First time being bitten. Pictures (bloody)

Well tonight was my first time getting bitten. I bought this snake over a week ago. I don't know the sex of the snake but I am assuming its a female due to the fact its almost 5 feet.
The snake so far has eaten for me twice since I have gotten it. Today was the 2nd day since it has ate. So I wanted to take it out and hold it. I was kinda worried before I even went to open the tub. Every time I go in the room to take care of my other snakes or my rats. The thing is always following me around. Well as soon as I took the lid off and started to reach my had it. The thing struck at me. Got me almost all of me left ring finger in its mouth, then coiled around my arm. It hurt at first then it was just an annoying pain until it finally let go. But I could tell the only reason it let go was to get a better grip. I grabbed its head and held it while my wife helped unwrap it from my arm. There was blood dripping everywhere. Thankfully the carpet is getting replaced in the next week. We bought this house as a fixer upper. I was going to take it to a reptile expo tomorrow to get it sexed. But I don't think that will be a good idea.

http://evcstudios.com/driver/snake/sb/sb001.jpg
http://evcstudios.com/driver/snake/sb/sb002.jpg

Again thankfully the carpet is getting replaced next week.
http://evcstudios.com/driver/snake/sb/sb003.jpg

A good biter will usually be a good eater. Clean that out real good and get the tweezers out and start pickin teeth out.

Might be she's still hungry. A 5 foot snake is going to have a big appetite, and if you aren't offering it suitable prey, it will be hunting again pretty quick.

I'd be glad the bite wasn't worse, a feeding strike like that can cause a lot of damage, especially if the snake is determined to eat you.

Gale

I don't think there are any teeth in my skin. I didn't pull the snake off of me. I waited until it let its bite go on its own.
I did feed the snake shortly after that.

I second that, start looking for broken off teeth in your skin. Make sure you wash the area good also with a disinfectant.

The pic doesn't show the bite all that well. There are actually bite marks all the way around the finger.

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Originally Posted by MidSouthMorphs

I second that, start looking for broken off teeth in your skin. Make sure you wash the area good also with a disinfectant.

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I washed it off and put antibiotic on it. Again I still don't see any teeth. Would they be small enough for me not to see them?

With a girl that big I doubt it. Since you didn't yank your hand or try to pull her off she might not have broken any.

Sounds like a defensive strike to me, I'd let her settle in more. You said you bought her a week ago? She needs time to acclimate and adjust to her new home with you.

Iv only been bit by my youngest girl she latched on once. I am at 22 times with her. I hope she grows out of her aggression my big girl has only hissed at me one time. Has never once struck. How ever I did get bit by a baby burmese and a green tree the other day

This was not a defensive strike. I'v seen my other snakes give defensive strikes to some rats. Those are a quick love tap. This was a you look tasty and I am going to eat you. After it coiled around my arm. It took it a little while be for it stopped biting me. The only reason I got it un-coiled is because I was able to work my arm loose and my wife was able to get the tail moved.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Driver

This was not a defensive strike. I'v seen my other snakes give defensive strikes to some rats. Those are a quick love tap. This was a you look tasty and I am going to eat you. After it coiled around my arm. It took it a little while be for it stopped biting me. The only reason I got it un-coiled is because I was able to work my arm loose and my wife was able to get the tail moved.

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Well then maybe you just looked like a big yummy treat :)

Is the snake used to being fed in its enclosure or do you feed it elsewhere

Ouch--nice bite! At least now you know what the worst of the worst ball python bites feel like, and you have nothing left to fear!
I've been bitten many times, only ever as feeding accidents (my tongs disappear every few weeks so I have to feed by hand). Snake goes to strike, aims a little too high and nicks my finger. I barely even feel it most of the time--it's better than when I give my dog a treat and she bruises my finger with her teeth. :( I'd rather the sharp python teeth any day. :)
Anyway, that's probably the worst type of bite you'll ever get with ball pythons, so no fear, you've survived a vicious python attack! Alert the media, I'm sure they'll be amazed :salute:

OOOOH. Nice one, I can tell by the blood! I don't think you should shy away from taking it in to get sexed though. Just pay attention to body language when handling. That is key when handling any reptile!

i almost got a feeding strike recently but thankfully i'm really ansy & jumpy during feeding sessions so my reflexes kicked in at the right moment & i was able to see the flash of movement & get my hand away just as my girl's mouth reached the spot where my hand was, lol. not her fault, she could smell the rat but saw my hand & she didnt seem to realize the rat was there until it moved away & once she got target lock on the rat, she slammed it & it was golden from there. i take notes during feedings but after that i was shaking so hard i couldnt write!
i'm grateful for that nervousness cuz it apparently saved me that day.
& normally i'm very watchful of the snake's behavior but that day i took my eye off her & was watching the rat at the snake's cage entrance since that door was wide open.
lesson learned! :hmm:

i almost had 2 feeding bites yesterday. first was from my 230 g male, i dropped the mouse in but he was a little slow at moving around so i went to give him a nudge and since eddie could smell him he saw my hand and hit in between my middle and ring finger but didnt get any teeth in. i think thats cause im also kinda nervous when feeding, mostly because i havent actually got a bite yet. the second time was from my 800g male. i had dropped the rat off the tongs rite before he was going to strike and i went to pick it back up, well that put my hand rite where the rat had been a half second before. luckily i was still a little jumpy from eddies attempt that he completely missed me.

As Reakt20 said--body language is key! :)