Is it safe to allow a ball python to wrap around your neck? Rest on your shoulders?

[EvesFriend]

I am a new snake owner and I have always been a little hesitent to the idea of allowing a snake to wrap around my neck. I see people do it all the time; however, my better (or worse?) judgement tells me it's probably not the smartest thing and best to be avoided.

Is this fear justified? Is there any ongoing statistics of ball python related deaths?

[capitalB]

none that i know of. would have to say impossible for a grown mentally capable adult.

[RichsBallPythons]

any snake over 4 ft is capable of squeezing the neck to the point of suffocation. I for one will never put a snake on my neck unless i have more than one person just encase.

[Kaorte]

A ball python is not going to be able to strangle you to death, but you shouldn't really make a habit of putting snakes around your neck. there are some snakes that can easily strangle a full grown adult human so it is better to just not do it at all.

[TessadasExotics]

A ball python is not going to be able to strangle you to death, but you shouldn't really make a habit of putting snakes around your neck. there are some snakes that can easily strangle a full grown adult human so it is better to just not do it at all.

I can guarantee you that a ball python has enough strength to strangle a person (or even a full grown adult human )to death.

Any one who says that a ball python doesn't have the strength is lying to them selves.

[flynn]

I can guarantee you that a ball python has enough strength to strangle a person (or even a full grown adult human )to death.

I'm curious to know what your guarantee is based on. Do you know how much force is needed to crush an adult humans windpipe to the point of asphyxiation? Granted it would take a lot less force to slow or stop the blood flow to the brain. Have you read somewhere of this happening? Is your guarantee based on the adult being drunk or mentally handicapped or something?

I'm seriously curious to know, this is not a sarcastic post.

Since I first read this thread, I've also been wondering if everyone’s opinion would be the same if this question was posed by the politicians a few months ago, and used as cannon fodder in their move to ban some exotics.

[blackcrystal22]

Everyone's going on about strangulation this strangulation that.

I can say this, THAT'S NOT WHY I DON'T DO IT.
I don't do it for multiple reasons other than that.

1. You can't see what the snake is doing or where it is going, and it's hard to control it.
2. If the snake slips and falls, it could severely injure itself.
3. Ground snakes, like ball pythons, will get afraid when they are forced to hold on at a height. When you have a stressed out snake, your chances of being bitten increase significantly. I've heard many stories of people getting bitten ON THE FACE because the snake got scared on their shoulders.
4. Technically, even a squeeze from a ball python can cause your blood capillaries to expand which could make you pass out, even if it wasn't that tight.

The chance of being bitten or hurting the animal is too much for me. I don't risk it. The ONLY thing I do that gets near my neck with snakes is I will use one shoulder to help me support a bigger animal, but I never let them wrap.

[TessadasExotics]

Small constrictors approximately 3 ft long and 1.5 inches thick can squeeze with pressures up to 4 PSI

A 4 or 5 foot ball python is much larger than 1.5 inches.
Read more: http://ngccommunity.nationalgeograph...#ixzz0lHWskHiw

Also an 18 foot python applies 12 psi and a 5 foot 6psi.

That's per square inch. My neck is about 17 inches If a ball python where to wrap around my neck with 2 coils and lets just say it only has 4psi of strength. At only 34 square inches (if the snake was only 1 inch around in diameter) that would be the same as 136 pounds of pressure. 136 Pounds of Pressure! Tell me just how easy that would be to remove?

Ok well maybe BG or Boanerges could possibly get it off with little to no difficulty. lol j/k even they would have troubles i bet. Especially if one were to panic which I am sure most would.

[flynn]

Small constrictors approximately 3 ft long and 1.5 inches thick can squeeze with pressures up to 4 PSI

A 4 or 5 foot ball python is much larger than 1.5 inches.
Read more: http://ngccommunity.nationalgeograph...#ixzz0lHWskHiw

Also an 18 foot python applies 12 psi and a 5 foot 6psi.

That's per square inch. My neck is about 17 inches If a ball python where to wrap around my neck with 2 coils and lets just say it only has 4psi of strength. At only 34 square inches (if the snake was only 1 inch around in diameter) that would be the same as 136 pounds of pressure. 136 Pounds of Pressure! Tell me just how easy that would be to remove?

Interesting information, thanks for that. I would doubt the number is accumulative as is speculated, but I do realize the point your making.

Small constrictors approximately 3 ft long and 1.5 inches thick can squeeze with pressures up to 4 PSI

By this logic a corn/king snake is also capable of killing, right?

[Charlie And Lucy]

I don't think there's been any deaths, although I did read a post from someone on here saying that a man fell down the stairs, got knocked out, and died because the ball python got scared and constricted on his neck.

We put ours around our necks. They've never gotten too tight, and when they do get uncomfortable for us we either readjust them or wrap them around our arm instead.

If you aren't comfortable with it, don't do it. I have very very long hair and one of our BP's loves to play in it. Another one will wrap himself loosely around our necks and hang like a necklace. The third one would rather be a bracelet.

It's all what your comfortable with.