Bitten Much?

[ConcinusMan]

I disagree about the "mean" kings being a feeding response. I know the difference. The mean kings I have seen (and owned) we're downright mean. They weren't hungry. Rattling their tails, puffing up, and striking at the glass was not because they were hungry, and bites sustained were not the "grab ahold and don't let go" type of bite. These were defensive bites. The tame kings don't do any of this.

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

As for being bitten... it's basically a part of my daily routine. Brush teeth, check. Brush hair, check. Eat breakfast, check. Have a few snake teeth embedded in my flesh, check!

Oh, I can relate to teeth embedded in flesh! On a couple of occasions I have had my female snow corn "Luna" tag me (my fault; I smelled like a mouse). I didn't even realize I had teeth embedded unti weeks later after it had healed over. Then, just like a big splinter, they slowly rise to the surface - Yes, fun with tweezers!

As for my garters, the only ones that ever has attempted to bite is my Oregon Garter. In my confrontations with the wild garters here (ordinoides, elgans, sirtalis, and atratus), only the Oregons (T. a. hydrophilus) have been nippy; almost every wild adult Oregon I have handled has drawn blood; the neonates are feisty too! Here are a few memories:

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

And the great hydrophilus chomp of 2009!

[ConcinusMan]

I've had my fair share of wild ordinoides latch on to me when first picked up. hydrophilus have always been feisty and love to bite (and chew!). sirtalis(concinnus) occasionally bite me(especially males) but but mostly they flatten out and "dry" strike a few times before taming quickly. T. elegans terrestris (found along hwy 101 in N. CA) tend to do the same thing.

[brubru2]

I have gotten bit by snakes loads of times, but not by any of my three garters. I get bitten by the banded water snakes I catch up at my cottage. they aren't just being agressive, they only bite when I first catch them, but after that they warm right up to me. The biggest one I've caught so far is a two-and-a-half foot long male I nicknamed, "Re" (as in the Egyptian sun god) Suprisingly enough, I have caught him more than once!

P.S: Water snake bites don't hurt at all.

[ConcinusMan]

Thanks for the tip.

[brubru2]

Oh, and when I was about nine, I even found, what I now realize to be a baby California kingsnake!

P.S: You're welcome

[krystalirelan@southslope.]

not bit much, peed on alot

[ConcinusMan]

Oh, and when I was about nine, I even found, what I now realize to be a baby California kingsnake!

P.S: You're welcome

Talk about biters. The "little kings" are the worst! Nippy little boogers.

[brubru2]

Really?
The one I caught seemed to be verry well behaved, and it was wild.