What does a bite from a ball python feel like?

I was just curious as to what ball python bites are like? What they feel like? How bad does it hurt? Do they stirke and release or strike and hold? Will the bite bruise or swell? Stuff like that.

A bite feels like an owey. It depends on the snake and why it bit you. I have startled hatchlings and they bit fast and released, felt like nothing. Little pin prick. I have never been bit by a bigger one. If you smell like foos they may hold on and I imagine that a bps bite would hurt more then. I have had a dig corn and a little king do that and its worse cuase they hold on and press down harder plus you are aware of it more so than a quick bite that is over faster than your pain receptors have a chance to know what happened.

Quick and mostly painless from my little guy. Just once (well, two strikes in a few seconds)

A little blood, no worries. Little guy just got scared.

They're cute even when they're nomming on me. :P

I have been bit by small ones and large ones, and it does not hurt much. It is very quick, so may startle you. From large ones, it also may bleed a little. They have very sharp teeth which puncture the skin easily.

A cat scratch hurts more than a ball python defensive bite. Your poll didn't allow for multiple choice, as I've been bitten by all ages of ball pythons.

I've never been bitten by a BP in feed mode (I make sure not to smell like dinner when I go in their enclosure), so I can't speak on an offensive bite.

I think i told this story here before so i'll make it breif. I held a rat then picked up the snake. (dumb) the 1500g adult male struck towards my belly. the tiny teeth went thru my shirt and one of them lodged in my belly. it scared the crap out of me, but i barely felt it. this is the second time i've been bit. it's been a rough 5 years. lol.

to be more specific, it's more like a scratch. there is sometimes a little blood, but that's from tiny cappilariesbeing broken. i wash with alcohol and keep on going.

snakebytes tv had chewy get but almost every episode when it started. for comedic effect i suppose. see the damage.

I had an adult female in feed mode bite onto the top of my hand and coil around my arm. I tried putting her under warm water to make her let go and it seemed to work. It didn't really hurt much, just like a pinch with a few pricks. :)

No worse than a kitty scratch.

i still have scares on my thumb where why bp bite me... but that was a long time ago when i thought it was cool to feed the f/t to her by hand... :o(

I agree in that it just feels like a pin prick(at least from a juvie). I too was stupid and while trying to get stuck shed off of my girls head I got tagged a couple of times. Really quick strikes and then let go. My husband also got one by her but we think that's because he startled her. She was underneath her hide, that she had pooed on and when he went to lift the hide his finger inside the hide must of either scared her or she mistaked his finger for a pinky! She quickly tagged him and the let go. Neither one of us bled. The site was just a bit tender for about an hour. No swelling or anything like that.

..I always tell people it feels like someone flicking you...

I've been bitten many times by all sizes. Sometimes I can't even feel the small BP bites and wouldn't even know I've been bitten if it wasn't for the little pinprick of blood. The young snakes definitely bite more than the larger ones, but then they think everything is out to eat them. :)

The worst bite I received from a BP was from a large, semi-aggressive female that I just received. I was taking the temp of her enclosure with a tempgun and I guess she thought the strap looked like a rat tail. She bit and wrapped around my arm thinking she was about to have a large meal. :8: She eventually let go, but not after gnawing on my knuckle for a minute or so. I didn't really notice the pain while she was latched on, but it ached a little for a few days after.

Even with that relatively aggressive bite, I don't think it was as bad as some of the bites I've received playing around with my dog. Snake teeth are very thin and don't do much tissue damage.

I got bit by one of my females a few months back when she was about 6 months old. I went to pick her up, but I scared her and she swung around and bit me. It didn't hurt. It felt like I got pricked with two safety pins and only a little blood dribbled out.

Depends on the bite and the age of the animal a defensive strike will feel like a paper cut. (Quick bite and release)

A feeding bite depending where they hit can be a little more painful ( Bite + Constriction).

I had a big girl hitting me right on the knuckle (feeding strike) and it was painful for several days and my knuckle swelled up a little and bruised nothing really compare to the damage a big snake could have done.

Note: I will take a BP's bite over any other type of bites any day (rats, mice, dog, horse…)

Felt like being pinched really hard while being pricked by tiny pins. It did bruise a lot, but really wasn't as painful as I'd expected. It was by my 5 foot, 3000 gram girl, and she thought I was food so she was hanging on until I put her under running water :D. I suppose none of my future BP bites will be quite as awesome as this one (unless it's by the same girl).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jerhart

..I always tell people it feels like someone flicking you...

---

That is the exact way I describe it too. Then you look a minute later to see yourself bleeding pretty good. Those little teeth are very sharp, so in turn you barely feel it.

My first bite was by this 1200 gram (?)snake that belonged to my friend. He was supposed to be very lovey dovey, small children handled him, blah blah blah. It was more than a pinprick. He bruised my hand and I had blood flowing enough to stain my shirt and get on the floor and table before I realized it was making a mess. It probably depends on the size of the snake and the type of bite AND on where they get you. Some body parts are going to bleed and hurt more than others....

I got bitten by my yellowbelly when he was around 400g and I was checking his enclosure for an uneaten mouse running around. It left a tiny scratch on my knuckle. I won't lie that I was pretty happy to have finally been bitten and knew what it felt like, and even more happy that he'd eaten the mouse!!

And I agree that it does feel a lot like a "flick"... at least from a juvie ball.

What's with all the bite threads lately? I thought I was the only one getting eaten up on a regular basis....Yes, Dutch, the Cinny boy is still at it :P

I've been bit many times by both babies and old adults. Sometimes I don't even notice it until I see a little drop of blood on my hand. Ball python teeth are very sharp, but they're also very short and don't penetrate the skin very far, usually you can't even tell where you've been bitten after a few days.

Got a nice bite last night as a matter of fact. I was feeding all of my sub adults and one of the mice got squirmy and I accidentally dropped it outside of the snakes tub. I reached over to pick up the mouse to get it in the tub and the snake, smelling food, reached out of it's tub and tagged me. I just thought to myself, Hmmm, that was kind of stupid... Then I washed the blood off my hands and then went on to feed the next one.

Bloodiest bite I've ever received was from my Cat when I was trying to restrain her for the vet when she was in a lot of pain. No stitches but I probably should have had one or two.

Most painful bite I've ever received was from my Shetland pony when I was a kid. I ticked him off one time and he swung his head around and chomped on my leg. No blood but a nice painful bruise. Snake bites are NOTHING in comparison.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Slim

What's with all the bite threads lately? I thought I was the only one getting eaten up on a regular basis....Yes, Dutch, the Cinny boy is still at it :P

---

*sighs*

It's sad when someone counts on you reading a thread on a forum... it's a sign of being on here too much.


So have you dropped a pair and taken a few photos already?!

I was bitten by my 600 gram normal female by mistake.. she gets so insane when she smells food, and she missed the rat and hit my thumb.. felt like a cactus was attacking me. Didn't really hurt at all, but it bled like insane.

5 days later, and it was all healed up. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deborah

Note: I will take a BP's bite over any other type of bites any day (rats, mice, dog, horse…)

---

I 2nd that. And to add to that, I would rather get bitten by a ball python, than get pinched.

Getting bit by a ball python is nothing. The thought of getting bit is what scares people(except of course the ones who have already been bit more than once :P.)

PS: I know this is alil OT, but getting bit by a horse is the worse. (Speaks from experience.)

It is the most horrid pain you will ever experience. You lose all normal feeling in your hand and it feels like your hand is on fire for at least three days. Your hand will swell to three times the normal size and you will remain passed out with all the medicine. Necrosis will start to set...

oh wait... a BALL PYTHON bite...

I just got tag'd 10 min ago, 600g and change male....I saw his head move
didn't even realize he got me till 5min after his tank was cleaned, I saw the pin pricks with a bit of blood.

I just happened to see this thread, and said to myself "Wow, have I got a bite to relay". I received the worst Ball Python bite I have ever had last night during feeding night. I had just started sliding the tub of a 1700 gram 3 year old female out, when she jumped out of the 3 inch gap and bit me between the thumb and wrist. She didn't latch on, but I definitely felt the pain. Instantly, my hand started to turn blue. I went to the sink to wash off the blood, and realized she had left at least three teeth in my hand. This is the first time that I have ever had a Ball lose teeth when biting me. I also have some scabs that are linear, and not just holes, due to the fact that she retracted so fast, that she drug her teeth across my hand.

The second worst bite I ever received from a Ball was a 3 month old Het Hypo girl that latched onto the skin between my thumb and forfinger. She bit down and wrapped my wrist for about 15 minutes before letting go. The worst part about this occurance was that every time I moved a bit, she would think the "prey" wasn't dead, and would bite down harder and constrict some more. The next day, I was amazed to see that the entire top of my hand was blue (bruised). I couldn't beleive that little worm did that much damage.

After saying that, I will say that typically it happens so fast, you didn't know it happened until you look down at your hand.

i was bitten by an 07 male. i doesnt hurt that much. your more suprized that it happened than you are in pain. it feels like getting sticked with a thumb tack. maybe you should try it. LOL

I didn't feel a thing because the adrenaline rush was overwhelming. I think my hair actually stood on end.

Never by my BP's - but my Brazilian Rainbow Boa - OUCH!!!!!!!

I actually cried. It didn't hurt at all. I cried because I was so shocked that I'd been bitten. When I realized what was going on, I just bugged out. I deserved it though. We always do.

i got bit accidentally by my 4 year old BP during a feeding session. I was lowering a mouse into the tank and she miss calculated the strike and got my hand in stead. It made me jump but i really didn't feel much as far as pain goes. It drew a bit of blood and there was no pain afterwords either. It startled me more then it hurt me to be honest.

Whoever said that a cat scratch hurts a lot more could not be more correct!

I am sure the more you get bit the more you get used to it, but the first couple times you were bit did you get startled and pull away fast? Do that harm the snake at all? Most of the post say they stike and pull away fast. Has there been anyone that had the snake try to latch on, but when you got bit and you were the one to pull away did your snake get harmed at all?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by van_garret2000

I was just curious as to what ball python bites are like? What they feel like? How bad does it hurt? Do they stirke and release or strike and hold? Will the bite bruise or swell? Stuff like that.

---

well really my cuzin got bit by his ball python and he said that it doesnt hurt all u got to do to let go is put something in front of it and it will let go but if u pull back it will put its teeth deeper and that might hurt but after that he just put alcohol n he was good to go

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by psycho

well really my cuzin got bit by his ball python and he said that it doesnt hurt all u got to do to let go is put something in front of it and it will let go but if u pull back it will put its teeth deeper and that might hurt but after that he just put alcohol n he was good to go

---

I mean pull back real fast like a reflex action. You don't mean to do it it just happens. Would the snake stay clamped and get yanked with you, or would it just let go in time or could you like yank it's teeth out or damage its jaw or something?

snake bites are nothing when comparesto some of the cat starches I gotten over the years. I had one or 2 latch on dureing a feeding response bite and they mostly cause 1 my hand smelled like dinner . ( frome handling rodents and feeding to the other snakes first) and cause by the tiem I got to the other bps they prey was coolingo ff and my hand was warmer target. Those times hurst more than snap bite cause one they apply some pulling pressure as they wrap around your hand,and the teeth will work in deeper cause of the said pressure they apply. THe best way I found ot remove them is unwind them and have someown work butter knives between the teeth and the skin ( make sure to use the back end of the blade), and once you gotten the teeth free from the skin it simple removal. Afterwords it noting more than a normal bite feeling unless they break a tooth off when they bit you.

I've only been bitten once by an adult BP (she was 1,900 grams of fury back then) but I was prepared due to her situation and was wearing gloves at the time. She still managed to get a couple of teeth through the gloves though.

The hatchlings/babies are another matter. I've got one that tried to bite me when she was barely out of her egg and still to this day will nail me if she can manage it LOL. She's just a treat that girl! I always seem to laugh when the little bp's take a swing at me. So small and yet so determined to bite the hand that feeds them. It's sort of cute really. :)

Well...it feels like a snake bite. :D


OK. I'll stop being a smart ass. I was bitten by a overzealous baby at feeding time. Hurt some, not bad. More of a shock, "wow she's fast", that type of thing.
Didn't bleed much. Washed it out and forgot about it.

I think it feels like what it would feel like if a small child flicked you. I've been bit by a yearling macklott's python, too, and that didn't hurt either. I was holding her while I was cleaning the enclosure with my other hand, and she bit and latched on to me. I didn't even realize she bit me until I looked down and saw her latched onto my hand and a little blood dripping down my arm. Bites bleed easy, but they don't hurt at all if the snake is small. Abig one might hurt a little, but not much. My Biak type GTP had way larger teeth than a big ball would, and he bit me all the time. It always looks 20x worse than it feels.

I remember the guy across the street from me in Florida had a Burmese Python and his roommate thought he was going to get friendly with it. That snake bit him on the shoulder and really did alot of damage to him. Skin tears, bruising, the whole deal. Of course this snake was going on 8' in length as well. Shortly after that the snake was destroyed because it had gotten too wild for the guy to keep.
I work in the E.R. and we've had people come in with snakebites before. A couple were pegged by Ball Pythons. Of those, a couple managed to get the bite site infected and ended up with i.v. anitbiotics for a couple of days. I guess it all depends on how well you clean the strike site afterwards and so forth as well.
Had a rattlesnake bite come in last year as well. It was a "dry bite" and the girl was lucky. She was in the yard with her dog and went to sit down in the grass. The dog was acting reluctant to come over and she leaned over, putting her hand out on the lawn and startled the rattler. The snake struck between the thumb and forefinger, but again, it was a dry bite. She was kept in the E.R. for several hours though to ensure no ill effects settled in from the bite.
As everyone has said, cat bites and scratches are simply the worst. We admit patients all the time because of infections that set in after a cat bite or scratch. Cats are nasty and dirty animals that harbor infection in the mouths and claws. I love cats, but man, when I see what they can do to their owners, even when they are just playing, I'll take my iguanas and bearded dragons anyday and hopefully a ball python in the near future as well.

Snake bites feel like kisses.

The bigger the snake, the bigger the kiss.

Hots just give you the hots afterwards ;)

I think i have the worst one lol..FEEDING DAY!! and a 7 year old female..felt like a wasp sting..she tried to constrict but i get her to let go after about 5 minutes

My ball took a few strikes at me before. Couldn't really feel it at all. I think it might have struck cuz of my wardrobe choice but i guess we'll never know...

http://i710.photobucket.com/albums/w...ut32/42269.jpg
(Costumeshop.com) don't want any legal issues... ;)

Mine bit me and it really wasn't painful. Like a pin stick maybe? The biggest thing was just the suprise.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mainbutter

Snake bites feel like kisses.

---

Our little one (5-6 months? 120g) got me a few days ago. I didn't even see the forward lunge, just the backward retreat, and the tiny touch/flick felt like a cotton ball.

Has still made me as nervous as heck ever since when picking it up!

Only time a ball bit me was when it missed the rat... I wasn't using tongs so I can't say it really suprised me. Pain? nah. He didn't hold on, just left a few pin pricks.

I got tagged once by an adult, but my hand hurt worse because when I jerked back, I hit my hand against the wall. Few spots of blood, but nothing painful.

The few times I've been bit by a BP I didn't even feel it. Didn't notice either untill I saw the blood dripping down my arm, lol. That was years ago and none of my BPs have bit me since...now my blood python is another story, the few nips I've gotten from him sting!

I've had my BP (Chopper) for 6 1/2 years now and he's only bitten me once. He really latched onto me when he did it though! October of last year. He let go once he realized that I wasn't a tasty rat. But, I have a numb index finger on my left hand that reminds me of the incident. He must've got the nerve in my finger pretty good! I guess you can say that he really "got on my nerves" that night! Sorry, bad pun. Anyway, I have bad luck with my fingers! I had an accident with a utility knife several years ago that has another one of my fingers numb. I'm running out of healthy, fully functional digits!

i have, didnt hurt, it was a beginner feeding mistake...... :P

When my big female ball's tooth scraped my finger, it kind of hurt because I pulled back, but nothing serious. When I get bit by my smaller 2 foot ball python, it doesn't hurt, its just a suprise and I freak out.