Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 3,030

0 members and 3,030 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 6,337, 01-24-2020 at 04:30 AM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,031
Threads: 248,489
Posts: 2,568,446
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, isismomma
Page 6 of 6 FirstFirst 123456
Results 51 to 60 of 60
  1. #51
    BPnet Royalty Zincubus's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-22-2011
    Posts
    6,948
    Thanks
    2,510
    Thanked 4,897 Times in 2,992 Posts

    Do you let your BP come near your face?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    That reminds me of an odd (but not serious & not face) bite that I got many years ago, when I walked past a mirror while carrying a snake- the snake apparently panicked when he caught sight of what probably appeared to him to be nearby motion- actually just our reflection in the mirror, but snakes survive because they have these instincts that make them react fast. While bites like this are very hard to anticipate, I think one thing that contributes is when it's a larger snake that doesn't feel so safe & supported by us in the first place- just a thought. (The snake I was carrying was not one that I raised, & it was a 6' rescue.)

    (For a 10-year old thread, this one sure came roaring back to life. )
    Well this revamped thread has already thrown up some fascinating views and stories on the topic ...

    I still think there’s a significant difference between say moving your face towards a snakes jaws when it’s exploring or handling it whilst moving AND simply letting it climb over your shoulders and it slither calmly across your face ..

    I’m just struggling to explain it in words

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    Last edited by Zincubus; 03-01-2021 at 03:14 AM.




  2. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Zincubus For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (03-01-2021),dakski (03-01-2021)

  3. #52
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-08-2014
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    4,802
    Thanks
    8,109
    Thanked 9,691 Times in 3,863 Posts
    Images: 134

    Re: Do you let your BP come near your face?

    Stuff happens, but I encourage my snakes to explore and feel comfortable with me. Feliz loves to "boop" noses and Behira loves hanging on necks (both boas). Is there risk and do I know they are not domesticated? Yes, absolutely. However, I want them to be comfortable and used to me, my breath, my beard, etc. Do I ever force the issue. NO! Could I still get bit, yes!

    However, I do think that being uncomfortable and letting a snake know that and trying to force them away from your face/neck area when they are just exploring could have the opposite effect.

    As I often say, "It's better to be lucky than good."

    So far in 25 years of keeping snakes, I've had only two bites (that drew blood anyway - not counting the first few times I went to pick up Solana at 8G and she hit me with her nose striking at me hand ). Both were young constrictors. A 300G BP and a 500G BI (Behira).

    That's not to say I haven't had some try - I had a king snake for about a week that I gave back to a local breeder. We did not see eye to eye (the snake and me).

  4. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to dakski For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (03-01-2021),Hugsplox (03-01-2021)

  5. #53
    Bogertophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-28-2018
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20,183
    Thanks
    28,085
    Thanked 19,740 Times in 11,797 Posts

    Re: Do you let your BP come near your face?

    Quote Originally Posted by dakski View Post
    ...That's not to say I haven't had some try - I had a king snake for about a week that I gave back to a local breeder. We did not see eye to eye (the snake and me).
    I totally get this- there are many kinds of king snakes & I've kept several kinds & bred some in the past, but in general, they aren't the smartest snakes- some can be very obtuse & food-focused that results in them biting whatever they can reach, even when it's us. Best to remember that they fill a niche in nature, and not take their shortcomings personally.

    My only face bite ever was from an albino California king snake who nailed me right on the bridge of my nose which bled profusely. This occurred in a pet store- I was there in fact to assess this snake as a potential mate for my ready-to-breed female. What I didn't know or expect was that they had kept this snake in this way-too-small "shoebox" container they handed me & that they had been feeding him live mice by throwing them in quickly as the box was opened. He was waiting for a sucker like me & I'm not so sure the store owner wasn't also.

    Anyway, it really wasn't his fault that when I opened the box, he flew out & bit the first thing he saw...my nose. At least he didn't try to keep it-! I bought him anyway, but not after bleeding profusely for a while in their store, using up Kleenex & joking about it. No real damage, & in much larger tank he settled down (somewhat) for me & easily took f/t (under-statement)- he also was a good match for the female I had- they made some nice offspring.

    Face bites (or any bites) can happen when you least expect them- & keeping snakes is certainly not a risk-free endeavor, but with common sense it doesn't have to be high-risk either. Nothing in life is truly risk-free.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  6. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:

    bcr229 (03-01-2021),dakski (03-01-2021)

  7. #54
    BPnet Royalty Zincubus's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-22-2011
    Posts
    6,948
    Thanks
    2,510
    Thanked 4,897 Times in 2,992 Posts

    Do you let your BP come near your face?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    I totally get this- there are many kinds of king snakes & I've kept several kinds & bred some in the past, but in general, they aren't the smartest snakes- some can be very obtuse & food-focused that results in them biting whatever they can reach, even when it's us. Best to remember that they fill a niche in nature, and not take their shortcomings personally.

    My only face bite ever was from an albino California king snake who nailed me right on the bridge of my nose which bled profusely. This occurred in a pet store- I was there in fact to assess this snake as a potential mate for my ready-to-breed female. What I didn't know or expect was that they had kept this snake in this way-too-small "shoebox" container they handed me & that they had been feeding him live mice by throwing them in quickly as the box was opened. He was waiting for a sucker like me & I'm not so sure the store owner wasn't also.

    Anyway, it really wasn't his fault that when I opened the box, he flew out & bit the first thing he saw...my nose. At least he didn't try to keep it-! I bought him anyway, but not after bleeding profusely for a while in their store, using up Kleenex & joking about it. No real damage, & in much larger tank he settled down (somewhat) for me & easily took f/t (under-statement)- he also was a good match for the female I had- they made some nice offspring.

    Face bites (or any bites) can happen when you least expect them- & keeping snakes is certainly not a risk-free endeavor, but with common sense it doesn't have to be high-risk either. Nothing in life is truly risk-free.
    I do worry somewhat about ‘eye bites’ , thankfully I wear bifocal glasses around the house


    Bizarrely one of my favourite types of tropical fish is called a Malawi EyeBiter






    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    Last edited by Zincubus; 03-01-2021 at 02:46 PM.




  8. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Zincubus For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (03-01-2021),dakski (03-01-2021)

  9. #55
    Bogertophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-28-2018
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20,183
    Thanks
    28,085
    Thanked 19,740 Times in 11,797 Posts

    Re: Do you let your BP come near your face?

    Quote Originally Posted by Zincubus View Post
    I do worry somewhat about ‘eye bites’ , thankfully I wear bifocal glasses around the house


    Bizarrely one of my favourite types of tropical fish is called a Malawi EyeBiter
    ...

    For lack of a better term, I referred to my king snake bite as being on the bridge of my nose, but actually it was lower than that- right over the thin-skinned bony area (mid-nose?), so like I said, I bled impressively for a while. The bite startled me, wasn't really painful, & was mostly just a nuisance. Could & should have been prevented though.

    Any time one feels that an eye bite is a possibility, wearing glasses or safety goggles or even one of these eye-shields that all the best COVID-preventers are wearing is a darn good idea.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  10. The Following User Says Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:

    Hugsplox (03-01-2021)

  11. #56
    BPnet Veteran Hugsplox's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-27-2020
    Location
    Georgia, U.S.
    Posts
    695
    Thanks
    1,695
    Thanked 1,130 Times in 534 Posts

    Re: Do you let your BP come near your face?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    For lack of a better term, I referred to my king snake bite as being on the bridge of my nose, but actually it was lower than that- right over the thin-skinned bony area (mid-nose?), so like I said, I bled impressively for a while. The bite startled me, wasn't really painful, & was mostly just a nuisance. Could & should have been prevented though.

    Any time one feels that an eye bite is a possibility, wearing glasses or safety goggles or even one of these eye-shields that all the best COVID-preventers are wearing is a darn good idea.

    Right! I always keep my enclosures just a hair below chest level so I can see down into them and now have to worry about getting popped in the face. If I have to lean over I always put a piece of glass (aka the door) in front of me and the snake just to be safe. Only been tagged on the hands but I'd prefer not to have a fun story to tell my wife

  12. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Hugsplox For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (03-01-2021),dakski (03-01-2021)

  13. #57
    Bogertophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-28-2018
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20,183
    Thanks
    28,085
    Thanked 19,740 Times in 11,797 Posts

    Re: Do you let your BP come near your face?

    Quote Originally Posted by Hugsplox View Post
    ... Only been tagged on the hands but I'd prefer not to have a fun story to tell my wife
    I think that my pet store incident was very preventable, but also think the store owner/mgr. thought it was funny, & he HAD to have known the snake would do that just as it had done whenever they fed him. The friend I was there with had been there many times & knew him well, but it was my first time in the store (it was several hours drive from where I lived) & the store specialized in exotic reptiles which in the past had given him & his staff some noteworthy wounds & "stories" as well.

    More about Reptile Haven & Chris Estep: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-...341-story.html (I think Chris is retired now? He also ran the nearby Bird Haven at the time.)
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  14. #58
    BPnet Royalty Zincubus's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-22-2011
    Posts
    6,948
    Thanks
    2,510
    Thanked 4,897 Times in 2,992 Posts

    Re: Do you let your BP come near your face?

    How bizarre.. this has just appeared on Instagram ..

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CL2hd_4C...d=6cggyxobv3ml


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro




  15. The Following User Says Thank You to Zincubus For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (03-01-2021)

  16. #59
    Bogertophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-28-2018
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20,183
    Thanks
    28,085
    Thanked 19,740 Times in 11,797 Posts

    Re: Do you let your BP come near your face?

    Quote Originally Posted by Zincubus View Post
    How bizarre.. this has just appeared on Instagram ..

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CL2hd_4C...d=6cggyxobv3ml


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

    Gee, that was too close for comfort. This guy doesn't seem to have much empathy with his snake, & that's what gets you bit in the first place...dangling them with one hand is not helping snakes to feel safe & sheltered in your hands; they feel exposed, & it makes them nervous, just like it did in this case. That's clearly why this guy got bit.

    And it's just like bcr229 posted earlier- it's not just about handling snakes near your face, because when a snake is long enough, your face becomes a target they can easily reach.

    Remember that snakes don't identify things much by vision alone, so if your face is too far away for them to "know it's you" by scent & touch, then you can end up with a panic bite when they're feeling as stressed as this one clearly was. That's the reason I feel safer when handling snakes close to my face & being "chummy" with them: they KNOW it's just me, they don't misunderstand, & they've previously learned that I'm "safe". It's not a big assumption either: snakes learn their way around in the wild, where to hide for safety & survival- they do somehow learn & retain things, whether or not we can fully explain how.

    Remember that snakes aren't logical- don't assume they "know" that the hand holding them is part of the same creature that's staring at them with a potential predator face, because they don't.

    And just as my experience passing a mirror while holding a snake, or bcr229's experience getting bit after going through an awkward doorway indicates, snakes may bite us simply out of panic & confusion. The safer they feel with us, the less that happens.
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 03-01-2021 at 07:48 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  17. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:

    dakski (03-01-2021),Zincubus (03-01-2021)

  18. #60
    BPnet Royalty Zincubus's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-22-2011
    Posts
    6,948
    Thanks
    2,510
    Thanked 4,897 Times in 2,992 Posts

    Re: Do you let your BP come near your face?

    Another clip showing a snake bite to the face ( possibly eye in this case )

    It’s about 10 seconds into the clip

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/CMCjU...=1cv7zp82f6sdv


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro




Page 6 of 6 FirstFirst 123456

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1