bite questions

Haven't been bit before, and I plan on having my first handling session with a young ball. I want to prepare myself in case i get tagged, so my question is, what happens? Does it just tag and let go or will it hold on? If it holds, how do I get him to let go? Will blowing on him work?

Thanks

Ball pythons are very reluctant to bite, but hatchlings are a little more prone to biting. I've never heard of a case where a ball python holds on, but if it does I reccomend putting an ice cube and gently rub it around where its biting. Good luck unhip crayon =D

-Payson!

I've read you should push their head forward because their fangs are angled back.

I've been bitten over 10 times by my BP. She probably isn't that old, only a little over a foot long.

It feels like more of an itch than an actual sting or any kind of real pain. It goes away in a few seconds. I doubt you even need to use ice. I've had mosquito's bite harder.

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Originally Posted by stevepoppers

I've read you should push their head forward because their fangs are angled back.

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Ball Pythons have fangs???:confused::confused::confused::confused:

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Originally Posted by BiggBaddWolf

Ball Pythons have fangs???:confused::confused::confused::confused:

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:rofl: My thoughts exactly.

If they don't have fangs, what do they have?

Don't worry about being bitten. But if it decideds to bite and then hold on, run some cold water on it and it will let go.

They have teeth.
If you get a bite it will more than likely be over before you know it. You may bleed a bit, but when you wash off the bite area you probably won't find much.

if it were to bite you it would be a defensive bite.
they only hold on when they are going in for the kill. in other words if their grabbing their food.
a defensive bite is more like a light slap on your hand ( but with little teeth attached to it )
sometimes when you pull your hand back ( natural reaction) you can scratch your self on its teeth and that can make you bleed more then a direct hit.
john

If a snake bites and holds on, its starving and trying to eat you.

You can spray it gently with cheap alcohol or warm water and it should let go.

I have a young one...never been bitten. Dont be scared...lol. I would tense the first couple of times i went in to the tank to get him. But now i just lift his hide and scoop him up before he even knows whats going on. Oh and be sure you havent handled a rodent...he might think your lunch

bites are cake. they dont hurt at all. More of a whoa that just happened thing. Ive been bitten lots of times have sum very aggressive feeder girls who just love to play the tag game. Be gentle if they get stuck on but chances are it will just give u a little peck. Its always fun to see the hatchlings and babies bite you. They think there all badass and what no but no they really arnt hahah

Usually they'll just gum you. If it really hits you hard, it'll feel like a pinprick.

The only really scary thing is seeing the ball python strike for the first time. Snakes all strike the same way, right? And your brain will tend to freak out and scream OH NO OMG VIPER! ...and then you feel extremely silly, because the snake didn't even manage to draw blood.

But if it does manage to tag you good, watch your own mood--if it doesn't scare you, it might make you angry. In which case, please hand the snake off to someone else, go wash your hands under cold water, and give yourself a minute or two to calm down.

My only concern with ever getting bit, would be harming the snake ....not in the I'm going to purposely hurt it thump it on the head way ... but if you pull away ,isn't there a possibility of removing some of it's teeth? And can that lead to infection?

Is this actually something to be concerned about or am I being overly paranoid? Which has been known to happen once or twice.. :rolleyes: :oops:

When you get bit you will start to turn into a Were-Snake. At that point we will have to track and hunt you down. When we find you, you will be put down by crossing a knife through your heart made of eagle and hawk claws.

I'm sorry no one wanted to say it, but that the way it is.

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Originally Posted by Minja777

My only concern with ever getting bit, would be harming the snake ....not in the I'm going to purposely hurt it thump it on the head way ... but if you pull away ,isn't there a possibility of removing some of it's teeth? And can that lead to infection?

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Yes, that can happen, but it generally doesn't with ball python hatchling bites. They really have to mistake you for a food item and clamp down. I've only had that happen once with my entire collection, and the snake realized his mistake and managed to pull ihis upper jaw and the left half of his lower jaw off before I could really react. I then had to help him get the right half his lower jaw off--I just grabbed his head and tugged him forward a bit, and then he managed to unhook himself.

I didn't find any teeth in my hand, but I did bleed for a little while.

Ive been bitten by a couple ball python babies and thats just funny. You jump at the surprise but you only have a couple tiny pin pricks. I was bitten by my adult SD retic and I had to laugh since they tend to chew. Releasing their mouth and biting down again. That one bled a bit but still didnt hurt. Just surprised me. The worst bite I had was from an 8ft burmese years ago. He struck from so far away that the force of the hit bruised my hand and caused bad swelling. Still very little blood and only a few pin pricks from it.

Bites scare you more than anything. If you ever get bitten you wont be worried about it anymore. Rat bites are far worse.

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

Ive been bitten by a couple ball python babies and thats just funny. You jump at the surprise but you only have a couple tiny pin pricks. I was bitten by my adult SD retic and I had to laugh since they tend to chew. Releasing their mouth and biting down again. That one bled a bit but still didnt hurt. Just surprised me. The worst bite I had was from an 8ft burmese years ago. He struck from so far away that the force of the hit bruised my hand and caused bad swelling. Still very little blood and only a few pin pricks from it.

Bites scare you more than anything. If you ever get bitten you wont be worried about it anymore. Rat bites are far worse.

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nothad a kiss from a snake yet but i remember having a hamster clamped to my finger those rodent teath go right through

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Originally Posted by punkoldschool

nothad a kiss from a snake yet but i remember having a hamster clamped to my finger those rodent teath go right through

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Hamsters are SO evil. When I volunteered at a pet store years ago I was cleaning out the hamster cage (ugh I'm having a brain fart...the tinier ones...idk what they're called), anyway, and so I stuck a gloved hand in there and I didn't even have to grab the lil suckers...they all just bit down on the glove and when I pulled out they were hanging....EVIL I tell you, just EVIL!

I have never been bitten yet and I'm terrified haha. I'm sure it wont be that bad. Heck...I have 10 tattoos, one of which took 3 straight hours, so I'm pretty sure I'll be able to handle it.

lol me too got the tats but i have a phobia of needles makes for a good rush though lol:rolleyes: got a chinese dwarf hamster here hes so tiny but if he tries it junior might get some chinese for dinner ;):P

I would rather be bitten by a 4000 gram ball python than being bitten by a soft fur rat mama with babies in her tub. remember to wash your hands before handling, If you get bit by a hatchling more than once, they will grow out of this stage in no time at all. if a ball python bites you, one good thing is that, a ball that bites is usually a good eater.

Handled him yesterday for 10 minutes and he didn't ball up or try to run away, so i think it was a good first session.

Can I handle him daily for 10 minutes or should i wait a little longer to reduce stress?

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._6510088_n.jpg
Bp bite :)

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Originally Posted by Danounet

When you get bit you will start to turn into a Were-Snake. At that point we will have to track and hunt you down. When we find you, you will be put down by crossing a knife through your heart made of eagle and hawk claws.

I'm sorry no one wanted to say it, but that the way it is.

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This. :rofl:

I've only been tagged once, by a male sub-adult BP that wasn't my own, and he actually DID coil and wrap my hand in a death squeeze.

Maybe it had something to do with the ring-tailed lemur I had pet a couple minutes before. lol