3rd Snake Bite in 20+ years of keeping - But who?

[Snagrio]

I'll go with the wild card and say Shayna.

[nikkubus]

I'm going to go with Shayna too.

[Bogertophis]

Gee, no one picked the corn snakes...could it be?

[dakski]

Gee, no one picked the corn snakes...could it be?

Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner!

Solana - the sweetest, calmest, little snake, nailed me good.

LOL.

Seriously, my fault, and didn't hurt. Drew blood though and had someone working at the house who wanted to see a snake. Never saw one up close! What an introduction.

Here's what happened.

I went to open her tank and she leapt out her hide and nailed the acrylic door and then went back to hiding. I'd never seen that and she seemed totally spooked and scared. I opened the tank and rubbed her with the hook. She was tail rattling, and darting from one side of the tank to the other. I finally calmed her a down a little with the hook and picked her up.

She was tense, but ok. The guy with me was nervous. I said, no worries, look, and put hind (top of hand out and flat) about a foot from Solana's face (not waving or anything). BAM! She nailed me on the index finger and released. I gently held her and after a minute and nudging me with her nose and tasting with her tongue, she calmed down and was okay. Once she calmed down, I put her back.

Last night she seemed fine, but I let her be.

Tomorrow she eats and I will check her briefly to make sure all is good prior to feeding.

I think something spooked her and she was having a bad day. Had that been Behira, or Yafe, who can do some damage, I would have tried to wait them out - potentially for a day or two.

I am relieved that Solana seems now worse for the wear, and expect her to eat tomorrow.

I feel terrible for her being that scared and for the electrician who might be scarred for life.

Thank you everyone for playing, but Bogertophis gets the prize!

[Bogertophis]

Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner! .....Thank you everyone for playing, but Bogertophis gets the prize!

Well, thanks anyway, but not really. I had guessed Yafe...it was just my later observation that no one had picked a corn snake, it wasn't really my guess. So I call this a tie, & we all lost.

[Bogertophis]

She sounds mostly hungry to me & your hand was just far enough away that she couldn't identify you by scent. With corn (or rat) snakes, blow air across your hand towards their face in this situation first, before you get within strike range. Or a quick spritz of water mist will 'change the channel' for them harmlessly- in fact, many will drink from the spray. She might have also smelled the stranger that was nearby, making her nervous? Guess he still won't trust snakes now.
But I mostly think she's hungry. Good thing you taste lousy, lol.

[dakski]

Not a Hot, you’ll be fine. Did the noodle loose any teeth?

Good luck with the next twenty years!

Behira or Yafe. Also, only third in 20yrs?! I’ve gotten probably 100+ in the last two years from baby carpet pythons alone!


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I think I’ve had maybe 10-12 bites in the last 10 years and half of those were from my scrub.

I'm guessing Yafe? No real reason though, most any snake can have a "bad day".

3rd bite in 20 years... Hope you're "recovering" well?


(Fun idea for a thread, btw. )

To address the "bite." Solana seems fine and you couldn't even see the marks on my finger 20 minutes later. Nothing to show - sorry - no pics.

This was my first bite while holding snake. The other two were a defensive bite (baby BP) and a food strike (bite and release) from Behira when she was really young and small (hence hook training all my large snakes now).

It was totally anti-climactic and I was much more worried about Solana then my finger.

For those afraid of a bite, don't be. Every one I've had has been anti-climactic and I've had THREE in 20+ years of keeping snakes. If you keep generally calm species and work with them, you might get a few nips when they are young and don't feel them (Solana nailed me day 1 at 8g - I didn't count that), and most calm down.

Part of why this was an "event" was because it was so unlike her.

Hasn't struck at me since day 1.

Unless you have big constrictors, or hots, bites are not a big deal at all.

[dakski]

She sounds mostly hungry to me, & she might have also smelled the stranger that was nearby? Guess he still won't trust snakes now.

I really think she was super spooked and agitated. However, her feeding schedule has been funky lately with all the work in the basement. As mentioned, I took Yafe and Figment out after and they were both chill. As long as this doesn't become a pattern, I am not worried at all.

Well, thanks anyway, but not really. I had guessed Yafe...it was just my later observation that no one had picked a corn snake, it wasn't really my guess. So I call this a tie, & we all lost.

Okay, have it your way, LOSERS!

[Bogertophis]

Just being honest...

[DatBoiAJ_]

yafe...i know ball pythons and corns are docile...but idk about boas. I feel like a carpet python would have an attitude