Why are people so scared of a ball python bite?

[EvesFriend]

btw do any of you know how to instigate the snake into attacking?

Seriously?


How bout you dangle your finger in front of its face.

[17sleep]

Ive noticed that if i hold it a certain way from its tail it gets pissed
but im not sure why
i mean i dont squeez it or anything...
thoughts anyone?

[bad-one]

Ive noticed that if i hold it a certain way from its tail it gets pissed
but im not sure why
i mean i dont squeez it or anything...
thoughts anyone?

Wait... are you saying you hold its tail and don't support the rest of the body... letting the snake hang in mid air?

[blackcrystal22]

Instigating a bite on purpose is stressing out the animal and could potentially cause dangerous stress or damage directly.

There was a case of a boa constrictor biting the owner and dying afterwords because it wouldn't eat at all. Risking that amount of stress on a ball python is wrong. It could also miss biting you and hurt itself on something else like glass, as well as it could end up becoming more aggressive in general and bite someone else.

You should never do it, it is irresponsible ownership if you do.

Edit: Also, holding a snake by the end of it's tail alone without any support anywhere else could seriously injure their spine, especially in ball pythons who are not adapt to climbing.

[17sleep]

<------- my snake
no, of course not. you know how they wrap around you?
well i dont let it and i just grab its body (support) and with my OTHER
hand i grab the point of its tail. Then it just stares at you, literally turning around to see you.
scary huh?

[bad-one]

<------- my snake
no, of course not. you know how they wrap around you?
well i dont let it and i just grab its body (support) and with my OTHER
hand i grab the point of its tail. Then it just stares at you, literally turning around to see you.
scary huh?

Oh lol, sorry that's just what it sounded like to me!

My big girl gives me the evil eye whenever I open her tub, so I do know that look very well.

My other two are puppy dogs, but they will just watch you sometimes and it is sort of creepy, my normal guy likes to stretch out towards ppl too

[Freakie_frog]

It is an attack..there is something in our mind when an animal "Attacks" or defends itself that makes us step back and take note..

P.S. Wait till you get bit by something bigger that a couple of hundred grams..they really know how to aim for the soft parts.

[Sariel]

Ok I could use alittle clarification on a few posts, because at first glance they disturb me..
things like asking how to instigate a bite and that you require your friends to be bitten. First thoughts that come to my head are that, to get your snake to bite require it to be stressed or in feeding mode. So, removing feeding mode from the equation, why would you stress your animal out to make sure yourself or someone else gets to experience a nip?

Now Im not trying to bash anyone or start online bickering, Id just like to clear the air alittle. If Im confused on this then someone new to the forum and BP keeping might wonder as well.

That said, even the best of us can get tagged at feeding time during a lapse moment. I've gotten two bites in my time as a keeper. One from a bin of babies that I reached in to single one out and one from my fire during.. you guessed it, nomnom time.

[Beardedragon]

Im not afraid of the bites, im afraid of getting scared crapless by the strike. If you even watch a horror movie with me youll get what im talking about... Im a jumper.

Ive been bite before and the snake constricted my arm by a 1000 gram spider( Feeding mistake I made...) Didnt hurt one bit, you learn after a while not to freak out, I wasnt scared but its one hell of an annoyance.

[punkoldschool]

not been bit yet. is it wierd that i kind of want to just to get it over with lol