Stewie Bit Me!!!!

[Cloud7659]

LOL

He's a hunter alright. I did my usual routine of pulling out his hide spot and adding a mouse. No tongs, I don't hold it for me, I just drop it in there and let him hunt. Once he was done with the first one I dropped in a second. He chomped that little guy down with ease. So i move him out of the was and start to put back his hide spot when.......he bit me!

I was shocked for two reasons, one because he had never shown any signs of sression (except when I put my hand in a sock and wiggled it outside of his enclosure ) And two, becauseof how incredibly weak the bite was. He held on for 2 seconds then just pulled away realizing his mistake. I started laughing and I think he felt a little embarassed.

Im sure he was still in feeding mode and hand smelledlike the mice but it was indeed very cool to see his hunter instinct. Just wanted to share with my bp peeps.

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

From my experience, if you feed your BP multiples, ie 2 or more prey in one session, that they tend to get aggressive until they are settled down and digesting.

It's not a bad thing, it just means that they are in hunt/devour mode because they know there is a possibility for more food.

My one female was hanging halfway out the tub after me when I added her second rat the other day. I guess I was a bigger tastier meal than the rat




As far as letting go, the only time I was bit the snake let go right away as well, it was more of a strike... wait... something wrong... let go. It makes sense that they can detect something wrong right away, because normally when they strike they wrap right up around the prey.

[Cloud7659]

Yup yup, there was no spec of attempt at coiling or wrapping. It was very cute though.

Amazing also that they can kill with that little bite force, Im sure he will get much stronger as he grows up but he didn't leave any tooth marks or srcatches.

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

Hrm, you must have gotten lucky

I've been bit by a 90 gram ball python and it left 4 holes that bled very nicely I could still see the marks after 3 weeks.

[Cloud7659]

*phew* thats good. Maybe he was tired, he'd just fininsh chompin down 2 mice afterall.

[cassandra]

We use long hemostats for feeding so that my mouse-smelling-hands are never in the tank (I'm the feeder - Rick, cats, snakes...I feed everyone =P). And we wait until the girls have coiled up in a hide before moving or replacing any cage furniture.

Cleo's struck and missed both of us (Rick was moving cage furniture before feeding time and she struck at me through the glass - FEED ME NOW!), but neither have been bitten yet.

Oh, the hemostats. I got the 12" ones from LLL, one for each snake, since we feed on the same day so to prevent any possible cross-contamination.

[JLC]

I don't think it's supposed to be the bite that kills, but the squeezing that generally comes afterwards. Anyhow, there's a good chance that he wasn't even biting because you smelled like a mouse, but because you scared him when you reached back into his tank.


That quick of a bite/release sounds much more defensive to me, than feeding-mode. Seems likely that he was feeling full and sluggish and was ready to warn off any intruder into his territory. Feeding and the digestion that comes immediately after is a very vulnerable time for them and can leave them feeling very defensive.

[elevatethis]

Amazing also that they can kill with that little bite force, Im sure he will get much stronger as he grows up but he didn't leave any tooth marks or srcatches.

In fewer words than what JLC just replied with, ball pythons like all other constrictors, kill via constriction, not biting. The purpose of biting is to control their prey and move them into a position to be constricted. Even then, you'll notice with larger adults, that they sometimes don't even strike- doing things such as pinning prey items against the wall of their enclosure, against the floor, etc, pretty facinating that they're that intuitive....either intuition or instinct though, or maybe a little bit of both....

[JLC]

In fewer words than what JLC just replied with, ball pythons like all other constrictors, kill via constriction, not biting. The purpose of biting is to control their prey and move them into a position to be constricted. Even then, you'll notice with larger adults, that they sometimes don't even strike- doing things such as pinning prey items against the wall of their enclosure, against the floor, etc, pretty facinating that they're that intuitive....either intuition or instinct though, or maybe a little bit of both....

Was that really fewer words to say the same thing I did???

[ddbjdealer]

He held on for 2 seconds then just pulled away realizing his mistake.

That quick of a bite/release sounds much more defensive to me, than feeding-mode.

If he's not going overboard in that 2 second part, that's definately a feeding response bite, not a defensive bite. Defensive bites only last for a split second. There IS no holding on in a defensive BP bite..... but then again...

...but he didn't leave any tooth marks or srcatches.

So... I would say THAT means its a defensive strike... and not really a bite involved.

Just love playing devil's advocate!