Bitten

[ajp]

Hey all,

I have owned my BP for two years... and I was bitten for the first time about two weeks ago. She did not latch on, but struck when I put my hand in her cage to remove her for a feeding.

Now, I have become nervous about handling her. She has been amazing up to this point.

I am hoping that she was hungry and I startled her... and that this is not the beginning of a new form of behaviour.

My question is, is that do most strikes occur upon first contact? Or will they also strike once you have them in our arms for a while?

Cheers,

Anthony

[Mike41793]

Feed her in her enclosure.

[carlson]

Feed her in her enclosure.

X2 and x3 and x4

[mackynz]

X2 and x3 and x4

x5

Also you may have just startled her. She'll relax after you have her out for a bit but it's always possible to scare her with a sudden movement or something. If you are scared and or stop handling as much it might happen more.

Oh yeah, and next time post pics of the bite

[Pythonfriend]

it almost always happens on first contact.

maybe your BP simply was sleeping and you startled her.

[Mike41793]

it almost always happens on first contact.

No it doesn't...

[Mike41793]

If you stop handling as much it might happen more.

This is a myth too. Not handling them shouldn't make them more apt to bite.

[Mrl249]

If found that if she looks like she is going to bite you. Just wrap your hand in a shirt or something then gentle pick her up and then remove the shirt from your hands. Once she is up in your arms she shouldn't be nearly as aggressive.

[Annarose15]

This is a myth too. Not handling them shouldn't make them more apt to bite.

I'm with Mike on this one. Some species may need "taming" in the sense that regular handling keeps them more tolerant of you, but BPs do not need regular attention.

She tagged you because you either startled her, or she knew it was feeding day. This is the #1 reason that I think it is totally illogical to feed in a separate enclosure. Why would you want to reach toward a hungry snake on feeding day? How does handling her before feeding her (when the room smells like rodent) and then handling again after feeding (when she is in feeding mode and EVERYTHING smells like rodent) teach her that handling ISN'T related to feeding? I never handle on feeding day unless it is absolutely necessary, feed all 30 of my BPs in their home enclosures, and have never had a "tank aggression" issue. Same goes for the 20 years I fed my boa in his tank. (rant over)

[Inarikins]

xWhatever. You're more likely to get bit pulling a snake out for feeding not because they're cage aggressive but because they're hungry. There's no way I would go near my normal female with my hand if I have a rat thawing even in the kitchen on the other side of the house. Feed in enclosure and next time post a pic! We love seeing bites, and pictures of the culprits.