What to do when things go wrong? Discussion.

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Originally Posted by Jellybeans

After the bite, I no longer trust them. I feel they are more likely to give a bite more so than a BP

Yes MR Snakes, I feel an earthworm would be perfect for you!

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Is there a preferred morph?

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

:rofl:Are you sure you're not "MR Robin"? -and do let us know how they taste? :D

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Is MR Robin a long lost relative?

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Originally Posted by the_rotten1

I've been bitten several times, but it was never anything major. I usually handle it putting the snake under running water until they let go. Or if that doesn't work, mouthwash.


Constriction has never been an issue. BPs are the largest snakes I have. Even when they're being stubborn I can find a way to pry them off me, or whatever else they're constricting. Bigger snakes would be more of a challenge.


Hots are tempting, but I don't have training with them and I do have kids. So for the time being I'll refrain. Might change my mind after the kids have all moved out.


I don't see the point in cohabitation. I put snakes together to breed, and sometimes I'll let hatchlings stay together until their first shed, but that's it.

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Originally Posted by Jellybeans

Hots and giants will never be for me. To each their own.

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My wife is now convinced that I've been spending all my time on a "How to pick up women" Forum!

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Originally Posted by MR Snakes

And now my taste for Boas is going away. Maybe I should just go with earth worms?

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idk maybe it's just me but i really wanna get bit. i love pain. no joke. i get excited when i think about being bit/scratched

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Originally Posted by samsonact

idk maybe it's just me but i really wanna get bit. i love pain. no joke. i get excited when i think about being bit/scratched

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I think we should just leave this one alone.

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Originally Posted by samsonact

idk maybe it's just me but i really wanna get bit. i love pain. no joke. i get excited when i think about being bit/scratched

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Yup..."it's just you". :D As someone else just said, to each their own...

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Originally Posted by MR Snakes

And now my taste for Boas is going away. Maybe I should just go with earth worms?

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For what it is worth, I don’t think you should discount boas because of these shared experiences on this thread. In my first example, the bite was absolutely my fault. Following safe handling protocols would have prevented it if I’d used a hook with the snake in the tub like normal. Same thing with my burm, I should have used the hook. In both cases I took a shortcut and didn’t follow my own handling procedures. As for the incident at the show, at home you would not repeatedly be taking the snake in and out of an enclosure within a period of a few hours.

Out of 27+ years keeping snakes, I’ve only had the three significant bites. I wouldn’t trade my experience with my large boas for anything. They have been great pets. That I’ve kept my original pair of boas for their whole life speaks to that. I lost my male, Sir Hiss, in late 2017 at age 26. He was my very first snake that I bought as a neonate in 1991. I still have my female, Duncan, who will be 27 this year. The only reason I wouldn’t buy another large constrictor at this point is that I want to be sure I can care for the snake for its entire lifetime. At 48, any snake I purchase will likely still be in my care at 70...so I want to be sure the future me can uphold the commitment I make to the animals I purchase now.

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Originally Posted by Jellybeans

I was bitten by a 7ft boa years ago. She was always a very chill snake. To this day we don't know what set her off other than wild insticts that are ALWAYS there. It was bloody and it hurt!

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Originally Posted by MR Snakes

And now my taste for Boas is going away. Maybe I should just go with earth worms?

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I've been bit by my 7 foot boa, 6 foot boa and 9 foot retic. They are all VERY laid back but a snake is a snake. The retic and 6 foot boa were from me being stupid with food. The bite from the 7 foot boa was from me startling her when she was sleeping at the front of the cage. I've had all of them since they were babies and have only been bit once by each. Stuff happens. Animals are animals. With all the bites, they didnt hurt but did bruise up very nicely. A defensive or 'omg thats not food' bite happen so quick that you dont even really have time to register it until you see blood all over. With my 7 foot boa that got startled, i reached in right after and once she smelled it was me, she was fine. The 6 foot boa and 9 foot retic, it was a feeding bite as they smelled food, so i left them alone except Caesar the retic who was outside the cage when it happened and i vent my snake hook lifting him back up to his cage so he could climb in.

Dont let a simple bite discourage you from owning a snake. Anyone who has kept snakes long enough will take bites and will take multiple bites. It's just the nature of the beast and it happens. Now if you own HOTs, then you want to triple check everything but accidents can still happen which is why you want to have protocols in place like bite kits and possibly antivenom around.

Oh and I've been bit by lots of stuff throughout the years....adult pacman frogs, bullfrogs, garter snakes, alligator lizards, geckos, ball pythons, carpet pythons and i'm sure i cant remember atm lol. Worst two that i remember were a BP who tried to drag my finger into her hide to eat it. I had to dunk her head in the waterbowl with my finger using my other hand to support her. And my pacman frog which i had to literally pry his jaws off my finger with a wooden chopstick. The whole time the frog was croaking and puffing itself up lol.

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Originally Posted by Dianne

For what it is worth, I don’t think you should discount boas because of these shared experiences on this thread. In my first example, the bite was absolutely my fault. Following safe handling protocols would have prevented it if I’d used a hook with the snake in the tub like normal. Same thing with my burm, I should have used the hook. In both cases I took a shortcut and didn’t follow my own handling procedures. As for the incident at the show, at home you would not repeatedly be taking the snake in and out of an enclosure within a period of a few hours.

Out of 27+ years keeping snakes, I’ve only had the three significant bites. I wouldn’t trade my experience with my large boas for anything. They have been great pets. That I’ve kept my original pair of boas for their whole life speaks to that. I lost my male, Sir Hiss, in late 2017 at age 26. He was my very first snake that I bought as a neonate in 1991. I still have my female, Duncan, who will be 27 this year. The only reason I wouldn’t buy another large constrictor at this point is that I want to be sure I can care for the snake for its entire lifetime. At 48, any snake I purchase will likely still be in my care at 70...so I want to be sure the future me can uphold the commitment I make to the animals I purchase now.

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Haha i hear ya. I'm 48 as well and assuming my snakes and especially my little gila live to their golden years, I'll be around 78 by then......I'll be that weird old man with snakes and lizards lol.

Pac-Man frogs scare the heck out of me. Seriously. Nothing but a huge vicious mouth. Lol..


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I have to agree with Dianne and Sauzo. The very few bites I've experienced with my current boas were food related and my fault. There was lots of rat scent in the air and I wasn't careful. Just quick tags. Nothing serious. When they are hungry you have to be aware. When you aren't, things can happen. If everyone is being fed on the same night I have to feed the boas first because once they smell food they are tagging the sides of their enclosure every time something moves. Especially Creeper.

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Originally Posted by Dianne

I guess I can see how that might have affected the sale. :D One funny thing is the guy mentioned how calm I was with an 8’ boa attached to my hand. My reply that this isn’t the first bite and I don’t expect it to be my last probably didn’t help. :omfg: I did end up selling her to a local breeder, so all wasn’t lost.

As for bites, the adult boas and burm are the only real memorable ones. There have been too many “bites” from nippy babies to count. I also used to do safe housing for cats and dogs, plus catching half feral kittens from my Mom’s - she was just far enough in the country to make a “good” release point for unwanted pets. People suck. I’ll take a snake bite any day over a cat bite.

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Think about how strong and healthy those babies would be from her. :D:O JK