POLL: Have you been bit by a BP?

Man, I'm going to skew the results... because we've only had our 2 bp's for a little over 2 months...

Never been bit (thank goodness!). We have a 200g spider who is a very good eater but is very easy to handle. Not head shy, very easy going, only does the head snap when a fast movement goes over his head, his way of saying, "whoa, what was that?". Our 700g pastel though, she is moody. She's very head shy and goes off feed when something is not perfect. She has gotten more tolerant though after 2 months in our house. I had a post earlier about our "bath fiasco" and that was the only time she actually struck at my son but my son was super quick to close the glass doors so she struck the glass and not the hand. Basically, I thought she would like a bath in the bathtub but she hated it, spazzed out, and struck. My son though, he tells me, she's not in a good mood, Mom... so I won't take her out then, I wait for my husband to do it. I've learned to watch her moods now too, so I can tell when she's not happy now. I know it's cool to have that spider who is game for anything but I'm kinda glad we have that moody pastel too because she's teaching me how to read snake moods.

I would really really really really hate to get bit by the snake... which sounds crazy when I have been nicked numerous times by my African Gray parrot. It's just the idea of getting bit by a snake that has that psychological effect, I guess. If I have read the results of this poll 2 months ago, I would probably never let my husband bring home that ball python (see, I told you they bite a lot!). But now, if ever one of us would get bit, it would probably be just a... okay now, what did you do??? Just like when the kids would get bit by the hamsters...

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Originally Posted by anatess

Man, I'm going to skew the results... because we've only had our 2 bp's for a little over 2 months...

Never been bit (thank goodness!). We have a 200g spider who is a very good eater but is very easy to handle. Not head shy, very easy going, only does the head snap when a fast movement goes over his head, his way of saying, "whoa, what was that?". Our 700g pastel though, she is moody. She's very head shy and goes off feed when something is not perfect. She has gotten more tolerant though after 2 months in our house. I had a post earlier about our "bath fiasco" and that was the only time she actually struck at my son but my son was super quick to close the glass doors so she struck the glass and not the hand. Basically, I thought she would like a bath in the bathtub but she hated it, spazzed out, and struck. My son though, he tells me, she's not in a good mood, Mom... so I won't take her out then, I wait for my husband to do it. I've learned to watch her moods now too, so I can tell when she's not happy now. I know it's cool to have that spider who is game for anything but I'm kinda glad we have that moody pastel too because she's teaching me how to read snake moods.

I would really really really really hate to get bit by the snake... which sounds crazy when I have been nicked numerous times by my African Gray parrot. It's just the idea of getting bit by a snake that has that psychological effect, I guess. If I have read the results of this poll 2 months ago, I would probably never let my husband bring home that ball python (see, I told you they bite a lot!). But now, if ever one of us would get bit, it would probably be just a... okay now, what did you do??? Just like when the kids would get bit by the hamsters...

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-Giggles.- I'm glad that you didn't read this thread before hand.

I think that most people who've been bitten will openly say that their being bitten was completely their fault. Most(not all) ball pythons strike out in fear or confusion. You smell like food, I'm going to bite you too when I'm hungry. -Grins.-

They are usually to scared to bite me, because they know i bite back..... Kidding, i too have been bitten on more than one occasion! Its usually more a suprise than anything brutal.

I've only been bitten once by a ball python, and it was when I picked him up too soon after he ate to put him back in his enclosure. This was years ago, though. I haven't been bitten by any snake recently.

When I first got my ball he took a few swings at me, but never connected. He has become much more calm now. My Cal King on the other hand bites me HARD every chance he gets.

Ironically I just got Bit 2 days ago for the first time in years.

My first bp tagged me when I wasn't careful enough during feeding.. she just missed on the rat, and let go the second she realised it was my thumb she got. :p She's craaazy about food. :O

I have 28 ball pythons now. I have not been bit yet. It has been close a couple times. "Knock on Wood"

i have never been bit, but just recently i tried "pre scenting" before feeding and my snake started stirking at me like crazy. i guess i shouldnt of done that since he has never had a problem feeding before.

yeah I have a few that will tag me when they get the chance!!

I've owned my snakes, the oldest two the longest, for less than a year. I have never been bitten by any of them. I HAVE gotten struck AT, but they didn't hit their mark. The first time was my male...it wasn't too long after we got him...and he was scared, and really pissy. I had my hand in the tank for whatever reason. Probobally putting back his water. He's never struck since.

My girlfriends baby spider struck at his hide that I was holding... It threw me off, because he is the most friendly of the four.

They dont even strike when I do something stupid....like strain and then eat a tuna sandwich..and then take em out and let them hang out on my shoulders. I didn't realize what I was doing untill I had Cleo up on my shoulder..and went hmm...wait a second...I just ate tuna.....dont people scent rats with tuna to make them more appealing? She didnt strike at all though, I really wouldn't care if she did. It's life.

I'm sure I'll get tagged eventually.

I have not yet been bitten by a bp. On the other hand I have been bitten by many, many rodents of all kinds. I had one vey moody hairless rat that after she had a litter would not let anyone near the cage, this included reaching through the bars to bite any hand that came near, most of the times she got me were small bites that only bleed for a day, but she got my husband one good one that was bleeding for 3 days. But name a rodent and it has bitten me, never been caught by a snake, almost by a wild bull snake, stopped my car to move it off the road, and it was mad.
But one day I know one will get me, I plan on getting more balls as soon as I have more space for them.

I was bit once years ago when I first got into herping, it wasn't a small snake either it was a 2000+ gram adult female (it was completely my fault). Funny thing is it didn't hurt, yet my wife's little toy chihuahua bite left me with thumb pains that I still suffer to this day, and she bit me over a year and a half ago. Little brat! :)

I've never been bit yet.

We'll see if that doesn't maybe change soon as later today I'm inheriting an adult or sub-adult female bp that's apparently been abused. :(

lol, i have a big female whose over 1600 grams, and i went in to take her out to change the newsprint i have her on and she got me good lol :) Its good to get bit every once in a while, it gets the adrenanline going :)

i have been bit 2 or 3 times by adults but it was my fault
my friend has 2 yearlings that will try to bite you if you look it them.
he just got them in a trade and i don't think they were handled much. the only good thing about them is they are het albino

I was feeding my BP while she was in shed, she must have smelled the mouse (F/T) and she struck at the nearest moving thing, which happened to be my hand. Hardly even felt the bite, only drew a bit of blood. Had a bit of infection afterwards but anitibiotics sorted that out!
That was my very un-interesting bite story :gj:

:snake:

I have 6 ball pythons now, got my 1st one 9 months ago, Ive been bit 2-3 times,

the 1st time, I fed my BP in a separate cardboard box for the 1st time, when i went to take him out to put him in his tank he struck at me, scared .... out of me, I laughed cause it was a love tap,had my heart pumping tho, of how fast he did it LMAO

2nd time, was within the 1st 5 mins of bring one home, he just had no clue and was scared of everythging going on, light cat scratch

now i say 2-3 because i dont know if this counts, funny story
I got a 2 year old BP from a friend, it was the 1st time handling her, I put her on my lap and continued playin some video games, 5 mins later i realized she was up my arm sleeve holding on to my armpit, trying to swallow my armpit, hurt pulling the little sucker off just pulled a few hairs, must have liked my deoderant

From what I learned babies are the ones to strike not knowing if your a harm to them or not

I got hit by one on my way to work the other morning :headbang:

Only been bit once; that was before I knew that a BP can go from sleeping to attacking prey in a split second (got to love the creautre's design).

I was cleaning the glass on the tank and I am 99% sure he was sleeping, anyways I got near him and he went from coiled and not moving to sniping at my finger. I picked him up right after that and he was just as loving as always.

i have 14 ball pythons ranging from a year old all the way up to 6 years old and "knock on wood" i have never been biten i've been hissed at a few times and that lets me know to either leave them alone or be a little more cautious of what im doing, i also have a custom built reptile room for them all and i have people wanting to check it out and hold snakes all the time and same thing nobody has ever been bit, you just have to be careful i always make sure to use antibacterial after i have handled rats or mice before touchin or pplacin my hand in the enclosures which im sure has added a little bit of help to not gettin bit

I've only had my little (6 month old) male bp for about a week now, no bites to report, only a couple of strikes. :snake:

I did get tagged good a couple times by my Columbian red tail boa when I was a kid, that did hurt some. :snake2:

I have only been bit good once. By a 8' redtail, the best part was pulling the broken teeth out. :D

I finally got bit by the one I would have never expected it from, it was all my fault he smelled the asf and couldn't find it. I tried to get it for him and bam, glad its out the way though it wasn't that bad.

I have been bitten by everything from a baby corn snake, to a maneating ball python, to a 7 foot Argentine Boa (on the shoulder to boot! :O )

But, I have never been bitten by mine or anyone else's retics that I have held. Isn't that ironic. :rolleyes::D

A couple of times, but only for feeding responses.

Never, for me.

But my ex boyfriend got bitten by Hyori while she was pretty young.

Basically his fault though, he was dumb enough to put his hand in her cage while she was about to eat. :rolleyes:

http://i39.tinypic.com/6s8651.jpg

never been bit by my bp's but by my boa yes
it stung like a mesquito bite

Getting bit by your ball python is simply part of owning one...

...they have no arms and no legs and as far as I know, no vocal chords, so the only way for them to tell you they don't like something is to 1) curl into a ball, or 2) bite.

Of course the more balls you own, the greater the ratio for getting bitten goes up.

BrandonsBalls

Never had the pleasure yet and I've been keeping balls for awhile. I've been bit or stung by a ton of things (burms, scorps, bloods, tarantulas) but never a ball :confused: The only one I have that is tempermental is my male pastel. He is ALWAYS hissy. I'm pretty sure he wants to bite me. I just pick him up anyway. Maybe me and him are both contempt that he is a grump. If one were to bite me out of my collection it would be him. But he hasn't yet :D

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Originally Posted by Douglesser

I have only been bit good once. By a 8' redtail, the best part was pulling the broken teeth out. :D

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Sounds like my best bite.....big female I first picked up with a bad shed. After a good shed I reached in to pick her up and bam! After that I covered her head and picked her up and she was fine.

I've got five BPs and have not been bit, but had one strick at me at the speed of light! They can be very fast. It was my fault though, he was still settling in and I could read from his body language that he was in a mood.

I have never been struck at by my lil boy, but some of the pet store BP's i have looked at or handles have tried to tag me. there is the itty bitty cute little 66% possible het femal at my local shop. the little cutie poises for striking as soon as that cage top moves. i want her :)

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Originally Posted by JeffJ

...there is the itty bitty cute little 66% possible het femal at my local shop...

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66% het for Female? :weirdface

:D

Yes, and as bites go, not bad. Had a worse bite from a black snake lol. Being bitten by a retic had to be my favorite though, that was such a joy.

just got bit tonight before feeding. it shocked me more than it hurt. at least i know how it feels now in case i get bit again

Thankfully I've never been bitten, however I've only had mine for a week ;)

No kan say i have ...
But working with bp's i know they no nothing about not biting the hand that feeds them

i have 3 bps....2 sub adults and one big momma....been struck at but never bit...although growing up... i had a ton of ghopher snake bites..mean little s.o.bs :) gotta love em though

My Snake only hisses at me once in a while but is my fault i kinda disturb her...when she is sleeping...but for good causes to clean poop or urates...but never been bitten or strike at...


I wonder how it feels....sometimes i just want it to bite me so i can get over it and see it it hurts or nah....does anybody know is it painful???

just the other day as matter of fact. my pastel male missed the rat and got my finger. and yes i was using tongs lol. it was dark in the room so i guess its understandable.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/5273/snakebiteddv.jpg

Only once for me, and I've had my female BP over 5 yrs. It was years ago and I didn't even notice she had bit me till I looked down at my arm and saw blood, lol. I wasn't paying attention to her and she was trying to let me know she wasn't happy about it.

I have 6 Balls now and have not been bitten yet. The closest I came was when one of my het Piebald girls got loose and was being tormented by the cat under the bed. She was striking at anything that moved. I covered her and she calmed right down. Both her and the other het Piebald I got from Adam at 8 Ball Pythons like to hiss when I go to pick them up, but I have been able to handle them both without any bites. I'm sure my day is coming.

My adult female missed the rat and WHAM! Started constricting my hand. I bled a "little" (Well thats what I told my mom so she wouldn't go all crazy and into a fear mode of my snakes) It hurt kinda but not too much. I had to run her under warm water and she just let go.

just today, i went to pick her up and bam!!! 3x on my habd and once on my wrist, felt like pin pricks but sure bled a lot

stupid me went to go pick up another python after the 1st one ate so my hand had the mouse smell to it and wam!! lol

I havent been bit yet but dodge quite a few strikes........even last nite my wife was like you want me to slide his tub in i said no.........i knew he was still hungry after feeding ........cause he sniffed at the feeding tank where my other one was feeding well while smelling like mice still i walked passed my tubs and he sensed my heat at struck twards me and my wife jumped LOL...........i explained to her S.F.E stupid feeding errors muahahahaha

not yet...

but im sure its coming.

i have only ever been bitten by 1 snake, twice!

my red tail boa bit me inside my mouth some how when it was around 4ft in legnth, JFYI, i was NOT doing anything weird to be bitten in my mouth lol, i was just holding him round my neck like i always did and i was talking to my mother, JUST after eating a chicken Kebab!! tasty breath? lol

i thought that was quite sore, but then when the boa was around the 12ft mark! BAM! bit my hand and that HURT! dunno if his teeth sunk slightly in to my bones or something coz i could feel a slight aching pain in it for around 3 months or so.

other than them 2 times, thats it.

Got tagged in a feeding accident.

Was waving the PKed mouse by the tail and Achilles (my ball python) tagged the fleshy part of my palm.

I swear....when snakes strike in self defense, they're accurate shots. DUring feeding, even a sniper scope and a laser sight combined won't help them. Hehehehe

Never, but I am both confident (sure of myself) and cautious when handling snakes. Even the most docile snake is still an animal which could bite. Common sense goes a long way, here.

I do have some snippy ones, and my (usually not snippy) albino male snapped at me last week, but he missed ;) Caught me off guard big time! I am leaving him alone now.

I am very careful when I handle Luna, Booker, and Stacy- they are my snappers. Luna is established and is still a witch. Stacy and Booker are new and probably just nervous.

I also have two big girls who are not above hissing at me randomly. Neither has ever struck. I just call them my drama queens.

I'm assuming some day I will get bit. I handle the aggressive ones, and I am the primary care giver for all of them. It's bound to happen, but I'd rather avoid it :)

I am far FAR more afraid of the rodents than the snakes.