What's it like to get bit by a snake?

It is startling and stings.. and bleeds.

I just got bit around... 30 min ago.

I have been grazed a few times when I worked at a petstore but no full on bites. I think it needs to happen so I can not be afraid of it happening I think that is worse.lol.

Fast, very fast. Most times you don't realize you've been tagged till after the fact. The only painful one I got was from a large boa as a teen. Bled a LOT!! I've had a few that stung, but not bad.

I have been bitten a few times back in college when collecting for my Herp class. One was a black rat snake that was found in the dorms. It was a wild snake and the Police had it really pissed and in one of those dog restraining devices. I grabbed it behind the head and thought I had it when they let it go. It turned its head aroudn and grabbed my thumb. It did not hurt at all. Teeth were very sharp and I did bleed a lot. Freaked out the police and I thought one of them was going to pass out. I just calmly put the snake in my bag, laughed and went on my way.

The second time was a very nasty Diamond back water snake. I got tagged when trying to stop it before it got back into the water. That hurt a little but still, the shock of it always gets me more than the bite really. Plus those water snakes really stink bad. I probably was at a much greater risk of infection than anything.

Don't worry too much about bites and learn to read your snake. They will usually warn you first if you are paying attention. Don't smell like food and don't move like food and you should be OK.

Jeff

HMMMM to get bit.. LOL

Well it pinches and stings much like a tattoo. You might be surprised at how much you may bleed but its over before you know it..unless a 3000 gram girl takes your hand as food and descides yo grad you and hang on.. Hannah.

Doesn't hurt to bad, but just make sure you check for teeth in your hand. You would be surprised how hard they are to see.

Thanks for posting your experiences with bites.

my boy and girl are most jumpy the first 5 minutes after I remove them from their tubs, this is when I slow down all of my movements. After about 5-10 minutes of handling, they seem to be more comfortable and don't recoil as much, so I believe that means they are somewhat more comfortable in their surroundings than they were initially.

Either way, I try to pick them up by moving m hand around the back part of their body, never straight on, I know they are sensitive to their heads....haven't been bit yet, but I'm sure one day I'll get careless :/

I've been grazed twice by baby ball pythons and once by a half growl corn snake. Didn't really hurt that much, not much blood since it was just a graze.

With the corn, I was stupid and held her food with my fingers and of course my fingers were warmer and she tried to get at my fingers. She grazed it and it stung a bit, much like someone poking you lightly with a pin and there was one drop of blood. Not bad and I learned my lesson. Now I use feeding tongs at all times.

With the baby ball python I was holding it in a store and it was in shed (I didn't realize till after the fact because its eyes were just starting to go cloudy) and I went to transfer it to my other hand and I heard a hiss and wham! grazed my finger. There was no blood but it stung for a bit after.

I just know I'm going to get tagged by a larger snake someday and I kind of want to get it over with so I'm not as "scared" of getting bit.

Never been tagged but my Burmese at time would put on a good show when I would go to pick him up at times! As soon as he felt the clamps being released over his pen he'd expand to about twice his size and then as I pulled the top off he'd let out his hiss for what seemed like minutes! I would just tell him
to "Aw...shutup" and pulled him outta the tank anyways. Then good luck getting him back in. I miss my Burmese but I'd never get a snake that grows THAT large again. Our Great Pyreneese Mountain dog Theodore means too much to us. Let alone the kids, the wifey, goats, sheep, small mules, ponies, etc.

Jeff

PS - If I ever do get nailed I'll be sure to post picks of the aftermath here.