Being bit by Pythons and Boas

[EyeLashViper]

Hey everybody,
Well, I related in my previous thread about how my new Ball Python Apok nailed me on my finger the other night ( I deserved it!!! ) and I thought I would ask all of you for your bite stories in dealing with Pythons and Boas.First of all, I would say that the bite from Apok was totally harmless - he struck and recoiled so fast that I didnt even have time to react and pull away which is a good thing because I would not want to pull any of his teeth loose and start a good infection.I worry more about HIM than I do ME... :wink: the bite on my finger was just some very tiny needle prick like punctures...it was nothing at all really.Perhaps that might allay the fears of some other BP owners

However I must say that I am curious about what a bite would be like from something much larger - say a Green Tree Python or Emerald Tree Boa - I have read that they have large frontal fangs to snag birds with..sounds like it would hurt a "tad" more than a BP.Or how about a full grown Reticulated Python??? that would suck huh??? :shock: :shock:

Do any of you more experienced keepers out there have some good bite stories??? please tell us of them!!!!!!!!!!!

EyeLashViper

[Wizill]

not really fangs, but longer teeth, yes. and from what i've heard, they hurt!!

I have very little bite experience as of now. Snakebites are nowhere near as bad as many people think. The first time I got bit I was like "Thats it?"......lol. But I have heard from people that being bit by larger snakes or the arborealsis no fun, lol.

[Danny]

I won't call my self an experienced keeper(just 5yrs) but I've been bitten by quite a few snakes. A bite from an adult Blood Python hurts for about a week, not so much the injuries from the teeth but from the power in the strike itself. I had a bruise on my forearm for a week. Other than that I think anything pass 6 feet will hurt, anything less it's just the shock not the pain. Just my opinion.

Ouch man. I've got a 2 1/2 foot female Borneo Blood and I bet she would open me up pretty good, lol. Bloods have probably the fastest strike on any snake I've seen......its CRAZY fast.

[Mike]

well since you asked for a story....
my columbian rainbow isnt the smartest feeder. ill give it a f/t mouse and it will constrict it...then totally foget about it. it will keep it in its coils for an hour if i let it. so one day i was feeding it while my brothers wife was here and she wanted to see....so it took the mouse and then pretty much forgot about it. so i decided to tug the mouses tail. i eneded up picking up the whole snake by pulling the mouse so i decide to hold it in my hands. the it saw my warm finger and thought "FOOD!!" so have this snake in my hand, still constrictng the mouse, and im rolling it around trying to keep my finger away from its face. the my sister in law said something and i looked up. im not a good multi tasker so i forgot about the snake wantin my finger. it bit me. i jerked a little i think thats when it realized i wasnt food. i dotn understans how people just sit there when their snake bites them ...i wish i could do that. i just pray that i dont get bitten by it when its an adult. it was less then 2 feet when it bit me but i bled. and thats the only time ive been bitten by the snakes i have now. and it was al my fault(i used to have a rat snake that bit me all the time...i suppose it was still my fault cuz it didnt wanna be handled but i handled it anyway.)

lol....good story, Mike.

[Chondro788]

I got nailed once by a sub adult green tree python. Wasn't near as bad as everyone says. This animal had an eye infection and I was administering meds, and I should have had someone helping me, so it was my fault. Yes the wound was a little deeper, and bled a little more, but I did not jerk back, so no teeth got left behind, and it really wasn't too bad.

I used to work with a vet, and we were working on a nile monitor about 4 foot long. He bit my finger and hung on for about 15 minutes :shock: . This was very painful and left a nice gash on my finger. Luckily though no medical attention was needed, just took a while to heal .

Jason

[Ironhead]

Never been bit by a python or boa, but the countless Kings, corns, milks, garters, racers and Indigos is another story. Nothing more than a little pin prick. Now the Indigo was a 7 footer and drew some blood, but didnt really hurt.

Now get bit by a Barracuda on the ankle. Now THAT hurts!