what to do if your boa bites and wraps

a girl called me with questions about her 6ft redtail...i am a ball python breeder and she wanted to know what to do if her red tail bit her and wrapped...i suggested using a thin, strong object like a snake hook or drumstick to try to open the jaws and get out of the bite and then try to remove and distance herself from the snakes body. i dont know what the proper course of action would be...would love to hear boa keepers suggestions.

Using something to pry the mouth open is a lot easier said then done, especially when you are doing it yourself with a snake wrapped on you. Only once have I had the experience of a snake bite and wrap, and it was when Chad was feeding out 10' albino burn girl. For some reason he didn't use the tongs, and she snagged him instead. I tried spraying her in the mouth but it didn't work. I had to pickup the rest of her body and carry her ( still attached to him ) upstairs into the bath tub and turn on the water. Once she let go, she also uncoiled.

oh perfect, i forgot the water trick! this is one of those things that people dont tend to think about when they buy the sweet little 2 foot red tail at Petco....

Lysterine mouth wash, as seen on snake bytes tv!

awesome thanks guys

My 6.5' BCC struck my thumb and wrapped my arm once. I carried her into he bathroom, blood drippping on the floor the whole way, and the uncoiled her (your friend may not be strong enough to do this). Once I go her unwrapped and found that she was not going to let go I decided to push my thumb further into her mouth to get her teeth unhooked. As soon as I did this she let go and was as chill as she usually was. I believe it was a feeding strike, as my ex hadn't fed her in quite a while, but either way, that is how I handled the situation.

If something bites me i just bite back. Not sure if that would work in this case though...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gsarchie

My 6.5' BCC struck my thumb and wrapped my arm once. I carried her into he bathroom, blood drippping on the floor the whole way, and the uncoiled her (your friend may not be strong enough to do this). Once I go her unwrapped and found that she was not going to let go I decided to push my thumb further into her mouth to get her teeth unhooked. As soon as I did this she let go and was as chill as she usually was. I believe it was a feeding strike, as my ex hadn't fed her in quite a while, but either way, that is how I handled the situation.

---

Why did you carry her into the bathroom to uncoil her? Why not just do it in the room it happened in?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21UBS...e_gdata_player

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by heathers*bps

Using something to pry the mouth open is a lot easier said then done, especially when you are doing it yourself with a snake wrapped on you. Only once have I had the experience of a snake bite and wrap, and it was when Chad was feeding out 10' albino burn girl. For some reason he didn't use the tongs, and she snagged him instead. I tried spraying her in the mouth but it didn't work. I had to pickup the rest of her body and carry her ( still attached to him ) upstairs into the bath tub and turn on the water. Once she let go, she also uncoiled.

---

Boy doesn't that sound like more fun than a barrel of monkeys... :D


Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tfpets

Lysterine mouth wash, as seen on snake bytes tv!

---

This is what I squirted into the burms mouth and it did not work. I'm not saying it does not work, but it didn't work for me.

My 8 foot wrapped me one day i used a blowdryer to get her off shot it in her face on high heat and she let go after a few seconds

Honestly, I've never tried it myself (mouth wash). Haven't needed to since I learned about it. But it's the only easy solution I have before attempting to drown my snake! LOL!

that video is wonderful

Lots of techniques out there, but one tip I wanted to add:

When un-wrapping a snake, start at the tail! It's pretty easy to un-wrap even a big snake if you start at the tail, it gives you all the leverage you need to tackle the next coil. This works extremely well for a second person trying to un-wrap a large snake from the person being bit/coiled.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mainbutter

When un-wrapping a snake, start at the tail!

---

+1, this is exactly what I did.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mike41793

Why did you carry her into the bathroom to uncoil her? Why not just do it in the room it happened in?

---

I was dripping blood everywhere and didn't want to trash the carpet in the bedroom, and the bathroom was 10 feet away from where I was in the bedroom.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gsarchie

I was dripping blood everywhere and didn't want to trash the carpet in the bedroom, and the bathroom was 10 feet away from where I was in the bedroom.

---

Ahhh ok, gotcha lol. Makes sense now :gj:

I've never had a boa do it to me, but I've gotten the latch-and-wrap twice from ball pythons. Both times there was plenty of space to fit a pen or pencil between their upper and lower jaws. And in both cases the bp immediately let go of me and started trying to work the pen out of its mouth, while I unwrapped it and dropped it straight back in the tub/tank.

Running the head under cold water seems to do the trick, even if it takes a few minutes.

Hi People, I'm new to this forum and looking forward to learn from the experience people and professionals and make lots of friends here, the best thing to do if a big snake bite you and wraps around you is to apply heat at any part of the body, like hot water, hair blower, cigarette lighter etc. something hot, the snake will let go before you blink again.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jay Cotty

Hi People, I'm new to this forum and looking forward to learn from the experience people and professionals and make lots of friends here, the best thing to do if a big snake bite you and wraps around you is to apply heat at any part of the body, like hot water, hair blower, cigarette lighter etc. something hot, the snake will let go before you blink again.

---

Dunno about this...snakes get thermal burns from heating elements, so I am not so sure heat will scare them away or off.

I have read that a bottle of vodka nearby does wonders (for the snakes mouth, not drinking). ;-)

The idea is also generally to get your snake to let go without harming them in the process. :rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WarriorPrincess90

The idea is also generally to get your snake to let go without harming them in the process. :rolleyes:

---

Yeeeeah.

I've only had one bite and coil and it was from my lil KSB, I was going to run her under some water but she let go after about 20 secs.

The one time I've had a bite and wrap feeding responce from a 6 footer, I got to the bathroom and fulled the sink with water to submerge the snakes head in. This worked great and the snake let go within 3-4 seconds. Alcohol in the mouth works wonder as well. Worst case scenario would be to break the snakes tail (bend it like a U and grip).