Reasons for getting bit?

So aside from the obvious reason of having just held(or still holding:rolleyes:) a mouse in your hand, what are some of the things people have done that resulted in getting bit?

Holding a nervous ball python is pretty common from what I hear. One of mine almost tagged me the first week I had them xD Changing water was not acceptable!

If you startle a young hatchling, or a large female who is laying on her eggs, those are the main reasons. I have also been tagged after popping a ball python who did not like being popped.

Usually they only bite as a natural instinct for defense, but there are rare circumstances were a ball python is just really high strung and will strike at anything.

my young spider struck at me twice while changing her water. She missed both times, but I guess she didn't appreciate me doin that.

being distracted while feeding, reaching into a drawer without looking first,
Forgetting that bloods don't back down with a tap on the nose as ball pythons do (OUCH!)... ( always lapses of judgment on the keepers part)

New snakes, especially young ones, often bite if you don't leave them alone for their first week in their new home. Especially if they had a rough trip with FedEx, or if you put them in a too-large tank with not enough hidey-holes.

Some really young hatchlings bite because they're really really HUNGRY, and they don't know the difference between a finger and a mouse yet.

Most of my young/new snakes grow out of biting in the first few weeks that I have them, but I've had a few (say, one in five?) that keep on biting for most of their first year. I don't know if they're insecure or just plain surly. My first snake, Mr. Nibbles, seemed to get a kick out of wedging himself into corners, or perching himself in a spot with a nice view of the room, and then GUARDING it. He liked to guard my laptop. From me. (I guess it was warm?) And my pewter female seemed to badly want a piece of me for the first 8 months I had her. At one point I was holding her in such a way that she couldn't get either of my hands, so she threw herself around in a bizarre pretzel twist and BIT MY ELBOW.

None of my adults/subadults bite as a rule, but I have a few that get really grumpy when they're deep in shed. Occasionally they'll decide it's ridiculous that I'm cleaning when they want to be left alone, and they'll let me know it.

When I used to breed snakes, I had a few (bull snakes, a boa female, and a couple of kings) that I swore were just evil. No matter what I did, they never calmed down. I just usually expected a bite and if it never came, well then, that was a good day.
Other than that, I got bit by babies like everybody else said. I once got bit by a baby who wasn't even out of the egg yet. I reached over him and pow, the baby is attached and I'm stuck not moving until he decided to let go. It felt like forever. He ended up being one of the most beautiful, calmest snakes I had (a honduran milk)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jeo123

what are some of the things people have done that resulted in getting bit?

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Nothing and getting chewed on like I am a chew toy anyway :rolleyes:

There's only one reason for a keeper to get bit;
Bad intuition and not being able to read the signs your snake is giving you.