HoldenBurn
New member
No pain no gain. 
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Bitten?
- Thread starter Azruial
- Start date
Knight_errant
New member
Snakebitten in a BIG way
I've been bitten by a baby blacksnake when I was 7, (the first bite) and a couple watersnakes when I was a teenager. Gartersnakes never bit me, but those watersnakes are mean. They don't like being held.
I had a corn snake my friend found in his back yard as a baby years later and I raised it to an adult. She bit a couple times when she got older. (Seemed to get a little tempermental sometimes)
The few bites I had from those snakes were nothing to hoot and holler about. The "big bite" came from my 9 foot Burmese Python. When one of them latches on, you KNOW IT!
Bernie was a very mild-mannered python and it was my own darn fault. I was preparing for a two week backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail. It was one in the morning and I was supposed to be heading out around six. I had just finished making some teriyaki beef jerky in the dehydrator and packed it in plastic bags. (I'll bet you see this coming now, don't you?) I was in a hurry and real tired when I extracted Bernie's water bowl to wash it out and give him plenty of clean water before my trip. As I reached down into his tank to put the dish on the bottom, my other hand was dangling over the edge of a work bench I was leaning on for support. (Tank was on the floor) Apparently he smelled food, saw hand and fingers and figured, "Why not?"
He struck my right hand and immediately attempted to coil. I managed to hold his body in his tank with my left hand, so he could not constrict, try as he might, but his teeth were very much into my skin with half my fingers from my right hand in his mouth. His upper teeth were deeply imbedded in the top of my hand and knuckles with a couple teeth going in one side of my index finger knuckle and out the other side. His bottom teeth were firmly planted in the palm of my hand.
A 9 foot Burmese python is quite strong and it was all I could do to keep his body in his tank with my left hand. Unfortunately, he did NOT want to let go. Apparently the previous week's rabbit was not enough for him. I was bleeding pretty steadily from the bite, but remained calm enough to try to figure out how to get him off my hand. I didn't want to hurt him, so hitting him on the head was not an immediate option.
I squatted on the floor next to the tank and used my left elbow to keep his body down while I worked my left hand to his head and my hand. Through some more lascerations on my left fingers and thumb, I managed to pry his bottom teeth out of my palm, but could not extract the top teeth, even trying to twist my right hand so that the teeth would disengage. After repeated attempts, I finally settled for a combination of twisting my hand and pulling/ripping my hand from his teeth, taking a couple out with my hand.
When I was free, I made sure he went back down into his tank with my left hand on the back of his neck, then fastened the lid securely. I made my way to the bathroom, dripping blood all along the floor. (I was bleeding pretty heavily at this point) I think I only battled him to keep my hand for about fifteen minutes, but it seemed an eternity. Fortunately, I have a well-stocked first-aid kit, to include triple-antibiotic ointment and varieties of dressings. I thoroughly washed both hands with liquid antibiotic soap, removed a tooth from the back of my hand, applied a liberal amount of ointment, dressed the wound, checked on poor Bernie to make sure he was okay, then went off to bed.
I checked both my hand and Bernie several hours later. Hand was swelling up a bit and was quite sore, but Bernie seemed unfazed. After a 7-hour drive to Northern Georgia the hand was very sore, but the swelling had not worsened. I had an excellent first aid kit with me for backpacking and had changed the dressing a couple more times, but the trip was worthwhile. (This was a two week solo backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail for my birthday) The pain and swelling receded in a couple days, but that first day was nasty, trying to get my 90-plus pound pack strapped onto my back with an injured hand.
Quite a story, eh? I've had a number of people as if I killed the snake. My reply: "Why? It was MY fault." I broke the number one rule of handling snakes. ALWAYS wash your hands before and after handling.
If you don't always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling snakes, I highly recommend you heed my advice and take the time to do so. You'll be doing yourself and your snakes a big favor.
Sincerely,
Erik
I've been bitten by a baby blacksnake when I was 7, (the first bite) and a couple watersnakes when I was a teenager. Gartersnakes never bit me, but those watersnakes are mean. They don't like being held.
I had a corn snake my friend found in his back yard as a baby years later and I raised it to an adult. She bit a couple times when she got older. (Seemed to get a little tempermental sometimes)
The few bites I had from those snakes were nothing to hoot and holler about. The "big bite" came from my 9 foot Burmese Python. When one of them latches on, you KNOW IT!
Bernie was a very mild-mannered python and it was my own darn fault. I was preparing for a two week backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail. It was one in the morning and I was supposed to be heading out around six. I had just finished making some teriyaki beef jerky in the dehydrator and packed it in plastic bags. (I'll bet you see this coming now, don't you?) I was in a hurry and real tired when I extracted Bernie's water bowl to wash it out and give him plenty of clean water before my trip. As I reached down into his tank to put the dish on the bottom, my other hand was dangling over the edge of a work bench I was leaning on for support. (Tank was on the floor) Apparently he smelled food, saw hand and fingers and figured, "Why not?"
He struck my right hand and immediately attempted to coil. I managed to hold his body in his tank with my left hand, so he could not constrict, try as he might, but his teeth were very much into my skin with half my fingers from my right hand in his mouth. His upper teeth were deeply imbedded in the top of my hand and knuckles with a couple teeth going in one side of my index finger knuckle and out the other side. His bottom teeth were firmly planted in the palm of my hand.
A 9 foot Burmese python is quite strong and it was all I could do to keep his body in his tank with my left hand. Unfortunately, he did NOT want to let go. Apparently the previous week's rabbit was not enough for him. I was bleeding pretty steadily from the bite, but remained calm enough to try to figure out how to get him off my hand. I didn't want to hurt him, so hitting him on the head was not an immediate option.
I squatted on the floor next to the tank and used my left elbow to keep his body down while I worked my left hand to his head and my hand. Through some more lascerations on my left fingers and thumb, I managed to pry his bottom teeth out of my palm, but could not extract the top teeth, even trying to twist my right hand so that the teeth would disengage. After repeated attempts, I finally settled for a combination of twisting my hand and pulling/ripping my hand from his teeth, taking a couple out with my hand.
When I was free, I made sure he went back down into his tank with my left hand on the back of his neck, then fastened the lid securely. I made my way to the bathroom, dripping blood all along the floor. (I was bleeding pretty heavily at this point) I think I only battled him to keep my hand for about fifteen minutes, but it seemed an eternity. Fortunately, I have a well-stocked first-aid kit, to include triple-antibiotic ointment and varieties of dressings. I thoroughly washed both hands with liquid antibiotic soap, removed a tooth from the back of my hand, applied a liberal amount of ointment, dressed the wound, checked on poor Bernie to make sure he was okay, then went off to bed.
I checked both my hand and Bernie several hours later. Hand was swelling up a bit and was quite sore, but Bernie seemed unfazed. After a 7-hour drive to Northern Georgia the hand was very sore, but the swelling had not worsened. I had an excellent first aid kit with me for backpacking and had changed the dressing a couple more times, but the trip was worthwhile. (This was a two week solo backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail for my birthday) The pain and swelling receded in a couple days, but that first day was nasty, trying to get my 90-plus pound pack strapped onto my back with an injured hand.
Quite a story, eh? I've had a number of people as if I killed the snake. My reply: "Why? It was MY fault." I broke the number one rule of handling snakes. ALWAYS wash your hands before and after handling.
If you don't always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling snakes, I highly recommend you heed my advice and take the time to do so. You'll be doing yourself and your snakes a big favor.
Sincerely,
Erik
first bite
i had my first bite yesterday,was during feeding time and it didnt hurt one bit.The little bugger held onto my finger for dear life lol, took him a few moments to realise my finger wasnt a mouse then he quickly let go and turned his attention back to his real food.As stated before its the shock that gets you more than the actual bite.
i had my first bite yesterday,was during feeding time and it didnt hurt one bit.The little bugger held onto my finger for dear life lol, took him a few moments to realise my finger wasnt a mouse then he quickly let go and turned his attention back to his real food.As stated before its the shock that gets you more than the actual bite.
cornsnakekid92
trouser snake
i was bitten for the first time about a month ago, i was at a pet shop and bored so i asked to hold some snakes, long story short is tht there was a lavender kingsnake that did not want me to hold him , my dad also got bitten by a central american boa about 30 seconds later, but they both were hatchlings so evert thing was okay.
dionythicus
Kiss My Hearse
I thought I had washed my hands really well before I picked up my adult king female. She sat in my hands for a minute, flicked her tongue on my palm (at which point I figured out where she was going with it) and she made a very slow attempt to grab my hand. She was all "if I do this slowly, she won't know I'm going to bite her". I pinched her behind the head to stop the bite and gently put her back in her viv.
Silly snake! I know what you're doing!
Silly snake! I know what you're doing!
bull420
New member
i used to have a snow corn that was really docile as a hatchling but when he got bigger he would try to bite me every chanch he got untill he got to be about 2 foot long i never did figger out why the only other time i was bit was by a wiled chickken snake i guss that is what i get for trying to catch it out of a thorn tree.neather of the snakes hurt much you want to get bet by somthing that hurts get bit by a tokay gecko thay are the reptile verson of a pit bull.
Azruial
Member
Those geckos sound cool, I'd love to see one.... from a distance lol
* google searches "Tokay Gecko" http://www.hoglezoo.org/animals/view.php?id=204 *
lol* google searches "Tokay Gecko" http://www.hoglezoo.org/animals/view.php?id=204 *
I'm laughing reading the bitten stories. I had a male Corn that you could not GET to bite you. Half the time he wouldn't even bite the f/t. I'd have to bop him with it a few times and then often he would constrict before latching on. I swear this snake would have been dead in the wild
My female is another story. She's been handled to death, and used to go to kid's schools for presentations, so she would never bite on purpose. However she is a complete chow hound (she'd eat a cotton ball if it landed in her tank), and has a stupid mother She had pooped right in front of the entrance to her hide box. She was also in her hide box. Stupid me took a kleenex to scoop the poop. I remember at the exact same moment my brain kicked in and told me this wasn't a good idea.... WHAM, snake on finger. She let go almost immediately when she realized it was me. I swear I heard her mutter "idiot" as she went back in her hide box.
The speed of these guys never ceases to amaze me!
Kathy
My female is another story. She's been handled to death, and used to go to kid's schools for presentations, so she would never bite on purpose. However she is a complete chow hound (she'd eat a cotton ball if it landed in her tank), and has a stupid mother
She had pooped right in front of the entrance to her hide box. She was also in her hide box. Stupid me took a kleenex to scoop the poop. I remember at the exact same moment my brain kicked in and told me this wasn't a good idea.... WHAM, snake on finger. She let go almost immediately when she realized it was me. I swear I heard her mutter "idiot" as she went back in her hide box. The speed of these guys never ceases to amaze me!
Kathy
ruby's dad
New member
ruby bit me once when i first got her, but she could not get through the skin on my hand, sometimes now she looks like she may strike but if i just ignore her body language and get straight in there she is okay, obviously at feeding time she is very active and looks like she may bite but never does, maybe she is wise and doesn't want to bite the hand that feeds her..lol :cheers:
ashleynicole
New member
i thought that this was the exact reason why you don't feed them in their home.. so they don't bite you. I put mine in a separate container and i don't touch the pinky, i don't wan them referring my hand with feeding. so i put the pinky in his feeding container and then i wash my hands really good. Then i pick up the snake and put him in there and put the lid on and watch him eat. When hes done i put him back in his home... never been bitten yet!
Roy Munson
New member
ashleynicole said:
I feed mine exactly the same way. I never introduce food to a snake in its feeding container. I always introduce the snake to the mouse in the container. I've never been bitten using this method, and I've done it thousands of times. I like how you emphasize the hand washing part in between; I think it's critical too.