Burm Bite!

Well it happened, my GF was petting my new burm "Zeus" and he turned around and tried to kill her hand, just measured him the other day and he is 8.5 feet. My GF did great! She didn't freak out and try to pull away, she called for me and I found her with her hand in the enclosure and the burm had a good bite and had thrown one coil on her hand, he was trying to throw a second coil but I positioned my GF so that he couldn't get a second coil on her hand. Now to get the snake to release was another story, I tried the alcohol trick and it made no difference, didn't even phase him. Next I tried hot water, not enough to burn but enough to make him uncomfortable, I slowly poured it on him and he released the coil and finally the bite.

What did my GF do wrong? She smelled like rat on her shirt, he thought it was feeding time. He had eaten three days ago but the smell caused the feeding response.

I think the alcohol thing is a myth, but then again I didn't want to use alot for fear of hurting the snake.

Here are some pic's of the battle scars on my GF hand.
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../1/burmhit.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...1/burmhit1.jpg

Wow........glad it wasnt worse.........

Where's the blood? :P

Glad everyone is ok.

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Originally Posted by Rapture

Where's the blood? :P

Glad everyone is ok.

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ROTFLMAO!!!! I know I wanted to take the pic after the snake released her but she went for the bathroom and cleaned it before I could get a pic. I tried to explain that it's a battle wound and the blood needs to be in the pic but she was already in the cleaning process. And here I thought I was the only one that wanted blood for the pic LOL!!!

haha. that sucks. i mean, that you didnt get the full on blood picture. haha.
glad it wasnt worse though!!

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Originally Posted by Amy1217

haha. that sucks. i mean, that you didnt get the full on blood picture. haha.
glad it wasnt worse though!!

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Ya I wanted blood too, right now it looks like she was trying to get a tattoo in the back of a car on a 4x4 trail.

Good thing though, she got right back in the saddle and helped me clean out the enclosure of the water and alcohol and even gave Zeus a bath and held him for a while. Even though she wasn't following the rules of not smelling like food I'm really proud of her for the way she handled herself by not freaking out, calling for help, and not being scared of handling him again because he was doing only what he knows.

well thats good. i have never been bitten by a snake, so i cant say how i would react. i would like to think that i would handle it as your gf did, but i doubt it.
lol.

Good thing you where there to help her. It doesnt look bad, but it looks a little swollen and its going to be hurting or uncomfortable for a few days. I got bit by my Albino burm too. But it was a feeding mistake too. :D

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Originally Posted by novato

Good thing you where there to help her. It doesn't look bad, but it looks a little swollen and its going to be hurting or uncomfortable for a few days. I got bit by my Albino Burm too. But it was a feeding mistake too. :D

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Tonight she is defiantly feeling it, she bruised in a few places and her hand is swollen and tender, she is icing it down and keeping it clean. She had the Burm out a few hours ago and held him for a while and they watched TV together. I feel better knowing that she isn't scared but she knows to stay on your toes at all times when dealing with the big snakes.

Was there really that much blood?:snake:

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Originally Posted by Tefoe

Was there really that much blood?:snake:

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No there wasn't a lot, she has quite a few little pin holes on both sides of her hand. I think by not trying to pull away it lessened the amount of skin damage. I'm really proud of her for the way she handled herself, granted she made a mistake but we have had talks about what steps to take in a situation like that and she followed it to a "T". Before we decided to house giants we sat down over many pots of coffee and talked about the things that could happen and how to correct them, we talked about proper "safe" housing for others in the family to make sure no one can access the big ones without us present. We made sure we knew the requirements of the animal, we use double handlers on anything over 8ft (which wouldn't have mattered yesterday on the initial bite but for the release it did). We also came to an understanding that these animals only tolerant us and only get used to be handled, they don't have feelings like we do, and most of all stay on your toes, watch the body language, when you get too comfortable is when mistakes can be made.

well I can honestly say that after seeing that. I'm not too worried about the damage from when I get bit by one of my ball pythons. have not been bit yet, but I have one that is anxious to be the first. Hopefully I will be able to not pull away like you gf. I think that will be the tough part. Congrats to her for how she handled it.

We also have a Blood python and a Boa that I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of a bite, everything else in the collection is under 4.5 ft and not much to worry about. Got a few full size BP's that may do some damage but I think she has taken one of the worst bites in our collection and now doesn't worry too much about the others.

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Originally Posted by viper94bite

well I can honestly say that after seeing that. I'm not too worried about the damage from when I get bit by one of my ball pythons. have not been bit yet, but I have one that is anxious to be the first. Hopefully I will be able to not pull away like you gf. I think that will be the tough part. Congrats to her for how she handled it.

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it's not that bad, my other one a while ago bit me and it barely registered (he was approx 3 1/2 ft, i had him around my neck and a friend didn't realize and tried to initate some wrestling, which aelfric decided he didn't appreciate and he bit me on the shoulder)- i actually had to be TOLD i was just bit before i realized what happened.

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Originally Posted by viper94bite

well I can honestly say that after seeing that. I'm not too worried about the damage from when I get bit by one of my ball pythons. have not been bit yet, but I have one that is anxious to be the first. Hopefully I will be able to not pull away like you gf. I think that will be the tough part. .

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Not me. I flinch when my 18inch ball python strikes at thawed mice. I have to use my other hand to hold onto my feeding arm (which is holding tongs) in order for me to not jump. My snake's feeding response is as strong as my startle response. If I am ever bitten, I am scared to death that I will scream like a baby and jump. I know I won't try to pull her off or hurt her in any way, so I almost wish it would just happen so that I won't be so afraid and will therefore feel less jumpy and less likely to stress her out. It's not that I am jumpy only around her. You could tell me you're about to honk a horn, do a 10 second countdown, and I still jump. I'm worthless in terms of my evelotionary bravery genes. I think my ancestors only survived by just never leaving the cave....

Rachel

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Originally Posted by Pythons Rock

Before we decided to house giants we sat down over many pots of coffee and talked about the things that could happen and how to correct them, we talked about proper "safe" housing for others in the family to make sure no one can access the big ones without us present. We made sure we knew the requirements of the animal, we use double handlers on anything over 8ft (which wouldn't have mattered yesterday on the initial bite but for the release it did). We also came to an understanding that these animals only tolerant us and only get used to be handled, they don't have feelings like we do, and most of all stay on your toes, watch the body language, when you get too comfortable is when mistakes can be made.

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This is exactly what people should do, giant or not, but espeically with the giants IMHO. Talking about things before they happen, making clear decisions and plans and respecting the snake for what it is and what it is not. Good for you guys!

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I'm worthless in terms of my evelotionary bravery genes. I think my ancestors only survived by just never leaving the cave....

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Oh lordy Rachel I laughed so hard I almost inhaled my coffee up my nose!

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Originally Posted by LostElise

I'm worthless in terms of my evelotionary bravery genes. I think my ancestors only survived by just never leaving the cave....

Rachel

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Either that or running really really fast :P I almost always flinch when I see just about any snake really strike and grab its food, but I dont seem to at all when i get bit. Never been bit by anything very big though. I did have a 9 and a half foot burm take a short lunge at me and bump me with its nose while its mouth was slightly opened several weeks back. Im pretty sure i flinched a little, but i didnt pull away, i was pretty proud. Still a scary experience though. She did good to stay that calm through the whole ordeal.

Awesome avitar Joanna

Congratulations on her part for dealing with the situation in the way that she did. I am glad that you two can enjoy living in harmony with the larger pythons and not have any grudges.:)

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Originally Posted by _BoidFinatic_

Congratulations on her part for dealing with the situation in the way that she did. I am glad that you two can enjoy living in harmony with the larger pythons and not have any grudges.:)

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We really enjoy housing the giants, once you learn the personallity of each snake you know what you can and can't do. No grudges here, every time someone here has been struck at or bit by any of the snakes we have always found out we did something wrong, they are reacting the only way the know how. I personally have been struck at but never bit but I'm sure it's coming!

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

This is exactly what people should do, giant or not, but espeically with the giants IMHO. Talking about things before they happen, making clear decisions and plans and respecting the snake for what it is and what it is not. Good for you guys!

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Thank you for the kind words, having a plan of action in case something like this happened was well worth the long talks and multiple coffee buzzes.

ouchy :O

Well good to see everyone got thru it okay. Tis the biggest reason I would never have a hot in the house lol anything that can bite me has over the years seemed to have to try and do it though I would take a snake bite over cat scratches anyday. It's true though at least with snakes seems only time I have gotten bitten was really My fault. Ie feed or cleaned rats forgot wen't to pet store handled snake got bit. As for the horse and goat they were just Mean and anyone who thinks geese make good pets are crazy.

My RTB struck across my body(was around my neck, his head was over by my right hand) and latched onto the web between the middle and ring fingers of my left hand. It was only a love bite, as with the distance he had to strike, and the way he was perched he was unable to coil on me, so he struck and released right away, but I guess because of where he got me, I immediatly began gushing blood. My sgt was there and I have never seen a full grown man go white in the time he did. I didn't think to get pix while I was all bloody, finding a camera didn't come until I had washed it off, but wow I guess it just depends on where you get bitten how bloody it can be.

oh how special... you got a love bite! :)