Keep Snakes Away From Face ?

Oh Joanna that is too funny!


I think the two main reasons for keeping snakes away from your face have been given.
1) The risk of getting samonella in, on, or near you mouth.
2) The risk of them striking unpredictabely. Striking at your hand or finger or arm is one thing, having them strike at your face is a completely different thing.

With one of my BP's (Byron) he likes to give me little kisses - especially if I've been drinking coffee. He has been known to try and help himself to my coffee. Our Boas have developed a liking for coffee too. A few weeks ago I was holding Zig and he decided to investigate my coffee cup (which was only lukewarm). I moved it away from him so he decided to investigate the computer keyboard instead. Shortly after, I was holding Zag and she did the same (it was the same cup of coffee, by now even more lukewarm and only about 1 inch left in the cup). I moved it away again so she followed it and stuck her head in the cup and actually tasted the coffee. I stood up and she went straight rigid trying to get back to the cup. She was put back in the viv (to her obvious disgust) and I finished my coffee. The BPs and the Boas all seem to have a thing about tickling our ears and breathing in them. Seems to be a snake thing:rolleyes:


As for all these books, I have a couple and to be honest, there's so much conflicting advice, some of it either outdated or just plain bad advice, that I wouldn't bother buying any more. Best advice I've had has been from forums like this one where people have many years of hands-on experience with various species of snakes.

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Originally Posted by Lady Python

As for all these books, I have a couple and to be honest, there's so much conflicting advice, some of it either outdated or just plain bad advice, that I wouldn't bother buying any more. Best advice I've had has been from forums like this one where people have many years of hands-on experience with various species of snakes.

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Well said - this has always been my thoughts exactly since owning reptiles - I don't own any reptile books at all apart from a varanid one.

As much as I enjoy our pets, I personally DON'T want to experience a salmonella event. The membranes around the eyes and nose are very thin and the fastest route (short of inhalation) for viruses, bacterias and other cold yuckies. :bleh:
That's why all the books and handlers tell U to wash your hands well after handling reptiles.

It's just much safer to avoid the germs, and after getting my HAND tagged by even one as small as Felix, I DON'T want to experience that on my face or near my eye.

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Originally Posted by sweety314

As much as I enjoy our pets, I personally DON'T want to experience a salmonella event. The membranes around the eyes and nose are very thin and the fastest route (short of inhalation) for viruses, bacterias and other cold yuckies. :bleh:
That's why all the books and handlers tell U to wash your hands well after handling reptiles.

It's just much safer to avoid the germs, and after getting my HAND tagged by even one as small as Felix, I DON'T want to experience that on my face or near my eye.

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One of the reasons we tend to go down with many bugs nowadays is that we are too clean and don't give our bodies the chance to build up resistence to bugs. Many eminent doctors are saying this now.

I'm 50 and when I was a youngster, the standards of hygiene were much lower than they are now, particularly with food. Many people didn't have refrigerators - including shops. For example you didn't buy biscuits in packets, you opened a tin, stuck your hand in and put as many as you liked in a brown paper bag and it was weighed and you paid accordingly. We never heard of salmonella or the like and people were generally healthier. We didn't hear of allergies either. Modern living has a lot to answer for.

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Originally Posted by lisa77

"tHE GUIDE TO OWNING A BALL PYTHON"

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I think I saw that at petsmart last night...sucks

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Originally Posted by Lady Python

One of the reasons we tend to go down with many bugs nowadays is that we are too clean and don't give our bodies the chance to build up resistence to bugs. Many eminent doctors are saying this now.

I'm 50 and when I was a youngster, the standards of hygiene were much lower than they are now, particularly with food. Many people didn't have refrigerators - including shops. For example you didn't buy biscuits in packets, you opened a tin, stuck your hand in and put as many as you liked in a brown paper bag and it was weighed and you paid accordingly. We never heard of salmonella or the like and people were generally healthier. We didn't hear of allergies either. Modern living has a lot to answer for.

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My aunt was just telling me something like this the other day! So true!

It seems that the "The guide to" books aren't the best.

I have encountered terrible books and some good ones it is no easy task for the novice keeper to try and ascertain which is good or bad as they have little experience to gauge against in terms of comparison. It is easy when experienced to critique a book and see how missinformed someone can be made, and quite often it is baffling the mistakes and missinformation given.

same can be said for advice over the internet alot of the time there is poor advice given by people with little knowledge or experience which is why an established place like this with so many experienced keepers and breeders posting brings about a common unison of opinion that is borne of valid experience and can offer the novice a good starting point with backup help should they require it.

A place like this will certainly contribute to snakes getting a healthy start in life and enable the keeper to feel more secure in knowing there is help at hand.

That aside I dont think snakes should be kept near the face for obvious reasons some people often mistake curiosity on the snakes behalf as affection when it is nothing of the sort and can on occasion lead to a painful and bloody encounter.

So yes my opinion is keep snakes away from the face and teach your kids to do the same for safety of all concerned.

its safer all round http://www.boxchamp.com/forum/style_...champ/bite.gif

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Originally Posted by snakey68

A place like this will certainly contribute to snakes getting a healthy start in life and enable the keeper to feel more secure in knowing there is help at hand.

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I've read many forums, both good and not so good and have learnt so much from them, particularly this one.

I know I'm about to get pilloried again, but I'm not 100% sure that snakes can't show some kind of "affection" for their owners in their own snakey way. For example, this week my son was in hospital (he's out now and on the mend) so it fell to me to feed his snakes. Before I did that, I needed to change the substrate for one of his cornsnakes. Bear in mind, at that particular time I hadn't handled any of the snake food, so didn't smell of lunch. I put my hand in the viv to take Ryoko out - and he bit me and followed it up with a lot of tail-rattling. I swear if looks could kill I would not be writing this now. All was forgiven when I gave him a couple of nice fat fuzzies later. My son came home from hospital last night and said "Watch this". He puts his hand in the viv without any problem. It's some form of recognition, probably scent but Ryoko certainly knows the difference between me and my son - and isn't shy about telling me about it either!

I just wish some people would treat their snakes as if they had feelings then perhaps there wouldn't be so many neglected or ill-treated ending up as rescue cases.

My snakes are part of my family just the same as the cats and the dog and all have a special place in our hearts.