Painful ?

[Swany]

Now that i've bought her theres no going back.
So I was wondering, how painful is a bite from a full grown BP ?
And how do I avoid it happening ?

[youngster]

Once you get to know your snakes you start to learn their emotion through body motion.
If you see her coiling back into a S shape she might strike.

But aside from that I've only been bit by one once and it doesn't hurt at all :)

[Swany]

How big was the python ?

[Gungirl]

And how do I avoid it happening ?

It's easy to avoid... Understand how the snake works and know how to handle it. The only time you get bitten is when you are careless, don't know how to handle your snake or you fail to read the snake.

[alessia55]

I've been bit by my 2yr old BP in feed mode- he coiled my arm and chewed on me. This type of bite "hurts" more than a defensive bite. It's not painful, per se... just annoying. You won't be like AHHHH and wanting to rip the snake off your arm or anything like that. I went over to my computer and started doing homework until he let go off me. And I have like, ZERO pain tolerance. So it's really not that bad.

How to prevent it? If you watch your snake enough, you'll be able to tell when he's tense or relaxed. Sometimes you can see their muscles tensing up when they're nervous. Repetitive tongue flicking for example is usually a sign of stress. But it's all up to the individual snake. There are a few threads on here about reading ball python behavior- that might help you a bit. You can use the Search function to search the threads for them.

If you're nervous about picking up your ball python, this is a video I made for someone else here on the forum about reading your ball python's behavior:

cp1Wq7T-Nnc&list=UUpaFfBfMOcwuK9BAaA_Pf4A&index=1&feature=plcp

[alessia55]

Also, if it helps, ball pythons are usually more likely to curl up into a ball when they're scared, rather than to bite. That's why they get their nickname ball python. Ball pythons make great first snakes :)

[Swany]

Thanks. Im not nervous about it, I knew it wasnt going to be that bad, just wanted some feedback from experienced people.

[Lankyrob]

A cat bite or scratch hurts more than most snake bites, i got a SD retic feeding response bite and it made me jump but didnt hurt.

Most bites are our fault not the snakes.

[Swany]

Cheers alessia55 the vid was helpful ;-)

[Swany]

A cat bite or scratch hurts more than most snake bites, i got a SD retic feeding response bite and it made me jump but didnt hurt.

Most bites are our fault not the snakes.

Thanks man ;-)

[Norm66]

I've been bitten by my carpet python and it was no big deal. Once he left a tooth for me to dig out and that was worse tan th bite because I couldn't see it bu still dug it out. :-)

[Swany]

I've been bitten by my carpet python and it was no big deal. Once he left a tooth for me to dig out and that was worse tan th bite because I couldn't see it bu still dug it out. :-)

Cheers Norm:)

[ZARADOZIA]

Well, pain has levels and it depends on your tolerance of each level.
Tatoo in the web of my hand is about the equivelant of a constant cat scratch (to me)
Snake bite, less painful than a pissed off cat bite.
Pissed off cat can do way more damage than a pissed off snake. (Usually & depending on how big the teeth are of course)

Evie (cat) has ripped my hands and arms open and I mean where I was pouring blood. (She is easily scared by smells and loud noises, I unfortunately was holding her when she spazzed) It didn't hurt until an hour later.

Spike (cat) had gotten his foot caught in a cat door (F* POS) and was freaking out. I went to grab him and he bit down on my hand so hard that his teeth almost went all the way through. I held on to him as he held onto me and kicked the door in so it would release his foot. I didn't feel it until about 20 minutes later. My hand swelled up twice it's size and had t take antibiotics.

Both of these instances are way more painful than anything a snake can do and I weathered them jsut fine. Mostly it's the shock of the strike that scares you and pain sets in after. At least this is true for me. Unless the snake naws on you...I haven't experienced that so I am unsure what the level would be.

[Norm66]

I totally agree that cat bites are worse. And also that a tattoo is like a constant cat scratch. LOL.

And daggone it if I didn't get a splinter in my hand last night working on my rack. And again I couldn't see it and dug it out anyway and now it's way more sore (sorer?) than it was before. I really need to get new glasses, I just can't see like I used to.

[KORBIN5895]

My recommendation is that if it bites you do your best NOT to jerk away. One of my bci nailed the web of my hand and when I jerked my hand away he was still attached
He went for a brief flight and was quite angry.

[ZARADOZIA]

He went for a brief flight and was quite angry.


LMBO!!!

This happened to me once when I was rescueing a furball. I had no idea what it was but it was screeching and under my kitchen cabinets, so I stuck my hand under there and caught it. Stood up and looked at it (flying sugar glider) and it sunk it's teeth into my hand, I jerked my hand up and the poor thing went flying across the room. I felt SO bad about it. But I was only 13 so I didn't know any better

[KORBIN5895]

Well unfortunately I did it a couple of days ago with a king snake at the pet store. I had just fed their atb and was moving the hide sunglow the king snakes cage when I noticed he perked right up..... I tried to get my hand out fast but he caught the side of my finger and came flying right to my chest. He is about 20 inches long and it didn't phase him one bit.

[Swany]

Well, pain has levels and it depends on your tolerance of each level.
Tatoo in the web of my hand is about the equivelant of a constant cat scratch (to me)
Snake bite, less painful than a pissed off cat bite.
Pissed off cat can do way more damage than a pissed off snake. (Usually & depending on how big the teeth are of course)

Evie (cat) has ripped my hands and arms open and I mean where I was pouring blood. (She is easily scared by smells and loud noises, I unfortunately was holding her when she spazzed) It didn't hurt until an hour later.

Spike (cat) had gotten his foot caught in a cat door (F* POS) and was freaking out. I went to grab him and he bit down on my hand so hard that his teeth almost went all the way through. I held on to him as he held onto me and kicked the door in so it would release his foot. I didn't feel it until about 20 minutes later. My hand swelled up twice it's size and had t take antibiotics.

Both of these instances are way more painful than anything a snake can do and I weathered them jsut fine. Mostly it's the shock of the strike that scares you and pain sets in after. At least this is true for me. Unless the snake naws on you...I haven't experienced that so I am unsure what the level would be.

Thanks for this. All th replies I've recieved pretty much say the same, that its more the fright than the pain. I think my tolerance for pains about average. The attached pics a tattoo on my butt :-) And i managed that just fine lol

[Swany]

I totally agree that cat bites are worse. And also that a tattoo is like a constant cat scratch. LOL.

And daggone it if I didn't get a splinter in my hand last night working on my rack. And again I couldn't see it and dug it out anyway and now it's way more sore (sorer?) than it was before. I really need to get new glasses, I just can't see like I used to.
Join the club man. my eyes aint as good as they were, either that or my arms are getting shorter ;-)

[Swany]

My recommendation is that if it bites you do your best NOT to jerk away. One of my bci nailed the web of my hand and when I jerked my hand away he was still attached
He went for a brief flight and was quite angry.

Aye, the brief flight would have p@*%ed me too. Cheers

[ZARADOZIA]

Thanks for this. All th replies I've recieved pretty much say the same, that its more the fright than the pain. I think my tolerance for pains about average. The attached pics a tattoo on my butt :-) And i managed that just fine lol

Oh My! LOL :eek::p

[mykee]

"So I was wondering, how painful is a bite from a full grown BP ?"
Damn painful, don't listen to these fools. They're just trying to show how tough they are. It hurts a lot and you'll bleed a lot.

[Swany]

Damn painful, don't listen to these fools. They're just trying to show how tough they are. It hurts a lot and you'll bleed a lot.

Jesus. Thanks man the critters gone in the morning ;-)

[Maclyal]

depending on how tough your skin is & how high your pain threshhold is, it can hurt a lot or a little. you may not bleed or you may bleed quite well.
I have had my 3000+ gram female ball python get ahold of me & yes it hurt a little & yes it made me bleed, but I have had worse from other cuts & bruises.

If you are that afraid of something, then you have no business owning it.
It's not fair to the animal/reptile.

[Swany]

depending on how tough your skin is & how high your pain threshhold is, it can hurt a lot or a little. you may not bleed or you may bleed quite well.
I have had my 3000+ gram female ball python get ahold of me & yes it hurt a little & yes it made me bleed, but I have had worse from other cuts & bruises.

If you are that afraid of something, then you have no business owning it.
It's not fair to the animal/reptile.

Thats me told then !

If youd read all the posts in this this thread, you'd have seen I said I wasn't nervous (or scared) i just wanted some feedback from experienced people.
Thanks for the input anyway :-)

[KORBIN5895]

Listen swany if he wants to just jump in and fire away let him. Who are you to say anything in your own thread? ;)

[Swany]

Maybe hes right and I should sell my two dogs as well :-p

[KORBIN5895]

Glad you see the light swany.

@maclyal.

Just have some fun man. No hard feelings. We do this to every one.

[Swany]

No sweat man, cheers
But the dogs and the snake are gone tomorrow,btw do rabbits bite, cos if they do, shes gone too :-D

[Norm66]

My wife bites but I'm keeping her anyway. :)

[Swany]

Run Norm, run for your life or run from your wife. you decide lol

[Maclyal]

wasn't trying to be mean to anyone. it's just that I have seen some people here in Colorado buy a snake or other pet at one of the shows or pet stores because they were cool looking or cute, Then not take care of them because they are afraid to get bit. then they sell them a few weeks or months later on craigs list & you could tell they were not properly cared for.
makes me sad to see & that's why I said what I did.
as for the wife biting, that's just one you have to deal with,
because when you try to get rid of them, they take at least half of your stuff along with all of theirs. just costs more to get rid of them than keep them & is more detramental to your health too...

[shaunyboy]

Now that i've bought her theres no going back.
So I was wondering, how painful is a bite from a full grown BP ?
And how do I avoid it happening ?


it happens that fast you get more of a fright than anything else mate

unless its a feeding response where the snake won't let go,even then their teeth are so sharp you don't feel much pain (it can bleed a lot,but once they're off you,theres only lines of little pin hole sized marks)

if they don't let go i usually put their head under a tap thats trickling out COLD water

you can take them off with your free hand,but you risk breaking their teeth which can lead to mouth problems

once you get your first bite over and done with,you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about

ball pythons are NOT renound for being biters,although you get the odd exception

cheers shaun

[Rogue628]

It's been my experience baby bites feel like a thump and rarely bleed unless they get a thin piece of skin. A baby feeder bite is almost like a pinch. I haven't had an adult bite or any kind from any animal (yet...I'm sure it's coming) but I've had some near hits the last few weeks. Must be off my feeder game or I've got a couple that are getting more aggressive during feeding time...

It also happens really quick and you probably will jump or jerk away. Try not to jerk away if you can stop your natural reaction. You can come away with embedded teeth and probably stress the snake out even more than what originally led to the bite as well as any mouth issues that could possibly occur

[shaunyboy]

Maybe hes right and I should sell my two dogs as well :-p


then folk will burgal your house when you go to the shop

have you forgot where you live mate,keep the dogs:yes:

cheers shaun

[KORBIN5895]

@norm

Lucky!!!!

@maclayl

We totally understand. We all see it way too much. Like I said we just want a good laugh and we tend to push egg each other on.

@swany

As for the bit thing.... suck it up buttercup and put on your big boy undies. My two year old got bit by my 4.5 foot boa she hardly cried at all. Like 60 seconds tops. ;)

[shaunyboy]

Thats me told then !

If youd read all the posts in this this thread, you'd have seen I said I wasn't nervous (or scared) i just wanted some feedback from experienced people.
Thanks for the input anyway :-)


ya big girlie:yes:

cheers shaun

[Norm66]

I smell testosterone. ;-)

[ZARADOZIA]

OMG You guys are a riot!

I bite- hubby doesn't seem to mind. Although I am more apt to bite him when he puts his fingers in my plate while I'm eating...

Pain is different for everyone. Some people can tolerate higher levels than others. Smashing my fingers in a door hurts a hill of a lot more than a snake bite. But, I have never been bitten by a snake with really big teeth either. But I have been bitten by a St. Bernard it didn't hurt a fraction as bad as it scared the crap out of me.

[Swany]

wasn't trying to be mean to anyone. it's just that I have seen some people here in Colorado buy a snake or other pet at one of the shows or pet stores because they were cool looking or cute, Then not take care of them because they are afraid to get bit. then they sell them a few weeks or months later on craigs list & you could tell they were not properly cared for.
makes me sad to see & that's why I said what I did.
as for the wife biting, that's just one you have to deal with,
because when you try to get rid of them, they take at least half of your stuff along with all of theirs. just costs more to get rid of them than keep them & is more detramental to your health too...

Cheers man. Sorry if I was a bit pissy, I appreciate your only concern was for the animal concerned :-)

[Swany]

it happens that fast you get more of a fright than anything else mate

unless its a feeding response where the snake won't let go,even then their teeth are so sharp you don't feel much pain (it can bleed a lot,but once they're off you,theres only lines of little pin hole sized marks)

if they don't let go i usually put their head under a tap thats trickling out COLD water

you can take them off with your free hand,but you risk breaking their teeth which can lead to mouth problems

once you get your first bite over and done with,you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about

ball pythons are NOT renound for being biters,although you get the odd exception

cheers shaun

Thanks man. this is what i was after ;-)

[Swany]

Shaun you got me sussed. i'm just a big girls blouse lol
Thanks everyone for the advice and the piss taking/joshing/kidding.
I think I'm gonna feel right at home here.
thanks again ;-)

[shaunyboy]

Shaun you got me sussed. i'm just a big girls blouse lol
Thanks everyone for the advice and the piss taking/joshing/kidding.
I think I'm gonna feel right at home here.
thanks again ;-)

glad i could be of service :yes:

you'll do great here mate,we're all just one big happy disfunctional family,another scotsman will fit right in ;)

cheers shaun

[Swany]

then folk will burgal your house when you go to the shop

have you forgot where you live mate,keep the dogs:yes:

cheers shaun

I'm in Tullibody, just outside Alloa Shaun ;-)
BTW Theres more chance of me being sold than the dogs, so my lady informs me lol

[shaunyboy]

I'm in Tullibody, just outside Alloa Shaun ;-)
BTW Theres more chance of me being sold than the dogs, so my lady informs me lol

hill foots ?

i'm 10 miles north of the forth road bridge in kelty,fife (30minutes from you mate)

see your house gets run like mine

with a lady boss;)

cheers shaun

[Swany]

Aye I know where Kelty is bud, i said in a post somewhere the other day I was just over th border lol
As for the running of the house, shes so much better at it than I am. Lorraine and i are perfect for one another she likes multi-tasking and i like doing sod all ;-)

[shaunyboy]

Aye I know where Kelty is bud, i said in a post somewhere the other day I was just over th border lol
As for the running of the house, shes so much better at it than I am. Lorraine and i are perfect for one another she likes multi-tasking and i like doing sod all ;-)


i hear ya mate,my mrs is a tad hyper as well;)

i missed the over the border post,i got a habit of missing things around here:wacky::bouncy:

cheers shaun

[Swany]

Bottom line man, if she was as laid back as me, nothin would get done around here, am a tad untidy :-)
Thanks again for th advice, is it pythons you keep ?

[shaunyboy]

Bottom line man, if she was as laid back as me, nothin would get done around here, am a tad untidy :-)
Thanks again for th advice, is it pythons you keep ?

yes carpet pythons mate

if you look in the carpet section on here, i flung a few pic's up of some of my lot yesterday;)

cheers shaun

[Swany]

I saw them and commented. I thought the one you were holding up in the air in both hands was a cracker ;-)

[Maclyal]

Cheers man. Sorry if I was a bit pissy, I appreciate your only concern was for the animal concerned :-)

since I looked closer & noticed you are in Scottland, I just take it maybe you are a little more careful about impulse buying when it comes to your pets. wish more people in the U.S.A. were better about it
then we wouldn't have the kind of problems with abandoned, mistreated & unwanted pets we do.

no worries about the getting pissy, to others it probably sounded like I was being the same or worse.

[Swany]

Ok man. friends ? lol
33 snakes in 18 months ? yup your crazy ;-)

[Maclyal]

what's worse is only 2.2 are not ready to breed yet. they have 3 more months.
all the rest are already in process & I think 3 or 4 are already prego.
eggs soon I hope.
3 clutches, 14 babies, 100% success rate last year for my first season.
possibility of 18 clutches this season.
this should be a fun year.

[Swany]

what's worse is only 2.2 are not ready to breed yet. they have 3 more months.
all the rest are already in process & I think 3 or 4 are already prego.
eggs soon I hope.
3 clutches, 14 babies, 100% success rate last year for my first season.
possibility of 18 clutches this season.
this should be a fun year.

your gonna be busy,thats for sure lol