a little scared

iiPink · 10-02-12, 07:49 PM

so for the last two days or so i have had my snake at home

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by alessia55

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.

Skumbo · 10-03-12, 03:40 AM

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

h3h · 10-03-12, 05:46 AM

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/lampr...additions.html

That's before I cleaned it up, and now after:

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.

iiPink · 10-03-12, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

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

heres a photo of the little poop head lol i say hes a year or so old...

DSCF0762 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!