bites

[mudflats]

How do you react when a bite occurs? Do you always flinch and get lacerations, or control yourself and not jerk away, I was told to push towards the snake so a laceration doesnt happen. I recently got nailed by my friends 5 foot boa constrictor and did not feel a thing, i didnt jerk, he just chewed and let go. But if i where to jurk i am sure it would have been different.

[ydnic]

When my igauna bites me I just hold still until she is done. This usually happens when she gets food stuck to her top teeth and I try to pull it out. It doesn`t freak me out so I guess I am relatively calm. I guess the higher pain tolerance you have the less you react. Besides having all the reptiles I do - I expect to get bit. :)

[marisa]

I always jerk back. I try to stop it, as I know it can cause more injury to both parties, but it's like this automatic reaction.

At first it was every bite, now its really only the ones I didn't see coming. The only snakes that bite me anyways are the little ones.

Marisa

[RepTylE]

I pretty much let them hit and let go then look for a paper towel or kleenex to sop up the blood so I don't drip all over the place. My BP got a good hold on me and I was startled one time and pulled her right out of her enclosure. She startled me lol. She is a sneaky one and pretty quick to strike even if she is a little mistaken in what she is aiming at.

[arkuden]

when my bp bit me (for good reason) it caught me quite off guard and by the time i realized that it happened it was over. It stung a good amount sure. Felt like someone used a stapler on my finger(looked like it too) but suprisingly i didnt flinch like i thought i would.

[susan]

i just take a deep breath and relax till they realize its me they have. my jcp only bit me twice (i had scent on my hands)
helet go as soon as he realized it wasnt the mouse
but my sav mon would not let go till i put him under water.

[Xetox]

depends...if I dont see it coming then I dont flinch...but if I am sitting there wathcing it happen for some reason I jerk a little. But then Ijust wait for them to finish up what they need to do and release.

[sapphire_moon]

I jump, but try not to jerk so I don't hurt the snake.

[buff_tat2d_chic]

Originally posted by marisa
I always jerk back. I try to stop it, as I know it can cause more injury to both parties, but it's like this automatic reaction.

At first it was every bite, now its really only the ones I didn't see coming. The only snakes that bite me anyways are the little ones.

Marisa

:confused: How many times have you been bitten??

[HeRpZ03]

I try not to jerk back, but a reflex is a reflex it's kinda hard :P If i'm expecting it i dont jerk back i.e. reaching into a neonate ATB enclosure lol.

[marisa]

How many times have you been bitten??

I have no idea. But I do know I have only been bitten by ADULT snakes a couple times. I keep kings and stuff like that and they are a bitey species especially as young ones.

Marisa

[Invictus]

I have really, really good reflexes. I've literally tried to get over my jerk back reaction by deliberately getting bitten, but it hasn't helped.

[TheRedDragon]

I usually flinch a bit. It really depends on the snake. When I was cleaning my baby corn snake, he tried taking off, and when I grabbed him, he turned around and started chewing on my finger, at that, I laughed, because, he didn't even break skin.

As for when my sub-adult female BCI tagged me though, I did respond with a bit of a jump and said 'OW!'. I was holding her at the time, and something spooked her, and she turned around and nailed me on my left forearm right by the elbow.. boy did I bleed...

Nonetheless, it still spooks me when they lash out suddenly, I just have superb reflexes.

[mudflats]

RedDragon, about how big was this bci. I recently got tagged by a 5 footer and i wasnt paying attention so i didnt flinch or jerk. At first i thought i rubber against the mesh on the cage, then i realized i had been bitten and lookback and it really didnt hurt a bit. But monday i am going to handle a 7 footer that is very aggresive, he is being neglected and needs to have a good cleaning aswell as a good cage cleaning. Did this bite of yours hurt at all now that you think about it? Im alittle freaked over this 7 footer although the 5 footer didnt even phase me, larger species of nerodia hurt worse..