Pet Corn Snake said:
This must sound like a really silly question, but what would you need to do if when fully grown the snake did attack you? how would you restrain it? Damien's strike worries me and he's 28inch, it sends shivers down my spine to imagine a 20 foot snake strike.
Honestly, you have a valid question. I know that most zoo's with large snakes have an emergency protocol to implement if the event of an "incident". There is a standard operating procedure when handling a giant snake.
First, you eliminate all other animal smells from yourself and the area. You don't pet the dog, play with the cat,or feed the smaller snakes.
Two, you don't handle a giant unless you have a buddy present to aid if there's an emergency.
Three, you train the snake with a snake hook. A tap on the nose with the hook means, "this handling time, not feeding time. Giants are fed in their enclosure. You don't want a giant outside of their cage in hunt mode.
Four, You learn the individual's body language and never,never take your eye off of the snake. Your buddy acts as a backup set of eyes.
If the snake does bite and latch on, you wait for him to let go. You and your buddy try to keep the snake from constricting you. If the snake won't let go, you can spray the snake with hot, not scalding water. The Pittsburgh Zoo has a hot water hose in the python enclosure. I plan to place my baby's cage within a couple of steps from a shower with a hand held spray. If the hot water doesn't do the trick, you can try pouring alcohol in the mouth of the snake. I always thought that one was a kinda extreme reaction.
Finally, I live in a metropolitan area with very good emergency response. My security system is equipped with a panic button. I've had occasion to use it and the police/paramedics always arrive within four minutes.
All that being said, most captive bred retics are very docile. Once they get to be eight feet they get real mellow. You need to respect their size and power, but you don't really need to be afraid of them.
