Tagged by the biggest of the girls

[frankykeno]

Well it had to happen one day but of course it had to be the biggest of the females, Brannagh, whose a good 1100 to 1200 grams. We knew going in she was a bit mean natured but figured maybe stress of being dumped at a pet store and also she was in shed.

Well since she's been here we haven't handled her much (it's just the first week) but since she's so highly aggressive Mike has to put on gloves and remove her from her tub so I can even give her fresh water. She'll charge me from across the tank and rear up to try and bite.....the big brat! So last night I needed to give her fresh water and Mike took her out, forgetting to put on gloves! Just a stupid thoughtless moment but actually she was very calm, best removal yet.

We should have known! As soon as Mike had her out she whipped around and bite...hard! I don't know how Mike didn't drop the witch or toss her at me LOL but he just yelped and put her calmly back in her tub. She left tooth slashes on the back of his hand and a puncture and more tooth slashes on his palm (probably from him instinctively pulling his hand back from her). We did find a very tiny tooth imbedded in the palm puncture.

Mike is fine, in fact went back and removed her later and was very gentle to her. She did fine and he had the gloves on this time. Our concern is for Brannagh the Brat. Will the tooth loss be of any special concern? Anything we should be looking for when we feed her this week as far as her mouth being at all painful? I figure they probably lose teeth in the wild so not a big deal but best to check.

We'll just continue to keep Brannagh in a quiet place and hopefully over time she'll come to accept handling. If not we feel she'll still have a life being a breeder and being cared for here. We knew going into it she might not be the friendliest of our girls so it's fine.

The other female we got from the pet store that day (the one that's 900 grams) Orlagh is a total love and has no objection to my hands in her cage or being taken out for a quick lookover.


~~Jo~~

[unimom]

Tell Mike I am sorry. He's not the only one that got tagged today. LOL

[Lady Python]

Ouch Poor hubby and poor snake


Graham my hubby got tagged by Byron a couple of weeks ago (served Graham right for not talking to Byron before he put his hand in to take him out) and small as he is, he left teeth marks and bruising round Graham's thumb. I always talk to my snakes before I put my hand in the viv - give's them time to pick up my scent so it's not so daft as it sounds - and it works

[mr~python]

i think her teeth will be fine. im pretty sure they grow back(right?) maybe Adam knows.

[frankykeno]

Oh not you too Dawn! Hope it wasn't too bad. Mike is fine really, heck he works in a factory so dinged up knuckles and fingers aren't that uncommon LOL.


~~Jo~~

[Kara]

If the tooth was loose, there's a good chance Brannagh might've lost it on the next meal anyway, although there's an equally good chance it popped out with the reflex of pulling a hand away from a bite.

Either way, I'd consider things business as usual. Snakes are very resilient animals - especially when well cared for, as Brannagh obviously is - so unless she's doing anything that is way out in left field in terms of her "normal" behavior, I wouldn't sweat things too much.

Keep in mind that some balls will never be pet friendly. They're typically an exception to the rule, but do happen.

K~

[frankykeno]

Thanks Kara.

She seems to be whatever her "normal" is which for her seems to be highly volatile and wary of any approach to her sterlite. Since I trust that particular pet store to be reasonably honest with me (not lie about something being an ex-pet and it's really a recent import) and she's in perfect shape (not a scar or scratch on her) I am thinking maybe her previous owners just never handled her or were put off by her behaviour and dumped her at the pet store. They are known locally for taking in unwanted reptiles.

I just checked and she had a lovely glare at me from around her Accu-Rite. LOL She started out as Brannagh the Brat, after last night she's been "promoted" to another B word

Oh well it's not like I can't find another snake in this house that tolerates handling well LOL. Brannagh can just be Brannagh and make me some nice babies one day. She is a lovely looking female.



~~Jo~~

[Kara]

LOL...if it makes you feel any better, we had a "B" female here for a very long time, one of Kev's "old as dirt girls. Her name was "Boots," semi-jokingly referring to her secondary occupational option if she didn't get her stuff together. She had quite a few babies that had similar attitudes as well...some snakes are just born to be a bit uppity.



K~

[Adam_Wysocki]

Must be something in the air ... one of my crew took a shot from a big girl tonight while cleaning cages!

Can you smell that? It's almost here!!! .... I can't wait!!!!

-adam

[Eddie_Z]

Oh great, now every time i go to handle Hissy I am gunna have flashbacks of last winter when the little wench tagged me!