My BP Just Bit me, What should I do??

[Houzi88]

So I was holding my snake. I was laying down with him and he was doing the usual just constricting my arm and all that. Then my brother comes into the room and then I ask if he wants to hold the snake. I gave him the snake and then the snake was looking at me all in attack mode. So I tell my brother to put him in this cooler that I always feed him in and it's lined with paper towels.

So then I feed the snake and he finishes and then I just grab the corners to the paper towel and then bring him to his cage (so that I don't grab him and hurt his stomach). Then I went to grab the corners and he struck at me and bit me. I started to bleed, but I went back in and grabbed the corners and brought him to his cage because after he bit me he crawled into a ball so I figured he wouldn't bite me again.

What should I do, I don't want him to bite me or anything. He's more aggressive than when he was little, is it because he's growing up and getting more into killing animals? Should I start feeding him F/T? Any suggestions will help.

~Thanks for reading

[FloridaHogs]

Sounds like he was still in feeding mode. Give him a little bit of time after he eats. And I have to ask, did you handle the mouse with your hands? If so, did you wash them before trying to move him back to his cage? Just sounds like a feeding error to me.

[starmom]

Sounds like he was still in hunt mode. Maybe next time you can wait longer before you pick him up (let his body language direct you) and make sure your hands don't smell like prey

Is there a reason why you don't feed in his enclosure?

EDIT: Floridahogs is f-a-s-t on the keyboard

[PythonWallace]

I'd check the temps and stop feeding him in a cooler. Feed him like clockwork and leave him alone for a couple of days to digest his food. Moving him and messing with or around him probably just makes him nervous when he wants to be left alone.

Edit: I'm super slow today.

[rabernet]

I don't move my animals on feeding day - I don't want to handle them in feed mode. They are fed in their enclosures, and they aren't aggressive on non-feed days.

I suspect it was a combination of a) he knows it's a feeding tub - so he's amped up for feeding b) he was still in feed mode and c) you probably still smelled of rodent.

That paper towel trick isn't going to work when he's a full grown adult.

Try feeding him in his enclosure next time. When he's done eating, you don't have to move him, and he can calm down in his own time and have 48 hours to digest his meal!

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Feeding outside the enclosure + feeding mode = BITES

Start feeding inside the enclosure, and watch your snake body language.

And remember this is a wild animal and while rare due to their docile nature, bites can happen.

BP are not more aggressive than others because they eat live preys

[python.princess]

Feeding in a separate enclosure is unneccesary IMO and opens the door for situations like this! When I first started keeping snakes, that's what I did (thanks for the advice Petco!) and Floyd kept biting me after eating his meal. After I switched and fed in their normal enclosures, I never got bit again! I'd consider that if I were you!

EDIT: Oops! Looks like a couple people beat me! lol

[Houzi88]

Thanks for all the advice. I always pick the mouse up with latex gloves cause the mouse always poops in his little container from the pet store. I heard that you should never feed the snakes in the enclosure but I'll do that for now on, it's so much easier!!!
Thanks!!!

[juddb]

Bite back. Kidding, great advice from the above posts!

[juddb]

I don't move my animals on feeding day - I don't want to handle them in feed mode. They are fed in their enclosures, and they aren't aggressive on non-feed days.

I suspect it was a combination of a) he knows it's a feeding tub - so he's amped up for feeding b) he was still in feed mode and c) you probably still smelled of rodent.

That paper towel trick isn't going to work when he's a full grown adult.

Try feeding him in his enclosure next time. When he's done eating, you don't have to move him, and he can calm down in his own time and have 48 hours to digest his meal!

Robin i love your new avatar, great looking snake there.