Fear of Being Bit

FinishingFlight · 07-28-16, 07:30 PM

So one thing that I have found ridiculous is my fear of being bit. I am sitting here wondering if I'm just being a weirdo or if its something a lot of people deal with and get over with time. I know I'm being weird and a scardey cat.

I have always loved snakes and held any I could get my hands on from the time I was a little kid. This included catching a lot of snakes out in the wild before releasing.

I finally starting owning my snakes a year ago and since I got bit by the bug I now own 5 (one is my BFs). It took me a long time to get over the hognoses bluffing. Revan used to bluff a lot when I first got her, but she doesn't now. I was afraid to hold her when she bluffed for a few months before I got more confident. Now I have the two axanthics which are bigger bluffers than Revan was. (The female is very very grumpy, always hissing and fake striking at me and food) Now I still jump a tiny bit when they bluff, but it doesn't unnerve me.

Yesterday I made a mistake and forgot to wash my hands before taking Revan out. (which normally I am so good about) I took her out and before I even had her completely out of the cage she had latched on to my little finger. Water didn't get her off, mouthwash did though. I rinsed her off again before putting her back as she seem very agitated. It didn't hurt and I didn't have any reaction to the saliva. The whole process probably only lasted 45 seconds. Yet I feel unnerved. I ended up holding the Rosy Boa after and she kept digging her nose into my hand and it made me nervous and I wanted to put her back. She is think as a sharpie and wouldn't hurt me. The bite with Revan didn't hurt at all either. This is the second time she has bit me, and she is such a piggy that I do have to be careful when getting her out. (I'm honestly thinking of a hook)

The only one that can do a bit of damage would be the ball python but even then it wouldn't be a big deal. Heck I've been bitten by dogs and cats and I am not as jumpy around them.

Another side question, what is the best way to get a stubborn snake to let go? Especially with considering that the longer a hognose chews on you there is a higher chance of having a reaction to the saliva. I've heard that the mouthwash only sometimes work, and I do not want to hurt the snakes at all.

sattva · 07-28-16, 08:20 PM

I'm sorry you're having a hard time getting bit, but from what I have experienced it's part of the hobbie... I have only been collecting snakes for about 6 months now, but I lost count of how many times this little Jungle Carpet python I use to have bit me. You noticed I said use to have... I'm not being fooled thinking I will not get bit again, but I am careful in trying to read my 3 guys... When I get bit I am always surprised... I usually say you little *** hole, and then I laugh...It's always my fault... None of my guys are big enough to do any real harm yet; At least that's my hope. I not sure how you would get over this but maybe some of the others here will be more helpful.

bigsnakegirl785 · 07-28-16, 08:58 PM

Honestly, for me, being bit wasn't so bad because I was used to being clawed up and bit by cats and dogs in play, and snake bites weren't anywhere near as bad so after a few bites I was fine. It's something that you have to say to yourself, "I will get bit and it won't be so bad," rather than anxiously awaiting that fateful bite. If you can, try to come to terms with it so you're not fretting over it, as that can make it worse when a bite actually happens, cementing the apprehension you have towards them.

Not many snakes are going to do significant damage to you. I've been bit by my 6.5' 9 lb boa and the most he did was give me some tiny pinpricks from his teeth and a light bruise. It didn't hurt when he bit me, although the bruise became a little sore a few days later.

Snake_eyes_88 · 07-29-16, 06:06 AM

I think for most people it's actually seeing the strike happen that puts them off.... When he latched on it will have given you a bit of an adrenaline rush and put you on edge which is natural but just throw yourself right back in there and you'll have your confidence back in no time.

Hooks prevent a lot of these feeding response bites and even defensive strikes so I'd suggest you start to hook train now if you feel it would help you in any way..

As for getting them off you once they've latched on, there's many so called "methods" but all of them are hit and miss, some work for certain snakes some won't work for the next person. I personally don't agree with the whole running them under cold water (this can and does drop their body temp as its cold water obviously or even dripping mouthwash near the bite to cause a release... However if it works for you, each to their own.

I personally just unwrap them from the tail end and by the time I get to the head they usually release.... However I doubt If this would be the case I my retic ever has a feed response on me hahaha

phassin · 07-29-16, 07:05 AM

I'm not gonna lie.... An adult carpet python bite hurts like hell! I start pouring out like a faucet when I get nabbed. Really though I ain't worried about getting bit l, but the strike still makes me jump. I launched a baby ball python cuz it struck and I wasn't ready lol (don't worry I caught it before it hit the floor). I do need to get passed it and plan on handling pissy little babies as much as possible for that reason.

trailblazer295 · 07-29-16, 07:44 AM

I get the fear myself, now in reality I probably shouldn't. I work with my hands for a living and am constantly cutting myself on sheet metal and screws. I also have a cat that likes to play rough with claws like fish hooks. My biggest snake right now is my BP and he has never even balled much less strike at me.

My baby carpet is the first snake to take a strike at me and got caught once but didn't leave a mark. It's a reflex to move your hand out of the way when attacked. It's something I have to work on now. It will take some work not to move when dealing with the little bite worm. I hope to get over that fear before she grows into a snake that can do more damage and also outgrows that biting behaviour.

mysticmoon · 07-29-16, 08:52 AM

It happens to everyone, the more you handle snakes you won't even worry about it anymore. I've been bit by an angry baby rosy boa, a bearded dragon, and a stealth master leopard gecko lol. Honestly out of all of them the gecko was the worst. All three of these animals used to make me quite nervous, but now they are my favorites and I'm quite confident they would never bite me again

(except the gecko, he's still a work in progress lol)

FinishingFlight · 07-29-16, 12:14 PM

Well I'm glad that I'm not the only one that gets a bit flinchy still. The nerves I really hope will go away in time. I have aggressive (not play) bites from cats in dogs because of my work in the field and I'm still more confident with them than reptiles right now. Which the pain and damage done does not compare at all. It makes no sense.

Snake eyes, I would like to hear what other methods you would suggest. I just know that with hognoses waiting for them to let go on their own is not wise because of the possibility of having a reaction to their saliva. So getting them off as soon as you can without hurting them is ideal. They don't constrict, so no unwrapping, you just have a noodle attached to your finger and they don't let go.

I feel like a I need a super bitey small snake so I can get bit several times and get over it. I should have bought that rosy boa that my BF held. It bit him three times in the span of 20 seconds before he could give it back. They told us after "That one's a ****". (The guy who let us handle it was just helping and didn't know the snakes personally).

Magdalen · 07-29-16, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinishingFlight

Snake eyes, I would like to hear what other methods you would suggest. I just know that with hognoses waiting for them to let go on their own is not wise because of the possibility of having a reaction to their saliva. So getting them off as soon as you can without hurting them is ideal. They don't constrict, so no unwrapping, you just have a noodle attached to your finger and they don't let go.

I'm curious about this too, as I have a hognose and everything I've read about their bite being bad is when you let them chew on you. So getting them off right away is important.

With my first snake, a sand boa, I was very nervous about getting bit. Never did, she had a lot of handling before I got her, but still even reaching in to pick her up made me nervous. Once she was in my hand I was better.
Oddly enough with my new guy (haven't tried to pick him up yet) I feel slightly less nervous. I guess getting over my nerves about being around horses helped. I figure any damage a small snake/animal can give me will never hurt as much as they damage a horse can do.

**Andy_G** · 07-29-16, 12:24 PM

Hooks don't work well with hognose. They are one of few species that are so clumsy and awkward that they would fall off so be sure to not elevate them with a hook unless you're just controlling the front end and directing the head away from you while holding onto the rear third. In regards to even tap training which I am a huge advocate for with most species... these guys just don't seem to "get it" overall. You tend to have the ones that will never bite, or the ones that will always bite out of hunger no matter what...not usually much in between the two extremes with this species in particular and I have never seen a hognose bite in a defensive manner. The amount of bluffing can definitely vary.

The best method of getting the hognose snakes to let go is to push up and away from the bite direction directly on the nose. Be careful that it doesn't then latch onto the finger. The running water thing doesn't work most of the time, and mouthwash is quite harsh to use on them, so try just giving a gentle but firm push on the nose next time.

The only real way to stop being afraid of getting bit is to get bit. After a little while you don't fear it but still try to avoid it of course...t's never going to be something you want to have happen.

Albert Clark · 07-29-16, 12:39 PM

Some of the time it's the way you reach and then pick the snake up that will trigger a bite. Lifting their hide off of them suddenly seems to be a big risk. If you are really concerned about it and apprehensive about the bite, wear gloves. Some may not be so inclined but it is a first line of protection. A nice pair of cotton gloves that will allow for movement and dexterity can prove helpful and confidence building.

Zelg · 07-29-16, 02:51 PM

Been bit a couple times. My ball python has never so much has shown any indications that he'd ever bite me...never S shaped at me, lets me touch his head and everything. I ended up getting a white lipped python (that ended up dying, most likely due to some bad mistakes I made) and he/she bit me....twice? I think it was just twice. First thing it did when I got it outta the bag with my snake hook was shoot up the hook in a hurry and tagged me right on the thumb. Felt like someone whacked me with a #2 pencil (remember pencil wars in school?). Anyways, wasnt terrible but I bled a small bit from the pin pricks. The second time, I was asking for it. I pushed it a little too far and kind of poked his nose with my finger. My brother wanted to know if he'd bite and I was pretty certain it would just move away, as I had it for a couple months at this point. He moved away. I poked again and before I could blink he tagged me...hurt a good bit this time but still didnt hardly bleed. Wasnt fun but it wasnt terrible.

I now have a beautiful yearling carpet. I took him out a couple weeks back to hold him and work with him a bit. Hold him, stroke his body, etc. Well he was pretty aggitaged by the stroking I guess and tagged me on the thumb. No blood, barely felt the strike.

Until I get bit by a larger snake where it'll actually be painful, I'll say that the fear of the strike is far greater than the strike itself. It just happens to fast. To me its like a jump scare that you dont see coming in a movie. It happens extremely fast, is rather violent looking when you see it and when its over, things are generally back to normal. The anticipation is the worst part for me (so far).

Ive not had any actually hang on to me yet though. They've all been hit n runs so to speak. I dont think the fear of the strike/bite will ever go away for me but I also tend to see it as just an excitement factor and a reminder that these animals are not domesticated mammals who want your love and affection.

Now when my carpet is fully grown I may feel differently and if I had a burm or retic, I may feel differently....or at least approach things differently.

SerpentineDream · 07-29-16, 03:02 PM

Gently pushing up on the rostrum (the hog snoot) will get a hognose off you.

Depending on the species and the size of the snake, most bites aren't bad. They tend to be lightning quick--except for feeding bites--and leave minimal damage. Unless you have a very large, powerful snake or one with very large teeth (like a green tree python or emerald tree boa) you can "walk it off" after a bit of soap and water and some Bactine or the like.

The worst bite I ever took was from an adult green iguana. Those suckers have serrated teeth and tremendous bite force. He latched onto my index finger and clamped down so hard his eyes were squeezed shut with the effort. My finger *popped* like a blood-filled water balloon and he tore my fingernail out. It was godawful and 25 years later my finger is still deformed. By comparison, snake bites from my moderately-sized crew are not too bad. The black milks will be able to do some damage when grown, but still probably not like that.