Bitten Much?

[Snakeknot]

I've owned snakes for a little over a year. The first corn I got was a baby Okeetee even though I was told they can be a little nippy. He tagged me twice the first week! Even drew blood! The third time I was being stupid and hand feeding him and instead of grabbing the pinkie, he grabbed MY pinkie! That was actually kinda funny though.

The others I have yet to get bit by. Fran/Franco my Kenyan sand boa, never. ( Knock on wood. ) And I better not because that's the one I let kids handle! Draco my big, amel corn, never. ( Knock on wood. ) Achilles, well he musked the vet and I while we were medicating him but no bites. ( Knock on wood. ) Wishbone my baby amel corn, never. ( Knock on wood. ) Smoothie the Saharan has yet to show any signs of biting but then I've only had him less than a week! And Bogo the new garter baby has musked me but not bitten. So either I have it coming to me, ( knocking on a whole wood pile here! ) or I picked out really nicely tempered snakes. I HOPE its the latter! I want to do reptile outreach with these guys so I better pick nice dispositions!

Steve : I see your guys like finger food!

Devon

[Mommy2many]

I think it's kinda funny when they nip. The little guy I saved the other night from being eaten by its sibling, turned and latched onto me as soon as I got him out of the other snake's belly! I think it was a residual reaction due to being almost half swallowed. They always seem to draw a little blood each time, they have sharp little teeth, even the baby ones!

[jitami]

Well, I'm no longer a snake bite virgin

It wasn't my absolutely perfect, in no way would we bite mommy, garters, though The cornsnake often puts on quite a show of tail rattling, S'ing up, etc., but until today hasn't followed through with an actual strike. I was taking him out of his feeding tub a few minutes ago and he nailed me on my index finger. I screamed like a girl and then started laughing. I felt practically nothing and while there was a tiny spot of blood I can't even see or feel where he got me now. brat. Getting him out of the tub turned out to be somewhat interesting. He had poo'd so I wanted to rinse him off before putting him back in his enclosure. He continued to strike and be a brat so I just put the feeding tub under the faucet and waited until he had to swim, reached in picked him up, rinsed him off, with no more attitude issues. Ok, so I'm still a bit of a sissy, but it worked.

[prattypus]

I almost got hit today. I had just fed Mojito- Similis, and I was pulling the dish out- and he normally goes to the opposite end when I am in there. Well I had my hand in, and he struck- no connection, but he held his body somewaht aloft and lef this mouth gaping for a moment - never seen him act like that before. onery cuss.

[guidofatherof5]

My 5.5 foot bull snakes nailed me today. She grabbed my wrist and hung on for a few.
It was my fault as she was still in feeding mode.

[Mommy2many]

Now that's a bite!

[jitami]

Ouch, Steve! I'd like to say my brat was still in feeding mode, but he doesn't even strike at his prey, just slowly takes it in his mouth and starts eating. Ungrateful brats, I tell you

[prattypus]

Man oh man- Steve when you say blood, sweat, and tears- I am more prone to say that you shed all of them in ample amounts over your charges- DEDICATION!!

[guidofatherof5]

Well, my 5.5 female Bull snake is at it again or should I say at me again.
She came to the Ranch about 2 months ago a skinny neglected snake. She had that keel look to her back. Once in her new home she made a point of striking at everything that moved by her enclosure, every time. She was a very hungry snake. I focused the first month on getting her body weight back up and then started working on her manors. Once she was out of that starving mode she started to come around.
I was now able to enter the enclosure without defending myself and once she realized it wasn't a food situation she allowed me to pick her up.
Tonight I entered the enclosure to do some housekeeping(poop pickup or in her case, shoveling). That part went very well as she stayed in the hide. After the cleanup I decided to get her out for some calm time. I grabbed the corner of her hide and started to lift when she came out like a rocket and grabbed my forearm. After a few seconds she released and I was able to pick her up.
I knew I was going to get tagged by her eventually but I thought it would be in the beginning of our relationship. I don't hold a grudge and I expect to be tagged a few more times before she leaves. I'm going to see if I can get her a job with one of our County Conservation Officers. She'll have to get out of this grabbing mode before that can happen. I look at it as a long rehabilitation for her. Maybe another year on the Ranch.

[Spankenstyne]

I lost count long ago. I like 'em feisty but my Cape gophers are my worst biters at the moment. It used to be probably 50 or more bites per session before they calmed down. Now the male never bites, he's super docile, but the girls are another story. They're down to maybe a dozen times now per session so there's progress being made lol. My garters haven't been biters yet, just the usual attempts at flight at worst but quickly calming down.

My opinion is it's always our fault when we get bit. They're just doing what they're programmed to do, whether it's defending what they see as a threat or trying to eat what they see as food. Getting tagged is sort of a rite of passage, you're not a true snake keeper until you've been bitten

Here's one of my Goins Kings letting me know I shouldn't get complacent and make sure I wash my hands between bins when feeding, not just when I'm done. Gotta love the feeding responses in these guys:







Really going for the kill



The aftermath of about half an hour of chewing. Always looks worse than it is. Just had the funny pin-prick mouth patterns on the finger



My wife laughed, she kept reminding me that normal people don't go grab a camera when their animals try to eat them..