Bitten

[Gio]

I have been. No pictures. One of my adult females blew by the rat on the feeding tongs, grabbed my hand, and wrapped.

After figuring out that I was not the rat she let go but hit the same hand almost immediately when I moved a finger.

A whiff of white vinegar convinced her to turn me loose for good.

The whole incident was my own stupid fault for grabbing the shorter tongs and not the long ones I normally use with my larger snakes.

Good advice.

There are many who like to use alcohol, and a retic guy I know swears by the "good stuff" like Jack or dark rum. He was less confident in clear stuff like vodka.

I would imagine based on smell alone the vinegar would be right up there.

O/P,

If you are concerned about bites, consider 94% of folks that will post their story, including my own will mention a feeding mistake, or mention the smell of prey in the air or on their person.

The other 5% will mention a defensive bite whether it be during ovulation or a time of stress for the animal. The latter being VERY predictable with posturing, and hissing. The culprits in the second example are usually younger snakes or females during pregnancy or soon after delivery.

The last 1% would be the wild caught specimen that will never adjust to captivity and will only tolerate cage cleaning and nothing more.

These are not REAL percentages, but you get my drift?

Adult boa constrictors are one of the most docile adult snakes you could own as a pet IMO.

In relation to pythons, they have less teeth and they are not as long.

Don't be too concerned.