Introducing myself and a few questions - Page 2

Gravelanche · 02-25-13, 11:17 PM

i personally believe you can never go wrong with a ball python. relatively simple setup (compared to some others) very docile, handleable, and beautiful, not to mention they come in 10,000 varieties

sws · 02-26-13, 01:10 AM

i have owned my bp for almost 4 years and my big sister raised several and neither of us got bit yet. as a general rules you own snakes get use to the idea of being bit but my balls are both very docile and when i am holding them i am more like to bit them then they are me. i know this because at points they both had mites and i got to get them off their heads and that was stressful sense i had to restrain them to do it but never got bit even when i shed assisted my balls. NOW this is just in my sisters and my EXP with are balls or balls we know.

KBHicks2012 · 02-27-13, 08:30 PM

Welcome!!!!!!!!

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

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!

**Aaron_S** · 02-27-13, 09:19 PM

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!

Use bigger tongs

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

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.