HELP! I think my bp is angry but im not sure.

[wispurs]

You really need to be calm when you are handling your snake. I would rather get bitten by a BP then a mouse or a rat. Trust me, I have been bitten my mice and rats, it hurts like heck. It just seems as if you did not do any research on the snake before you got it. It is so important to know what you are getting yourself into before you acquire the animal. I just think that you really need to be a little calmer when you approach the snake and learn to read it's body language. People have told you what signs to look for that show when a snake is ready to strike. Just try to relax and enjoy the snake! They are wonderful creatures that can bring you such joy and they are very rewarding to keep as pets. Just do a little research and then ask questions about anything you do not understand.

The thing is, everyone (no matter how many times we clarify) seems to think that we just went out and bought a snake, without knowing anything about them.

WE DIDNT! I didnt even want one at all. Her brother literally dumped his snake on us before leaving the country and didnt even have the proper stuff to care for him with. WE are trying to help this snake we are doing our best and everyone is mad at us for not being experts.

We are doing research but everything is very contradicting and no matter what we read we are not experienced and are scared. thats why we came here!

[ballpythonluvr]

i guess we dont fully understand what happend in that video

the snake didnt give any warning signs he just bit down

It may very well be that the snake didn't give any signs but really, a bite from a BP doesn't seem like it is that bad. I have had snakes that have struck at me and I will admit I was a little nervous for a while after that happened. I eventually calmed down and it didn't seem like a big deal if I would get bitten. Rats and mice will bite you a lot harder than a BP. If you just try and be a little calm when handling you should be just fine. I am not going to sit here and tell you that you should give the snake to someone else. I am just telling you that I was nervous at first too!

[Jt.]

You know, they're not very smart

Snakes or wispurs and exotica?

[ballpythonluvr]

The thing is, everyone (no matter how many times we clarify) seems to think that we just went out and bought a snake, without knowing anything about them.

WE DIDNT! I didnt even want one at all. Her brother literally dumped his snake on us before leaving the country and didnt even have the proper stuff to care for him with. WE are trying to help this snake we are doing our best and everyone is mad at us for not being experts.

We are doing research but everything is very contradicting and no matter what we read we are not experienced and are scared. thats why we came here!

It is great that you are doing research! There is a wealth of information on the internet! You did the right thing by coming here! Everyone here just wants to help you and wants you to do what is best for the snake as well as for yourselves. People will be blunt with their opinions but they are just being honest. Please don't feel like everyone is mad at you. I know sometimes when I first joined that there was conflicting advice and opinions and there was a lot of constructive cristicism. The point is that I have learned so much from everyone here and I still continue to learn everyday! I have the utmost respect for the members here, especially for those that have been in this hobby for way longer then me. I just recently ordered a book about ball pythons and I have been keeping them since October of 2008. I am in no way an expert on these creatures and that is why I continue to come here and read all of the posts. I can only hope to know as much as the other folks on here. Just hang in there and continue to do your research. I think you will be just fine!

[luckycharm318]

Probably the best thing to do if you get bitten is to sit still, and wait for him to realize that he can't eat you. If you keep moving around and trying to pry him off you will end up doing one of three things, breaking off a tooth, hurting him, or making him think that his "prey," aka your hand, is still alive and that he must constrict it until he no longer detects a pulse, or realizes that he cannot swallow it. None of the above results are very good so it's better to just let him figure it out rather than to attempt to pry him off.

Looks like the snake in the video's eyes were bigger than his stomach! Pretty odd, because he gave no real warning. The guys hand might have smelled like mouse/rat, who knows.

[JLC]

.... you really think he just had a nice calm talk with the snake and convinced him to let go??? I think not!! he probably had to smash his head or do something really bad to him to make him let go...

How adorable.. i guess i shouldn't overreact.

also why did the man just let the snake hang on like that why couldnt he get the snake off him? WHat would of happend if he started pulling on the snake or put his finger in the snakes mouth?

Ok....I really need to address these two points/questions. I am QUITE sure that the man did not need to "smash the snake's head" to get it off. And I'm just as sure that the man was, indeed, calm and collected about the whole thing, even if the snake was hanging on and not letting go. Just because he didn't show the release on the video doesn't mean anything.

How do I know this? Because I was bitten and HELD ONTO by an 8' burmese python. That's a hell of a lot bigger than a ball python, with a lot bigger teeth, too. Did it hurt? You bet....a lot. But did I panic or get crazy about it? No. I just settled into a comfortable position and did my best to make sure the snake couldn't wrap more securely and hurt me even worse....and then waited TWENTY MINUTES for it to let go on its own....which it did...without having to have its head smashed or anything.

Ball pythons have much smaller heads and much smaller teeth, but like ANY python, those teeth curve backwards. Once they latch on, you can't just pull them off or you risk doing a LOT more damage, both to your own skin and to their mouths. If you try and stick another finger in their mouth to pry it off, then all you do is cut your other finger on those sharp teeth and risk getting it stuck in there as well. Best to just wait it out. There are a few tricks that people say work to make a snake let go, but that's a discussion for another thread.

MOST bites from ball pythons are done out of fear or anxiety in which case it is a lightning fast strike and release....often you don't even know you've been bit until the snake has already pulled away. Then you might register a slight sting and/or might see a few spots of blood.

SOME bites may be feeding related, if your hand smells like rodents or if its too close to the snake when its striking at a rodent and misses. Those sorts of bites are far more likely to have the snake latch on and not let go for awhile. Why? Not because they're mad or anything sinister...it's that they're working on pure instinct. When striking at prey that is very capable of running away in a flash, they don't have time to sit and ponder if they bit the right thing...they bite and as soon as they feel their teeth sink into something warm and soft, they latch on and get real determined not to let the prey escape. Eventually, they'll realize they can't eat whatever part of your body is in their mouth and they will let go. If nothing else, they will let go when they think it's "dead" so they can get a better hold for consuming it...and that is when you can put the snake down.

Neither case is a cause for panic, HOWEVER I do realize people have instinctive fears of snakes, and the fear of getting bitten can go deeper than intellectual speculation. I applaud you for being willing to work it out rather than just throw in the towel. If you're serious about doing so...then go for it and we'll do all we can to help.

BUT...if you come onto a site like this and act like drama queens and get extremely emotional about nearly every post and nearly every response...then you will inevitably evoke a similar emotional response in return. If you resolve not to take things so seriously and so personally...and take the time to word your posts without all the emotional drama....then folks will respond with a great deal more respect and won't be provoked to give advice such as "get rid of all your animals."

[rabernet]

BUT...if you come onto a site like this and act like drama queens and get extremely emotional about nearly every post and nearly every response...then you will inevitably evoke a similar emotional response in return. If you resolve not to take things so seriously and so personally...and take the time to word your posts without all the emotional drama....then folks will respond with a great deal more respect and won't be provoked to give advice such as "get rid of all your animals."

I couldn't agree more with this part of Judy's post.

I also witnessed a large retic wrap around another friend's hand that wouldn't let go - and she also had to wait it out - and she probably should have gotten stitches.

The example in the video, in comparison to what Judy experienced and to what my friend experienced was a non-event. There wasn't even any blood drawn in that video.

[akaprincesssophia]

Snakes or wispurs and exotica?

lol

[akaprincesssophia]

BUT...if you come onto a site like this and act like drama queens and get extremely emotional about nearly every post and nearly every response...then you will inevitably evoke a similar emotional response in return. If you resolve not to take things so seriously and so personally...and take the time to word your posts without all the emotional drama....then folks will respond with a great deal more respect and won't be provoked to give advice such as "get rid of all your animals."

[Elise.m]

One thing he didn't say in the video is if he had previously handled a rodent. Always wash your hands after handling a rodent and before handling your snake. BPs find their prey by the heat source and scent. So, if your hand smells like a rodent and is nice and warm... It might be tricked into thinking your hand is dinner.

Also, I don't know why anyone hasn't suggested this, if a BP bites and holds on, typically a squirt of water on the head from a water bottle will snap them out of it. I always have my water bottle near me just in case.