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My snake just bit me!

djreaction3001

djreaction3001

New member
I've never seen him move so quick. Thinking I was aware of his capabilities, I had rubbed a mouse on my finger and was using my finger to entice him out for lunch. I took my eyes off him for 1 second and turned back just in time to see him strike. He was so quick he had bitten and let go before I even had time to react. I've had him over a year now and its the first time he's bitten anyone. My wife was rolling on the floor laughing.
 
Next time, try enticing him with the MOUSE and not your finger. Instead of enticing at all... I simply lift my corns out the tank, put them in ther feeding containers and voila.
 
His prefered hide is a long hollow log which I can't get him out of unless he wants to come out. He always come straight out for lunch though when I dangel a mouse near it but I have been known to drop the mouse in the substraight which is dangerous if he gets to it before me. I have to get him out to feed him so I don't see the problem with enticing him rather than just forcing him to come out. He comes of his own accord this way. I never force him to do anything. He comes out for handling when he wants and pretty much does what he wants when he wants.
 
djreaction3001 said:
I have to get him out to feed him so I don't see the problem with enticing him rather than just forcing him to come out.
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The problem is that you may condition him to associate your hand with food. Not much of a problem with a snake the size of the one in your avatar, but a five-footer on your finger would suck. I never worry about "bothering" my snakes. If one needs to come out, I go in and grab them. :)
 
You really need to get a hide that he can't get stuck in, so that you can have access to him anytime you need. It really doesn't have to be anything fancy. An old cardboard box, an upside down butter tub with a hole in it. Just something that is easy to remove him from. You're the boss, not him. Sounds kind of silly, but right now you are conditioning him to think that the only time he gets out is to eat. You should handle him when YOU want to, on YOUR terms (obviously respecting the 48-hour after feeding rule).
 
He comes out almost daily off his own accord for handling so there is no need to force him. It is the first time I have used my finger to entice him out which was because I dropped his mouse last time and he nearly got to it before me when it was covered in substraight. I take on board what has been said and won't be using my finger again and to make it easier to remove him for feeding maybe I should take his fav hide away but he likes it there so much. He has 4 in total and only ever uses that one.
 
djreaction3001 said:
He comes out almost daily off his own accord for handling so there is no need to force him. It is the first time I have used my finger to entice him out which was because I dropped his mouse last time and he nearly got to it before me when it was covered in substraight. I take on board what has been said and won't be using my finger again and to make it easier to remove him for feeding maybe I should take his fav hide away but he likes it there so much. He has 4 in total and only ever uses that one.
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Snakes don't generally come out for the purpose of being handled... they just come out to move around and explore. I personally believe that the snake should be left alone to do its own thing at this time... I know I would be frustrated if someone grabbed me every time I got out of my bed in the morning! :rolleyes: Really, just reach in to the hide and pick him up. There need not be any force involved, and there is no need to be 'tempting' him out to feed... I am not surprised in the slightest the snake bit you. If you're worried out substrate ingestion then you should be feeding in a seperate feeding tub.

So sorry, but I read back through your posts and this jumped out at me:

djreaction3001 said:
He comes out for handling when he wants
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How do you know he wants to be handled? Like I said earlier, the snake out and about does not mean he is asking to be handled...

Just to clear this up I do not mean to be 'bashing' your methods of snake keeping, etc etc... but this bite could have been easily prevented with a bit of common sense.
 
Talk about been blown up out of proportion.

I know he doesn't think I'll go out to be handled but I never go get him to handle him. When he is out cruising I open the Viv and hold my hand out and he will come on to my hand so I'll hold him for a while and then put him back.

It was my own fault he bit me cos my finger smelled of mouse. At the time it was quite funny, no one was hurt and I learnt not to do it again. It is the first time he has bitten anyone, he is not an aggressive snake.

I do have a separate feeding container for him, hence why I was trying to get him out to put him there. All I was trying to say is that when he is in is fav hide I cannot get him out but at the smell of food he generally comes out quite quickly. The suggestions about removing the hide are valid so he is some where I can just grab him but if he generally comes out off his own accord then why grab him??? As I said he comes out when he wants so the only time his hide can pose a problem is when I need to clean the Viv, but then I just remove the hide with him in it and leave him there while I clean.

I was just sharing what I found a funny experience and won't be under estimating his capabilities again. He is a good eater and comes out willingly to explore and is not scared of people hence why he will come to me or my wife if we just hold our hand out. If he is the way he is then I don't see why I need to force him to do anything.

A lot of people in here seem to have got very self-righteous over a very trivial post. :shrugs:
 
djreaction3001 said:
Talk about been blown up out of proportion... A lot of people in here seem to have got very self-righteous over a very trivial post. :shrugs:
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Only five people have replied in this thread, and only one came anywhere near posting in a self-righteous manner (and not even that near, imho). That's hardly a lot of people. There's only one member here blowing anything out of proportion, and I bet you can guess who they are. ;)

As long as the snake's needs are being met, and you are doing nothing to put it in harm's way, do what you want to. :) :)
 
Hey man, sh*t happens.....live and learn. No one should give you a hard time about this situation, you were only sharing a funny experience.
Lise :cheers:
 
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