What a bite!

I got a really good bite from a BP today, not sure I really deserved it but it's an occupational hazard I guess. It was the worst one I've had yet, which is why I felt it worthy of writing about it. If there is a section for these stories, I couldn't find it- sorry- and if so, could it be moved?

Our family went to our favorite reptile shop today to pick up a mouse to feed to our little ball python. While we were there I asked if I could hold one of their large gravid female ball pythons. Just as I was gently handling the snake and explaining to my youngest daughter that even full-grown ball pythons are generally considered to be among the most peaceful of snakes, it suddenly decided to bite me- good and hard- right on the hand with no provocation or warning at all. This snake has not, to my knowledge, ever bitten anyone, and I'm not sure why she chose this moment to break that record, but perhaps it is simply because she was feeling extra defensive being gravid with young.

At any rate, she bit and twisted just like they usually do when they are biting onto a prey item. I tried to calm her down and get her to relax and let go, but every time someone came up to see if they could try to pry her mouth off my hand she would bite and twist harder. I think the store staff was more embarrassed/concerned than I was hurt. I asked if I could just sit down and try to calm her down without all the fuss to see if she would relax and let go. She coiled on tighter and started twisting trying to get her teeth out of my hand, but they had punctured clean through and were kind of stuck in place at that point, so the twisting only made it worse and I don't think she could easily let go. After about 20 minutes of this, one of the store personnel suggested that I just dunk my hand, snake and all, into a pond. The thought of salmonella entered my mind, but I figured it was worth a shot. After holding her underwater for a couple of minutes she began twisting vigorously and finally got her top jaw to let go. At that point I was able to pull her bottom teeth loose. After checking to make sure she was not hurt, I went to the sink and scrubbed the bite area with disinfectant soap and rubbed in plenty of hand sanitizer.

This is not the first time I've been bitten by a snake and I'm sure it won't be the last, but it's the first time I've had one that locked on like that. Usually it's over before you know it started. My hand has a few swollen spots and tiny puncture marks, and I think it will be a bit bruised but otherwise no big deal.

All in all it turned out to be an interesting trip to the pet store.

Why a pond when you had a sink available?

A feeding response? Maybe you smelled like rodent...being in a store with rodents and all. It happens....no pictures!? :gj:

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Originally Posted by LGray23

=no pictures!? :gj:

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x2 on pics!! :taz:

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...idnthappen.jpg

That is a pretty funny story. :rofl::rofl::rofl:

My gravid females are a bit testy at times.

In the pond because it was right there and handy, and the sink was a small little bathroom sink way in the back of the store that I didn't even know was there until after the snake had let go and I asked if I could clean the wound with more than just hand sanitizer.

It bled quite a bit at the time since the snake was squeezing my arm so tight, but I wasn't thinking about getting pictures before washing it off with disinfectant soap at the store. I'll get pictures of it now, but other than some swelling there isn't much to see at this point. It might be more interesting tomorrow or the next day once the bruising sets in (I tend to bruise slowly).

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i7...G_0007900p.jpg

Actually looks worse in the photo than it does in real life, LOL!

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Originally Posted by Eclectix

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i7...G_0007900p.jpg

Actually looks worse in the photo than it does in real life, LOL!

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Nice!! :gj:

Ya baby.. that's one steamer of a bite for a BP! Still haven't been oh so lucky to have a feeding response bite. Cant wait now.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

Nice!! :gj:

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Ditto!

Why not just run the snakes head under cold water to get her to loosen up and let go? Or use an alcohol swab from a first aid kit to get her to let go? Gravid females are pissy enough sometimes, idk why theyd let you hold one. I hope she reabsorbs the eggs and they dont get jack ship from her. If you dont know what to properly do in certain situations then dont put yourself in the position to experience said situations.

Any ladies here who have had kids? How would you all have liked to be picked up and handled then dunked in a pond while you were pregnant?

Tried the alcohol approach first; she didn't seem to care at all about it. I never handle snakes after handling rodents without thoroughly scrubbing my hands, so I would be surprised if I smelled like food. Also, I was not aware that she was gravid when I was handling her. They mentioned that fact afterwards- although to be honest my experience with ball pythons is limited enough that I would not have known that they tend to get more irritable when they are gravid (though it does make perfect sense). I just knew that she was a large, beautiful female BP and I wanted a better look at her.

Hahaha so funny!!

On a serious note, I don't mess with my gravid girls, as I don't want to stress them out and something happening to them or the eggs.

And I don't want to get tagged :D

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Originally Posted by Eclectix

Tried the alcohol approach first; she didn't seem to care at all about it. I never handle snakes after handling rodents without thoroughly scrubbing my hands, so I would be surprised if I smelled like food. Also, I was not aware that she was gravid when I was handling her. They mentioned that fact afterwards- although to be honest my experience with ball pythons is limited enough that I would not have known that they tend to get more irritable when they are gravid (though it does make perfect sense). I just knew that she was a large, beautiful female BP and I wanted a better look at her.

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I feel for you! What seemed to be a harmless educational opportunity backfired. It happens!

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Originally Posted by Eclectix

Tried the alcohol approach first; she didn't seem to care at all about it. I never handle snakes after handling rodents without thoroughly scrubbing my hands, so I would be surprised if I smelled like food. Also, I was not aware that she was gravid when I was handling her. They mentioned that fact afterwards- although to be honest my experience with ball pythons is limited enough that I would not have known that they tend to get more irritable when they are gravid (though it does make perfect sense). I just knew that she was a large, beautiful female BP and I wanted a better look at her.

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I see. Definetly not your fault then, i apologize for being sorta nasty. It was the dumb employees at the stores fault lol...

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I see. Definetly not your fault then, i apologize for being sorta nasty. It was the dumb employees at the stores fault lol...

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No apology needed. I'm actually a bit surprised that they didn't mention that she was gravid to me right from the start, because the guys at this store are usually pretty on top of things and have not steered me wrong in the past. I guess everyone makes mistakes.

My main concern was that the snake not be injured; people wanted to pry its jaws open and that didn't seem like a good idea to me. In my experience with being clamped down on by other animals (hermit crabs, parakeets and such) it is usually best to just be calm, try to get the animal to relax and they'll let go in due time. But after waiting for quite a while, it seemed to me that she had sort of gotten her teeth stuck, so every time she tried to let go, she would feel them twist a bit and feel that her teeth were stuck which would freak her out more and she'd bite down even harder.

Ouch!

That was actually a lot better than I was expecting, I was imagining that she got a pretty good sized chunk out of you. Fortunately, it's not too bad and probably won't scar if you don't pick at it. I hope your kid wasn't too scared. :P

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Any ladies here who have had kids? How would you all have liked to be picked up and handled then dunked in a pond while you were pregnant?

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:rofl:

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Originally Posted by Eclectix

Also, I was not aware that she was gravid when I was handling her. They mentioned that fact afterwards- although to be honest my experience with ball pythons is limited enough that I would not have known that they tend to get more irritable when they are gravid (though it does make perfect sense). I just knew that she was a large, beautiful female BP and I wanted a better look at her.

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They definitely should have told you that. I'm new to the whole ball python thing and I know not to even touch them after they've eaten or shedding unless I have to - if mine was pregnant I'd only touch her if it was an emergency, never mind let someone else, a stranger even, hold her! I don't blame you for wanting to get a better look, though. Learning experience for everyone.

I do hope she reabsorbs the eggs, though, if they didn't learn their lesson - that way they'll definitely learn not to let people hold their pregnant snakes, or at least warn them.

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Originally Posted by Eclectix

In my experience with being clamped down on by other animals (hermit crabs, parakeets and such) it is usually best to just be calm, try to get the animal to relax and they'll let go in due time. But after waiting for quite a while, it seemed to me that she had sort of gotten her teeth stuck, so every time she tried to let go, she would feel them twist a bit and feel that her teeth were stuck which would freak her out more and she'd bite down even harder.

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The problem is that ball python's teeth curve backward (kind of like fishhooks). It helps them swallow and hold on to their prey item, because they can't use their tongues like we can. It's a lot harder for them to remove themselves from something like that. Ever got stuck really badly on a fishhook, or tried to get one out of a fish or turtle? Either way, skin's going to be torn - hence why I thought it was going to look much, much worse. You were fortunate she came off so fast.