My snake just bit me :*(*

Wowww..... I was so surprised..

I had thawed a small rat, did the zombie dance to get her to eat...

After a few minutes, the rat is still chililng there, so I proceed to reheat the bowl of water, warm up the rat again, and feed it again.

A few minutes later, it's not eaten. She's crawling around, and I grab her from behind and she turns around and latches onto me like I was prey. Her entire body starts coiling around my wrist like I was food.

I'm like omfg she bit me. The emotional pain is staggering, and instinctually, I start to try to unwrap her. After a few seconds and seeing how difficult it might be, I then remembered reading in the BP forums <3 that alcohol is a harmless way of getting a snake off.

I just got laid off Friday, so I don't have a camera phone with which to take a picture of the bite.


I'm really sad she bit me :*(

It's just a reminder that while we can love our snakes as much as we can (kind of like psychotic crazy ex gfs), do our best to provide food and contentment for them, they are still snakes and not on the same level of domesticated dogs :*(*

Snakes can remain in feeding mode for hours after feeding, my advice avoid handling your snake before and after feeding even if it was a failed attempt or this will happen again. ;)

That sucks!

I understand how you are feeling, but when you own snakes you will get bit. It is part of the package... All we can do is move on, and try to be a little more careful next time....

P.S. sorry about you being laid off. That stinks....

Morgan

The most docile male I have did that to me a couple of months ago, but that was an isolated incident for him. I also smelled like a big juicy rat at the time.

I've had a few domesticated dogs bite the hell out of me over the past few decades, and not because I smelled like food. I'll choose a BP over most dogs any day.

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Originally Posted by spitzu

The most docile male I have did that to me a couple of months ago, but that was an isolated incident for him. I also smelled like a big juicy rat at the time.

I've had a few domesticated dogs bite the hell out of me over the past few decades, and not because I smelled like food. I'll choose a BP over most dogs any day.

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I love dogs and BPs both dearly, but the worst bite I ever got was as a kid growing up and from a spawn-of-the-Devil Shetland pony I had. HATED THAT DANG ANIMAL! Evil little snot, lol! That said, ANY animal can bite...sorry that it happened but don't hold it against your snake. He's just being a snake, lol! ;)

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Originally Posted by Flowerbridge

I had thawed a small rat...I grab her from behind and she turns around and latches onto me like I was prey

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..and this surprises you WHY?

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Originally Posted by Flowerbridge

they are still snakes and not on the same level of domesticated dogs :*(*

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I've been bit by our pup way more times than I've ever been bitten by snakes in my life. If anything, I'd say snakes are WAY more reluctant biters than dogs :P

Don't worry, the snake wasn't biting you to be mean or anything like that, so don't let it hurt your feelings, it was just instinct--there was rat smell in the air, suddenly something warm(alive) grabs them from behind... Smells like rat, and hot like a live rat...it's almost certain to bite because in that instant your hand looked just like food! Same reason why you need to be careful feeding horses and dogs, they might end up biting because they are after the food!

:P There won't be any hard feelings later, I'm almost certain this will be an isolated event. Just don't grab the snake when it's ready to eat, and pay attention to it's warning signs! :) Now you know what not to do, aren't snakes helpful teachers like that? ;) lol!

The nice thing about snakes not being on the same level is dogs is they are easier to understand. Almost like effective machines, it's cool to watch their response to different stimuli. You don't always get that with dogs or cats, they have too much going on, that's why there are so many BAD dog bites, because you can't always know when or why it will bite, it could be completely unknown! That can happen with snakes too, but usually you can see the reason it happened!


:) :) It's still your same snake! Take care of your bite and don't worry about it too much

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Snakes can remain in feeding mode for hours after feeding, my advice avoid handling your snake before and after feeding even if it was a failed attempt or this will happen again. ;)

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I have definitely read that "they can still be in feeding mode" before, but it has never really "sunk in" until now. Thank you :) There have been plenty of times where she's "started wandering again" without eating the rat, and I've grabbed her and plopped her back in the tub.

lol wait till they about to pull your thumb out of joint as you go to remove them from your hand ( she was like oh no you don't your going in my belly lol ) when my 2000gram females latch onto me I was like hey that not dinner you dingy and i start to uncoil about 4 ft + of snake from my hand and wrist and she just locking down onmy thumb with no signs of letting go.

i use a none alcoholc hand sanitizer every time i pick up my bps never been bit yet, nock on wood lol :)

I read that post again and what type of alcohol? Bourbon, vodka, single malt aged 40 years Scotch (I'd let it have my hand rather than waste that, lmao!) :D. No, seriously though, just curious, as to ethyl alcohol or isopropyl? Drinking alcohol or rubbing?

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Originally Posted by Flowerbridge

Wowww..... I was so surprised..

I had thawed a small rat, did the zombie dance to get her to eat...

After a few minutes, the rat is still chililng there, so I proceed to reheat the bowl of water, warm up the rat again, and feed it again.

A few minutes later, it's not eaten. She's crawling around, and I grab her from behind and she turns around and latches onto me like I was prey. Her entire body starts coiling around my wrist like I was food.

I'm like omfg she bit me. The emotional pain is staggering, and instinctually, I start to try to unwrap her. After a few seconds and seeing how difficult it might be, I then remembered reading in the BP forums <3 that alcohol is a harmless way of getting a snake off.

I just got laid off Friday, so I don't have a camera phone with which to take a picture of the bite.


I'm really sad she bit me :*(

It's just a reminder that while we can love our snakes as much as we can (kind of like psychotic crazy ex gfs), do our best to provide food and contentment for them, they are still snakes and not on the same level of domesticated dogs :*(*

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You seem to be more emotionally invested with this action more then any snake owner should be. The fact is that dogs are more intelligent and devoted then snakes are. That's the fact.

On another note, I'm really sorry you've been laid off. The best of luck to you in finding another job ASAP!
;)

Heh heh,

Welcome to your first SFE - we've all made a few. :D



dr del

Have you never owned a cat? My dang cats bite me all the time, but I still love my babies :D Heck my dogs have both bit me by accident when we were playing, there was no bloodshed, but it still happened.

The most likely time to get bit by your snake is when food is introduced. They can be on edge for awhile even after eating the prey, so getting bit in that time if you aren't super cautious isn't terribly surprising.

Sorry to hear about your job:(,

Anything with a mouth can bite. It's too bad snakes don't feel the same emotional connection that we feel, but that's just a reminder that we should always respect snakes. Even though they don't love us back we'll still love them and their love bites :).

Don't feel too sad about the snake biting you, things happen no biggie. At least you know you'll be more cautious next time. Most bites seem to happen during feeding time anyway.

Drinking alcohol 80 proof vodka. I rinsed her under warm water and "flicked water droplets onto her face" to hopefully remove anything else that didn't just run off her.

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Originally Posted by youbeyouibei

I read that post again and what type of alcohol? Bourbon, vodka, single malt aged 40 years Scotch (I'd let it have my hand rather than waste that, lmao!) :D. No, seriously though, just curious, as to ethyl alcohol or isopropyl? Drinking alcohol or rubbing?

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I got tagged by my lil male pinstripe today! He is a pain in my butt! He's bit me more than all my other snakes and snaked I've handled in my whole life! But, that makes him who he is! LOL! He's my Patron and I still love him!!!! I just want him to CHILLAX!

I've never been bitten. I guess I'm lucky... Or quick!! Lol I've been struck at more times to count. But I'm also a watcher. I know every single ones language. Out of the 41 I have I still have never been tagged. My rules are: I dont hold or handle near feeding time, take any uneaten ft rats out with my hemostats, if I see one that's giving me the look I'll use the tubs covers as barriers, or a hide as a barrier. Beyond that I dont really do anything special I feed in the tubs and when I had tanks I fed in those too. But something I always remember is around feeding time is when you have to be most careful. Mistakes happen. Really it was just instinct. Learn his look, and watch yourself at fed time.
Morgan

I have a question, when can you handle them after they have eat to place them back in their cage? I have a 3-4 month Ball and he is in a 20 long but I feed him in a seprate Tub only because in the 20 long the mouse hides all day in the corner in the seprate tub the mouse has no where to go (LOL). I fed my ball on Sunday and 30mins after I went real slow to get him out and place him in his cage rub his back a little first and he hissed at me. So I just lowered the tub in his cage and let him crawl out. Picked him up yesterday and he is fine. Just want to know how long should I wait before I place him back in his cage? To prevent me getting bit or hissed at again.

Well if they hiss nothing is going to change that. You may want to give it an hour after he's finished. But if you pick him up from behind I dont think you'll have an issue.