Snake Bite

[gr8gugly]

Just out of curiousity. I have been looking around Youtube and saw a few guys who got bit and the snake latched on as if it was trying to eat them. One guy finally got the snake off by dunking him under water. The other guy finally shut off his camera so I have no idea how he got the snake to let go. So my question is this. IF a snake did this what are some ways to get them to let go? They were getting constricted pretty tight too it looked like. However rare it may be I would like to be able to have a few ideas ahead of time just in case. I can just see myself being munched on while I type a one handed post on here, looking for help and waiting for a reply.

[Emily Hubbard]

Well, a snake like a ball python, or a snake like a retic?

For a ball python, first just wait and see if it will let go after a few minutes. They really can't hurt you that bad. Sure, there will be some blood, but nothing even remotely dangerous.

I have heard a lot of people say dunking them under water works, but that would not be my first choice of action. Most ball pythons absolutely HATE to be sprayed with water, I know mine does, and so my plan if this ever happens is to sprits her with my misting bottle. I did this ONCE when she missed her mouse and bit the cloth "plate" I was feeding her on so she didn't eat substrate and started coiling around it. I was freaked out she would try to swallow it, so I sprayed her with water and she let go immediately. She then struck her real food like nothing happened. haha.

Just remember, after any bite, clean it up good with some peroxide and a little Neosporin. All animal bites and scratches CAN give you an infection, snakes are no exception, so it's silly not to do 90 seconds of simple first aid.

[WarriorPrincess90]

Just out of curiousity. I have been looking around Youtube and saw a few guys who got bit and the snake latched on as if it was trying to eat them. One guy finally got the snake off by dunking him under water. The other guy finally shut off his camera so I have no idea how he got the snake to let go. So my question is this. IF a snake did this what are some ways to get them to let go? They were getting constricted pretty tight too it looked like. However rare it may be I would like to be able to have a few ideas ahead of time just in case. I can just see myself being munched on while I type a one handed post on here, looking for help and waiting for a reply.

According to an episode of SnakeBytes TV on youtube (Brian is awesome), you can use a little capful of Listerine. He shows the difference between a defensive strike and feeding response bite (what you described), and explains the best way to get them to let go. I would consider looking that up. It was a good video.

Sometimes the water thing works, I think it just depends on the snake. But according to Brian, Listerine works every time. lol.

[warlord]

i heard if you put some mouth wash on a cotton swab and rub it by there mouth/pits some will let go...also heard the dunking in water sometimes

[Mike41793]

i heard if you put some mouth wash on a cotton swab and rub it by there mouth/pits some will let go...also heard the dunking in water sometimes

x2 but i would just spray them with water...

[RobNJ]

For a small snake, I'd just open it's mouth to get it off me. I've never been constricted by a large snake, but I've heard hot(not scalding) water, cold water, alcohol(your least favorite in your liquor cabinet), all work...as a last resort, biting the snake and jamming a finger into the wound is said to work as well.

[gr8gugly]

The ones i saw were BPs. There was something said about the mouthwash in the comments of one of them, that was kinda why I was asking. But this one guy just sat there forever trying to pry this snake off. I just thought this may be some useful trivia to have.

[ShamelessAardvark]

One of my girls grabbed me a few weeks ago and started throwing coils. The bite was my fault, but I grabbed her tail to keep her from coiling further. I thought I'd give her a few minutes, and she'd let go on her own. It hurt, but it wasn't agonizing. It was more of a "Ow, okay Roxanne, that's nice, please let go now, ow, owowowow, ow, why are you doing this to me, okay I'm sorry, I know you're just the most starved snake on the planet, let go and I'll feed you." (She's actually my best eater, I swear to god she eats for fun.)

After about 7 minutes of her not letting go, and my hand turning red/cold, I doused her nose in water. She didn't like that, so she bit down harder and pulled back, that kind of hurt. Eventually, I just, gently, grabbed the back of her head and pushed her forward and upward. We were both covered in blood, but she ate like a champ afterwards.

Moral of the story? Don't panic if a ball python grabs you. They usually let go on their own.

For you people who just love to look at snake bites: http://imgur.com/a/knjZ1

[DooLittle]

I have heard the water thing as well. If it ever happens, I would also try to be careful to not do damage to their teeth if you try to remove physically.

[heathers*bps]

According to an episode of SnakeBytes TV on youtube (Brian is awesome), you can use a little capful of Listerine. He shows the difference between a defensive strike and feeding response bite (what you described), and explains the best way to get them to let go. I would consider looking that up. It was a good video.

Sometimes the water thing works, I think it just depends on the snake. But according to Brian, Listerine works every time. lol.

Unfortunately, listerine didn't work for us, either time! Both times I had to carry the rest of our 11 foot burm upstairs into the bathtub to turn water on her so she would let go.