Now, before I go on, I must say that this whole incident was 100% my fault. I was trying to feed Goblin a pretty big fresh-killed rat last night. I was moving it around with the tongs, and for some reason, he was ignoring the rat and focusing upward at my hand. He was just not having anything to do with this rat for some reason; maybe because it was piebald (black and white) and I usualkly feed solid white ones to him?
Anyway, after a half hour of me and my boyfriend alternately moving the thing around in front of him, we gave up and tossed the rat into the freezer. I was replacing Gobby's hidespot into the cage, and WHAM he bites me! It was a "feeding" bite, NOT a defensive one; he had those choppers locked into my skin for a few seconds. Of course I yelled in surprise, but he released his jaws when he realized I was not a rat.
Please don't be dumb like me and assume that your snake won't strike just because it's you, not a rat. Now I have a ton of tiny pinpricks in my left hand! And I must say, each toothmark bled like hell. Not for a long time, but it bled way more than a defensive Bp bite does. Luckily no teeth dislodged.
Looking back, I think that the rat may have been a hair too big for him. I am going to get a smaller one tonight and try again, albeit more cautiously!!
With burning hand, Jen.