striking position

this is a first for me. we have had vernon for about 3 weeks. he is doing well and feeding well too. yesterday though, i noticed that as i placed my hand into the viv to handle, he seemed to go into an S position which i interpreted as aggression. i decided not to handle him. a few minutes later though, my son just opened the lid and picked him up with not much hullaballoo. is the aggression normal? or was that really aggression? vernon is around 2 feet long. largest girth is probably the size of an italian sausage. if he does strike, will the bite cause bleeding? is it painful? anything to be worried about?

thanks!

ed

It could be that he was just trying to position himself to get a "better look" at the thing entering into his home. It could be that you startled him with an abrupt movement. Or anything in between.


If he happened to strike, the results would probably depend on WHY he struck. If you scared him, he would hit you and back off right away. Could be anything from bumping you with a closed mouth, to nailing you with his teeth, but not holding on at all. Such a bite might sting like a paper-cut at the worst, and might bleed a tiny bit.

If there's a feeding error involved and he thinks your hand is food, he may bite and hold on. That might hurt a bit more and/or bleed a bit more. Where the bite actually hits would have a lot to do with both. Some places are just more sensitive than others.

The BEST advice I can give is to condition yourself to expect it to happen. And imagine yourself getting bit and NOT jerking your hand away. It's that reflexive jerking-away that causes the worst injury...causing the teeth to tear through your skin and possibly causing the snake to lose teeth, leaving them embedded in you.

All that being said...I personally have never been bitten by either of my snakes and am only speaking from all I've read and what I've imagined. I do try to imagine it happening to me, though, and sort of mentally reherse my reaction to it, so I am not shocked should it ever occur.

(Bet you work expecting a full-legth article to answer, huh? :P )

First off it is not 'aggression'. A ball python (especially a young one) if naturally afraid of most everything. It's what keeps them alive in the wild. Since you haven't had your snake that long yet, he is still afraid of you, and may adopt a defensive posture like you described.

Often the best thing to do when handling the snake is just what your son did.. pick them up without hesitation.

If he does bite you, it is not a big deal. It may bleed a little, but I'd rather have a bite from a baby BP than get a paper cut in most cases!

I agree i dont think it was aggression. I think you just startled him and he drew back.
There is a rather funny post on kingsnake tho of one of the gals being bit and she even posted a pic or two! Strange feediong response, or something like that the post was labeled you should check it out! Ill try and find the link if i can later on!

In any case you should become familure with what to do incase of a bite wether it be a feeding response or defensive response!
If its a feeding response do you know what to do if they bite and start to constrict and wont let go? Cold water ran over them, alchahol, top shelf perferably, lol, gently bending the tail back, i dont like that one myself as you can damage your snake, as with the brandy might do some damage to the eyes or mouth but i dont know that for a fact. Anywho i would definitly recomend learning some ways of getting them to release if ever biten and constricted!!

Good luck!!

ok thanks for the replies everyone. btw, i posted a while back about feeding 2 mice. didnt work. he ate one, but sort of ignored the next one. as for the feeding technique, this time, leaving the f/t mouse did not gather much attention. i had to dangle it in front of him using tongs. that was spooky though, because he struck and it startled me. :)

ed

A baby ball biting you? Pour alcohol in its mouth? Are you serious...? I would rather be bit by a baby ball, feeding response or not, than get a paper cut or have to deal with someone's flippin' evil Pomeranian or Poodle ANY day. The safe thing to do "if" a baby ball python ever bites you is to be calm and LET it bite you. There is more harm done if you try to do something. Breaking their teeth off can cause alot more problems than if you just sat there and let him chew on you.

I think I'd take pinpoint holes that I can't find again in the morning over a baby ball having mouth abscesses from teeth ripping out or irritation from having alcohol poured in its mouth(or aspiration into the lungs)...

Yeah the dog scratches I get at work from little yorkies hurt more and longer than your average snake bite!

I agree - let them chew on you. They will let go (I promise) once they realise you are not edible and you're not going to eat them. Usually it's a tag and release though.

I'm still a newbie so I totally understand. It just takes some getting used to---to get over the startle factor of when they 1. Strike the tongs to eat, or 2. Take a nip at you.


After a few feedings, you'll get used to the WHAM! factor and won't jump. ;) Once Baby BP realizes you're not food, he'll let go. U just need to remember to not pull back.

I'm still working on that one. And now that I've got a much bigger boa, it's something I have to keep reminding myself, but after that first day, Hera's not even shown any interest in taking a nip. :D

Enjoy!

Ed the drawback into the S position isn't always about aggression, it can also be just your small BP pulling his vulnerable head back from a perceived danger. As has been said, remember that these young snakes are prey just as much as they are predators so they don't know you aren't some big dangerous predator come to eat em up.

With all our snakes we try to get them used to a routine so they know when we are intending to handle them. Over and over till they get that danger isn't present. However, no matter what you do...remember these are snakes....not long domesticated mammals...not creatures that actively seek your touch. Strikes for whatever reason are going to happen and happen to the best keepers in the world I'm sure. I just consider it part of owning snakes (and why I'd personally never own a hot) and try to minimize the things that would trigger one of ours to strike but in the end....it's gonna happen.

As far as damage, even a strike from our biggest and most aggressive female Brannagh (over 2,000 grams) was not a major deal for my husband. The bite she gave me again was literally nothing (though that one was through gloves). I've said it before but I'll say it again....I've been bit far worse by my own infants LOL. Just wash it well with hot soapy water and dab on some neosporin and you're good to go!

What I do is when taking any of my BP's out of their tubs for handling, cleaning, weighing etc, is that I use a snake hook. A small one for the hatchlings and a larger one for my bigger ones. After they are removed with the hook, I then put their bottom half in my other hand (put down the hook) then have them slither onto my other hand. It lets them know that its time for human interaction.....it has worked for me so far....just my 2 cents!!

Yes hooks are very useful, especially if you're feeling a bit timid. Gloves are a help too. I use both regularly for some of my less than calm snakes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

A baby ball biting you? Pour alcohol in its mouth? Are you serious...? I would rather be bit by a baby ball, feeding response or not, than get a paper cut or have to deal with someone's flippin' evil Pomeranian or Poodle ANY day. The safe thing to do "if" a baby ball python ever bites you is to be calm and LET it bite you. There is more harm done if you try to do something. Breaking their teeth off can cause alot more problems than if you just sat there and let him chew on you.

I think I'd take pinpoint holes that I can't find again in the morning over a baby ball having mouth abscesses from teeth ripping out or irritation from having alcohol poured in its mouth(or aspiration into the lungs)...

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As i stated before i probablly wouldnt use the alcohol and do not know of the negative affects it would have on the snake. Things i have read!! Babies grow up, snakes will always be snakes and you may have unconditional love for your snake just remember your snake has unconditional curiousity torwards you!! Knowing a few techniques for getting any kind of constrictor off of you or someone that may be handling your snake in my mind is a responsibility you should not over look! There are many different situations that can occur wether it be a feeding response attack and your buddys kid is handling him for a minute or whatever, you should know atleast 2 different ways of getting that snake off for his safety and the person being attacked!!

Reach on in there and take those tags! You'll be a better person for it! :)

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Reach on in there and take those tags! You'll be a better
person for it! :)

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haha that's what i keep trying to tell myself. Mine too likes to be in the S shape a lot but lately i just reach in there stroke him, then pick him up. I've seen a huge improvement in my boa within the last 2-3 weeks from reg. handling and not letting his aggression shy me away.

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Originally Posted by Davu

As i stated before i probablly wouldnt use the alcohol and do not know of the negative affects it would have on the snake. Things i have read!! Babies grow up, snakes will always be snakes and you may have unconditional love for your snake just remember your snake has unconditional curiousity torwards you!! Knowing a few techniques for getting any kind of constrictor off of you or someone that may be handling your snake in my mind is a responsibility you should not over look! There are many different situations that can occur wether it be a feeding response attack and your buddys kid is handling him for a minute or whatever, you should know atleast 2 different ways of getting that snake off for his safety and the person being attacked!!

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The 'techniques' that you refered to are sometimes recommended for LARGE snakes. It seems that since they are recommended on a TV show about large constrictors that makes them the best option for ALL snakes. ALL of those recommendations can be harmful to a smaller animal. The recommendations that you made would be similar to recommending how to get a house cat off a person by refering to what to do if a tiger attacks. I have been bitten by ball pythons(big and small) NUMEROUS times and have never had a reason to use any of those methods.

A defensive strike is just that.....defensive. In this situation the person is the 'attacker' and generally the ball python will only 'tap' the person. This situation rarely results in any pain or even blood.

A food response strike is intended for food and is usually the keepers fault. Not feeding without tongs and handling with 'animal' smell on your hands are the two most common mistakes.

Look out.....she bites ;)
http://www.danielhillreptiles.com/co...s/Astrild2.JPG

Good lord!! Are certain people really that closed minded!!!???? Big, little, white, black, who give a $%^*!!! If you read my post I said a feeding response attack NOT a defensive attack!! If i just got taged by my snake and it was not attached to my arm of course im not going to go running around pouring buckets of water on it etc.
If for some reason you have your friend over and there 12 year old wants to hold your snake and for some unknown reason he bites the kids arm and wraps himself up around his arm then Im thinking it would be a good idea to try and get him off and knowing how to do that makes you a responsible keeper!! Just 2 days a girl got bite and the snake constricted her arm, she tried a few different things to get him off and none worked for her. She finally had to soak him in a bucket of ice water! The snake was on her arm for 5 minutes plus! Im not going to argue with everyone on this, if you dont think that knowing general knowledge of how to get any size constrictor/snake off you then thats your own opinion! I was simply giving some advice to people that may not know or of thought about the situation ever accuring!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

The 'techniques' that you refered to are sometimes recommended for LARGE snakes. It seems that since they are recommended on a TV show about large constrictors that makes them the best option for ALL snakes. ALL of those recommendations can be harmful to a smaller animal. The recommendations that you made would be similar to recommending how to get a house cat off a person by refering to what to do if a tiger attacks. I have been bitten by ball pythons(big and small) NUMEROUS times and have never had a reason to use any of those methods.

A defensive strike is just that.....defensive. In this situation the person is the 'attacker' and generally the ball python will only 'tap' the person. This situation rarely results in any pain or even blood.

A food response strike is intended for food and is usually the keepers fault. Not feeding without tongs and handling with 'animal' smell on your hands are the two most common mistakes.

Look out.....she bites ;)

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Dead on there! Thanks Daniel!

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Originally Posted by Davu

Good lord!! Are certain people really that closed minded!!!???? Big, little, white, black, who give a $%^*!!!

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There is no reason for that.

You gave advice. I think your advice is WRONG for BALL PYTHONS and stated my thoughts on the topic. It is that simple and is nothing personal.

Gotta love forums and peoples differences!! You stated your thoughts and i stated mine! You think im wrong and i think your wrong! Lets go have a beer and call it a day! :)

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Originally Posted by Davu

Gotta love forums and peoples differences!! You stated your thoughts and i stated mine! You think im wrong and i think your wrong! Lets go have a beer and call it a day! :)

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The difference is that no one accused you of being closed minded, nor resorted to veiled cursing. Differences of opinion are fine, but we work hard to keep things civil.

And please understand that when experienced, respected members get a bit vehement in their disagreements, it is never personal. It is because they are passionate not only about their own animals' well beings, but the health and "happiness" of all our member's pets...especially the new people who are just learning and may read dangerously wrong information and take it to heart. Just keep that in mind, please. We feel it is our responsibility (and even our whole purpose for being here) to provide accurate and safe information for people who want to learn how to best take care of their reptiles.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Davu

Gotta love forums and peoples differences!! You stated your thoughts and i stated mine! You think im wrong and i think your wrong! Lets go have a beer and call it a day! :)

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:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

Which is why i joined this site!!
Everyone has there opinions and i stated mine! If someone can not see the sense in my advice they dont need to go accusing me of being totally wrong. If a handler is in danger then the safety of the handler needs to be thought of first and foremost! No advice I gave has any long term ill effect to my knowledge or the knowledge of anything i have read in books, forums etc.
No one on any site has all the answers. Everyone has the right to make there own choices on what information they choose to use in there husbandry practices. No one should take any one persons advice as concrete ways to do things!

Thanks,
Mike

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

Look out.....she bites ;)
http://www.danielhillreptiles.com/co...s/Astrild2.JPG

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What a cute little stinker! Yep, get bitten by that one and you'll give the infection addictus python regius...very fatal.

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Originally Posted by cassandra

What a cute little stinker! Yep, get bitten by that one and you'll give the infection addictus python regius...very fatal.

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LOL theyre like vampires!!!

Just to make sure... this is the Ball Python - Husbandry forum, correct?


Okay... now that we have that straight...and since the orriginal poster was asking about "normal" behavior....

I would like to hear everyone's experiences with being attacked by a ball python, how long said python held on for... and how many stitches were required in order to close said wounds. I only ask this because evidently in order to be a responsible keeper of these animals (I have quite a few) I should know these things to provent my 3 foot, 2lb snakes from eating someone in the house.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ddbjdealer

Just to make sure... this is the Ball Python - Husbandry forum, correct?


Okay... now that we have that straight...and since the orriginal poster was asking about "normal" behavior....

I would like to hear everyone's experiences with being attacked by a ball python, how long said python held on for... and how many stitches were required in order to close said wounds. I only ask this because evidently in order to be a responsible keeper of these animals (I have quite a few) I should know these things to provent my 3 foot, 2lb snakes from eating someone in the house.

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Bahahaha...Ken, you are the best dude... :)

Wouldn't it be pretty easy to unwrap an 'attacking' ball python and gently pry the mouth off? It's not like they have the jaw strength of a retic..

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Originally Posted by Shelby

Wouldn't it be pretty easy to unwrap an 'attacking' ball python and gently pry the mouth off? It's not like they have the jaw strength of a retic..

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Ditto.

Here is a little story for you all. This is not my personal experience I actually copied and pasted it from another forum! Enjoy!

#*#*#*#*#*#*Thought y’all might get a laugh out of this story~ it is *kind of* funny!

So~ I mentioned before that I have this 6 year old rescue snake that is only 500 grams right? Well on Tuesday a young (18 or so?) neighbor girl and her boyfriend came over wanting to know if I had any BPs available. I don’t right now, but I do have these rescues (including the small 6 year old) that will be ready for new homes *soon*. So~ I showed her several of my big BPs, and explained that BPs “Rarely bite, and if they do it’s not really a big deal” (famous last words…….can you see it coming?)

Then I take her to the quarantine area to show her the rescues that will need homes soon. I pull out this small 6 year old and I’m explaining that this snake has been underfed and should be much larger. Just as I’m explaining that this snake has a very aggressive feeding response since being in my care the little *darling* (not the word I’m really thinking!) turns around and clamps down on my wrist right at the joint. Then wraps tight on my arm and proceeds to try his absolute best to KILL my arm (I’ll never be hungry again!).

Very calmly, and trying not to admit how VERY badly that hurts I explained that the snake is always hungry and it’s not that the snake is mean, just that at this point he doesn’t understand that he can’t eat anything warm and moving he spots. My fault, not his. The girl is practically in a panic~ wants to pry the snake off my arm. No! Very calmly I explain that if I just run my arm under the cold tap he’ll lose his appetite and let go.

20 minutes later I’m dripping blood profusely and the snake has NOT given up. He’s actually doing an admirable job of killing my arm.

I tell her, no problem, he’s just determined. We’ll take him down stairs and spritz a shot of bourbon in his face. He’ll lose his appetite.

5 more minuites…..the snake and I have both had a shot of bourbon…….and he won’t let go. Lots more blood and it’s getting difficult to pretend it doesn’t hurt!

No problem……here help me get this bucket. Poor all that ice in there please. Yes…..fill it with water to the top. This should ruin his appetite……..any time now…….the ice water is making my arm hurt less (there is a plus!) Wow…..I didn’t think they could hold their breath quite THAT long!

FINALLY he lets go~

And shoots out of the bucket lunging for my other arm!!

I avoided that one~ got a hold of his head with my free hand~ and dripping blood and ice water dashed him back upstairs to put him in his tub!

The girl didn’t call back, I don’t think she wants a BP anymore

I don’t understand why not……..

They “rarely bite, and if they do it’s not really a big deal”

Do I hear the distant rumblings of a Poll??

That's a seriously rare case, Davu. O_O

LOL!!! I totally understand that it is a rare case. All i was trying to say is that it can happen so why not be raedy for it! That was my whole point.
At this point whatever i say or do isnt going to matter much as i am sure I will be met with more negative posts about such and such but hey its all good. I would rather tell someone that the odds of a situation like that happening is RARE but incase it does heres some info on how to handle it!

Oh, and I can definitely respect that. In fact, I encourage that anyone be prepared. I would just hope that you would emphasize the fact that these snakes are not dangerous. (No negativity from me, lovey).

LOL!!!! that had me rollin!!!! I've only been struck once-at feeding time-my fault-but that's crazy

I love the part where they both had a shot!

Yea same here!! I think I laughed for 20 minutes after reading that post!! Definitly some good stuff there. I just hope that it helps my case in that things like that can happen with balls even though its not common!

Was this guys life ever in danger? The way you make it sound is if ball pythons are some kinda human killing machine. Whoever wrote that only sounds like a good 'story teller' to me. How interesting would it have been if they just stated....'I got bit by a 500 gram ball python'. ...instead they tell as story that sounds like Indiana Jones wrestling an adult anaconda. I don't doubt that he may have recieved a bad bite....but the story sounds a bit too elaborate IMO.

Just a few pointers for everyone......If you have a problem snake, do not use that as your 'show snake' and take some kinda precautions to prevent biting(i.e. gloves, etc.). If you are worried about a snake biting a kid, then don't let the kid near the snake.

When people do not follow simple keeper rules, things happen and 'killer python' stories like this start floating around the net. Some animal activist reads it....and next thing you know the government is trying to take away your right to own ALL snakes.

The first time I was bitten, I was bitten by my yearling male. I'd noticed that he'd gotten a bunch of paper in his water (I was using a method Adam suggested to calm him down) and so I wanted to get the newspaper out of the water and change it. Anyhoo. I set him down on my desk. BAD IDEA. If you've ever seen those desks with the CDesque towers built in...yeah. He got up into one of them. -Bangs head on desk.- So...I had to pull out a bunch of CDs and then take out the dividers. Once two were gone(there were three) I just decided to stick my hand down in the last one to get him. WHAM. I pulled the third one off, grumbling to myself, put him back in his tank and went to school. I was so angry with myself, but it wasn't more than a papercut.

Fine advice. I dont think the poster meant it to be a killer python story however! She posted that in a way to seem comical! If you had read the following statements you would understand that she did not mean it as a scare tactic or to be negative torwards balls in anyway. I just wanted to post it as an example of what i was saying. Im not saying that balls are verocious killers or that any kind of attack could or would seriously injure anyone. All I wanted to point out is that it can happen and the person that is not ready for it can or will freak out and damage the snake more then help it.
If you dont know how to handle a situation like that, for example removal methods then if a bite like that does occur your going to freak due to your lack of knowledge on whats going on and maybe you think that the poor thing is never going to let go or you just dont know how to get him off of you without causing serious damage to your snake.
I can see that even still I am totally wrong in other peoples mind and I will end anymore replies to this thread! Everyone has there own mind and make the decsion wether or not I have merit in what im trying to get accross!!

Thanks for listening to what i have had to say!
Mike

Daniel: Mike didn't make it sound like anything. He posted the story. That's all he did. I think he wanted to show people that on rare, rare, rare occasions, this can happen.

Don't be so hard on the kid.

Hey Im older then you!!! :neener: Whats with the kid stuff?? LMAO :colbert2:

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Originally Posted by Davu

Hey Im older then you!!! :neener: Whats with the kid stuff?? LMAO :colbert2:

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NOT FAIR!? -Sighs.-

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Originally Posted by Melicious

Daniel: Mike didn't make it sound like anything. He posted the story. That's all he did. I think he wanted to show people that on rare, rare, rare occasions, this can happen.

Don't be so hard on the kid.

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That comment really had nothing to do with the story...

...when he keeps repeating the word 'attack' everywhere it sounds like he is saying ball pythons are some kind of monster out trying to intentionally hurt people. Maybe another word should be used besides 'attack'....that just sounds so negative.

These two phrases sound completely different to me...or maybe I am just over sensative.

"What to do if a ball python bites you"

"What to do if a ball python attacks you"

Get my point ;)

Wow all this new fuss is now over a word? Ok, ok, bites with the intention to constrict, kill, and eat your hand! lol Here is another one, Mistakes hand for meal. And also maybe you are being just a tad bit sensitive. lol No biggy like i said, after i posted the story i knew that someone would have something negative to say and ofcourse i would still be wrong! No worries! It has gotten to the point of just being funny to me and anything anyone has to say about it just adds to the laughter! lol

Mike

P.S. Hey Daniel1983 have yourself a great weekend!!

Did this person ever just try unwrapping this snake (quite easy since this is a small snake) and physically removing the mouth? All that shennanigans was unnecessary. I don't see why this is such a debate.. lol.. if I can unwrap my 7' boas from myself when they're upset with me and constricting my arm, then this person can unwrap a 500g ball python.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Davu

bites with the intention to constrict, kill, and eat your hand!

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Do you HAVE a BP, Davu? Have you ever SEEN a BP? I'm confused!

....this weekend I'm sending my entire collection to attack class!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Davu

Wow all this new fuss is now over a word?

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I realize you're probably relatively new to this hobby, but there is a reason why people in this hobby get sensitive to words such as "attacked". If you browse through the news on any herp related issues, or check out all the movies about snakes, you will notice how negative the public portrays these creatures. The people that really love these animals and appreciate them for what they are would like nothing better than to change the publics opinion on these wonderful animals. Using words like "attack" only perpetuates the stereotypes that people have about snakes, and makes keeping these snakes more difficult in the long run.

You know guys your all experts and your totally right! Things like i have posted never ever happen and I am sorry for being so silly about it! My bad! Wont happen again!!

I definitely have to agree with you, Deus. I just think that he was half-assedly joking and everyone jumped on him.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Davu

You know guys your all experts and your totally right! Things like i have posted never ever happen and I am sorry for being so silly about it! My bad! Wont happen again!!

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Wow, sarcasm doesn't suit you. But I'll answer your concerns neverthless. 9 out of 10 times if a Ball bites you, it will be a defensive bite and will either hit with a closed mouth or will bite and release with nothing more than a few pin pricks to show for it. You probably won't even realize it bit you. If a Ball does confuse you for a meal and clamps/constricts, then most of the time all you have to do is wait a couple of minutes and she will realize you're not a meal and let go. If she doesn't let go, you can unwrap her, grab her head and get her to release. You may end up hurting her, so the best thing to do is to allow her to release on her own even if it takes 15 minutes. This isn't a huge python, so you won't have to run to get the alcohol, get the ice water, etc. Sure, you can try those things, but they're not necessary and may end up harming your Ball.

Hello,

My name is Cheryl……and I wrote that story about the BP who intended to eat my arm. I’ve never been to this site before, and didn’t really want to get drug into someone else’s argument…….but Davu wrote me requesting permission to quote my post (very polite of him) and I kind of feel drug into the topic now.



I just want to clear a few things up. THAT WAS A STORY ABOUT ME DOING SOMETHING STUPID. Just want to make that clear to start. It was not the snakes fault, it was entirely my fault. I thought it was a funny story after the fact and thought I’d share it with others.



I KNEW that snake had been mistreated. I knew it had been starved for the most part. The boy who owned that snake was a neighbor who came to my house a handful of times in 3 ½ years to get a rat from me for his pet BP. I thought he was getting rats elsewhere and only coming to me when he was broke. I found out when his mother wanted to give the snake away that all the food he got in those 3 ½ years came from me. Lord knows how often he was fed before I moved here.



I am not a snake rescue. I am no expert by any means. I’ve been keeping and breeding snakes for 5 years and I took that snake in out of pity as a rescue. I NEVER should have pulled that snake out in front of a potential newbie. It was STUPID and the snake taught me a fine lesson on over confidence (they rarely bite, and if they do it’s not really a big deal)! It was a stupid thing to do. I should have recognized that snake was inspecting my arm a little too intently, and realized he was entirely too worried about where and when his next meal was coming from. I brought the animal in, for three weeks introduced it to the idea that food came with my scent on a regular basis………..and then picked up the snake to show a newbie.



As far as removing the snake. Yes I could have uncoiled him, and I did try a little. But he was very intense and I really didn’t want to tear out any of his teeth and make my arm hurt more and possibly harm him. He was sure he could eat something that smelled like the food delivery if he could just make it stop struggling! (poor guy). The cold tap should have worked. It would have worked with a snake less food intense than he is.



All that said, I do agree that the word “attack” is inflamatory~ and it is really not nessesary to arm a newbie with multiple methods for removing a starving snake from your arm……..But people do stupid things all the time (not just me!) While Davu may have approached y’all more aggressively in his stance than is needed……is it really all that outrageous for him to suggest to newbies that if you do take a feeding strike and the snake coils……run him under the cold tap at your bathroom sink so he’ll let go on his own rather than pry his body off your arm and probably tear out some of his teeth into your flesh?



I don’t want to argue with y’all. I pretty much agree with all of you….to a point. Why don’t y’all agree to disagree…..or agree that people are stupid and move on?