How ofter do BP's Bite or Strike at you?

Ok when I was really young I had a large yellow rat snake, This thing was very very mean! Everytime you tried to handle him, he would constantly be striking at you. I was bit countless times.. I just recently got my BP's these are the first snakes I,ve had since the rat snake. I have somewhat of a fear of being bit now because of the bad experince when I was younger.

I know it dosent hurt at all, but just kind of scary. haha

was Just wondering what kind of temperments your Bp's have, and how oftne do they strike at you.

I had a couple that were snappy when I got them, but they tend to mellow out. Most of mine have stopped even trying, but I have 2 that still hiss at me every time. I've owned BPs for a year now (seems like longer) and I'm currently up to 10 BPs and 2 boas. I've had a total of 4 or 5 connecting bites and few misses in that time. It of course varies snake to snake though because I also have 2 snakes that are the sweetest things on the planet.

If you really don't want to get bit I would wear gloves for a little while until you get to know them. They can tell when you are nervous that's when they tend to get snappy.

my bp has an amazing temperament. he seems to enjoy being handled, and has never so much as hissed at me.

That's what I tried early today, Used a glove on the hand I used to pick them up, then removed the glove once out of the tub. For me the worst part is sticking my hand in there to pick them up, Once i get them out im fine. they just look like they want to bite while there sitting there focusing on your hand. lol

Im sure ill get over it in time. that dam rat snake ruined me haha

I keep around 100-120 depending, and I get tagged maybe twice a year if that.

This does not include new hatchlings which are crazy snappy once they figure out what food is.

bruce

I have...12 maybe?.....i've been tagged only once in the past couple years. not bad...he was a rescue and starving to death. the only other was a het albino that was a complete total and utter jerk until he was about 500 grams ;)

my boa nailed be yesterday though....my fault...i dropped his feeder and went to grab it - DUMB! hehe...

Mine's never struck at me. She just sits on my lap for hours sometimes.

Im wondering, do you guys find any diffrence in temprement between say males and females

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Originally Posted by PythonOutlaw

Im wondering, do you guys find any diffrence in temprement between say males and females

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Not really.

Neither my wife nor myself have ever been bitten by a ball python and we've had hundreds over the years. We do have a couple that will hiss sometimes when you reach in thier tubs, but as soon as you take them out they mellow out. I did have a baby ball at a PetSmart strike at me, though. It was cute.

That said, we've both been bitten by just about every other species we've kept at one point or another.

I have been bit by my male spider the day I was picking him out. He was in the display case at the show with another male and I had one in each hand, trying to decide which one I liked. He bit me so I decided he picked me, so I took him home. He's never bit me again. My male albino tagged me a couple weeks ago but that's because I dropped his rat in the tub and went to reach for it. :rolleyes:

I've been bit by numerous baby burms and boast though, the little turds.

When I'm picking my snakes up and I'm concerned if they are going to strike, I reach for them from behind of where they are looking, if that makes sense. plus they can sense your nervousness so just reach right in and pick them up. Don't hesitate.

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Originally Posted by heathers*bps

I have been bit by my male spider the day I was picking him out. He was in the display case at the show with another male and I had one in each hand, trying to decide which one I liked. He bit me so I decided he picked me, so I took him home. He's never bit me again. My male albino tagged me a couple weeks ago but that's because I dropped his rat in the tub and went to reach for it. :rolleyes:

I've been bit by numerous baby burms and boast though, the little turds.

When I'm picking my snakes up and I'm concerned if they are going to strike, I reach for them from behind of where they are looking, if that makes sense. plus they can sense your nervousness so just reach right in and pick them up. Don't hesitate.

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Makes sense to me.

I've gotten a couple of biters this year. One was a very young snake from a large breeder, and I'm quite sure that he and his employees did not have the time to sit and handle each snake individually and get it accustomed to human touch. It was kinda cute--little bitty snake puffing up and hissing and striking--she was all of 200 gms. I used a cage hook to physically pick her up the first couple of days, then as she improved I used it the way I like to use a cage hook. I touched the top of her head with the hook, which made her pull herself up into a cow patty shaped coil. Then I picked her up from the part of the cow patty that didn't have eyes. Worked fine. She's still a hisser at times but no more striking.

The other came to me dehydrated and underfed. I didn't use a hook to lift him because he was an adult, but I did use it to touch his head then pick up and it worked fine. At the moment about 90% of the time I don't have to touch the head and I can go for the pickup from behind. I doubt that he was handled much prior to my getting him and I suspect being watered and well ratted accounts for about 50% of the improvement I've seen.

Cody struck at me twice when I first got him back in June but hasn't done it again since. He will hiss a little when I take him out of his tub but that's it. Once he's out he just chills with me. Nibs has never struck nor hissed and is great to handle.

I have been bitten once in about a decade...although I have ALMOST been bitten a ton of times. The hatchlings bite and strike much more often. As they age they become more docile.

Once, and it was my fault, I was placing a rat for one of my drop feeders and he had different ideas and struck just as I was laying it on the ground, he got rat and my finger at the same time.

I've never been bit by a ball python. I get struck at every now and then by a few babies (mostly mojaves for some reason) but none have connected yet. I get a few hissers but it's all bark, no bite from them.

Now baby BRB's... LOL.

I've been bit maybe a dozen times by babies (one time in the eye), and once a hungry adult smelled rat on me and nailed/constricted my arm.

Yesterday one of my ~1500g normals was STARVING to death after 8 days and nearly took my face off when I opened her tub. Those close calls happen every week with my best feeders... it's pretty funny how they're ready to bite anything as soon as the smallest opening in the tub presents itself.

I got tagged once while I was being careless with a feed (too lazy to get tongs = bad idea). Other than that I haven't been tagged or struck at.

I've never been tagged or struck at by my ball pythons (only my boa... sigh :P) BUT I will say that they would not hesitate to bite/strike at me on feeding day. It's not uncommon for them to strike at the glass when I'm moving about the room after I've pre-scented the area with the rats.

never have any of mine struck at me.

I have 5 and have been struck at twice in 4 years. Never been bit though. *knock on wood*

BP's are just really laid back.

Just got mine yesterday, so not much experience in the area, but I looked at several and not one of them even threatened me. Picked him up to take him out of the tank, put him in his new one, clean out his tank after he pooped, put him back in, and nothin. He does still make me nervous, though, so I totally understand your concern... if you mess with something that has teeth, youre at risk of being bitten.
You could wear gloves the first couple times until you both feel comfortable with eachother. Then ditch 'em when you see how chill your snake is!

I would not wear the gloves because it is more likely that the snake gets its teeth caught in the glove and could hurt them. Just use a bear hand and if they bite you no big deal. I have had snakes that werent mine strike at me and bite me but its nothing. doesnt hurt much if at all. only really scares you and will make you jump the first few times.

also, you got a bumblebee and a pastel for your first BPs? You just skipped over the normals, huh? Thats... ok, I have nothing nasty to say like I wanted to, I'm just envious... although, I do LOVE my Jackson. He's lovely.

A few of mine will hiss when you first touch them in the bin but none have ever struck at me.