HELP! I think my bp is angry but im not sure.

I was trying to learn about bps and i was watching youtube, i saw this video where this guy got bit, and somehow in some weird way it made me want to hold bb. maybe cuz i like how nice he usually is compared to other snakes. anyway I got him out of his tank tonight, but he was acting very strange and he kept lifting his head and looking at me, usually he just crawls around on me but this was different. I freaked out and my heart started racing and i just sort of panicked, i kept trying to be calm but he kept doing it and eventually i couldnt take it and started screaming for exotica to come in here but when she got in here i was so freaked out that it scared her and she wouldnt take the snake from me and my other roommate was just mad that i even put myself in that situation that he wouldnt even help. . i was trying to hold his head away from me and he opend his mouth. so i freaked out and started screaming to call 911 and eventually our other roommate had to hep exotica get it off me

im ok now but I really liked having a snake but im really scared of him now. exotica says they hold their mouth open sometimes but now ii cant go near him without feeling like i cant breath. i dont know what happened. please someone tell me if the way he was acting seems as if he was going to attack me or am i just being paranoid???

ok i think her panic kinda scared me a bit but when i think about it bb always risises his head up while hes on me and looks around


he has also yawned on me a couple of times and im guessing thats totally normal?


Nothing about the snake was agressive wispurs just needs to understand its a snake and its going to come out with new things that will suprise her all the time.

I am kinda mad dissapointed in wispurs by the way she acted it was so childish and bad she could of dropped bb, she has no experience with snakes and needs to learn more about them b4 she goes pputting one in her hair and under her clothes

Paranoia, stay away from stupid you-tube posts.

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Originally Posted by exotica0095

ok i think her panic kinda scared me a bit but when i think about it bb always risises his head up while hes on me and looks around


he has also yawned on me a couple of times and im guessing thats totally normal?


Nothing about the snake was agressive wispurs just needs to understand its a snake and its going to come out with new things that will suprise her all the time.

I am kinda mad dissapointed in wispurs by the way she acted it was so childish and bad she could of dropped bb, she has no experience with snakes and needs to learn more about them b4 she goes pputting one in her hair and under her clothes

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lol, hopefully she'll get better with him

the youtube post i showed her was of a ball python trying to eat a mans hand i thought it was good to show her this because in truth any python can do that to us if we have a mouses scent on us OR if its really hungry

i think wispurs just needs to wake up and realize that these things can and do happen thats why i think showing youtube videos of ball python biting is a good idea because these are living things not toys.

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Originally Posted by exotica0095

the youtube post i showed her was of a ball python trying to eat a mans hand i thought it was good to show her this because in truth any python can do that to us if we have a mouses scent on us OR if its really hungry

i think wispurs just needs to wake up and realize that these things can and do happen thats why i think showing youtube videos of ball python biting is a good idea because these are living things not toys.

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Im sorry i ruined yours and the snakes trust! i dont think i can ever hod him again =/

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Originally Posted by wispurs

Im sorry i ruined yours and the snakes trust! i dont think i can ever hod him again =/

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Just keep in mind that any animal can bite, but also keep in mind that a BP's bite really doesn't hurt, I know this from experience :), him cruising and holding his head up means he is comfortable with you and just exploring his environment.

i think wispurs needs to unerstand that she will get bitten its only a matter of time if she continues to act so careless

she even pet bb on the head right after he swallowed a mouse anyone that does such things is begging to be bit, i kinda hope it bites her and she will learn.

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Originally Posted by exotica0095

i think wispurs needs to unerstand that she will get bitten its only a matter of time if she continues to act so careless

she even pet bb on the head right after he swallowed a mouse anyone that does such things is begging to be bit, i kinda hope it bites her and she will learn.

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I take it Wispurs is not your friend ,as you seem to be taking the opportunity to give her a good public bashing....

I still don't understand what this thread is all about? From what I can tell, Wispurs saw a YT video and then took a ball python out it's cage.

The ball did what balls do and wispurs freaked out, bigtime.... then exotica appears and lambastes Wispurs.....

Am I reading this right..... if not then can someone pls clarify, just seems a little bit of an odd thread....

...what is wispurs gonna learn after she is bitten? To be more scared of snakes? Rather she needs someone with patience and understanding to help her through what appears to me to be a phobia..... publicly having a crack at someone with such an issue is really not cool.

yes she is my friend and i love her but i know if she continued to be careless it would end up with her dropping the snake or worse so im trying to prevent it she doesnt listen to me so what else am i suppsoe to do?

wispurs: If you really want to get over a fear of snakes, then I'll be very happy to help you with that, as best I can from a distance, anyhow. If you don't want to get over it...then that's fine, too. Simply resolve to yourself that you don't EVER have to hold a snake again if you don't want to. There's nothing wrong with that. I've had snakes in the house for about 7-8 years now...and my husband has never touched a single one...ever. He's content with that, and I respect his feelings about it.

exotica: If your friend is that scared of the snake, then it seems likely that she'll never touch it again, and therefore will not have a chance to "be careless" with it. Rather than try to force her to see the world entirely from your point of view...try to simply accept that she doesn't really get the whole snake-thing. Consider the snake to be your pet, and respect her feelings to want nothing to do with it anymore. Does her panic attack make sense? Not to me, really, and I can see it doesn't make much sense to you, either. But that doesn't matter, because it was obviously real to her and she is the one who must deal with it the feelings it generated.

You know, as much as I hoped things would work out for you two and your snake, at this point I do NOT think you have what it takes to be a responsible snake owner.

If things like this youtube video are going to escalate into a full blown panic attack and possibly result in injury to the snake through foolishness, it's time for you two to admit you cannot take proper care of this snake and find someone who can.

To have a reaction that strong for no real reason whatsoever shows me you are not as comfortable with the snake as you would have everyone believe, and it's not fair to the snake to be punished for your instability.

Sure, people will tell you all snakes can bite. Even a human baby will bite if you stick your finger in their mouth, but that isn't the point. A lot of people are nervous about being bitten, but they don't have a panic attack over nothing because of it. What would have happened if she flung the snake in her terror? Do you realize she could have broken it's back? What if a neighbor overheard her screaming and DID call 911? What would have happened to that innocent snake with her screaming like that when a bunch of nervous cops with guns showed up? How would you have felt if they shot your snake, or worse, confiscated it and beheaded it because they thought it was a threat to people? And what about the rest of us snake owners, when the media started playing endless clips about a "killer" ball python? :mad:

If you cannot grow up about owning this snake, then it's time to admit snakes aren't for you and maybe get a hamster or something. You can get mad at me if you want, and I'm sure a lot of people will, but you need to hear the harsh truth, so I laid it out for you. Now, if at least ONE of you can keep a clear head about this, then that one can care for the snake and the other have nothing to do with it. But if all you are going to do is bash each other about the snake, it's time to let someone else care for it.

Gale

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Originally Posted by angllady2

You know, as much as I hoped things would work out for you two and your snake, at this point I do NOT think you have what it takes to be a responsible snake owner.

If things like this youtube video are going to escalate into a full blown panic attack and possibly result in injury to the snake through foolishness, it's time for you two to admit you cannot take proper care of this snake and find someone who can.

To have a reaction that strong for no real reason whatsoever shows me you are not as comfortable with the snake as you would have everyone believe, and it's not fair to the snake to be punished for your instability.

Sure, people will tell you all snakes can bite. Even a human baby will bite if you stick your finger in their mouth, but that isn't the point. A lot of people are nervous about being bitten, but they don't have a panic attack over nothing because of it. What would have happened if she flung the snake in her terror? Do you realize she could have broken it's back? What if a neighbor overheard her screaming and DID call 911? What would have happened to that innocent snake with her screaming like that when a bunch of nervous cops with guns showed up? How would you have felt if they shot your snake, or worse, confiscated it and beheaded it because they thought it was a threat to people? And what about the rest of us snake owners, when the media started playing endless clips about a "killer" ball python? :mad:

If you cannot grow up about owning this snake, then it's time to admit snakes aren't for you and maybe get a hamster or something. You can get mad at me if you want, and I'm sure a lot of people will, but you need to hear the harsh truth, so I laid it out for you. Now, if at least ONE of you can keep a clear head about this, then that one can care for the snake and the other have nothing to do with it. But if all you are going to do is bash each other about the snake, it's time to let someone else care for it.

Gale

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amen to that, i am totally on ur side about this. i have been reading their posts since they took over the snake and i couldnt agree with u more angllady2. some people just simply arent meant to have a snake as a pet.

There's some word that I'm trying to think of... It's like one of those internet slang words... And it usually gets thrown around in these types of situations... It has something do with fishing I think... Or maybe some kind of mythical creature that lived under bridges and posted rediculous crap all over internet forums...

Wish I could remember the word...

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Originally Posted by MustBeSatan

There's some word that I'm trying to think of... It's like one of those internet slang words... And it usually gets thrown around in these types of situations... It has something do with fishing I think... Or maybe some kind of mythical creature that lived under bridges and posted rediculous crap all over internet forums...

Wish I could remember the word...

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:rofl: :rofl: :gj: ;)

I'm speechless..........

Im trying to figure out if this is a serious thread or not....

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I got him out of his tank tonight, but he was acting very strange and he kept lifting his head and looking at me, usually he just crawls around on me but this was different.

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oh no the snake looked at you?

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I freaked out and my heart started racing and i just sort of panicked, i kept trying to be calm but he kept doing it and eventually i couldnt take it and started screaming for exotica to come in here but when she got in here i was so freaked out that it scared her and she wouldnt take the snake from me and my other roommate was just mad that i even put myself in that situation that he wouldnt even help.

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i think your friends are overdramatic as you... all this because the snake was "looking at you weird?"

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i was trying to hold his head away from me and he opend his mouth. so i freaked out and started screaming to call 911 and eventually our other roommate had to hep exotica get it off me

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opening their mouth does not show aggression at all. they yawn, they breath open mouth when their sick. nothing aggressive about it tho. and you have a total of 3 people wrestling this ball python now....? wtf?

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im ok now but I really liked having a snake but im really scared of him now. exotica says they hold their mouth open sometimes but now ii cant go near him without feeling like i cant breath. i dont know what happened. please someone tell me if the way he was acting seems as if he was going to attack me or am i just being paranoid???

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If the snake is going to bite you, it will let you know, strike position and hissing are good signs to stay away. Nothing you said sounds anything like aggression... nothing at all. Your being overdramatic.... your friend is being overdramatic.

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Originally Posted by exotica0095

the youtube post i showed her was of a ball python trying to eat a mans hand i thought it was good to show her this because in truth any python can do that to us if we have a mouses scent on us OR if its really hungry

i think wispurs just needs to wake up and realize that these things can and do happen thats why i think showing youtube videos of ball python biting is a good idea because these are living things not toys.

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When you go to get a dog do they show you videos of dog mauling children and ripping them apart? It can happen you know. Usually we just stick with telling people, wash your hands so you don't smell like food, no videos needed for that bit of info. and i think videos showing signs of an unhappy snake ready to bite, and techniques to avoid being bit would be a little more educational. This episode never would of happened if she knew the snake was being normal and unthreating as can be.

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Originally Posted by exotica0095

she even pet bb on the head right after he swallowed a mouse anyone that does such things is begging to be bit, i kinda hope it bites her and she will learn.

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None of my snakes would bite me if i did that... only thing I find wrong with that is she messing with a snake that just ate, general practice is to leave them alone for a while so you don't stress em out and they regurg. sounds like you need to spend your time educating your friend rather than online bashing.


and ill add im still not sure if this thread is a big joke, if it is omit everything i just said

Ok Im not sure what to say..... In my oppenion if someone would have called 911 like you guys were apparenly screaming to do in you moment of stupor you would have hurt this hobby and everyone that keeps reptiles. Our Govt is looking for this kind of crap to use against. Please if you need the experience of handling a snake again take a valium or something think of all the undue stress you put that animal through. Look on you tube for snakebytes tv and look for the episode that talks about snake body language and try to figure out what you are doing. AND RELAX

The "lifting his head up" thing was probably him periscoping. It is completely normal. It is what they do in the wild so they can see over the Savannah grass. Basically to scope out their environment for food.

The yawning is also completely normal. Usually they will yawn directly after a meal to realign their jaws, but occasionally they will yawn for no apparent reason. "yawning" is not aggressive. Hissing and striking is.

If you are this nervous around the snake, something is wrong. Next time you feel like you want to handle the snake, have someone who is not afraid close by in case you feel uncomfortable.

Please don't be afraid, these animals cannot hurt you.

tuesday is feeding day do u think its ok if we both maybe held him for a lil bit today together?

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Originally Posted by exotica0095

tuesday is feeding day do u think its ok if we both maybe held him for a lil bit today together?

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If you guys aren't going to freak out and throw the snake across the room, then go for it :) :gj:

I just don't handle my snakes on feeding day or two days after.

wow, just wow, im sorry but it seems that the people involved in this situation all need to be reeducated on ball pythons. They are very docile and nearly harmless to anything that isnt much smaller than they are. Please just buy a book or something and learn more about the snake. If this doesn't seem like a reasonable option then please give the snake to someone who can properly care for it, the last thing we need is getting bans on harmless ball pythons.

another thing that made wispurs panic was the fact that he only got 1 mouse last feeding day (tuesday) and then was told online thats not nearly enough and he could handle double or triple so she thought he might of been seeing her as food also

You know, they're not very smart, but they are smart enough to realize they can't swallow a human.

Snakes can be hard to read--no eyelids, no changes in facial expression. It takes time to learn to read their body language.

If a snake is thinking of biting you, it will be completely tense, its neck will be in an 'S' shape, and you'll see some bulges behind its jaws --I've noticed this, they sort of clench their teeth, lol.

It will only be thinking of biting you if you have scared it, and it feels a need to defend itself.

If it's mistaking you for food, it will be tense, it will move its neck forward in an S shape and focus intently, will be practically vibrating with anticipation (or even literally vibrating). This is generally only going to happen if you handle a mouse and forget to wash your hands, you're feeding the snake, etc--the snake smells food, and sees heat.

A snake that isn't tense is not going to bite, period. A snake with its neck straight isn't going to bite.

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Originally Posted by exotica0095

another thing that made wispurs panic was the fact that he only got 1 mouse last feeding day (tuesday) and then was told online thats not nearly enough and he could handle double or triple so she thought he might of been seeing her as food also

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I don't see how the ball only being fed one mouse woudl make your friend panic....

Please do yourselves a favour and do some proper research on these animals, learn about their requirements and nature, that way you'll both be more confident with them. At the moment it seems like this is all a big joke....:colbert:

Ok. Now I'm on full "tilt." One of you had a full blown, out-and-out panic attack while holding your pet snake and now you casually ask if it would kinda be okay if you both took him out and handled him? The only thing I can ask is why? Why do you have a snake if one of you is obviously scared [to death] of it? Why does she think she wants to handle it again? IMHO this is a dangerous situation for that animal and you should both think twice (and then again) about placing him with someone who is comfortable with snakes, knows what they are doing and will care for him properly.

Hi,

If it helps at all I don't think it was going to bite - but even if it did it really won't hurt. :D

They really have small teeth (ok they have a fair few of them ) and it is nothing more than a set of pinpricks once you wipe it off I promise. :salute:

Generally, once people get bitten, they feel embarassed about making a big deal of it beforehand. :rofl:


dr del

Quote:

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Originally Posted by angllady2

You know, as much as I hoped things would work out for you two and your snake, at this point I do NOT think you have what it takes to be a responsible snake owner.

If things like this youtube video are going to escalate into a full blown panic attack and possibly result in injury to the snake through foolishness, it's time for you two to admit you cannot take proper care of this snake and find someone who can.

To have a reaction that strong for no real reason whatsoever shows me you are not as comfortable with the snake as you would have everyone believe, and it's not fair to the snake to be punished for your instability.

Sure, people will tell you all snakes can bite. Even a human baby will bite if you stick your finger in their mouth, but that isn't the point. A lot of people are nervous about being bitten, but they don't have a panic attack over nothing because of it. What would have happened if she flung the snake in her terror? Do you realize she could have broken it's back? What if a neighbor overheard her screaming and DID call 911? What would have happened to that innocent snake with her screaming like that when a bunch of nervous cops with guns showed up? How would you have felt if they shot your snake, or worse, confiscated it and beheaded it because they thought it was a threat to people? And what about the rest of us snake owners, when the media started playing endless clips about a "killer" ball python? :mad:

If you cannot grow up about owning this snake, then it's time to admit snakes aren't for you and maybe get a hamster or something. You can get mad at me if you want, and I'm sure a lot of people will, but you need to hear the harsh truth, so I laid it out for you. Now, if at least ONE of you can keep a clear head about this, then that one can care for the snake and the other have nothing to do with it. But if all you are going to do is bash each other about the snake, it's time to let someone else care for it.

Gale

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:gj::gj: :gj: :gj:

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Originally Posted by MustBeSatan

There's some word that I'm trying to think of... It's like one of those internet slang words... And it usually gets thrown around in these types of situations... It has something do with fishing I think... Or maybe some kind of mythical creature that lived under bridges and posted rediculous crap all over internet forums...

Wish I could remember the word...

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:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::8::8::8::8::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by angllady2

You know, as much as I hoped things would work out for you two and your snake, at this point I do NOT think you have what it takes to be a responsible snake owner.

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I was going to say the same thing.

this is HILARIOUS. yall should have invested in something furry and cuddly like a stuffed animal, i heard those cant bite. or even look at you! woohoo no more panic attacks

if you got your ears pierced with a needle gun, take what pain you actually felt from that, divide it by 2 and you have a ball python bite lol thats how it was for me anyway. the worst thing it does is startle you for a sec.

YouTube - Ball Python bite


thats the video that scared her so much i gues neither of us have seen a snake do that bite hold on and constrict so it was a bit shocking we were not sure how common it was either


how can u expect someone who has limited experience with reptiles not to be edgy a bit after seeing that?

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Originally Posted by exotica0095

YouTube - Ball Python bite


thats the video that scared her so much i gues neither of us have seen a snake do that bite hold on and constrict so it was a bit shocking we were not sure how common it was either


how can u expect someone who has limited experience with reptiles not to be edgy a bit after seeing that?

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No offense, but you guys are seriously over-reacting. The snake was already curled around his hand, the snake was not constricting him. Did the bite look painful? It didn't. The guy didn't even flinch.

Maybe you SHOULD give your snake to someone else.

...In that video, seriously, no harm was done, looks like it barely hurt. Plus looks like it might just have been a hungry hungry hippo, then got scared and tried to hang on when he tried to remove it.

No reason to over-react.

If you react anything like yelling and calling 911...you might not want to own any animal. Haven forbid a cat hisses in your direction!!:O

Just an observation...

Lol. Yeah, real scary!

It's really cute, actually.

if u watch the whole video and put the volume on the guy clearly says the snake is constricting his hand he takes the snake off then the snake coils back on him

yes many animals are much worse and would cause more pain we know that

how could that not look terrifying, that snake actually thought he could swallow that guys hand and was seriously going to try to do so. you guys are insane if you think thats cute. whats worse is... you notice how he had to turn the video off before he got the snake off.... you really think he just had a nice calm talk with the snake and convinced him to let go??? I think not!! he probably had to smash his head or do something really bad to him to make him let go... :(

How adorable.. i guess i shouldn't overreact. :tears:

also why did the man just let the snake hang on like that why couldnt he get the snake off him? WHat would of happend if he started pulling on the snake or put his finger in the snakes mouth?


so i guess just because we are here asking questions and its our first snake & the fact we get scared sometimes means we should just give up and get rid of it? While we at it we should of got rid of our feral cat (she use to scare us at first) we resuced that was suppose to be put to sleep by the humane society, or the dog wispurs saved from an abusive house (scared us at first with his fear growling), hell maybe i should get rid of wispurs (she scares me when she gets mad sometimes) and everything else in my life that might give me some kind of a fear issue.

You really need to be calm when you are handling your snake. I would rather get bitten by a BP then a mouse or a rat. Trust me, I have been bitten my mice and rats, it hurts like heck. It just seems as if you did not do any research on the snake before you got it. It is so important to know what you are getting yourself into before you acquire the animal. I just think that you really need to be a little calmer when you approach the snake and learn to read it's body language. People have told you what signs to look for that show when a snake is ready to strike. Just try to relax and enjoy the snake! They are wonderful creatures that can bring you such joy and they are very rewarding to keep as pets. Just do a little research and then ask questions about anything you do not understand.

i guess we dont fully understand what happend in that video

the snake didnt give any warning signs he just bit down i guess they hiss if its defensive but if ur scented with prey like that or really hungry they just bite down?

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Originally Posted by python1024

You really need to be calm when you are handling your snake. I would rather get bitten by a BP then a mouse or a rat. Trust me, I have been bitten my mice and rats, it hurts like heck. It just seems as if you did not do any research on the snake before you got it. It is so important to know what you are getting yourself into before you acquire the animal. I just think that you really need to be a little calmer when you approach the snake and learn to read it's body language. People have told you what signs to look for that show when a snake is ready to strike. Just try to relax and enjoy the snake! They are wonderful creatures that can bring you such joy and they are very rewarding to keep as pets. Just do a little research and then ask questions about anything you do not understand.

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The thing is, everyone (no matter how many times we clarify) seems to think that we just went out and bought a snake, without knowing anything about them.

WE DIDNT! I didnt even want one at all. Her brother literally dumped his snake on us before leaving the country and didnt even have the proper stuff to care for him with. WE are trying to help this snake we are doing our best and everyone is mad at us for not being experts.

We are doing research but everything is very contradicting and no matter what we read we are not experienced and are scared. thats why we came here!

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Originally Posted by exotica0095

i guess we dont fully understand what happend in that video

the snake didnt give any warning signs he just bit down

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It may very well be that the snake didn't give any signs but really, a bite from a BP doesn't seem like it is that bad. I have had snakes that have struck at me and I will admit I was a little nervous for a while after that happened. I eventually calmed down and it didn't seem like a big deal if I would get bitten. Rats and mice will bite you a lot harder than a BP. If you just try and be a little calm when handling you should be just fine. I am not going to sit here and tell you that you should give the snake to someone else. I am just telling you that I was nervous at first too!

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

You know, they're not very smart

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Snakes or wispurs and exotica?

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Originally Posted by wispurs

The thing is, everyone (no matter how many times we clarify) seems to think that we just went out and bought a snake, without knowing anything about them.

WE DIDNT! I didnt even want one at all. Her brother literally dumped his snake on us before leaving the country and didnt even have the proper stuff to care for him with. WE are trying to help this snake we are doing our best and everyone is mad at us for not being experts.

We are doing research but everything is very contradicting and no matter what we read we are not experienced and are scared. thats why we came here!

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It is great that you are doing research! There is a wealth of information on the internet! You did the right thing by coming here! Everyone here just wants to help you and wants you to do what is best for the snake as well as for yourselves. People will be blunt with their opinions but they are just being honest. Please don't feel like everyone is mad at you. I know sometimes when I first joined that there was conflicting advice and opinions and there was a lot of constructive cristicism. The point is that I have learned so much from everyone here and I still continue to learn everyday! I have the utmost respect for the members here, especially for those that have been in this hobby for way longer then me. I just recently ordered a book about ball pythons and I have been keeping them since October of 2008. I am in no way an expert on these creatures and that is why I continue to come here and read all of the posts. I can only hope to know as much as the other folks on here. Just hang in there and continue to do your research. I think you will be just fine!

Probably the best thing to do if you get bitten is to sit still, and wait for him to realize that he can't eat you. If you keep moving around and trying to pry him off you will end up doing one of three things, breaking off a tooth, hurting him, or making him think that his "prey," aka your hand, is still alive and that he must constrict it until he no longer detects a pulse, or realizes that he cannot swallow it. None of the above results are very good so it's better to just let him figure it out rather than to attempt to pry him off.

Looks like the snake in the video's eyes were bigger than his stomach! Pretty odd, because he gave no real warning. The guys hand might have smelled like mouse/rat, who knows.

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Originally Posted by wispurs

.... you really think he just had a nice calm talk with the snake and convinced him to let go??? I think not!! he probably had to smash his head or do something really bad to him to make him let go... :(

How adorable.. i guess i shouldn't overreact. :tears:

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Originally Posted by exotica0095

also why did the man just let the snake hang on like that why couldnt he get the snake off him? WHat would of happend if he started pulling on the snake or put his finger in the snakes mouth?

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Ok....I really need to address these two points/questions. I am QUITE sure that the man did not need to "smash the snake's head" to get it off. And I'm just as sure that the man was, indeed, calm and collected about the whole thing, even if the snake was hanging on and not letting go. Just because he didn't show the release on the video doesn't mean anything.

How do I know this? Because I was bitten and HELD ONTO by an 8' burmese python. That's a hell of a lot bigger than a ball python, with a lot bigger teeth, too. Did it hurt? You bet....a lot. But did I panic or get crazy about it? No. I just settled into a comfortable position and did my best to make sure the snake couldn't wrap more securely and hurt me even worse....and then waited TWENTY MINUTES for it to let go on its own....which it did...without having to have its head smashed or anything.

Ball pythons have much smaller heads and much smaller teeth, but like ANY python, those teeth curve backwards. Once they latch on, you can't just pull them off or you risk doing a LOT more damage, both to your own skin and to their mouths. If you try and stick another finger in their mouth to pry it off, then all you do is cut your other finger on those sharp teeth and risk getting it stuck in there as well. Best to just wait it out. There are a few tricks that people say work to make a snake let go, but that's a discussion for another thread.

MOST bites from ball pythons are done out of fear or anxiety in which case it is a lightning fast strike and release....often you don't even know you've been bit until the snake has already pulled away. Then you might register a slight sting and/or might see a few spots of blood.

SOME bites may be feeding related, if your hand smells like rodents or if its too close to the snake when its striking at a rodent and misses. Those sorts of bites are far more likely to have the snake latch on and not let go for awhile. Why? Not because they're mad or anything sinister...it's that they're working on pure instinct. When striking at prey that is very capable of running away in a flash, they don't have time to sit and ponder if they bit the right thing...they bite and as soon as they feel their teeth sink into something warm and soft, they latch on and get real determined not to let the prey escape. Eventually, they'll realize they can't eat whatever part of your body is in their mouth and they will let go. If nothing else, they will let go when they think it's "dead" so they can get a better hold for consuming it...and that is when you can put the snake down.

Neither case is a cause for panic, HOWEVER I do realize people have instinctive fears of snakes, and the fear of getting bitten can go deeper than intellectual speculation. I applaud you for being willing to work it out rather than just throw in the towel. If you're serious about doing so...then go for it and we'll do all we can to help.

BUT...if you come onto a site like this and act like drama queens and get extremely emotional about nearly every post and nearly every response...then you will inevitably evoke a similar emotional response in return. If you resolve not to take things so seriously and so personally...and take the time to word your posts without all the emotional drama....then folks will respond with a great deal more respect and won't be provoked to give advice such as "get rid of all your animals." ;)

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Originally Posted by JLC

BUT...if you come onto a site like this and act like drama queens and get extremely emotional about nearly every post and nearly every response...then you will inevitably evoke a similar emotional response in return. If you resolve not to take things so seriously and so personally...and take the time to word your posts without all the emotional drama....then folks will respond with a great deal more respect and won't be provoked to give advice such as "get rid of all your animals." ;)

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I couldn't agree more with this part of Judy's post.

I also witnessed a large retic wrap around another friend's hand that wouldn't let go - and she also had to wait it out - and she probably should have gotten stitches.

The example in the video, in comparison to what Judy experienced and to what my friend experienced was a non-event. There wasn't even any blood drawn in that video.

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Originally Posted by Jt.

Snakes or wispurs and exotica?

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lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JLC

BUT...if you come onto a site like this and act like drama queens and get extremely emotional about nearly every post and nearly every response...then you will inevitably evoke a similar emotional response in return. If you resolve not to take things so seriously and so personally...and take the time to word your posts without all the emotional drama....then folks will respond with a great deal more respect and won't be provoked to give advice such as "get rid of all your animals." ;)

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:gj:

One thing he didn't say in the video is if he had previously handled a rodent. Always wash your hands after handling a rodent and before handling your snake. BPs find their prey by the heat source and scent. So, if your hand smells like a rodent and is nice and warm... It might be tricked into thinking your hand is dinner.

Also, I don't know why anyone hasn't suggested this, if a BP bites and holds on, typically a squirt of water on the head from a water bottle will snap them out of it. I always have my water bottle near me just in case.