Re: How often have you been bitten by your ball python?
Just got bit for the first time this past weekend. Feeding day, 2nd mouse to feed her. We have a front opening enclosure and I was holding the door with one hand and dangling the mouse with the other. She mistook my door holding thumb for the mouse. I realised my mistake seconds before she struck and knew it was coming. It didn't hurt at all but bled quite a bit. The look on her face when she realised what she did was pretty funny. She let go quickly and went for the much better tasting mouse. :) She's 5 months old and about 300 grams.
Re: How often have you been bitten by your ball python?
I was bitten once by my old ball but it was my fault. He was about a year old and I got feeding days confused and picked him up to early. He got me on the hand and didn't hurt at all and Im a real baby when it comes on things like that. He held on to, a gave him a drip of vinegar in the mouth and he let go.
My current female has never even looked agressive, let alone struck at me. She does love to squeeze her rat weaner ALOT even though its already dead lol
Re: How often have you been bitten by your ball python?
Since this thread is about to be shut down.. and this is the first time I've read it.. I thought it was a really cool post and I'd like to comment!
I dont know if I'm lucky or what.. but I've owned snakes since I'm 12 years old.. I'm not 34. I currently own a Regular Ball Python, a Pastel Ball Python, a Spider Ball Python, a Mojave Ball Python, a Albino Ball Python and a Suriname Red Tail Boa.. in the past I've had a few other Ball Pythons Regular's and Morphs, a Burmese Python, Garter Snakes, King Snakes, a couple Columbian Red Tail Boa's, Corn Snakes.. and I have NEVER been bitten EVER.. as a matter of fact.. I never even been struck at!
The only thing I can say to that is I wash my hands although I never handle their (Snake's) food.. I use tongs. I even handle my snakes before they eat for a little bit, but I do feel I always had a good sense of judging their body language.. But anytime I had plans to hold any of my snakes.. I always did whether they looked like they were in the mood to be held or not.. my trick is I always have a couple of those old school wooden back scratchers laying besides my enclosures. I use the back scratcher to let my snake know I'm coming in.. I move him/her with it in better position to grab him/her.. but just before I pick them up I put the hook end of the back scratcher about a half inch above the snakes head, kinda to block his/her sight from stricking my hand.. and also if the snake does decide to strike I'd be able to block it with the back scratcher. Once I have them out.. and in my hand.. I keep the snake facing away from me.. so instead facing my body and my face.. I have them facing in the same direction I'm facing. I can tell when they first come out that they are a little like "Whats up!.. who wants some!?!" but within 30secs to a minute they seem to be more like.. "Oh its you... ur ok.. you take good care of me.." :D Then it seems like from that moment.. your chances are just so small that you'll get bit, but even when they seem lax in your hand.. I always pay close attention to their body language.. sometimes I notice a slight "S" pattern in their body:snake:... example: say they're staring at a moving finger on my hand and they seem focused in, in that "S" shape with their tongue flickering fast :snake:.. when that happens I quickly break their focus by positioning my hand with the snake in it facing in a new direction. I never thought much in the way I have held my snakes.. but I guess their is an art form in holding snakes. I'm sure you long time snake owners would agree with me on that. So I hope this helps some of you new snake owners.
Bite free so far 22 years..:salute: knock on wood :please::gj:
Re: How often have you been bitten by your ball python?
It was awful!!!!
Worse experience in my life!!!
I'm definitely mentally scarred for LIFE!!!
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...i/100_1955.jpg
The culprit:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...i/100_1963.jpg
The dates are wrong and that has been my only bite so far. I've been keeping BP's for about 1 year. It was my fault, I sticked my hand into her tub when she must of been really hungry and I was handling feeders... Her head came flying out of her hide and BAM.
Re: How often have you been bitten by your ball python?
Look at that.. I brought this post back to life with my giant novel on how not to get bit.. and damn brother.. you got smacked by a Spider! :weirdface
I actually have 3 nippy little hatchlings myself about the same size as your Spider BP. One actually is a Spider BP and looks just like yours! and then I have a baby Pastel and a Baby Albino.. both wouldnt eat for me in my feeding tub.. so I decided to feed them tonight with tongs in their enclosures. After that everytime I walked by their tanks they were ready to go! My albino snapped at the glass and banged her nose pretty hard.. the Pastel would peek her head out of her hide and was ready to go again.. I actually opened the top of her tank and put one of her second hides I had in their that I removed during feeding.. well luckly I used my brain and I use the tongs actually put the hide back IN the tank.. cause when I did she snapped at it! My Spider baby.. seems to be the sweetest.. but I havent had these three long.. Now my Mojave BP, Reg. BP and my Suriname seem tamed as could be.. I've had them for about a year and a half now.. They trust me and know much much better then these other guys! :D
Re: How often have you been bitten by your ball python?
Ive never been bitten.
And hopefully is stays that way :please:
Re: How often have you been bitten by your ball python?
i've been bitten by the albino BP 3 times. I think its because he can't see very well due to lack of pigment in albino's eyes. He strikes at anything that moves. He never holds on when he bites me, it's more of a reactionary strike. I also have a Normal BP that I have had loger and he has never even looked like he was going to strike at anything.
Re: How often have you been bitten by your ball python?
