Introducing myself and a few questions - Page 2

llurgy · 02-26-13, 06:50 AM

LOL.....Thanks for the reassurances! Not that naive to think that snakes dont bite, it was just a bit gnarly watching these BP's trying to make meals out of their owners' appendages. They just didn't want to let go, at all!

)

Gravelanche · 02-26-13, 11:04 AM

yeah, but thats either a 1 in a million animal, or a 1 in a lifetime shot. Every dog has nipped at some point in its life and it probably left a more painful mark than the python

sws · 02-26-13, 12:11 PM

i know how that is those kind of videos scared me at first to but i figured having my snake was worth the risk of a few bites, remember they have small teeth that curve back so if you do get a bite and its not a bite release do not pull away you will just sink the teeth in more.

llurgy · 02-26-13, 12:18 PM

Just for the sake of curiosity, what do you have to do to get the snake off when it's clamped on in that kind of "feeding" bite?

Gravelanche · 02-26-13, 12:34 PM

i should probably know more for certain, but im pretty sure cold water works

Lankyrob · 02-26-13, 05:01 PM

I have only had one feeding bite and i just ran the head of the snake under cold water til it let go

shelly2314 · 02-27-13, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by llurgy

I have no idea how to adapt the mesh top for a solid top and still have the locking mechanism.....I am not at all DIY minded. I would have thought that in covering the mesh up with damp towels or plastic (or both) it would alleviate most of the humidity escape.

I have had many people tell me that a damp towel is a waste of time. HOWEVER, it is what I use for my Argentine as I have a mesh-like top and it works great!

jarich · 02-27-13, 09:18 AM

Not a waste of time really, just much more work at keeping it moist all the time, keeping the heat in, etc etc. Youll find that a solid top is just simpler and leaves less room for human error.

Ilurgy, the simplest way to essentially make it a solid top is to cut a piece of plexiglass to the size of your lid with a jigsaw. You can just lay it over the existing top and there is no need to change any lock.

**Aaron_S** · 02-27-13, 09:23 AM

1. Get the solid top. Make your life easier and the snakes life better.
2. You can feed in the enclosure and avoid any feeding bites by using a pair of tongs.
3. Breeders do ship so you don't have to overpay at a pet store. Also look for an expo.

Chu'Wuti · 02-27-13, 10:55 AM

I had one BP strike me even when I was using feeding tongs, but it was totally my fault--I didn't have the rat warm enough, so he focused on my warmer hand. I could see he was aiming at my hand, so I pulled back, which made him think his prey was escaping so he immediately struck.

He immediately let go, too--he knew he'd gotten the wrong thing. He gave me a dirty look like I had tricked him and went back into his hide. Never could get him to eat that night . . .

Needless to say, I was very careful to warm his rat thoroughly the next time. We haven't had any issues since, and that was a couple of years ago.

Gravelanche · 02-27-13, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shelly2314

I have had many people tell me that a damp towel is a waste of time. HOWEVER, it is what I use for my Argentine as I have a mesh-like top and it works great!

i use a towel on top of my cages and it works fine. if you cant afford plexiglass for now its a cheap alternative for the meantime. becase of the size of my tank i will probably do it eventually just so more light gets in.

bcr226 · 02-27-13, 01:55 PM

We put a bit of thin styrofoam insulation over the screen for humidity and heat help. I'd recommend the ball python. They are a beautiful snake and have great personalities for the most part.

Your enclosure will work for a short time if you get a baby ball. You'll have about a year or so before you need to move up to a larger enclosure.

Mike

stephanbakir · 02-27-13, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gravelanche

i should probably know more for certain, but im pretty sure cold water works

Cold water rarely works, any alcohol works (1 drop in their mouth) but its probably overkill for a ball python, I keep a small container on my belt when I'm working with the larger species just in case, haven't had to use it yet.

If you want to avoid using alcohol, I guarantee that your hand can hold its breath longer then the snake can.
Use tongs and avoid the entire problem.

Chu'Wuti · 02-27-13, 08:26 PM

Stephanbakir said,

Quote:

Use tongs and avoid the entire problem.

That's definitely NOT a guaranteed means of preventing a bite. Note my earlier post about one of my BPs tagging me even though I was using feeding tongs.

I actually have one female BP that is tong-shy; she jerks away if I try to use the feeding tongs. She's a rehome/rescue, so I suspect she got bonked with feeding tongs by her previous owner. I hand-feed her despite the risk, and oddly enough, she has NEVER struck me, not accidentally or otherwise. Who knows what the future might hold, though?

It really isn't a big deal. Small teeth, doesn't really hurt much at all. Don't jerk away so you save your skin as well as the snake's teeth; people do more damage to themselves when they jerk away.

Usually the snake will decide you're the wrong prey item and let go--often very quickly. If not, then lift up the whole snake, go to the bathtub and run in a couple of inches of lukewarm water. Immerse your hand and the snake's head into the water. The snake WILL let go in a short time--it'll need to let go so it can breathe. It's not the cold that does it--it's the need to breathe.

Honestly, over 40 years of snake-keeping, I've had to immerse only one snake, a yellow-bellied water snake that latched onto my son, and it was definitely his fault. I've never had to do it with any others, whether WC or CBB.

Good luck!

KBHicks2012 · 02-27-13, 08:30 PM

Welcome!!!!!!!!