first bite

[robeyeshua]

my male dumerils about 4.5 ft about 1400 grams just bit me - until now, even from arrival he had been perfectly docile - never any indication of agression in any way - never flighty when removing from tub - the last few days he had spent most of his time in the water dish - the only other time he did this was just before a shed - so i guessed it was the same again - i had opened his lid earlier - he seemed interested in coming out but i did not take him out then - his eyes are perfectly clear and its really too soon for a snake his age to be shedding again - at any rate my daughter was in from the army and she wanted to see one so i lifted the lid to retrieve him - he acted a little weird - not sure why but i had a weird feeling that i should just leave him but i didnt - anyways as i lifted him out he wadded his tail around the heat mat and seemed resistant to come out then he nailed me on the wrist breaking the skin on both sides of the arm - i had to twist him loose - i tried again to retrieve him and it was obvious that he would bite again so i left him alone - only 2 things are different about this handling attempt - first of all it was after the room light had cycled off so the room was dimly lit and secondly i had recently changed his feeding from weekly to every 10 days - maybe he thought he was hunting - i've read so much about people who have said that they had never seen a dumerils even pretend to want to bite - so much for that - thought you might share some thoughts and how to proceed from here - this is my first bite ever - thanks robert white

[llovelace]

Need pics

[LOSTCOAST_BALLZ]

agreed

[robeyeshua]

[Wh00h0069]

It could have been a fluke. I have had a few of my very docile boas strike at the cage while I was walking past. I highly suggest using a hook to remove the boa, and then transfer them to your hands. I have found that your chance of being bit are greatly reduced after they are out of the cage. I hope this helps.

[Vypyrz]

It could have been a fluke. I have had a few of my very docile boas strike at the cage while I was walking past. I highly suggest using a hook to remove the boa, and then transfer them to your hands. I have found that your chance of being bit are greatly reduced after they are out of the cage. I hope this helps.

I agree, a hook will be your friend. It will seem awkward the first few times you do it because there is definitely a technique to it. If you decide to get one, just let me know and I'll tell you how I do it. I feed my Dum every 10 days and he acts about the same way. For about the first 3 days after feeding he will just lay in his hide with his head poking out. Starting on day 4 or 5 he will start laying with about 18"-24" of his body out and if he sees me moving around in the room he will prop his head up on the back of the water bowl or his rubbing branch like he's in ambush mode, hoping for a rat to come strolling by, but on feeding day, once he smells the rat, there is no ambush. He goes psycho and starts making laps around his tub, knocking the hides everywhere. I've gotten to where, on the afternoon of feeding day, I take his water bowl out and put it back in the next morning after he has calmed down. And if I'm not quick enough getting the rat in the tub, he will come flying out and strike the rat, and that has almost gotten me bit in the face twice. So now I have another use for the hook. I use it to raise the lid and keep me out of his striking range. He hasn't actually struck at me yet, but I'm sure I'll catch him on a bad day at some point.

[robeyeshua]

definitely gonna get a hook this week -please explain your technique - i did take him out this morning with no issue - he acted perfectly normal as he had every other time until this week - thanks for your help

I agree, a hook will be your friend. It will seem awkward the first few times you do it because there is definitely a technique to it. If you decide to get one, just let me know and I'll tell you how I do it. I feed my Dum every 10 days and he acts about the same way. For about the first 3 days after feeding he will just lay in his hide with his head poking out. Starting on day 4 or 5 he will start laying with about 18"-24" of his body out and if he sees me moving around in the room he will prop his head up on the back of the water bowl or his rubbing branch like he's in ambush mode, hoping for a rat to come strolling by, but on feeding day, once he smells the rat, there is no ambush. He goes psycho and starts making laps around his tub, knocking the hides everywhere. I've gotten to where, on the afternoon of feeding day, I take his water bowl out and put it back in the next morning after he has calmed down. And if I'm not quick enough getting the rat in the tub, he will come flying out and strike the rat, and that has almost gotten me bit in the face twice. So now I have another use for the hook. I use it to raise the lid and keep me out of his striking range. He hasn't actually struck at me yet, but I'm sure I'll catch him on a bad day at some point.

[Vypyrz]

definitely gonna get a hook this week -please explain your technique - i did take him out this morning with no issue - he acted perfectly normal as he had every other time until this week - thanks for your help

When using a hook, I find it easier to use smooth, gentle movements. Don't just hook and drag the snake or they will spook and try harder to get away. I use the hook to basically control their head, not to lift the bulk of their body.

-The first thing to do is look at their head. Whichever way their head is facing, that's the hand you want to hold the hook in. This will keep you from having to reach cross-body and getting your arms crossed when lifting them out.

- Next, I take the hook and kind of rotate it to the side so it is essentially laying flat and will slide under the snake easier. Once I get it under them, I just turn it back up so the snake is laying through the hook.

- Before I lift with the hook, I try to position it about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way down their body from the head. That way, if they try to pull their head back and "S" there is less chance of them pulling all the way out of the hook.

- After getting the hook positioned, just lift them up a few inches and reach in with your free hand and lift them out. If they get hissy or flighty, just move the hook around as needed to keep their head away from you. Once you have the bulk of their weight supported by your other hand and arm, then you can put the hook down and handle normally. It won't take long to get the hang of it, and if you have any doubts, you can always practice on a water hose or extension cord...

[robeyeshua]

thanks a lot

[Wh00h0069]

definitely gonna get a hook this week -please explain your technique - i did take him out this morning with no issue - he acted perfectly normal as he had every other time until this week - thanks for your help

The main thing to remember when using the hook is to position their heads away from your body before transferring them to your hands. Put the hook in the middle of their body to lift them. I don't lift them all the way up, just a little to re-position them. Once they feel the hook, they start to realize that you are going to hold them, not feed them.

Good luck.