Bite Club

Yep, I always have at least one other adult present for the 13 footer, two adults as backup when I can manage it. My mom was actually the one to do the pouring of alcohol in the burm situation. My other half did it with the 7' boa. Yeah, I even believe in having a backup person around for the adult boas, just in case. As Clay mentioned, I also believe in waiting it out if possible (usually works with my psychotic female dumerils...usually). And I even tried waiting a bit with the 7' boa...until he really started grinding his teeth into my knuckle and hand when I tried to unwrap him. That was my first experiment with the rubbing alcohol....I was really glad to know it worked when my burm decided to taste my hand a week later. Even now, two months later, my index finger knuckle is still sore when I bend it (think the boa nicked a tendon or something and I'm sure my burm's bite didn't help). And as a mental note: save the Smirnoff for ME after the ordeal!

Dianne

Maybe a tooth still under the skin?

I had wondered if there was an embedded tooth. If there is, it's actually in the joint or tendon itself. There's no bump or irregularity under the skin, but still some tenderness in the joint (it became swollen after the first bite, then it really became swollen after the 2nd bite.). I guess if there's still a tooth or tooth fragment in there, it'll eventually work itself out.

Dianne

Hello,
I get bit at least once a day, but never by a hot, usually by a not-so-friendly whitelip.

I bought a Sumatran Water monitor here a while back.He/she is only about 2 1/2 feet but dang they have a mouth full of teeth and some biting ( Jaw pressure ) to go along with the teeth.He has got me twice and I must say it was by far the worst bite I have gottin.I just hope I can get it tamed down before it bites a limb off.lol..By I still love him/her....lol...

Ok, I've got a breeding group of 1.3 roughscale sand boas. They all have tempers, to the point where I use gloves to root through the cage. It sounds wimpy, but they have strong jaws and the bites are something I'd rather avoid. Anyway, being a sand boa lover and apologist, I figured that they just weren't handled enough as babies, and that roughscales weren't on average any meaner than any other sandboa. So one of them drops a litter the other day, and we go to gather up the babies... and one nabs me on the finger hard enough to leave tooth marks. They're born snappy! Guess India is a rough neighborhood. I'm trying to figure out how to put a positive marketing spin on the fact that they're psycho. Sand boas usually have cuddly reputations and I don't want someone to buy him and end up with something they didn't expect.
Eh, maybe I'll just hold them all back.

Erin B.

Glad to know that bit of information about the roughscales. They're the one sandboa that always gets my attention...just love the pattern and coloring. Since I already own one psycho snake (my female Dumerils) and a couple of others that aren't exactly on the cuddly list, perhaps I should discontinue the thought that I need a roughscale or two.

As an aside Erin, I'm impressed that you would be concerned about the buyers expectations in a pet snake - extremely commendable. I have a couple of snakes I want to sell (a jungle X diamond yearling, and an adult male jungle carpet), but talked the people interested out of them because they wanted snakes that could be handled often with little risk of a bite. The jungle X diamond cross is young enough to probably be calmed down with plenty of gentle handling, but the pure jungle is at least 4 years old - if not older - and was never handled much by the previous owner from my understanding. When I got him back in December, he'd been neglected and severely underfed - overall very dingy and dry looking and quite thin for his size. He shed after a few weeks in my care and some serious plumping up but remained quite dark. He finally shed again last night and is a beauty. He's still darker than most, but striking looks never-the-less. Unfortunately, he's still nippy and would rather be left on his perch in peace.

Dianne

I have been bitten so many times that I will not even attempt to remember than all. Rather, I'll list a few that still stand out in my mind by category.

1. Facial bite. 5' WC female Guyana redtail while I was holding her behind the head and inserting a stomach tube to treat her for hookworms, alone I might add. I must have loosened my grip without realizing it because she suddenly lunged at my face and caught me on the lower lip. Caused profuse bleeding and my lip was swollen and painful for a few days, but I did manage to finish her treatment at the time. Needless to say, her follow up dose was administered with a second person there to help hold her.

2. Among the funniest bites. Holding a 4' male AZ Mtn. King with one hand while hiking down a mountain trail. I had only took one collecting bag with me that morning and had already grabbed the pyro when I found a
Crotalus willardi. The pyro came out and the Ridgenose went in (legally under permit). Had to carry the pyro with one hand while carrying the bag with the rattler in the other hand away from body. Pyro's are chewers when freshly caught and this guy was no different, so while walking down the trail a group of backpackers where on their way up. When noticing the pyro chewing on my arm, their eyes became large and a shocked expression came over their faces. One finally spoke up and said "there is a coral snake chewing on your arm." I smiled and quickly explained what it was and attempted to educate them not to kill tri-color snakes or any others because of their ecological significance.

3. Most painful bite. Crotalus lepidus. I will not even go there. 2nd most painful. Kinda of a toss-up between a large BC, 7-8' and a large Masticophis flagellum, 7', but I seem to remember the Coachwhip more even though I was bitten by that BC on more than one occasion. The Coachwhip bite was very similar to being cut by two razors at once!

Kevin

My Southern Hognose is VERY tame

Ive had him for about 3 months, never been bitten, eating without a problem, always let me handle him everyday, eats drinks, reacts, everything is perfect, so i guess im expelled
lol

I am a teacher. I have a really nice 7 foot Albino Green Burmese in the classroom. All the students handle it...it is a great snake. Well one day in between classes...no students around I went to feed it. I opened the cage...glass front. And she turned and nailed me in the hand and started to rap around my arm...scared the S--- out of me. I have been bit by corns...large rat snakes...kingsnakes...small boas...small pythons. Nothing ever this big...it really scared me. Anyways...I had nothing to get it off with...no sink...bo credit cards...hell nobody to work with for that matter...so I had one thing left to do since it did not respond to me grabing around the head..........

I BIT HER ON THE BODY.


It worked...she let go and that was the end of that...I gave her the rat and left to the bathrrom walking down the hall with blood dripping from my hand ...and everyone looking at me wondering what happened...but they knew.

lol