Your closest call and what caused it?

Sometimes bites happen, and it would be helpful to know what specifically tends to cause them. From the stories I've heard, a large percentage of bites have to do with the following factors.


1. Trying to put the snake into a too-small container like a deli cup or a shallow Rubbermaid instead of bagging it or putting it in a larger, safer enclosure.

2. Wrong tool for the job. Hook or hemostats too short. Using cheap made-in-Taiwan knockoff tongs instead of the real thing from Midwest or ACE or Furmont. Picking up the wrong tool for the job because it's closer to the cage than the right tool.

3. Taking careless shortcuts. Stuff like removing waterbowls from a cage with your bare hand instead of going and getting the long tongs.

4. Being distracted while working with snakes. Talking on the phone, talking to another person in the room, etc.

5. Bad mental or emotional condition. You have the flu, you're extremely tired, you just broke up with your girlfriend/boyfriend, and you're working with the snakes anyways.

6. Drugs or alcohol. This would include prescription medication or over the counter meds like cold or flu pills.

7. Showing off. Doing stupid snake tricks to impress your friends.

8. Freehandling.

Let's share the causes of our closest calls (or actual bites) and see if we can't help each other get more pro-active about improving our safety protocols.