Did I say "Adventure"??? (A question for experienced Giant Handlers)

[JLC]

I apologize in advance for this long post. I hope you'll bear with me. It's hard to type, so I'll try to keep it brief...but I guess I'm too fond of talking to do a good job of that.

So...I'm in a situation where I have the responsibility of caring for a ~7.5' Burmese python. http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=100910 I've only been there a very short time and only handled her or been in her enclosure a few times, but each of those times was uneventful. She seems like a very docile snake. Until yesterday...

A little info about her enclosure: It's built up high...the top of it reaches to about my nose when I'm standing beside it. And it's accessed only from above. So I have to stand on a step ladder to get a full view of what's going on inside and to reach in for anything. The enclosure is about as deep as my arm is long...so to reach the bottom (which inevitably needs cleaning!) I have to lean over and into it.

Yesterday, I was doing some spot-cleaning and changing out her water. When I picked up the water bowl, some of the old water sloshed out and made a mess. I set the bowl aside and started to sop up the spill with paper towels. And she nailed me...hard.

My hand closed into a fist the moment she launched, and she got a literal knuckle sandwich. The top of her mouth sank into the back of my hand and her lower jaw went around my fingers to trap my fist in her mouth. Her teeth also snagged on rings I was wearing. I think those rings actually helped to keep her teeth from digging in any farther. She tried to wrap, but I was able to use the back side of the enclosure to block part of her body. She got loops up on either side of my hand and squeezed it like a sandwich, but was not able to encircle my arm....though she tried mightily.

So...I'm standing there on this step ladder, hanging over her enclosure with her full weight dangling by the teeth from my hand. Hurt like a son-of-a...gun! I couldn't lift her out of the enclosure without allowing her to encircle my arm or worse. I was just stuck there for about 10 minutes, until Debbie, the zoo keeper came by. By this time, I'm sweating and trembling something fierce....but keeping my cool, at least. I never panicked or cried or struggled. Just waited patiently because that was all I could do at the moment.

With Debbie's help, we were able to lift her out and get her to the sink. Running water didn't do anything. Tried bending the tail backwards, as I've heard that is supposed to do something...but nada. (Not sure if we were too gentle...I was afraid of hurting her!) So I settled down, with her weight resting in the sink now....to wait. Trying to stay calm and "play dead"...although that's hard to do when she would continue to try and loop a coil completely around my arm. But after another 10 minutes or so, she finally had had enough and let go. Debbie and I both danced backwards rather quickly.

Now, I've got blood pouring off my hand...one scared zoo keeper....and one pissed off Burm on the wrong side of her enclosure. (Debbie's funny...she can work beautifully with big cats and wolves and bears...but is scared of the snake.) I'll cut the story short here....after I cleaned up my hand, it took another 30 minutes or so of careful "encouragement" to get Butterscotch back into her enclosure, safe and sound. I was a little too shook-up, and my hands trembling too badly (not to mention one of them hurting like crazy) to try and attempt to grab her. Gentle re-direction from the end of a broom got her crawling in the right direction...eventually.

So....now my QUESTION:

She's still my responsibility. No one else is willing to mess with her. I won't give up on her. I realize I'm in a little deeper over my head than I'd imagined. But the situation is what it is. I either walk away...or I stick with it and do the best I can with it. Walking away is simply not an option. But my confidence is shaken quite a bit.

For those of you who handle giants regularly.... How did YOU feel when you got your first truly dangerous bite? (Makes my little nips from ball pythons seem extraordinarily insignificant now!) I didn't panic at the time...I kept my head and believe I did as well as anyone could under the circumstances. But...how do I prevent such a thing from happening again? How can I learn how to deal with her confidently?

I do have a snake hook...but have never needed to use one before now. After yesterday, the hook now seems like something that LOOKS easy to use when you watch the experts....but feels awkward and flimsy in my own inexperienced hand.

Lessons Learned:

1. Always make sure Debbie or other capable adult is within hailing distance when messing with Butterscotch in any way. (She's big, but I honestly didn't think she was "that big" quite yet......but....she is!! Oh my goodness, she is! )

2. Always wear heavy-duty gloves when getting Butterscotch out of her enclosure. I realize gloves don't prevent a bite from landing elsewhere...but at least I have a chance of getting some protection between me and a potential bite.

3. Always remove her and secure in a tub before doing ANY cleaning or work inside her enclosure.

I really, really don't want to be afraid of her. I don't want to mess this up. I want to learn from it and move on to become a truly confident snake handler. But how do I do that on my own without recklessly endangering myself?

This has been a hard story to share. In part, the physical discomfort of typing it out....but mostly, the embarrassment of having been caught with my drawers down around my ankles...of having so grievously underestimated her willingness/ability to strike, and at the same time overestimating my own "experience" at handling snakes.

[JLC]

PS -- No pictures. Sorry. Didn't have a camera at the time of the bite when it was all bloody and juicy. And afterwards, once it was all cleaned up, it just doesn't look like much....a bunch of pin-pricks and scratches....and one giant swollen knot on the back of my hand.

[Spaniard]

All I can say is OUCH Judy. Sounds like quite the ordeal but I'm glad you're going to stick with it. I'm sure you and Butterscotch will laugh about this in the future over a cup of tea.

[wilomn]

Congrats, you're in the club.

Sounds like a feeding response and if she's that size, she's probably hungry a lot more than you might think. At that size she's like your average teenager, able to eat huge quantities regularly and like it.

Is it possible to get in the cage instead of dangling from above? Can you use a shield, trash can lid, piece of wood, to block her when you're cleaning?

The hook will help moving her and alerting her to your presence but don't count on it for picking her up. It's tougher than it looks.

I'd feed her, feed her again in a few days, maybe a week, then proceed like it never happened. She's forgotten it by now, and you've got a story.

Add in that she pulled you in and it was only a knot in your shoestring getting caught in a on the latch of the cage that prevented you from being pulled in completely and that while you never uttered a sound, you were giving her the "whatfor" mentally, you know, spice it up.

Oh yeah, keep a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol around too. You can use it one-handed and I've never found anything that worked better. No matter what you hear, it won't hurt your snake.

[Fallguy]

I have no experience with the bigger snakes. My bigest is only about 6 feet or so. I think you did the best that you could in the situation, and came away with some knowledge. First, you remained calm, and second you now know to have someone else near you when you work with this snake. I thought I read somewhere something about having some listerine around for making them let go. I can't remember exactly how it was used, so maybe someone can chime in on this. Also, if they can say if this is a good or bad idea. It has been a while since I read about it.

The last lesson you should have learned... Have a camera ready at all times.

Glad all is well, and happy to hear that you are not giving up on her.

[JLC]

Thanks guys!

Wes, no, I can't get inside the cage...but using a shield is definitely an idea. I was considering that while waiting for her to let go. I could slide some barrier down the middle of the enclosure and clean whichever side she isn't on...then scootch her over to the other side and do it again. But there are some decorative branches going across the length of the cage...I'll have to figure out how to rearrange to get those out of my way.

Definitely a story to tell! Next time I'll be sure to embellish the gushing blood and the baleful gaze of hate as she tried to stare me down.

She'd just had two huge rats on Sunday...but I can well believe that she was ready to eat again already. I'm getting some rabbits this week and will be feeding her again on Sunday. My plan had been to feed her once a week (which is far more frequently than she's been fed up til now). But if you and others believe she'd be better off eating more frequently, I'll look into doing that...even if I have to buy some of the prey myself for the extra feedings.

The rubbing alcohol sounds worthy of keeping on hand. I'll have some before I go out there again, for sure.

Thank you for your words of encouragement and advice...they've been very helpful!

[Shawn]

I have a couple questions for you Judy , if you dont mind?

1-- how old is this burm
2-- how often has it been handled
3-- is there any way of rearanging the cage to have a door on the side or back/front.
4-- when you reach in the cage can you see the activity of the burm? IMO the most important thing of all.


as far as bites. I have only been bitten twice once by an 6 ft burm and once by a 8 ft burm . didnt really consider them painful just annoying. one on the hand such as yours and the other on the forearm. I now people say use water ,alcohol and other methods. what worked for me was grabbing the snake right behind the jaws and putting pressure on the sides of the jaws right at the joint. didnt have to be to much either . hook training even in the most novice of hands ( when it comes to hooks not snakes) is still a good preventative measure. is there any way you could post pics of the enclosure?

[rabernet]

Judy

It was not funny at all when you called me last night to tell me about this, but reading it now, I did giggle a bit, simply because you're a wonderful story teller, and you put me right there with you. It's one of those you can laugh now about it situations. Although I know that your hand is still very painful for you.

You earn major kudo's for being determined to be there for this girl when so many other's haven't.

Can't offer you any advice about working with the giants, though it looks like Wes has already given you some good pointers!

[wilomn]

It's not frequency of feeding, it's amount fed.

At that size all they want to do is eat. Switching to a weekly rabbit feeding, even every 10 days for the next few feet of growth will help mellow the snake out, providing it's just not one of the few who are simply mean.

Be sure to tickle her with something before you clean from now on and watch her eyes before you start. They move and you can read them, eventually.

You'll be laughing heartily soon.

[CoolioTiffany]

I have no experience with large snakes nor have I been bitten before, but I know how you feel. When I got bit by my female BP a long time ago (during feeding time, completely my fault) I was scared to hold her again because I didn't want to get bit, but I knew if I didn't she would turn into a mean snake, and that meant my favorite and most docile snake I've ever owned would not be able to be handled. So, I handled her a few days after, and she was as nice as she always has been. I handle her frequently too, and she's still that docile snake.

When you clean/handle that snake again, show no fear. Even though the bite was painful, it was by accident because the snake thought it was being fed. I'm sure that won't ever happen again, only if your careful. When you go in to clean out the enclosure, spot clean, change water, etc., make sure you know where she is and where her head is, and when you do always watch to see what she's doing just in case she's trying to make a move to bite you again.