If your pet decides to take a snack out of you...

I have been thinking about this a lot lately, I don’t really know why… I believe that it is the responsibility of reptile owners to expect to be bit. (Although I am one to speak, I own a Ball Python (and soon a bearded dragon), and I have never been bit, but I wouldn’t be angry or offended or afraid or anything if she did bite me, even if she gave me a severe wound) Reptiles are very different than any other kind of animal, which is why many people fear them. They fear us, too. Even if they grow to trust in you and are normally very comfortable around you, they still have the right to be afraid if they are in an uncomfortable situation, or if they feel threatened.

If you own a reptile—especially a snake—there is a good chance you will receive multiple bites. I think that is something keepers should understand before they even think about obtaining a pet with teeth. I believe you need to love your reptile more than you hate the pain.

There are so many people (probably not so many on this forum) that would return their snake to the store if they got bit. It is one of the responsibilities of owning such a creature; if you do get bit, it is wise to be careful, make slower movement, and don’t lift the hide box so quickly, but there is no reason to return a snake just because it bit you.

For those who are not willing to be bit, I guess there are alternatives; smaller snakes like king and milksnakes can bite, but usually don’t break the skin. Geckos and other small lizards are also less likely to inflict injury.

Anyways, I just wanted to say that… its my opinion, at least…

Hahahahaha

Hell my little girl almost wacked me tonight. Comes with the territory.

Fast reflexes, :rofl:

My main male breeder Leachie draws blood every time i have to pick him up.
Geckos can inflict some damage.
My redtailed boas will bite and not let go. My big female tried to swallow my hand but she couldn't get around my extended thumb. Feeding response can be a terrible thing lol.
My ball pythons are all non biters except for my male yellow belly. He just does not like me. He sometimes bullies his food before he eats it. He bites the poor rat then backs off. Like he is just mad at it. Then after a while he bites and coils. Im thinking of calling him Vader just because of all the hate.

Dogs and cats bite and they call it a social disorder and will try to put the animal down. Reptiles bite all the time and people call it natural.
Its normal for all animals to bite its their primary defence.
I had a water monitor run under my dresser and i mistakingly put my hand under it to pull him out. It took me 30 minutes to get my hand free. Felt like i was getting torn apart by a T-Rex. Good times...

I've got parrots, so getting bit by snakes is almost appealing compared to a big crushing hyper-stimulated 'zon beak.

If you haven't been bitten by a herp you need to try harder! :D

Rather get bitten by any of my snakes then a nice big rat.
Oh the blood blisters...

i find snake bites to look worse than they feel most of the time... unless i'm working with hots - then i just don't get bit!

I've only had mine for a couple of weeks. He's an adult with a very good temperament but I fully expect to get bitten by him eventually. I agree; it comes with the territory.

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Originally Posted by Shadera

I've got parrots, so getting bit by snakes is almost appealing compared to a big crushing hyper-stimulated 'zon beak.

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I completely agree with this statement! I've been bitten by a coccatoo and nipped on by scarlett macaws (which can break fingers off if they want to) and you couldn't BELIEVE the jaw pressure they have! I'd much rather be bitten by a snake than one of those guys!

Never been bit by my Ball but have been bit by a 4' Iguana I saved once. It took five minutes for him to release my arm and bleed like a faucet. But I was not mad at him just the last owner for being such a bad parent. I have a real nice scar to remember him by you can actually see where all the teeth sunk in and ripped flesh as he shook it side to side.

I'm quite surprised Alice hasn't bitten me yet.

My corn snake from when I was a kid bit two people: me and my mom.

It bit me on the first day I bought it, I didn't even feel it, just all of a sudden it's mouth was open and latching on to the skin of my hand. Of course it was a tiny month-old hatchling (if even) so it didn't come close to even being felt, much less breaking the skin.

And my mom, when the snake was big, around 5 foot, was bored one day and wanted to know what it felt for the snake to bite her. So, while I was out of the house, she apparently poked it in the face over and over until it bit her on the finger (poor snake!). It left a little tooth in her finger, which she pulled out with tweezers and then looked at under the microscope. Mom thought it was so cool.

Oh mom... :D

I would be a little upset if someone purposely prevoked my snake into biting them! :colbert:

I would rather be bit by my snake than stepped on or kicked by my calf! Or bit by a horse...ouch!!

Ball Pythons bite? I thought they were kissing me. Try getting bit by a pregnant mini mutant Chihuahua and getting stitches. You'll have a whole new appreciation for your python's love bite.

LOL!

If my new beardie doesn't bite me sometime soon, I'll be very surprised! He hasn't really ever been handled. He isn't a rescue, but he spent his life in a cage at a vivarium. Anyways, he gets really really really mad. He's got a real impressive black beard, and a little pointy tongue. He doesn't make a lot of noise when he's mad (no hissing), but you can tell by his eyes he's furious. Little pointy teeth. *shrug* I'm the one who pulls him away from his basking rock in the first place. I've got it coming.

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Originally Posted by Colin Vestrand

i find snake bites to look worse than they feel most of the time... unless i'm working with hots - then i just don't get bit!

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yea, theyre teeth are razor sharp so you barely feel it!, unless you retract your hand(hard not to) and theyre teeth are still in and they hook in you...

its more shocking than anything...

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Originally Posted by t_hac

its more shocking than anything...

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That's what I would expect, though I haven't been bitten by my BP. I doubt a small python bite would hurt terribly much, but it would be such a surprise to suddenly find a snake latched onto your hand!

Hmmm, I've been bit by my biggest Ball Python (feed strike), a Kestrel, an Osprey, scratched by a Short Tailed Hawk and one cat, by one dog (play bite. She missed and got the tender part over my thumbnail), a rat (she thought I had food. Not a defensive bite), and a child (teething baby). The most blood was drawn by the Short Tail Hawk, longest lasting mark was the BP bite, and most painful-the Kestrel. Their beaks are razor sharp & he was mad.

My 2 kids have been bit by my African Grey Parrot (just can't keep from poking their fingers inside the cage, so one time, at 2-years-old for both kids, I didn't stop them and sure enough the parrot delivered the first and last warning bite. Never stuck their fingers in there again!). They've also been bitten by their hamsters and rats and clawed by their cousin's mean tabby cat, and bit by the dog while playing "pull-the-rope" (the dog bit into the rope not realizing a finger was on it). So far, the only pets we have that hasn't bit anyone of them are the snakes. But, I'm fairly certain that won't last long.

My Ball has never even got in striking position when I'm around, but my Corn will take my fingers as food if i wiggle them around. :O

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Originally Posted by Shadera

I've got parrots, so getting bit by snakes is almost appealing compared to a big crushing hyper-stimulated 'zon beak.

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Absolutely! Lmao. My parrots gotten me a couple times REAL good. 15 year old Magna double yellow head > my 6 month old BP.

We think that he was wild caught (he's not banded). We rescued him from an old lady who just kept him in a dark basement. He likes my dad so far! :P

Snapping turtles hurt pretty bad too when they get a good piece of you. Got one on the calf once. Not good. Horses are pretty hurtful too. But a full grown snake is DEFINITELY right up there on the pain scale (no pun intended :P).

I think almost every pet I've every kept has given me a bite at some point in time. My wife even left a mark once (ooops, sorry this is a family friendly forum), got stiches from my dog, man's best friend, right. :D The worst was an attack by a crazed guinea pig, got me on the finger tip, ouch! Almost fed the little bastard to my boa, but was worried the pig would eat the snake! :rolleye2:

My Balls have never struck at me. However, my wife's African Grey barely tolerates my existing and likes to take stabs at me when he can. Gave me a really bad bruise once.

The worst I ever had from from my deceased Iguana. He was around 5ft at the time (got to 6ft before he died). I still have the scar on my middle finger. It was accidental too. I was putting a food dish in his cage and I guess he was just really hungry and ran straight the dish and bit the dish and my finger at the same time. He immediately let go and went after the food.

I totally agree, although I've yet to actually get bit in the 6+ months I've owned three snakes. I've been struck at, and it's only a matter of time till they actually get me. Babies don't have the greatest aim!

I will disagree with you about the geckos!!! We had a pet gecko and that sucker nailed me a few years ago. That was probably one of the nastiest reptile bites I've ever got, and I still have a scar to prove it! :D

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Originally Posted by Clyde Frog

Snapping turtles hurt pretty bad too when they get a good piece of you. Got one on the calf once.

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I agree, when i was a child i got a snapping turtle on my finger, i was waving my hand around the turtle wouldnt let go, luckily for me i was wearing a band aidand it didnt get the skin just latched onto my band aid.

My BP bit me the first day I had him drew just a tiny bit of blood. I was showing my MIL my new corn snakes and one kept biting me. She was so shocked even though I tried telling her I didn't even feel it. I bet if it was a wild one she would have killed it!

Mine bit me for the first time. Caught me off gaurd alittle but i can understand and it didnt bother me at all. It was feeding time and mistake happen.

I've been bitten by tons of critters, and few humans.
Pythons(including my ball pythons, someone else's 19 ft burm, and a very angry retic who was officially measured at OMG HUGE), several corns, milks, and kings, monitor lizards, anoles, a gecko, turtles, tortoises, in addition to multiple dogs, cats, bunnies(harmless?? Not likely), every rodent out there, a possum, cows, horses, a antisocial llama, goats, chickens turkeys geese guineahens ......... umm...
It might be easier to state what I haven't been bitten by!! If it has teeth, sooner or later it'll probably bite you. IT's more likely when it's a non-domesticated species. I expect for my snakes to bite me, and for my lizards to try to. I've been lucky(or fast) so far, and my blackthroat hasn't gotten me yet.

Pics of my bite it not bad at all. My cat has done a worse number on me then the snake.


http://s596.photobucket.com/albums/t...809_200200.jpg


http://s596.photobucket.com/albums/t...809_201000.jpg

i hate parrot bites! ive been bitten by a senegal when my mom used to have one. bird didnt want to get off of my shoulder and bit my finger and split it open lol. been bit / scratched by more cats then i can count. and for as long as i bred / owned bearded dragons none ever bit me! i will say leopard geckos hurt! caught me on my middle finger on a lose piece of skin and just tore me uo lol. as far as snakes. i was checking out a buddy of mines newborn carpets ( had about 7 or 8 in a tank for a few minutes as he cleaned their cages out and i reached my hand in there to grab one and 5 or 6 latched onto my hand and wouldnt let go. didnt hurt but bled a bit hah.

My double yellowheaded amazon parrot has never bit me hard, but she got my wife pretty good. I'll take a BP bite over that any day.

My mexican milksnake started swallowing my wifes finger while she was watching TV. She didn't even feel it because she was so into the show. She just felt some squeezing and imagined it was wrapped around her finger. LOL

I can't believe no one mentioned ASF's! Those are some mean little suckers!

The worst bite (the most amount of blood) was from my adult male Tokay :D The is a mean little ball of fire. He actually bit me 4 times while I was trying to get hold of his head. Talk about dripping blood. I have been bit my my balls but they don't hurt most of the time. Now the rats, mice and ASF's I HATE being bit by any of those! I think the only thing worse is a horse. They take out chunks of you....lol but I still love all my critters. That is why I don't have hots.

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I've been bitten by tons of critters, and few humans.

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:rofl: Don't forget the humans! I have actual tooth-shaped scars from my brothers. I have learned not to taunt small children... or, at least, when I do taunt small children, I am ready to sprint. They stop at nothing. I'm lucky my door is still up.

Only two bite pictures in this whole thread?!

Yeah, I know. Post pictures, everyone! I would, but I didn't have a camera with me the time I tried taking my hamster to Sunday school, and that's the worst bite I've had.