it's not so bad. But within seconds, the area bitten begins to swell with increasingly concentrated pain as a bluish black mass emerges and eventually ruptures, revealing the inside of your skin. You panic in fear as you reach for the phone, but you are overwhelmed by a sudden rush of fatigue and nausea. You become light headed and pass out, and you wake up in the emergency room, only to see stitches being sown into your open fresh wound.
> 
> 
> 
> Oh wait that's a black widow, sorry. Being bit by bp doesn't hurt, in fact it's kind of cute to see your snake's face after he/she bit you.


Hahahahaha! That made me actually lol. :sploosh:

----------


## unrezt

Being bit by a 24 inch juvie feels like sandpaper. You wonder "what the heck just happened", because its too fast for your eyes to see. It bleeds quite a bit, though.

----------


## J.Vandegrift

I have been bit a few times by one of my crazy 4000g females. She is insane when food is in the room and when I open the tub to feed her sometimes she'll come out after me. I can usually avoid it but when she gets me it certainly doesn't feel like a pin prick. I usually find a few teeth in my hand for weeks afterwards.

----------


## spitfireashlea

> First it's a quick burst of pain. You are shocked to realize you were just bitten, but you think it's not so bad. But within seconds, the area bitten begins to swell with increasingly concentrated pain as a bluish black mass emerges and eventually ruptures, revealing the inside of your skin. You panic in fear as you reach for the phone, but you are overwhelmed by a sudden rush of fatigue and nausea. You become light headed and pass out, and you wake up in the emergency room, only to see stitches being sown into your open fresh wound.


omg can i use this in my signature space? LOLOLOLOLLLlalglfdkjhlsjbjjl;'.//....................

----------


## accidental777

I have not been bitten by my juvie bp's yet. I have been bitten by a California king snake while attempting to feed it at work (old job at a ma and pa pet shop back in 2004). I was wearing gloves because I was a wuss, the gloves were those fuzzy leather ones. Go figure, I got tagged. Not the snake's fault. I slipped the glove off with the snake still attached and put him back into his home. I felt bad, that snake really really thought that glove was a mouse. He didn't let the glove go for a few days. The bite wasn't that bad, the constricting scared me.

----------


## kjay

stick a 9 volt square battery on you tongue feels about the same but if you have braces dont do it, lol

----------


## omnibus2

> omg can i use this in my signature space? LOLOLOLOLLLlalglfdkjhlsjbjjl;'.//....................


Sure, just credit me for the quote.

----------


## Eventide

Whenever someone asks me this question, I tell them it looks like I had a fight with a straight pin (and lost).   :Very Happy:   Most of the time, it doesn't even hurt or bleed much at all.  Just some pin pricks and a surprised snake.

----------


## SGExotics

If you take the Hard half of velcro, an slap your skin pretty quick with it, it feels exactly like a bite...

----------


## americangypsy

depends on it's size  :Smile:

----------


## euphuistical

I've been bit a lot by my guys. Always either defensively or when I smelled too much like a rat or an ASF. They never hurt much, but bites from larger ones definitely draw some blood. 

But I honestly think that bites from ASFs are more annoying. They just keep trying to
bite you and sometimes don't let go. I've lifted an adult an entirely out of it's cage with it still grabbing on to my hand with it's nasty little teeth.

And a bit from a large normal rat?  Forget about it, those hurt so much more than snake bites it's not even funny.

----------


## DVS1

Imagine the worst pain you have ever felt in your life multiply in times 1000...then forget all that.
Have you ever been scratched by a kitten? :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## DVS1

> I've been bit a lot by my guys. Always either defensively or when I smelled too much like a rat or an ASF. They never hurt much, but bites from larger ones definitely draw some blood. 
> 
> But I honestly think that bites from ASFs are more annoying. They just keep trying to
> bite you and sometimes don't let go. I've lifted an adult an entirely out of it's cage with it still grabbing on to my hand with it's nasty little teeth.
> 
> And a bit from a large normal rat?  Forget about it, those hurt so much more than snake bites it's not even funny.


 Razor sharp teeth that can and will slice and dice. Rat bites are badass compared to a BP bite.

----------


## Aric

Personally I think a bite from a mouse hurts more then a Ball python bite.

----------


## nixer

> Personally I think a bite from a mouse hurts more then a Ball python bite.


my mice dont bite at all

----------


## Aric

> my mice dont bite at all



I think the mice that I'm talking about know whats coming to them and decide to give me one heck of a nibble.

----------


## Tek48

I was bitten my my 350 gram male and didn't feel a thing.  I thought he had struck with his mouth closed until I noticed I was bleeding.

----------


## Moofins07

It feels interesting, I'll say that. The one time I've been bitten was by a sub-adult that was rescued from a crack-addict, believe it or not, and I WAS to adopt him, but I took the bite as a sign. lol

Either way, it's a quick prick when it goes in, and you almost feel nothing until the snake finally decides to twist off, releasing it's teeth.

If you haven't been told already, one method I learned to get a snake to release is to put their head under running water.

----------


## Artistry Exotics

In my 13 years or so of handling snakes, I've only ever been bitten by snakes of any kind twice, and both times they were baby ball pythons at the pet store where I work.  I think I'm just really careful and also don't mess with anything aggressive in general, heh.  

The first time I was bit, it was feeding day, so I guess the baby was just pretty eager.  I only felt a slight sting and was just kinda "eh, whatever".

The second time I was bit, it was actually kind of funny.  I was approached by a customer who was really interested in buying a ball python, but he told me he was somewhat fearful of getting bitten.  I told him basically what I just wrote above, and how ball pythons are great snakes who are usually very docile, not likely to bite, yadda yadda yadda.  I always of course mention in my spiel a disclaimer that anything that does have a mouth CAN bite, but that doesn't mean that they will, how babies can be a little more bitey because they feel vulnerable, but that it's nothing to worry about, etc.  Of course, as I'm talking and pulling out a baby to show him, the baby bites me.  I didn't feel a thing, didn't even notice, but the customer asked "did it just bite you?!" and I looked down and saw two tiny dots of blood.  "Guess so..." I said, "well, you don't want this one then, let's try another!"  He bought the second snake I pulled out, and still comes in once a week to buy mice and to report that things are going well with his new pet.   :Razz:

----------


## aaramire

Bites from snakes this small are not a big deal at all... especially if they dont wrap you.

----------


## staychillin22

it doesnt hurt it just scares you because they move so fast when they strike but no pain just a little blood

----------


## SERPENT_MASTERS

The strike is more scary then the bite. I am more scared for the snake getting teeth stuck in me and dealing with mouth rot. I have been bitten 3 times and I always say wow! After because the strike is superfast and the bite is nothing.I have been bitten by a hermit crab now that pain  :Smile:

----------


## BallsUnlimited

ive been bitten so many times over the years i couldnt give u an exact number but i can tell you it does not hurt at all. Like others stated once u get bit once youll be over the fear of it. Its normally more blood than anything and once u wipe it away theres tiny little teeth marks. Now a large boa or large burm etc will do some damage but these tiny ball pythons dont hurt at all.

----------

