View Full Version : a little scared
so for the last two days or so i have had my snake at home:p super happy about it but still a little scared last night when i put my hand inside the tank to put some rocks so Mar is not always on the news paper Mar tryed to bite me mind u mar's just a lil guy or girl...but im still a little scared for um to bite me,what can i do to get Mar to stop biting at me?
alessia55
10-02-12, 07:52 PM
What kind of snake is Mar?
Kavyrie
10-02-12, 07:56 PM
Leave him alone for about a week or so, only going into his tank to spot clean if needed and to change his water. He's in a new environment so he is really stressed out right now which will make him nippy and defensive. A bite from a baby snake really doesn't hurt at all, and it takes that first bite to get over the fear. I'm not saying to make him bite you, but trust me it helps if he does end up tagging you.
Wildside
10-02-12, 08:00 PM
What kind of snake is Mar?
BP
They can be jumpy while settling in
alessia55
10-02-12, 08:04 PM
1. Let him settle in. He is adjusting and getting used to a new home with new surroundings, sights, and smells. Leave him alone for at LEAST a week. Don't handle him, and only go into his enclosure if it's absolutely necessary.
2. A baby ball python bite will barely hurt. I promise. It's not something worth being afraid of. They do not have huge fangs, etc. and they will release almost as quickly as they tag you. Remember that YOU are SO MUCH larger than Mar is. Mar is more afraid of you than the other way around.
3. Once Mar has time to settle in and adjust, and eat, he will start to calm down. Patience is key. You will need to earn his "trust" so that he will learn to tolerate your handling and not see you as a big threat to his safety.
Terranaut
10-02-12, 08:09 PM
Or bp struck my middle son right on his nose the day we brought him homeand he just laughed. Now he is cool as can be. Its a temporary thing. Dont worry.
Kingsnakechris
10-02-12, 08:26 PM
The best way to get over that fear is to get bit while he's still small enough for it to not hurt at all. I promise it will be painless and you'll probably laugh about being afraid of it in the first place. Just my .02
millertime89
10-02-12, 11:38 PM
Getting bit hurts nowhere near as much as you think it does, especially when they're small.
StudentoReptile
10-03-12, 12:24 AM
Ditto on ALL of the above.
Baby snakes (hell even some bigger snakes) really don't hurt that much to be bitten by it. Some you barely feel. I had a snake latch onto my hand at an expo two weeks ago, and I just let it chill there and talked to the breeder for about 20 minutes while he slowly figured out I was way too big to eat, he ended up letting go, and I handed him back to the breeder.
My Brazilian Rainbow Boa (RIP :( ) bit me in the face the first time I ever held her, and it surprised me more than anything - but didnt hurt at all.
Lankyrob
10-03-12, 04:14 AM
The surprise of the speed of the strike is much worse than the actual bite itself - if you have ever been bitten or scratched by a cat then that is MUCH more painful than a snake bite :)
Great comparison Rob. He is right, when my cat scratches me I can be aware of it for hours. Like a stinging pain. When a one of my snakes hits me it's like someone poked you with a bunch of pins, as soon as you realize it is happening it is over. (most of the time they let go immediately) And as mentioned by Rob the speed of the strike is what's startling.
Your snake knows you are not food, and it can't eat you so chances are it will tag and release. I've never been hit by a ball, but as Chris said the best way to get over it is to get hit. I just got a couple new Kings, and one of them was very defensive, and I pretty much said in my head I might get tagged moving her over to her new enclosure and I sure did.
Now Kings don't have fangs, but I'm sure a baby ball can't deliver a bite worse than the one I got. I posted a picture of the bite, the main reason was so that a new keeper can see a bite, and see it's not as daunting as imagined. If you like you can see it here:
http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/lampropeltis/95398-new-additions.html
That's before I cleaned it up, and now after:
http://i.imgur.com/cxg34.jpg
If you're going to keep snakes it's only a matter of time before you get bit, and it's only a matter of time before your apprehension fades. After the snake is settled in for a week or so - let him know you're there, and pick it up with confidence, one fluid motion. Good luck.
- h3
Falconeer999
10-03-12, 06:52 AM
I've had my first snake, a baby king, for about 2 months now and I've kind of been hoping he'd bite me just so I could know what it feels like to get that last bit of jumpiness out. He hasn't though. He's bonked me with his nose twice and coiled around my arm and tried to constrict while rattling his tail and staring me down once. I thought for sure I was going to get it that time. After 5 minutes or so though he just let go and spread out on my arm and watched Wipeout with me.
stephanbakir
10-03-12, 07:22 AM
As everyone said, getting bitten is not bad at all. I was bitten a few weeks ago by my friends 14 foot scrub, I didn't even know I was bitten till a friend pointed out the blood on my arm... Big or small, they rarely ever hurt when they bite.
The surprise of the speed of the strike is much worse than the actual bite itself - if you have ever been bitten or scratched by a cat then that is MUCH more painful than a snake bite :)
i think its more the part of (um) about to do it and not knowing when it was 3 times in a row lol i just jumped and giggle a little blurting out something that most people do when they get scared :D heres a photo of the little poop head lol i say hes a year or so old...
DSCF0762 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/pink_estrella/8044613674/)
What kind of snake is Mar?
Mar is a Ball Python
Terranaut
10-03-12, 07:59 PM
This is from a 6' boa.
Went away in a day or so. I wa so relieved it was not as bad as I thought. Actually just upset me it happened more than it hurt. Itchy is a better description.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j9/terranaut0/photo-156.jpg
DavethePython
10-03-12, 08:12 PM
Young bp's tend to be a little more bitey . As they grow this habit usually passes . Follow the advice given above, let him de stress and get used to the new surroundings . Be sure his temps and humidity is good and he will be just fine .
iiPink - is that the setup you have the ball python in? I can see a few reasons why it would be striking at you!
A few questions...
1. Do you have two snakes?
2. Why are they in the same tank?
3. Do you have any hides?
4. What temperatures do you have the cage at? Warm side, cool side?
Lankyrob
10-04-12, 07:02 AM
i think its more the part of (um) about to do it and not knowing when it was 3 times in a row lol i just jumped and giggle a little blurting out something that most people do when they get scared :D heres a photo of the little poop head lol i say hes a year or so old...
DSCF0762 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/pink_estrella/8044613674/)
You have TWO snakes in ONE glass tank with NO hides - no wonder the snake is striking!!
EACH snake needs its OWN tank, with TWO hides - the warm end should be low 90's Fahrenheit and the cool end should be high 70's, the heater MUST have a thermostat. The humidity should never drop below 55% and should really be 65-75%.
Until you get the husbandry right for the snake it will likely be flighty/bitey/stressed.
These things need sorting out ASAP
You have TWO snakes in ONE glass tank with NO hides - no wonder the snake is striking!!
EACH snake needs its OWN tank, with TWO hides - the warm end should be low 90's Fahrenheit and the cool end should be high 70's, the heater MUST have a thermostat. The humidity should never drop below 55% and should really be 65-75%.
Until you get the husbandry right for the snake it will likely be flighty/bitey/stressed.
These things need sorting out ASAP
^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This! :suspicious:
Gungirl
10-04-12, 09:03 AM
What Rob said... ^
Keeping 2 snakes in the same tank with bad husbandry is going to make them scared and sick, if not dead.
Kingsnakechris
10-04-12, 09:35 AM
Once you set them up with proper housing he will settle down, right now he's in a new home with a room mate and no where for him to hide, he needs his own enclosure and hides.....
Wildside
10-04-12, 09:39 AM
This is from a 6' boa.
Went away in a day or so. I wa so relieved it was not as bad as I thought. Actually just upset me it happened more than it hurt. Itchy is a better description.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j9/terranaut0/photo-156.jpg
Not wanting to go back in the cage? lol
i do not have 2 snakes in one tank the person that had Mar before me did i have 1 snake Mar in a 50 gallon tank i just got a new set-up for Mar hiding rock box from petco undertank heater 90 degrees day time,83-85 giver or take 75w red and heat light cobo pack,water bowl with rocks inside newspaper bedding, sticks to hang out on long uv light, fake plants,fake mossie rocks,fresh air lid cover with clips.
To be clear I do not Have Mar In A Tank With Another Snake that was The OLD owners tank~
i do not have 2 snakes in one tank the person that had Mar before me did i have 1 snake Mar in a 50 gallon tank i just got a new set-up for Mar hiding rock box from petco undertank heater 90 degrees day time,83-85 giver or take 75w red and heat light cobo pack,water bowl with rocks inside newspaper bedding, sticks to hang out on long uv light, fake plants,fake mossie rocks,fresh air lid cover with clips.
To be clear I do not Have Mar In A Tank With Another Snake that was The OLD owners tank~
Good! Just stick to everyone else people said then!
Lankyrob
10-04-12, 03:44 PM
i do not have 2 snakes in one tank the person that had Mar before me did i have 1 snake Mar in a 50 gallon tank i just got a new set-up for Mar hiding rock box from petco undertank heater 90 degrees day time,83-85 giver or take 75w red and heat light cobo pack,water bowl with rocks inside newspaper bedding, sticks to hang out on long uv light, fake plants,fake mossie rocks,fresh air lid cover with clips.
To be clear I do not Have Mar In A Tank With Another Snake that was The OLD owners tank~
In that case i apologise, it wasnt made clear that it wasnt your set up in the picture.
What is the humidity in the tank? And has he got a hide at both ends of the tank?
In that case i apologise, it wasnt made clear that it wasnt your set up in the picture.
the red highlighted stuff i have removed or replaced
1.i have the light one top as well as a CFL inside for right now untell i can get a real light on pay day...
2.sticks that i have got from outside stacked nicely Mar love is always hanging around, sticks have no mold and had been set out to dry for 2 days)
3.water bowl with black rocks (<<Got them from the petshop) inside it to help him get in and out with out the plastic cutting him,
4.cooling box made from card bored,
5.a log thats hollowed out so he can get under
6.glass thermometer,
7.sticker thermometer on out side of the glass
8.newspaper
[/QUOTE]What is the humidity in the tank? And has he got a hide at both ends of the tank?[/QUOTE] <the rock thing on one side and the log on the other)
not really sure on the humidity i have not got a thermometer yet for that the one at petco didnt have what i was looking so that i could understand it to read it
ok so as of yesterday afternoon tank update i got ligh a combo pack>1. ( Zoo Med Basking Combo Pack at PETCO )
undertank heater 2.( Zoo Med Repti-Therm UTH Under Tank Heaters at PETCO )
3.Rock Den Zilla Reptile Rock Dens at PETCO
Kingsnakechris
10-04-12, 07:03 PM
The uth should really be hooked up to a thermostat as they can get hot enough to crack the glass and burn/kill your snake.
The uth should really be hooked up to a thermostat as they can get hot enough to crack the glass and burn/kill your snake.
where would i get that from? nevermind i found one ima going to get thankz :D
Kingsnakechris
10-04-12, 07:24 PM
No problem. Just thought id let you know lol
Terranaut
10-04-12, 08:01 PM
Not wanting to go back in the cage? lol
You know it. First time he showed any aggression at all. Been wierd ever since.
Lankyrob
10-05-12, 04:14 AM
You really need to knwo the humidity in the viv otherwise you will most likely end up with bad/stuck sheds.
It NEEDS to be at least 55% butpreferably 65% and slightly higher when the snake goes into its shed process.
Wildside
10-05-12, 09:33 AM
You know it. First time he showed any aggression at all. Been wierd ever since.
Are you sure he's the one who's been weird?
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