If your pet decides to take a snack out of you...

[herpfreak]

I have been thinking about this a lot lately, I don’t really know why… I believe that it is the responsibility of reptile owners to expect to be bit. (Although I am one to speak, I own a Ball Python (and soon a bearded dragon), and I have never been bit, but I wouldn’t be angry or offended or afraid or anything if she did bite me, even if she gave me a severe wound) Reptiles are very different than any other kind of animal, which is why many people fear them. They fear us, too. Even if they grow to trust in you and are normally very comfortable around you, they still have the right to be afraid if they are in an uncomfortable situation, or if they feel threatened.

If you own a reptile—especially a snake—there is a good chance you will receive multiple bites. I think that is something keepers should understand before they even think about obtaining a pet with teeth. I believe you need to love your reptile more than you hate the pain.

There are so many people (probably not so many on this forum) that would return their snake to the store if they got bit. It is one of the responsibilities of owning such a creature; if you do get bit, it is wise to be careful, make slower movement, and don’t lift the hide box so quickly, but there is no reason to return a snake just because it bit you.

For those who are not willing to be bit, I guess there are alternatives; smaller snakes like king and milksnakes can bite, but usually don’t break the skin. Geckos and other small lizards are also less likely to inflict injury.

Anyways, I just wanted to say that… its my opinion, at least…

 

[DaveDragon]

You've obviously never held a Tokay Gecko!!!! The'd eat hands for breakfast, lunch and dinner if you let them!!!!!

Yes, if you don't expect to get bit, then your should expect to get rid of your reptiles soon! Our male Blue Tegu has bitten our 7 year old daughter 3 or 4 times, all her fault. She's been bit by her Ball Python more than all of us combined with all of our reptiles. She moves too fast and startles her. WHAM!!! She'll never learn!

You just have to learn how to read their mood and movements,and learn how to react to them. Make a poor decision, you can get bit.

'nuff said!

 

[herpfreak]

I agree. It is almost always the keepers' fault. It's not like reptiles enjoy biting people! I mean, we have to admit, we are bit, scary, loud, clumsy, mostly-hairless things that lift the rocks in our reptiles' enclosures and wake them up. But boy am I glad snakes can hiss! In the 9 months I've had her, my BP hasn't bit me, but she hisses a lot. Sometimes its just a "let me go back to sleep" hiss, and sometimes its a seriously scared "put me down this instant" hiss, in which case I put her down. Anyways, they usually try to communicate with us before they attack, but we don't always listen.

 

[DaveDragon]

I've never bee hissed at by one of our BP's but our Suriname Boa can get in a mood and do it.

 

[Trogdor80]

Most of my pets I wouldn't worry about becoming a snack.

That large Retic I rescued, well Since I never had a buddy for every 3 feet of it (it was like 24+ feet, significantly longer than half of a 40' container, like 2/3) I always had a buddy with a machete when I ventured in there in case I needed the snake off of me in a hurry. Seriously, the thing could swallow and digest a deer.

 

[Jasper's Mom]

Steve Irwin always said that if he got bit it was because he made a mistake, and was not the animal's fault. I think it's an attitude we should all cultivate. BTW, it's not just herps... my hedgehogs bite me all the time, and I grew up on the farm and have been bit by cows, horses, pigs, and goats... all of which were my fault.

 

[NegativeCreep]

Yes, it is our responsibility to tame our animals, keep them tame, and know their attitudes. If in fact, they bite, it's our fault. We have a savannah monitor and a RT boa, in addition to our BD, and have never been bitten. Esham, the savannah, has nipped during feeding, but never bitten. He hisses, though. He will tell you exactly what he wants. The boa doesn't hiss, though. He is very docile and loves to wrap around your arm for your heat. He has only struck once, and it was because the SO was digging around in his substrate while feeding (he's lucky he was using tongs..). I told him not to, but he didn't listen. TBH, it scared me. I don't know why. I will take a tag, if I earn/ask for it, but I would rather avoid it. Daily contact and interaction should keep you from being bitten, but you also have to have some common sense and listen to your pet! Just be careful, everyone. Know your pets!!

I have a cat who has always had a bad disposition. She would be considered dangerous, actually. She is my biggest responsibility to make sure she doesn't hurt someone else. She has gotten both me and the SO quite a few times, and the SO should have gotten stitches at least once (but refused..). Our family members won't even pet Lexus, but most will handle Mitch, the boa. Isn't that funny!

 

[herpfreak]

Oh yes, Cu hisses at me quite a bit. Sometimes it's obvious why; like when I took her for a car trip to show her off in front of a huge classroom. Bumping around in a little box (with her hide, of course) for a while, then being carried (as gently as I could, but still,) in the box and taken out in front of 20-some smelly people. If I were in her place, I would have bit the person... as hard as I could...

Then she totally freaks about her baths. If I try putting her in a bath that is too warm or too cold or too deep, she shoots back up my arm and hisses for several minutes as I try to calm her down.

And then she sometimes hisses if I wake her up in the middle of a good dream. That is, if snakes can have good dreams. Probably about big, juicy rats and lots of sleep.

I'm glad she hasn't bitten me though. All the hissing experiances were 100% my fault, even when all I do is wake her up.

Haha, I doubt I'll have such luck with my next snake I'm <hopefully> getting this summer; either some type of short-tailed python (Blood, Borneo, or Sumatra) or a Brazilian Rainbow Boa, all of which are quite snappy.

 

[Trogdor80]

Haha, I doubt I'll have such luck with my next snake I'm <hopefully> getting this summer; either some type of short-tailed python (Blood, Borneo, or Sumatra) or a Brazilian Rainbow Boa, all of which are quite snappy.

Bloods are quite snappy, at least the rescues I had. Of course a rescue that was raised by someone that didn't know how to care for or handle reptiles would be more snappy than a hatchling raised and handled by a experienced herp the whole way.

Bloods have a beautiful pattern though.

 

[herpfreak]

Bloods are quite snappy, at least the rescues I had. Of course a rescue that was raised by someone that didn't know how to care for or handle reptiles would be more snappy than a hatchling raised and handled by a experienced herp the whole way.
Bloods have a beautiful pattern though.

Yes, I think they are beautiful! It makes me so sad when others mistreat their reptiles. There is also a good chance your rescue was wild caught. I am getting a CBB for sure.

 

[Trogdor80]

Bloods are quite snappy, at least the rescues I had. Of course a rescue that was raised by someone that didn't know how to care for or handle reptiles would be more snappy than a hatchling raised and handled by a experienced herp the whole way.
Bloods have a beautiful pattern though.

Yes, I think they are beautiful! It makes me so sad when others mistreat their reptiles. There is also a good chance your rescue was wild caught. I am getting a CBB for sure.

Yeah, especially a rescue back in the '90s. But seriously, the regular basic color and pattern of a blood, especially a red blood, looks like something that would be a designer morph in another snake.

 

[herpfreak]

Yeah, especially a rescue back in the '90s. But seriously, the regular basic color and pattern of a blood, especially a red blood, looks like something that would be a designer morph in another snake.

Yes! I think red bloods and BRBs are the 2 most beautiful things in the world!!

 

[Trogdor80]

If you want I blood I'd say go for it, just get a juvie or hatchling and not an adult. Especially not a rescue.

 

[lacy_black]

Does it count if a snake mistakes your shirt for a rat? lol, that's as close as i've come to being bit by any of my snakes yet and it was absolutely my fault.

I held 1 of my pet rats earlier in the evening and then my bf being so (note sarcasm) brilliant freaked out because my bp female Sin had what he thought was missing scales ( because he never listens when I mention her flames). So of course he hands her to me and i'm just relaxing holding her telling him yet again what they are. All of a sudden he's freaking out telling me she bit me which she didn't exactly, she bit my shirt which thankfully was a thick sweater because lets just say i'm not into nursing snakes . So I yelled at my brother to keep his friends out of the living room and stripped off my shirt. She refused to let go for about 3 minutes and i'm so bright i'm sitting there trying to explain to Sin that it's a shirt not a rat :shock:
I was amused and reminded never wear the same shirt around both species :lol:

 

[NegativeCreep]

Does it count if a snake mistakes your shirt for a rat? lol, that's as close as i've come to being bit by any of my snakes yet and it was absolutely my fault.

I held 1 of my pet rats earlier in the evening and then my bf being so (note sarcasm) brilliant freaked out because my bp female Sin had what he thought was missing scales ( because he never listens when I mention her flames). So of course he hands her to me and i'm just relaxing holding her telling him yet again what they are. All of a sudden he's freaking out telling me she bit me which she didn't exactly, she bit my shirt which thankfully was a thick sweater because lets just say i'm not into nursing snakes . So I yelled at my brother to keep his friends out of the living room and stripped off my shirt. She refused to let go for about 3 minutes and i'm so bright i'm sitting there trying to explain to Sin that it's a shirt not a rat :shock:
I was amused and reminded never wear the same shirt around both species :lol:

wow, how exciting! This is actually a common reason people get tagged. Its so easy to forget that you held your friend's hamster or even your own pet rodent and woops! I'm glad you didn't get eaten! :lol: Thanks for sharing your story!