What causes bites?

Let's see if we can help each other improve our safety protocols by sharing about what circumstances are most likely to cause a bite or a scary close call.

These are the factors I hear about most often.

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. Using a broken tool or a tool that broke while being used.

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.

9. Freak circumstances. Nobody's fault really. Total accident. Couldn't have been prevented with any amount of foresight or increased safety protocols.

Share the story of your closest calls or bites and how they happened? You can choose more than one option if you've had more than one close call or bite.