YAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwnnnnn!

[invadertoast]

I think Eleanor was sleepy. Everybody I show it to at school seems to be afraid though (:

-Lindsay

[Wizill]

I absolutely love that picture. I think we've been over this .

[Ironhead]

Invadertoast.....your elanor's picture bring's up a cute story i must tell of my BP Monyty Joe. About a week after i got Monty Joe my youngest wanted to hold him, she is 11. She had held many a garter snake, but nothing of this size. I sat close by just in case, and it was a good thing i did. She hadnt been holding on to him to long when he yawned a big one. I looked at her and her eye's were about 10 times the normal size. I immediatly grabbed both her arm's (I believe she was about to fling him as far away as possible) I gently removed him from her hands and she immediately started crying. She really thought that she had been had. It took a couple of day's, but she is now holding him again. I had to assure her that his yawning was not a sign that he was going to strike. Had to share this story after seeing you pic.

Awesome picture!!!!!!

Everyone in my school USED to hate snakes.......now about 80% of the 100% who were afraid...arent anymore! I did a speech and took in my Ball Python, BCI, & Burm. They LOOOVED them!!!!

[BallKingdom]

You should definitely submit that into the BPOM contest coming up. I think I'll set that up today and you can submit tomorrow. Awsome.

[Hoomi]

You know, it's funny. Look at how relatively small her teeth are in that picture. Your average parakeet can do more malicious bite damage, yet people aren't typically so afraid of parakeets. After all, it's such a cute little bird!

Yeah, and that cute little beak is sharp and can really do much more of a number on your skin than you'd think!

Cool picture of the snake yawn. I haven't been fortunate enough yet to have the camera aimed and ready when Phil has decided to yawn.

[BallKingdom]

Um...I got bit by a 17 inch baby and bled like crazy. The can and will do damage. They have 4 rows of razor teeth.

[Hoomi]

No disagreement about the potential from the snake. What I've been told, also, is that quite often the biggest potential for damage from a BP bite is if you reflexively pull away. Then, rather than a few small punctures, you get the tear damage from pulling against the teeth. From what I've been told, if you have the presence of mind to simply hold still, the snake will most often simply bite and release rather quickly. No guarantees on any of that kind of stuff, I realize, but it does give you something to think about and to try and "steel" yourself for when the bite does occur.

My son was given Steve Irwin's book a year or two ago. I remember reading through it and seeing the part where Terri, who would eventually go on to be Steve's wife, was first being shown the ropes at the family wildlife park in Australia. Steve handed Terri a baby crocodile, and told her to let it bite her finger. She expressed some hesitation and bewilderment at the instruction, but Steve explained to her that she needed to know what was going to happen if she was bit, and that pulling away would be worse than simply holding still. The potential for injury to both parties was significantly greater if the person flinches away, as the teeth will likely tear the skin, and it's a good possibility that the croc will get flung across the room.

Parakeets, on the other hand, will literally gnaw on you if they're pissed. That little beak is sharp and strong!

[Ironhead]

You deffinetly dont want to pull away as Hoomi said. I have never been bitten by my BP but have been bitten numerous times by many snakes when i lived in Florida, though it is not fun being bitten, it is tolerable. No worse then a tattoo in my opinion (Which i have many). I was once bitten by my 7ft Indigo on the heal of my hand, guess I should of just let him stay under the couch. We let our 7ft and 5 ft Indigo's run loose in our house in Florida. Mom wasnt too happy about it but Dad never complained. Im telling ya, you havent lived until you've woke up in the morning and found a Indigo curled up between your leg's and very happy that he didnt want a midnight snack. I have heard that if you are bitten and they do not let go, the best thing to do is to put a drop of Whiskey or some sort of alcohol in front of his mouth on your skin. If you dont have any, then I guess pray. haha

[BallKingdom]

I've been torn up by 3 foot garters, nipped by a 5.5 foot ball python, bitten numerous times by my corn snake, and gottan bit by a tokay gecko, many times.

Probly the most interesting happened about 3 months ago. I was feeding my new babies outside of the cage, and on top of it. I had just gottan some big pinkies and since they don't really have a tail I sort of held it out with my fingers. I've never had a problem with that, but this time she bit my ring finger. She didn't let go either, she wrapped my finger and constricted. I wait and waited for her to come off but she still thought I was food. Her teeth were in my knuckles, and I was bleeding pretty badly. So after a good 1.5 minutes I had to pry her off carefully, man that hurt even more because I was trying not to hurt her.

The other time I got bit by a bp was when I was about 6. My sister had her big 5.5 footer out, like always cause I'd beg her. And I was just holding it admiring it. I spot paying attention and when I looked down at my hand I have bite marks in the shape of thier inside of a bp mout bleeding on my hand. I didn't even feel it.