Ok, i REALLY need to stop this

I have a bad habit of jumping whenever i get struck at by my snakes, and honestly im not even afraid to get tagged (iv been tagged twice and it doesnt even hurt), but everytime i get struck at or even tagged i flinch like crazy. I guess its just the quickness of the attacks that startles me.

Does this wear off after awhile or after being stuck at multipule times? Cause honestly it annoys the crap outta me and im tired of it, but its just a natural instinct for me to jump and freak out.

Or is there anything i can do to help stop me from jumping or flinching? Im just afraid i might hurt my snakes.

Any help or recommendations are welcome, thanks guys!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...21809317_n.jpg
Lol Just Kidding Most People Are Like That. I Don't Do It With My BP's But I Do It With My Corns Cuz They Never Want To Let Go

Lol i saw the pic and i was like "really". But yeah its more annoying than anything, i dont care if i get bit honestly, but like i said i guess its the quick stricks that startle me.

lol something that you are doin is triggerin them to do that. do you feed in same enclosure?

No. Its just been my lucy texas rat, and i just got her 2 days ago. She tagged me when we got home, then she struck at me again today when i changed her water, but shes just a baby to.

Maby i should just stick my hand in there an let her bit the crap outta me, maby i'll be used to it then lol

oooooo you just got her i thought it was somthing you had for a while. let he calm down continue to hold her when u have a chance so that she can get use to. it should go away after a while. she just defensive right now

Well yeah i know she will calm down after i hold her for awhile, i just want to stop from being so jumpy when i get struck at lol.

I've been bit hundreds of times and I still jump when they strike. I don't know why I do either, I guess it just startles me. Instincts kick in :rolleyes:

I jump too, I think it's really a pretty normal reaction. I don't think it means you are afraid or anything, I think it is the same kind of instinct that make you put your arm out to break an unexpected fall, even if you are falling onto a pile of pillows.

I know very few people who don't at least flinch a little if a snake strikes and/or bites them. My theory is that our brains are hardwired to avoid any snakebite, harmless or not. A lot of our ancient ancestors probably stayed alive by just assuming all snakes could kill them, and which is probably why they still have such a bad rap. Those of us who bring a snake into our homes and love and care for it are really probably completely challenging the instincts wired into our brains. I say kudos for us for that, but I think that it means, for most of us anyway, we still jump when they bite! Can't have everything. ;)

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Originally Posted by Emily Hubbard

I jump too, I think it's really a pretty normal reaction. I don't think it means you are afraid or anything, I think it is the same kind of instinct that make you put your arm out to break an unexpected fall, even if you are falling onto a pile of pillows.

I know very few people who don't at least flinch a little if a snake strikes and/or bites them. My theory is that our brains are hardwired to avoid any snakebite, harmless or not. A lot of our ancient ancestors probably stayed alive by just assuming all snakes could kill them, and which is probably why they still have such a bad rap. Those of us who bring a snake into our homes and love and care for it are really probably completely challenging the instincts wired into our brains. I say kudos for us for that, but I think that it means, for most of us anyway, we still jump when they bite! Can't have everything. ;)

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That actualy makes alot of sense, i kinda feel normal now lol thanks for clearing that up for me :)

I wasnt sure if i was the only one who had this problem or if there was a way to prevent it.

My reaction has slowed a whole lot since I have worked for two reptile breeders and got bit 10 times a day. I still jerk a little, not nearly as much as I use to. Now it's just a little jump, and then a though that there's a snake latched onto my finger LOL :D

I feel you man. I jump every time my snakes jump at the rat. Good thing most of the times I can just leave the f/t rat in the tub and they will just go up and snatch it. Less jumping but there are times when I have to feed off tongs. It sucks. Not afraid, but still jump.

I plan on voluntering for a local reptile shop so i KNOW im going to get bit a couple times a day, so hopefully it will help my mind calm down and just get used to it. Everytime one of my snakes strikes i jump and think to myself "damnit, stop freaking out. You've been bit before, stop jumping!" lol but it just doesnt work.

I've heard people call it the 'flinch factor'. I think most keepers have it to some degree. I flinch when I'm struck at, and I don't fear getting bit at all. I've been keeping snakes for 5 years and I've been bit plenty of times, a couple of pretty bad bleeders but even then it's no big deal. I don't care about getting bit, but I still flinch every time! Drives me nuts.

Actually I have a story. I used to have a rough scaled sand boa. He was a TINY little thing and absolutely nuts. I got bit all the time, but he never broke skin and often I could barely feel it. Sometimes I'd be holding him and not paying attention (checking temps or cleaning or something) and I wouldn't even realize he was biting me until I looked at my hand. No pain involved whatsoever. I never hesitated to scoop him up out of his cage, I had no rational fear of him, but I'd often flinch and get chills down my spine when he bit me.

I think it's an instinctual thing, because it's certainly not a rational or even a conscious fear. I mean, I absolutely adore all of my snakes and I've never been afraid of them but there's some impulse in me that fears them. Or something like that. In any case, I find it extremely fascinating.

I think it would help to mentally EXPECT to get bit before you put your hand in. If you're ready for it, you're less likely to flinch as badly IF it happens.

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Originally Posted by FalconPunch

I think it would help to mentally EXPECT to get bit before you put your hand in. If you're ready for it, you're less likely to flinch as badly IF it happens.

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Yeah i naturally expect to get bit whenever i reach into any of my snakes enclosures but it doesnt work, they strike and i jump lol.

i catch snakes in louisiana ive been taged so many times by water snakes i dont even flinch any more it will stop after awhile but its a natural reaction for a human to try to retract from a snakes bite.

It's a hard reaction to break.

I don't flinch when small geckos chomp me, because it's a relatively slow action I guess. Gargoyle geckos like to chomp me when I hold them on their backs to loupe sex 'em, and it's not like it's 100% painless like many tiny snake bites.

I still flinch from snake strikes, but then again I've only been tagged a handful of times in recent years.

Haha this thread is great

I have a delayed reaction, after they strike, a second later it registers, and i get my hand out of the tub XD

I still flinch when my snakes strike at me...big or small.

It's not that I am scared...just quick reflexes...

I changed the water in my lucy texas rats enclosure today and she mean mugged me the entire time (this is the snake that strikes at me the most, and on a funny note shes my favorite out of my entire collection lol), it was like she was staring into my soul. Its like she was saying "Yeah that's right, just a little bit closer...come on i dare yuh." :evileye:

I'm determined to get her tame though, even knowing im going to get tagged countless times during the process, but i hope not. :please:

Next time you're going in to pick him up just close your eyes before your hand is in strike range. You know you're going to get tagged as usual but without seeing it you won't have that hand jerk reaction(hopefully).. With a bit of practice you should be able train yourself out of that reflex. As an added bonus it'll probably help with the taming process. Once he stops thinking his attitude is scaring the pants off you he might start settling down a bit.

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Originally Posted by John1982

Next time you're going in to pick him up just close your eyes before your hand is in strike range. You know you're going to get tagged as usual but without seeing it you won't have that hand jerk reaction(hopefully).. With a bit of practice you should be able train yourself out of that reflex. As an added bonus it'll probably help with the taming process. Once he stops thinking his attitude is scaring the pants off you he might start settling down a bit.

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She gets fed today so depending on how she eats im going to start her training after Christmas. Im going to try the latex glove trick, still makes your hands feel like real skin and gives off heat but taste like crap. Hopefully after bitting into a nasty latex glove a couple of times she'll give up and think "This dude taste horrible!" lol. :D

I don't really think that it's so much a hardwired fear of snakes. I think that it is more of a natural defense mechanism against sudden motion or noise which could be danger. It's the same reaction when a dog snaps at you, or a cat takes a swipe at you, or, you are walking past a bush and a bird suddenly flies out, or somebody unexpectedly walks up behind you. I feed all of my snakes with tongs. I watch them "S" up. I know they are going to strike. I expect it. I anticipate it. I even tell myself not to jump, but every time they strike, I jump...:cool: