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Bite Club

What best describes your personal experience??

  • Never been bitten. I tend to keep more placid species IE Cornsnakes.

    Votes: 52 9.5%

  • Have been nipped at a few times from my baby Python or Boa.

    Votes: 212 38.8%

  • I get hit every freaking day by something, whether I'm cleaning cages or just free handling for 'spe

    Votes: 33 6.0%

  • I've been hit hundreds of times from just about everything!! Kings, Milks, Pythons, Boas, but nothin

    Votes: 100 18.3%

  • I was at the wrong end (the recipient) of an extremely painful bite from a very large constrictor.

    Votes: 91 16.6%

  • I use extreme caution when handling any of my reptiles, and have not been bit by anything other than

    Votes: 59 10.8%
  • Total voters
    547
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! :D

Dianne
 
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.
 
Must add another one to the list and by far the worst

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
 
Wild Southern Hognose=Tame?

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 :D
 
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
 
Randy has been bitten by a boa and a Northern Pacific rattlesnake, the rat-tler he kept as a pet afterwards! Floyd was a good ol'boy....
Jan... SFM.. (almost bit by our hoggy), got tagged by our Eastern Appy King, and the latest, by our 7 foot Taiwan Beauty.
ALL boys... BTW!
Never been bit by any of our girls, BUT... Our 0.1 Cali king and Grey banded have tried to get Randy a couple of times!
:)
 
Almost took one on the face by my 7' boa.

He was in a strange mood, I was able to get out of the way...thankfully! I had taken him out to clean his cage, reached in to get him out of the tub to put him back in his cage & he shot up at my face. I did take a bad bite on my hand between the thumb & forefinger by a Tokay gecko...mean little mother held on for almost 15 minutes. After much swearing and squirting him with a water sprayer, he finally let go.
 
well, i'v been bittn countless times by my cali. king...it's like everytime i hold him after a while he just gets tired of me and bites, it doesn't hurt but still it's a bite...but my most painful was by a full grow ball python...he got me right on the "webbing" between my thumb and fore-finger, caused profuse bleeding pain sweeling but nothin a tough girl like me couldn't handle!!!
 
This BITE CLUB SUCKS!!!!
Bite me once, shame on you, BITE ME TWICE, huh... it's Randy's fault!
I took our Tawian Beauty out of his tank this weekend so Randy could clean his cage and water dish...(Teko is near 7 feet)
We had a great time, I tried to get him to stretch out on our new queen size bed so I could get a good measurement, but he wouldn't let go of my wrist! Afterwards he had fun cruising my head and shoulders.
Randy said Teko's dinner was getting cold, so I tried to put him back into his cage. He must have scented FOOD, and then bit the nearest heat source... MY HAND!... again...
He ate his two rats, and then later two adult mice that Scarlette didn't want.
We measured the distance between teeth marks, about 2.5 inches between top jaw and bottom jaw.
My Wrist really hurts today, where is DR. OWENS when you need him???!!! Just another weekend... JAN
 
I've been bitten a few times, from babies up to a 7' bci female. It's not daily, nor is it just from babies. So my option isn't in the poll. :(
 
Mostly BIt by new snakes

Hi ,
I have been bit a few times mostly by snakes in pet stores I don't know, I had a large adult female 5ft+ ball python latch on to my ear and nothing we could do would make her turn loose I finally stuck my fiinger under her teeth and punctured them with those needle sharp teeth and pulled her off my ear lobe, it bleed alot for a min and healed up in a couple days . The BP was not aggresive I think she was hungry . she had been all over my arm checked my hands and went for the ear. I had a kingsnake if it was sniffing your hands it usally was just prior to bitting.. hehe

I have also been tagged by a young BP in her hide , I had put a fresh thawed rat outside the hide for her to eat, after a few hours, I was going to give it to another snake and as I reached in her cage she nailed me from under the hide as I was reaching for the rat. Not a scratch and didn't bleed. That about it all the others were from babies that were freaking out and didn't really have teeth yet..
I have never been nailed by my guyana adults nor my adult hog, thank goodness
Doug
One of my friend has monster retics and he swears when he feeds them they try to kill him... he has lots of scars..not for me
 
Never had....Never will????

I have Ball Pythons and Redtail Boas and I have never been bitten. I used to be terrified of snakes. I inherited them when I married my wife so I learned to cope. After much research and learning I have grown to love them. She claims I am taking over her hobby. I know getting bit comes with the territory. Since we have so many snakes I know it is inevitable. I just hope it doesn't make me fear them again. Guess I'm just lucky so far. As soon as I get bit I will let you know so I can be in the club.
 
bite club

I have enjoyed reading all the bite club members, It is always nice to find other people with a great sense of humor over snakes and their love of bites!
My rat snake never misses a chance to bit the hand that feeds him or cleans his cage.
But the best story is my gray banded king snake all of 12 inches, nice snake never bite, but one day I was handling him when my cat walks in the room-in the blink of an eye, the snake launched it self (I swear it) and latches onto the cats ear!! Now I have the cat in one arm so he doesn't try to run with the snake chomping down on his ear and still holding the snake with the other, yelling for help. Finally managed to sprinkle warm water on the snake to let go!! Talk about his eyes were bigger than his stomach!!
PS that cat has neve set foot in my snake room again.
mother nature
 
bite club

I had the rare pleasure of being bit on the mouth by a 4-5ft gopher snake that didn't want to let go. My best story however, occured when my girlfriend and her friend came over one day. I told them that my 12ft. burm had never bitten anyone before. It had NEVER even struck at me. I reached my hand in the cage to move a water bowl...and...WHACK.....She struck from about 4ft in the blink of an eye. It did hurt and bled like a son-of-a-gun but it scared the SH!$ outta me. The girls turned pale white and almost threw up. Quite funny looking back on it.
 
there were 2 i could of voted for hundreds of times and the severe bite.
i used to collect colubrids and got bitten all the time by calis but now i only have 3 yellow anacondas lol. 1 is absolutley kitten tame but shes only 3 feet. 1 is an 04 baby and bites occasionaly my 6 footer female got me a gooden on the chin. it was only a strike but it bl00dy hurt and bled for along time. ive had it bite me right on the chest aswell that didnt hurt but bled quite alot.
its worst when they bite and panic coz sumtimes they leave there teeth in you, very nice. but at the end of the day thats 1 reason why i keep the snakes they keep me on my toes and are such great fun to handle.
 
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