big ball bite... yes, there's blood here...

well, it finally happened to me... I've fed literally thousands of times now, frozen/thawed, by hand, and never had anything go wrong... So I'm posting this so anyone else that does that can see what COULD happen to them... to start, here's petunia...
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...unia162107.jpg

I was going through feeding some of the snakes tonight and petunia appeared to be hungry as always (this is my fiance's 1,500 gram ball - which is the same snake that bit her in the face several months ago). He went for the rat, overshot and so I dropped the rat and pulled away. The problem was that petunia had managed to grab the tip of my finger...

This all happened pretty quickly, but as soon as I realized what had happened (and pulled him across the tub hanging onto my finger for a foot and a half) I reached for him, cause he wasn't letting go, and he constricted both of my hands, and still had my finger in his mouth. I was alone, and couldn't use my hands. Not good. Knowing petunia, I knew he would let go of me before he tried to eat me. So I decided my only option was to wait it out, and I was trying as hard as I could to stay still so he would release sooner. After a little over 3 minutes, he finally released and left me bleeding...

It tore a little bit at the end of my finger, and then the other teeth just punctured... I just want to share my story so that maybe it will keep someone else from getting bitten during feeding... Here is before clean up...
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...nning62907.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...nning62907.jpg

And then this is after I got it cleaned up. It took several minutes for it to stop bleeding and there was A LOT of blood that came out of those little holes. Sorry, but I could help but to squeeze my finger when I was washing up, and it actually squirted... :eek: the worst part, as you can probably tell, was under my fingernail...
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...nding62907.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...nding62907.jpg

The funniest thing was that I was trying to get water on him at first to get him to let go. First I tried the faucet, and I couldn't turn it on because of my hands being stuck in the ball of constricting petunia. Then I went for some pitchers that I had water in, the problem there was that they were half full, and he was too big to get into the pitcher. So that's when I actually decided to wait until he decided it was time to let go...

Probably just mad HE was named Petunia.:D

Great thread...even greater carnage! lol.

and I guess I should point out, I DID NOT NAME HIM THAT... :D that would be lindsey's work... :P

the word 'ouch' springs to mind, so u gonno use tongs next time?

Yikes! That will be just a bit sore for a few hours. :(


Are you going to change your routine because of this? I've been bit once by an adult on my upper arm and it hurt like h&%*. But I didn't change anything in how I feed after - I just chaulked it up to bad moves on my part.

Ouch! My 1500 gram-er has gotten me a few times, but she's never held on! The worst she ever did with me was on one of the veins in my wrist and it bled for a few minutes but no squirting...

..and the squirting comment had me going, D8 "EW!"

Where was someone with a camera when your hands were wrapped up!?!? :oops:


So sorry you got tagged.... looks like it'll be soar for a few days! He's really pretty if that makes it any better!?!?! :P

Wow I bet you was like ouch at first, but was kind of happy about it. for 12 years owning Bps I never been bit once. So when that day happens I will be relieved because everyday its like "oh my god! is my borneo gonna bite me today but never does.

Somebody needs some long tongs LOL. Poor thing being named Petunia, I'd bite you too! :D

Was curious...ball pythons arent one of those animals that once they taste human blood they want more right?