POLL: Have you been bit by a BP?

[Carpet_Boa]

I had a BP who when she was 12 months old, she went off her food. The fast lasted 18 months. No weight loss what so ever. She is now with a friend as I am concentrating on boas and bigger pythons and caiman.

[T&C Exotics]

I have been bit by more snakes that I care to remember and a lot were bp's not even close to majority but a lot of them have been. I would say the majority has been boas or burms mainly just babies on them. As to balls I have been bit by every size there is just out the egg to a huge 2500 gram female. All were my fault too. Never be dumb like me and have rats in the same room as the snakes they tend to be a bit more hungry and faster feed response even if it isn't feeding day. But if you do keep your rodents in the same room I have warned you lol.

[Joe Cope]

I tell myself.

"He's gonna strike. He's gonna strike. Dear God please do not jump when he strikes. Please don't."

And what do you know. When he strikes I jump and scare the little guy even more.

[travy4911]

Aphrodite has only bitten me once. I've had her since 07 and I guess it was sometime in early 08 I was feeding her and after she got done eating I reached my hand in the cage and I guess I smelled like prey....she let go as soon as she bit me and hasn't offered to since.

[tbowman]

My bp that I had when I was a little kid bit me. And my Burm got me a few times when he was younger.

[filly77]

I willingly let one of mine tag me ( a small one tho lol) as I wanted to just get it over with

[CBI]

I've been bitten twice by a bp, as a matter of fact yesterday was my second time.... just a baby though.

[alikax]

I got bit by my very first Ball within the first week, a very jumpy so far little male mojave named Vladimir, guess he took to his name too much!

It was so quick I was more shocked than stung, it felt like getting poked by the doctors needle a few times...although it bled way more than I usually bleed when I say cut my finger or something (he got me right in the fat of the second section of my index finger).

Glad I got it out of the way early... although now I'm jumpy around him when he starts arching his neck, I'm sure he'll tame out of it.

[beavermatic]

Heh... bite from a ball python? nada...

Bite from a Burmese Python... yep
Bite from a Rock Python (Adult)... yes, and it was near as bad as a dog bite. Note to self: make sure NOT to eat grilled chicken and have that scent still on you when handling a Rock Python.

EDIT: and the rock python was, eh, about 13-14 feet or so.

[beavermatic]

I got bit by my very first Ball within the first week, a very jumpy so far little male mojave named Vladimir, guess he took to his name too much!

It was so quick I was more shocked than stung, it felt like getting poked by the doctors needle a few times...although it bled way more than I usually bleed when I say cut my finger or something (he got me right in the fat of the second section of my index finger).

Glad I got it out of the way early... although now I'm jumpy around him when he starts arching his neck, I'm sure he'll tame out of it.

It's not unusual for younger ball's to be easily spooked and have high anxiety levels. They tame up fairly quickly... the more you handle them, the more docile they become if they do bite when young.

If its not a young python, and you just bought it off someone, even it was tame with that person, it has to adjust to its new environment and you. It's going to be a bit nervous the first couple of weeks.

My friend just bought a ball thats 6 years old, and never bit the seller once, was handled and babied everyday. First second my buddy reached in to pick it up at his home, BANG!. Didnt hurt him much at all except felt like someone slapping your finger (as he states), but lesson learned. Let them get use to you and their new environement for a couple of weeks before u think about reaching your greasy finger down in there to snatch them up. You CAN handle them to ease them up, but use a snake hook for the first couple of weeks.

Always think of the situation to handle any reptile from the animals point of view... and they share the same caution we do with total strangers and new places, and are more edgy until they settle in.

I usually use a snake hook anyway, or another method, is curl your fist up into a ball and rest it at the bottom of the habitat a bit of ways from the ball. Once they tame up, they will usually just go to inspect and rest upon it, and you cna then lift them, and they will wrap around your arm. Keep your fingers together, dont twitch them, make sure you've washed ur hand with soap to remove any scents, and when it finally does start to move around on your arm, you can slowly ease your fingers, and allow it to move between them. This is especially helpful for younger pythons that are easily spooked by twicthing fingers. when they are in your hand and facing your fingers, the less spasmatic and jerky movements from your digits, the more comfortable the snake is.