I've been bit by more than my fair share of rats over the past 10 years since I've been working with snakes. Luckily, all of my rats now are quite docile, and it is very rare I get bit - last time was a defensive mother sometime late last year. I'd take tags from each of my 50 some odd of my snakes over a bite from one of my rats any day. Goes right to the bone and bleeds forever. Not nice at all.