Feeding Time Means Biting Time (Yes, Pictures).

Lesson learned on this one.

You always think feeding day will be just the same as it is each week.

Well, sometimes you can be wrong..

I was gonna feed my BCI, so I danged the large rat pup in front of him (F/T). His tub is a tad hard to see through, but I could make out his figure and pattern and know where he was.

Well, next second he pops up and tags my middle & ring finger on my right hand. Ouch! It hurt and stung pretty good, I must say.

Punctured the vein. One second like this,
http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/t...609102308a.jpg

The next like this.
http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/t...609102309a.jpg

I couldn't find any teeth, yet my middle finger was the most swollen and hurt the most.
http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/t...609102310a.jpg

It still is a bit swollen, but isn't as swollen as it is in that photo.

So remember, ALWAYS WATCH WHAT YOU ARE DOING!

I also almost got tagged by the 6-7 foot Dumeril's girl, but she grabbed the jumbo rat right near where my hand was.:O

a lil blood never hurt. good thing the big girl didnt get u. thanks for the pics

Those whacks on the knuckles can suck big time. My female Bredl's tore one of my fingers up a few months ago (stupid feeding error) and I still can't fully use my index finger.

Use big set of tweezers/tongs.

With my big boas, I just slip the food in, they'll find it!

Quit getting bit, DoeDoe! LOL

My Dum is the nicest little girl you will meet but once feeding time comes around , that switch turns on and she turns into a demon. I always check to make sure each snake finishes their meal and when I check her she strikes at me and goes nuts so I figure ok she is still hungry but when I try to feed her all she does is get defensive and practically rips apart the rat pup. Lol

One word for you Tiff: tongs:)

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Originally Posted by mpkeelee

a lil blood never hurt. good thing the big girl didnt get u. thanks for the pics

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Very true, it wasn't the worst pain I've ever had (knock on wood) but definitely bled the most out of any bite I've gotten. This is the second time he's gotten me, and it hurts more every time:(.

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Originally Posted by Hulihzack

Those whacks on the knuckles can suck big time. My female Bredl's tore one of my fingers up a few months ago (stupid feeding error) and I still can't fully use my index finger.

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Oh man now that one has gotta hurt!! How big/long is she?

I really need feeding tongs for my Dumeril's girl, I definitely don't want to be bitten by her.

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Originally Posted by Jason Bowden

Use big set of tweezers/tongs.

With my big boas, I just slip the food in, they'll find it!

Quit getting bit, DoeDoe! LOL

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I do use long tongs but somehow he thought the food was up even though it was dangling right in his face. My hand probably smelled like rat too, and was warmer than the rat.

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Originally Posted by PolishPython

My Dum is the nicest little girl you will meet but once feeding time comes around , that switch turns on and she turns into a demon. I always check to make sure each snake finishes their meal and when I check her she strikes at me and goes nuts so I figure ok she is still hungry but when I try to feed her all she does is get defensive and practically rips apart the rat pup. Lol

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Same goes for my Dumeril's! She's like a puppy dog, but when she's in feeding mode you hear the loudest pound on the rat when she grabs a hold of it. She does have a feeding response so I have to take this home-made snake hook I made and touch her with it so she knows she isn't eating.

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Originally Posted by waltah!

One word for you Tiff: tongs:)

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I do use tongs on every single snake for feeding time, besides the ones in the QT room. My Bloods take live so I just throw in the mouse and watch to make sure it doesn't jump out and so the snake doesn't get hurt.

The Dumeril's rats are so huge that I just dangle them near the end of the tail. Although, last night I had it more toward the middle and the base. She has a pretty good striking range:O..

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

Oh man now that one has gotta hurt!! How big/long is she?

I really need feeding tongs for my Dumeril's girl, I definitely don't want to be bitten by her.

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She's a solid 5 feet now. There's a bump on the tendon in my finger that is starting to look permanent. Lesson: Don't put rat-smelling fingers between a snake and a rat :doh:

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Originally Posted by Hulihzack

She's a solid 5 feet now. There's a bump on the tendon in my finger that is starting to look permanent. Lesson: Don't put rat-smelling fingers between a snake and a rat :doh:

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Ouch! How bad did it hurt?

My finger is still swollen a bit, but doesn't seem to be going anymore down. It's not really even noticeable but hopefully I don't have any teeth lodged in it.

My mom said she'd take me to the doctor and get it checked in case there's any teeth in it. I'm not gonna have her spend her money on that though. Seems kinda eh, but it might be a good idea in case there is anything actually in there.

RTB 2, Tiffy 0!

How did you get tagged if you were using tongues D: ?

While on the subject, RTBs seem to be possessed by the devil while in feeding mode :O. When I feed mine, I have to step away from the tub or they will follow me with their heads and defensive strike while holding their prey in their coil. After that they become mellow again lol. :snake:

I have a real long set of tongs(24inches) for my boa. Her reflexes are much faster than mine;)

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Originally Posted by West Coast Jungle

I have a real long set of tongs(24inches) for my boa. Her reflexes are much faster than mine;)

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I use long tongs as well, but I also use a hook to raise the tub lid, because once they smell food they will go after anything that moves, including the hand I was using to raise the tub lid with...

Sorry to see you got bit Tif but it made for a good story and some nice pics :gj:

Yeowch, Tiff! That was a good one. Yah, I'd definitely recommend getting or using some tongs. :D Boas are so crazy when it comes to feeding. Then again, so is my male Ball. Take your arm right off, tongs and all. :rofl:

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

I also almost got tagged by the 6-7 foot Dumeril's girl, but she grabbed the jumbo rat right near where my hand was.:O

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by PolishPython

My Dum is the nicest little girl you will meet but once feeding time comes around , that switch turns on and she turns into a demon. I always check to make sure each snake finishes their meal and when I check her she strikes at me and goes nuts so I figure ok she is still hungry but when I try to feed her all she does is get defensive and practically rips apart the rat pup. Lol

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

I really need feeding tongs for my Dumeril's girl, I definitely don't want to be bitten by her.

Same goes for my Dumeril's! She's like a puppy dog, but when she's in feeding mode you hear the loudest pound on the rat when she grabs a hold of it. She does have a feeding response so I have to take this home-made snake hook I made and touch her with it so she knows she isn't eating.

She has a pretty good striking range:O..

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Last night, while I was reading all these quotes on the Dumerils aggressive feeding response, I was thinking that I must have a special case. He is 2 yrs old and 45 inches long. I've had him for 6 weeks and he has spent most of that curled up in his hide. Very seldom would I catch him out. Feeding consists of me putting the rat in his enclosure and leaving the room. He wouldn't eat if I didn't. The last 2 or 3 nights I have seen him out exploring his enclosure so I figured this was a good sign. Tonight was feeding night so I figured it would be routine. His tub sits on a top shelf at my eye level. I haven't been using the hook to open his tub because normally he will just lay there or shy away from me. Not tonight. I had barely got the lid raised maybe an inch or so when, all of the sudden, the lid and substrate went flying and that snake shot about 2 feet out of the tub and hit the rat so hard that it knocked the tongs out of my hand. Then when he got it back in the tub he wasn't just constricting it, he had that thing completely wrapped up.The thing that stunned me the most was just the speed, power, and distance he had. I guess I'm just used to the other snakes making short, quick strikes, and not exploding out of their tubs like that, and I'm pretty sure he had the rat back in the tub before the lid hit the floor. The thing that I am most thankful for is that he had good aim because, at the angle I was standing at, my face was well within his strike range. I definitely have a new found respect for Dumerils and completely understand the above posts. I will also be moving his tub to a lower level this week and from now on, his tub will also be opened with the hook on feeding day... Lesson learned...

Since ya use tongs and your still gettin tagged, maybe you could get ya a pair of thin leather gloves for your feeding hand.....just a thought.....

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Originally Posted by Danounet

RTB 2, Tiffy 0!

How did you get tagged if you were using tongues D: ?

While on the subject, RTBs seem to be possessed by the devil while in feeding mode :O. When I feed mine, I have to step away from the tub or they will follow me with their heads and defensive strike while holding their prey in their coil. After that they become mellow again lol. :snake:

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He's pretty slick and quick, that's why he's got two points LOL!

RTBs have some crazy feeding responses for sure.

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Originally Posted by West Coast Jungle

I have a real long set of tongs(24inches) for my boa. Her reflexes are much faster than mine;)

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I think I would definitely need a pair of those sometime soon!:oops:

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Originally Posted by Boanerges

Sorry to see you got bit Tif but it made for a good story and some nice pics :gj:

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It's all good, he's the top snake in my collection that can get me without me even realizing how quick he is. Normally I'm the fast one to get away but I think he might've beat me in the fast category.:P

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Originally Posted by Becca Granger

Yeowch, Tiff! That was a good one. Yah, I'd definitely recommend getting or using some tongs. :D Boas are so crazy when it comes to feeding. Then again, so is my male Ball. Take your arm right off, tongs and all. :rofl:

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I do use tongs, I just was a little dumb to have my whole hand in his tub (lid was on the back of my hand so my hand was pretty much all the way in there). Always the feeding errors:D.

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

Last night, while I was reading all these quotes on the Dumerils aggressive feeding response, I was thinking that I must have a special case. He is 2 yrs old and 45 inches long. I've had him for 6 weeks and he has spent most of that curled up in his hide. Very seldom would I catch him out. Feeding consists of me putting the rat in his enclosure and leaving the room. He wouldn't eat if I didn't. The last 2 or 3 nights I have seen him out exploring his enclosure so I figured this was a good sign. Tonight was feeding night so I figured it would be routine. His tub sits on a top shelf at my eye level. I haven't been using the hook to open his tub because normally he will just lay there or shy away from me. Not tonight. I had barely got the lid raised maybe an inch or so when, all of the sudden, the lid and substrate went flying and that snake shot about 2 feet out of the tub and hit the rat so hard that it knocked the tongs out of my hand. Then when he got it back in the tub he wasn't just constricting it, he had that thing completely wrapped up.The thing that stunned me the most was just the speed, power, and distance he had. I guess I'm just used to the other snakes making short, quick strikes, and not exploding out of their tubs like that, and I'm pretty sure he had the rat back in the tub before the lid hit the floor. The thing that I am most thankful for is that he had good aim because, at the angle I was standing at, my face was well within his strike range. I definitely have a new found respect for Dumerils and completely understand the above posts. I will also be moving his tub to a lower level this week and from now on, his tub will also be opened with the hook on feeding day... Lesson learned...

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When Dumeril's boas are hungry they really show it.

My first girl was a very shy girl, acted the same way as yours did before it did that crazy powerful jump. But the girl I've got now, you don't even know when she's gonna strike. She'll sit all normal, and being the ambusher she is, and pop up when you don't even realize it. Pretty crazy feeding response that girl has.

Once you get them started with eating, you can just imagine how powerful their feeding responses are. I think they definitely are ambushers, since they just sit there in the leaf litter waiting for prey to pass by in their real home.

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Originally Posted by boafa

Since ya use tongs and your still gettin tagged, maybe you could get ya a pair of thin leather gloves for your feeding hand.....just a thought.....

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If I was that worried about getting bit I most likely would have used gloves, but since I've got so many snakes and have been feeding snakes every single week for the past 4-5 years I don't mind the bites, at least when I don't know they are coming:O.