Do you let your BP come near your face?

I'm a new BP owner, and the main quality of BPs that attracted me was their overall docility. I bought mine from a Petsmart in town--it was one of two they had. I handled both and decided I liked mine better. Since I've had her, I've brought her out on numerous occasions to interact. She's never struck at me, seems comfortable with being held, and is incredibly curious. At times she will move up near my face to check that out, and as much faith as I have in her, I still get a little nervous when I feel her tongue flick my nose or ear. I tell myself though that she won't bite unless she has a reason, and has always been fair to me before.

Today I wound up back at Petsmart to get a new bulb and more frozen mice. While there, just for grins I decided to take a look at the two BPs they had for sale. The gentleman told me right off the bat that one was mean--she had bitten numerous people, and not just at feeding time. He said the other one was very nice. He no longer took it out of its cage and handed it to me that she started striking at him. And I don't mean one or two, but she must have gone at him six or seven times within the one minute I was holding her. The employee was completely thrown off. Now I log into the forum to see the "Have you been bitten by a BP" poll, and I have to wonder....do you trust your BPs (or any of your snakes) to go near your face? Will a BP strike for no apparent reason?

A ball python will not strike "for no apparent reason," if it strikes, it feels threatened or perceives something as food. Even if you know your ball python's personality and you have never had an unpleasant interaction, you could do something as simple as make a sudden move that surprises it and it could instinctively strike defensively.

I personally do not let my girl near my face. Yes, I trust her and she has never bit me, but she doesn't need to be near my face for any reason. I let her crawl up my arms, but if she gets to close, I just very gently guide her elsewhere. A reptile is not a good thing to have near your face for sanitary reasons as well, they are carriers of salmonella, just a fact, so any part of your body that they touch should be washed immediately afterwards. Just because I have a reptile in my tiny apartment and I change her water in the sink, I do not wash any dishes by hand and I bleach the sink and counters every day, several times a day. Just common sense.

Ball pythons make great pets because they generally are not biters, but any snake can and will bite if it sees a reason to, and its reasoning may make no sense to you. All snakes should be respected, and when any of us get bit, it's our mistake, not the snake's. We are a lot bigger than our ball pythons, so they have every reason to be fearful of us. It is about getting them to trust US, not the other way around.

a little off topic but just a heads up to you my best friend fed his bp frozen mice from one of the chain pet stores " Petsmart or petco" and wound up dead 2 days later. he had a necropsy done on her and it turned out the mouse that was purchased at the store had been injected with something that killed the bp. i had never herd of this before but when i was reading that i thought i would just throw out my personal experience. best of luck with your new family member :D

But yes i let them near my face but they rarely go near it they usually make home hanging around my neck.. i give them free roam of my arms shoulders legs when i have them out tho

As for a BP i wouldnt even worry about a random strike, except if its hungry. I collect colubrids tho so my knowledge for BP behavior is limited.

I let my colubrids get even millimeters close to my face, if they strike me thats on me not the snake, but if you dont want a snake bitting your face dont let it near it. But if your not worried its a truely amazing bonding experience.

I've been tagged on the face when I let myself get distracted while cleaning a top tub. Wasn't any different than getting bit elsewhere except for the extreme closeup, though I reckon if he got me on the eyeball I'd feel different.

I have encountered overly frightened snakes that will strike with little provocation. generally speaking this is not the norm for royals. I think it hard to make blanket statements like what you are trying, it really is a case per case basis. The snakes I own I trust all of them around my face. I have also been bitten by these same snakes 6 times 4 were clearly my fault (forgotten rodent bag rodent smell and such) and two were fear bites from my timid girl while cleaning the cage once she is out she she is ok, this is the only one I keep close tabs on but mostly that is so I don't stress her too much.

I let mine go near my face all the time. She will crawl on my face and rip off my glasses and sometimes she likes to poke me in the eye with her mouth. But I've never been bit by her even though she has struck 3 times. All my fault of course. So its really up to you just know there is always a possibility in getting bit every second of every time your near her. Things happen and snakes can be a litte jumpy especially bite first as questions later babies.

I trust almost all of my ball pythons to be near my face.

Sure I could get bitten, I could also hit the lottery.

I don't make it a habit to lick my snakes or lick my lips after they gave me a kiss, but I don't worry much about salmonella. I figure I'm more likely to pick it up from contaminated food than my snakes.

The one at the pet store sounds to me like it is severely stressed out and defensive. I've had a few really stressed out balls snap repeatedly, almost always babies. It is NOT mean, no matter what that ding-dong says. It is stressed out, unhappy and probably hungry. You'd get crabby too.

I'd bet willing to bet that given a proper enclosure, tight hide and some time to de-stress, that biter will be sweet as pie.

Gale

oh yeah, my little girl is always up in my grill!

This Is my opinion, I skimmed through the tread though. And here's what I have to say...

Some BP's are nervous and scared. We had two that fall under this category. 1 was a rescue adult female, and the other is a juvenile male about 9 months. The juvenile never struck but always balled up. And over the past 3 months he's really calmed down. Our rescue Is different, she's like the other snake you mentioned, she struck easily 100+ times before I even got out of the pet store. That was about 6 months ago, now she's relatively calm, still a little skittish, and strikes everyone else. BUT ME.

BP'S are in my opinion the most docile snake, even better then Burmese. I trust all four of mine. Even around my neck and face. Have I been bitten, yes of course. The thing though, is you own even 1 snake you must understand, there is ALWAYS a chance it could bite you. That's part of being a snake owner. ;)

To the whole salmonella thing.. you have a better chance getting it from raw chicken. Lol. Am I say French your snake? Of course not! Just be careful while your snake get accustomed to it's new home.

Good luck, so to say

i'm starting to let my girl explore my face & she loves my kids faces. i've learned to "read" her behavior & we always adjust ours accordingly. if my bp is having a flinchy day we move slower during those handling times & when she's inquisitive & curious we let her move around but i dont ever let her go farther then i can quickly reach. that's just cuz i have seen how quick she is when she wants to bolt for something & i dont want her disappearing into/under the furniture.
i'll never really allow myself to get completely comfortable with my bp though, i love her & do trust her & all but i know the minute i get comfortable & complacent, i'll stop paying attention to things & start making stupid mistakes & then i will get bitten.
better safe then sorry right?

No never..

For me it really depends on the snake. I have a few BPs that I warp around my neck to get them out of the way as I am spot clean and I have 2 or 3 that I would let within arms reach of my face because they get snappy when they are handled. My enchi and female spider are ones I would never trust around my face, small children or anyone who can't handle being bitten. At the same time I let my boa crawl all over my face. Usually she will sit on my head as I watch a movie. :)

Nothing harmful about it. I've been bitten by a friend's snake before on the ear, it was a laughable matter. Then again, that was an aggressive ball male, not the passive female I have now. It's actually quite safe to have them around your face, in my opinion. Balls give you at least a 2-3 second head start if they feel threatened. It's fascinating to watch: they coil up into an "S" shape 2-3 seconds before they strike, and usually flick their tongue once and then you get bit. The easiest thing to do to avoid it? Judge their reaction and respond accordingly. If your snake feels tense when you first take it out, just let it crawl a bit on your hand/arm until it relaxes enough to roam. Then, you can put it around your neck, let it crawl around your face, and the possibilities of you getting bit are virtually none. Unless you're using Frozen Mouse Head N' Shoulders, there should be no worries :D As to the salmonella thing, in my particular case, I don't worry about it. I clean her tank with diluted bleach and replace the moss every week, soaking her in warm water in the process. When she poops, she tends to be a queen about it: poops in her hide and slithers over to the other hide until I clean it up, lol :) So, I never worry about her being too dirty, but common sense will keep you safe. Don't let her use your mouth as a hide, haha.

I let my girls come and investigate my face, but they're not allowed to crawl all over my head, lol. A few curious tongue-flicks are okay though. My RTB is more likely to come say hello (she likes sitting on people's shoulders and heads) but you'd have to force my Ball to get near your face.

60 BPs and there is only one that I won't put around my neck without hesitation. It no longer even crosses my mind that one of the others would bite me. Even the most timid and nervous ones don't bite when I come straight at them while they are coiled up.

Of course I do understand that it could happen. I'm prepared for the possibility just like I'm prepared to be run over by a bus everyday.

And salmonella? Have a culture run on the drain in your kitchen sink some time! :)

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Not at all. There's no need for it. :2cent:

Ball pythons sure carpet pythons no. Lol

I have 2 Carpets, one can get close-ish to my face (when he's on my shoulders he comes around to say 'hi') but I move him away most of the time. The other one, nope. She is not a biter really but she is a tad flighty so I don't fully trust her. She gets zero face time. I am more careful with knowing where her head is.
The Brazilian Rainbow boa hates me and would love to maim me so she stays waist level.
The Corn...well...hello, it is a super mellow Corn so he can be in my face all day.

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Maybe I'm just a trusting soul, but after I'm been with a bp more than 5 minutes, I wouldn't flinch at letting them go anywhere they wanted to. The idea of getting bit is kind of laughable to me, it really doesn't hurt. I cuddle 'em just like I would a cat or dog. :) I trusted my new cinnamon boy from minute 1. It was obvious that he was a chill laid back dude. I'm always prepared to be bit, of course, but I don't expect it.

As far as salmonella...Yeah, I have SO many other things to worry about, lol.

Only having two snakes, I spend a lot of time with both of them, so I know them and their quirks very well. Neither have bitten me or struck at me, but I have seen them S up and I can see when they are getting tense. Nagini, I try to keep her away from my face, but she will find a way to sneak around and get there(I redirect her head so she goes past my face and more to the back of my head and she just comes right back around and sniffs at my face from the other side. Stuff like that.)

Maru is one of those BPs that likes to be a pet rock/snake when he's held. He pretty much just chills out and doesn't try to 'go' anywhere. He'll get pretty relaxed and just decide to soak up my body heat. If I'm ever holding him and he happens to be semi close to my face I don't mind, all he'll do is tongue flick once or twice and go right back down to where he was before.

When it comes to walking around with the snake, or if other people are in the room, the snake is nervous or jumpy, or straight up putting the snake right in my face myself, no I don't do that. Everything is just relaxed and at the snake's pace. If they pass by my face, that's cool. If they are getting right up in my face, I'll probably pull them back. Same goes if I'm handling and I start to see that fast moving tongue flick that means "You're FOOD!"

If I ever get bitten it will be my fault, but I'm okay with that. :D I know animals are animals. My boyfriend's sister's kitten scratched her eye ball. Heck, my leopard gecko has drawn blood before. Animals bite sometimes. Usually though (both in the case of the gecko and the kitten) it seems to be our fault when we're messing with them hahaha.

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Originally Posted by angllady2

Sure I could get bitten, I could also hit the lottery.

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:P This is the best.

I've never been bitten by any of my BP's, now that's not saying they wouldn't if they felt threatened. But I don't give it a second thought. I have a ton of pictures of Ryn laying on my face (literally, on my nose.) They all love exploring, so have at. The smaller ones like to crawl in my hair and hang out for HOURS.

I ride horses as well as have my snake collection, and one of the number one rules in the horse world is that the horse never does anything wrong. You are the one responsible if you fall off, if you get thrown, if you do something that the horse doesn't like. I feel the same about snakes. If I do something my snake doesn't like, well I pay the price. Its not their fault that I moved my hand really quickly and they thought I was gonna smush them like a bug so they bit me to defend themselves.

I keep nothing but carpet pythons, and they like to climb so they are always trying to go up up up towards my face so I kinda direct them elsewhere because a 7ft carpet bite to the face would not be pleasant.

my carpet as austin just said likes to "go up up up" so i actually let him check my face out a bit. my ball would only see my face if i lift him up directly in front of me and there's really no reason to do that lol

however certain types of snakes (kings being one of them) i would never trust near my face

I let mine crawl on me where ever they want to Face Head Neck never had a problem at all the only time I have ever been bitten it was my fault. Feeding day and my hand smelled like a rat because I didnt wash it all off I think. Balls are very gentle and like to explore once they feel safe. :D

I feel the need to add something.

I have been bitten by my balls before, and by other people's as well. There are times when one of mine gets a no-no to the face thing, and if it's a snake I don't know, I don't allow it too get too close. I had one boy who regularly made it his mission to re-arrange my face. I just let him get his strike or two out of his system while safely away from my face. Once he realized I was wise to his ways, he gave the game up.

But if I've handled the snake for a while, and it wants to reach up to me for a curious flick of the tongue, I let it. I am pretty good at reading body language of these guys, and I know when ones going to strike so it doesn't freak me out.

The bottom line is do what YOU are comfortable with. I could handle a thousand ball pythons and let them near my face because it doesn't bother me, but if you aren't sure about doing it then don't! If you get all nervous and tense, the snakes can sense that and will react, and you may end up with an unnecessary bite.

Gale

NO LOL not that close to my collection

i do, but i dont let my mom see, and if you get tagged or actually bitten, that is YOUR fault not the snake but anyway, im 13, and i always put my snake on my chest and he crawls up my neck and on my face, it kind of scares me but yeah

Like pretty much everyone else has said, it depends on lot on the snake's temperament. I'd let my friend's 6ft Central American Boa nuzzle my face waaaay before I'd let my female BP. That Boa is the biggest puppy dog of a snake I've ever met though, and I think my BP girl doesn't realize she's a BP so much as ANGRY QUEEN OF EVERYTHING. She's usually chill enough when being handled now, but I'm still very careful with her since she started out super snappy.

I have 2 snakes (not including babies) that I will not allow near my face, The amazon tree boa and 1 of our ball pythons. The rest I don't worry about. The snake in my avatar bit me in the face within a couple weeks of owning her, but after she calmed down, wasn't even a thought in the back of my mind. she was still to this day the tamest snake I owned. It all comes down to the individual snake.

I see it as no different than dogs, my dog and families dogs I have no problems sticking my face right in theirs, rough housing with them and such. I couldn't really care what breed it is, the dog I'm watching right now is half pit and ill stick my face right in her's and this horrible thing happens.... she licks me. Doesn't mean I'm going to even think about doing it to a dog I don't know or a certain breed. Depends on the individual dog.

I let the BPs go close to my face. But not the other snakes. Here's my reason. I work with snakes 3-4 times a week. I volunteer at a local pet store and we have lots of snakes. We have 6 BPs, 2 red tails, 2 burms, and 4 corns. I've NEVER been bit by a BP. I've been bit by on of the burms, which seems to nip a lot... And one of the corns. The corns are always pretty energetic, and overly-excited...

I don't care. When I have any snake out they have free range ( limited to my bed ). And whenever I get up they usually wrap around my neck and come along for the ride. :)


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=32.899745,-97.037365

Yes, we let all of ours go near our faces if THEY choose to. We never force them to get in our face. However, there have been times that our 2 year old decided to "kiss" one of them right on the head but they didn't seem to mind. We also let them wrap around our neck and chill out there. I know some people think that's a bad idea to let a snake wrap around your neck, but our snakes seem to like it and we don't mind. Our 8 year old almost always has his pinstripe around his neck. He started her out at a month old getting her used to being around his neck and his face and she is the most docile snake I have ever seen. She actually LIKES to have her head petted like a dog lol. We do supervise the children when they are holding the snakes and especially if they have them around their necks or in their faces, but we haven't had any problems at all with getting bit or struck at.

Yeah, I let them near my face. I have had nippy ball python babies. One of these days I'm going to forget that a particular hatchling is a nibbler, and I'm going to get nabbed in the nose. And my husband will cheer, because he's been waiting for this day ever since I brought home my first snake.

But most of my snakes won't even bite my finger at feeding time, and my finger looks a lot more like a likely meal when it's wiggling right in front of them. So I trust them pretty unconditionally around my face.

Depends on the snake, I suppose. James the Stimson's Python, Toby the BP, or Izzy the Spotted? Sure, no problemo. Betty the evil corn snake? Not a chance! :oops:

I'd never force myself on a snake, though, and only give "kisses" (nose-touches) when they initiate the movement towards my face... those specific pythons I mentioned will often do that, whereas some of my snakes avoid getting too close. I let the snakes decide how friendly they want to be, as each has a different level of comfort with me.

As for letting other people get in their faces, I'd only let ADULTS do that - and always at their own risk & with my warning. My 4yo niece has tried to give them kisses, and I just told her "never touch the face or head, only the back." My 2yo nephew hasn't gotten that close to my snakes yet, but I'll tell him the same if/when he ever does.

My bps climb all over my shoulders, ears, nose, on-top of my head, and tongue my face on a regular basis. I am in no way worried of getting nipped in the face. It's such a large object to be confused with food.. I'd be more worried about my hands while picking them up, honestly.

I have been bitten twice, once by an adult that was obviously mad, and once by a hatchling while I was holding it, out of nowhere. Both resulted in a laugh.

I let my Bp go wherever he wants, face, neck, arms, shoulders... He really likes going up and moving in and out of my goatee. Sometimes I have to move him out of the way because he will wrap himsself around my neck then head over my face so he can rest his chin on the top of my head and his body is covering my oeyes so I have to push him aside so I can see what I am doing.:) At night he will spend most of his time wrapped around the inside of my heaphones while we watch a movie together, constantly reaching his head over to lick my nose or eye. I do not worry about it at all, he has never hissed, coiled or struck at me. I pat him on the top of the head and rub the bottom of his chin and have never so much as had him flinch.
Like a lot of other have said in here, it all depends on the individual snake and how well you now hin and how comfortable they are with you.
And as for the Salmonella, that's a joke.

I think it’s worth separating the two different scenarios

Letting a snake slither around your shoulders then across your face as that’s relatively safe apart from germs / bacteria as the snake is very unlikely to strike .

Whereas If I’ve got a snake out I’d never let it approach my face and I’d never put my face up to the snake’s face /head .

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

I think it’s worth separating the two different scenarios

Letting a snake slither around your shoulders then across your face as that’s relatively safe apart from germs / bacteria as the snake is very unlikely to strike .

Whereas If I’ve got a snake out I’d never let it approach my face and I’d never put my face up to the snake’s face /head .

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Well before someone teases you about it, I'm sure you know you're replying to a 10-year old post...BUT, this is a really relevant subject, & I do agree with you on this.

I like to get [nearly] all my snakes to be calm near my face so that I'm never bitten in a panic during times that I've shared them in programs, and it's never by "directly" going face to face- always it's a slow & calm progression of taking advantage of round-about, indirect contacts while they learn that my face is harmless. If it's cold, I also go out of my way to breathe warm air on them too, so they associate my face as being someplace comfortable, like their warm hide.

So far, my "feel" for when a snake is completely relaxed being near my face has never failed me, & they do seem to retain this. It's always better to start when snakes are young & small, & many of my snakes have grown up with me, so there's that too. I do let some snakes approach my face, but it depends on the body language- let's face it, I know them well. If you have ANY uncertainty about doing this, just don't- your snake isn't likely to care anyway.

It's not that different from the way you feed a snake also- it's never done by having a f/t rodent (supported by tongs) dance directly at a snake's face. It's all about them appearing to nonchalantly pass by the snake, making the proximity seem incidental. Most snakes are just shy & cautious- they live longer that way. The basic idea is not to appear threatening to a snake, whether it's you or their food.

You’ll get all different answers from all different people.. but the bottom line is they are not a thinking, domesticated animal, and even a domestic animal can bite so why would anyone risk their eyeball period? I love the videos were stupid people do dumb things to snakes and get them stuck to their face. I just hope the animals are ok after.


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I can see both sides but every individual has to decide for themselves what level of risk they want to deal with. I can read my animals well, and there are times I would let them near my face and times I wouldn't. I've also seen people on youtube who are really trying to teach others to keep the animals face away from yours, and in the very process of doing so they are making quick movements towards the animals face that if the animal was going to get fearful and bite ever, this would be the time for it to happen! I think it's good to teach as a general practice not to have them near your face because a lot of people don't know how to read their body language. How many times have you heard "Aww look, my BP is waiting at the front of his enclosure for me to take him out because he misses me and wants to cuddle!!"?

I realised it was an old thread :)

I was searching through our archives for a decent thread on the topic as I see so many videos / photos online with small children putting their face right up to the jaws of huge Retics ..

This thread is the GodFather of all the relevant threads :)


https://images.app.goo.gl/71nc2zcvQRyLFYnHA


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

I realised it was an old thread :)

I was searching through our archives for a decent thread on the topic as I see so many videos / photos online with small children putting their face right up to the jaws of huge Retics ..

This thread is the GodFather of all the relevant threads :)


https://images.app.goo.gl/71nc2zcvQRyLFYnHA


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Yeah, who couldn't see that bite coming? :rolleyes: But obviously, young children don't, and sadly, many adults don't either. It's a topic well worth revisiting. :gj:

It takes time for virtually everyone to learn to read a snake's body language- & still some catch on better than others- just like with any other animals, not everyone is equally good with dogs, cats, or riding horses, etc. I will also agree that no one who is new to snakes should be getting "face to face" with them, & the same goes for if the snake is newly acquired.

I don't think it's a good idea to put a snake by your face. Particularly when its involuntary by the animal. Mine sometimes stretches his neck out all the way and sniffs/licks my face but he's in a totally relaxed state and did it on his own. I'm still doing it at my own risk, though. I read the mood wrong once, and I'll get a bite.

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Originally Posted by Trinityblood

I don't think it's a good idea to put a snake by your face. Particularly when its involuntary by the animal. Mine sometimes stretches his neck out all the way and sniffs/licks my face but he's in a totally relaxed state and did it on his own. I'm still doing it at my own risk, though. I read the mood wrong once, and I'll get a bite.

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And I'm not suggesting anyone "force" the issue either, but sooner or later, most of our snakes end up near our face, especially once they get longer. That's why I'd rather teach them while they're the size of a pencil, rather than waiting for their bite to have more significance. There's some element of risk in many things we do in life, & we don't all have the same comfort level for all the same things. Some of my methods probably seem goofy, but they work for me. No one should do anything that doesn't feel natural to them just because it works for me or anyone else. That's often how it begins though, with our snakes just being curious & sniffing our faces. If we're tense about that, it might spook them, but if we can manage to really relax, I think that helps- at least it has for me. If you've ever seen snakes bump into one another, a similar thing takes place- identification as harmless & no "escalation".

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Originally Posted by nikkubus

...I think it's good to teach as a general practice not to have them near your face because a lot of people don't know how to read their body language. How many times have you heard "Aww look, my BP is waiting at the front of his enclosure for me to take him out because he misses me and wants to cuddle!!"?

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I so agree. :D And how many people know (or notice) a strike coil when they see one?

The flip side happens all the time too- a hungry snake chases the owner's motion thru the glass, but has NO desire to actually bite THEM, yet so many people do take it that way. :rolleyes:

The longer you live with lots of snakes, the easier it is to read them, but most ppl haven't had that much exposure. So in general, "do as we say, not as we do". ;) -or, "don't try this at home".

And btw, I'm quite cautious with someone else's snakes too. It helps to know your own animals, & for them to know us.

I let my emerald tree boas and reticulated python near my face and crawl on my head. The rest I do not. It’s definitely very dependent on the personality of each snake.

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Originally Posted by wnateg

I let my emerald tree boas and reticulated python near my face and crawl on my head. The rest I do not. It’s definitely very dependent on the personality of each snake.

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Funny, I just realized that this thread originally started off being only about BPs, but since I no longer keep any, I answered with respect to my variety of snakes in mind, as did you. It's interesting too, because the ones you mentioned are some that most wouldn't think would be trustworthy being in your face, & the same is true for many of mine, & especially some of the snakes I've had in the past. But you can really tell that some snakes are smarter than others- & it's so much about their personality & how they mesh with us. :gj:

I've actually bit bit twice in the face by boas, but in neither case was the snake's head close to my face when they launched their strikes.

One was a big adult female that I had draped across my shoulders and behind my neck, with her tail wrapped around my right arm, and her front third supported by my left arm and hand so her head was pointed forward in the direction I was walking. Her head and mine were at about the same height, but her neck was resting on my hand which was held out in front of me; I was supporting but not holding her. I walked by a fan that was turned on, and when she felt the sudden breeze hit her from the right, she interpreted that as an attack, whipped around to the right, and popped me defensively on one cheek. I think we were both a bit surprised.

The other was a male adult boa that I was carrying into the house after some sun time in the yard. The entry has a screen/storm door and a regular exterior door. The spring on the storm door was a bit stiff at the time and it had a habit of hitting you in the back or foot if you didn't pass by it fairly quickly unless you held it open, which I couldn't do easily while I was holding the snake. I guess my quick movement into the house startled him and again, while his head wasn't anywhere near mine when he launched the strike, he actually got me just in front of my right ear to let me know he didn't appreciate his walking tree suddenly moving in an unexpected way.

So, with the bigger snakes at least, if it's in your hands, it's likely capable of reaching your face.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

...I walked by a fan that was turned on, and when she felt the sudden breeze hit her from the right, she interpreted that as an attack, whipped around to the right, and popped me defensively on one cheek.....So, with the bigger snakes at least, if it's in your hands, it's likely capable of reaching your face.

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That reminds me of an odd (but not serious & not face) bite that I got many years ago, when I walked past a mirror while carrying a snake- the snake apparently panicked when he caught sight of what probably appeared to him to be nearby motion- actually just our reflection in the mirror, but snakes survive because they have these instincts that make them react fast. While bites like this are very hard to anticipate, I think one thing that contributes is when it's a larger snake that doesn't feel so safe & supported by us in the first place- just a thought. (The snake I was carrying was not one that I raised, & it was a 6' rescue.)

(For a 10-year old thread, this one sure came roaring back to life. ;) )