02-27-13, 09:19 PM
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#26
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Forum Moderator
Join Date: Nov-2002
Location: Toronto
Age: 39
Posts: 16,977
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Re: Introducing myself and a few questions
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chu'Wuti
Stephanbakir said,
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!
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Use bigger tongs
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