If anyone ever needed photo evidence...

Linds · 07-27-04, 11:54 PM

... that snakes are NOT thinking animals...

<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/507/22bad_darky-med.jpg">

This morning I woke up and started doing rounds before I got ready and headed out to the states, went to open his enclosure and he launched at me nailing a bag I was holding... he fully constricted the plastic bag, and minutes went by... my sister went to grab the camera and by the time she got back he had loosened his grip - not because he realized it was not food, but to begin to swallow it

Reminds me of the boa that ate the heating pad down south

Either way, although they sometimes come to the realization some things are not food, this is by no means the rule. Yet another example to add to the snakes that have started eating themselves, heating pads, substrate, fingers, etc

Anyways, it woke me up pretty quickly and was an interesting start to the day no doubt.

Tim_Cranwill · 07-28-04, 12:23 AM

That DOES look like a tasty bag though!

lol

Stockwell · 07-28-04, 12:44 AM

Um, yeah!! and that is why I no longer work with them... I love bloods, but they seem to love ripping my arteries not to mention my wifes face that was once grabbed with no warning...
I'm curious, was there rodents in or on that bag at any time. Probably not. You're probably just seeing the classic conditioning response to opening the lid. Its even scarier with racks when you don't have glass to see where they are.
Linds, I saw your other comments about their teeth getting stuck in cotton gloves. You'll find those teeth are pretty hard to remove from your flesh as well. Their bite is bad enough, but the weight and muscle they can utilize in the constriction can be quite dangerous..(been there)
Be careful with those things

Jeff_Favelle · 07-28-04, 01:34 AM

Holy moly! Better that bag than your arm, LOL!

BOAS_N_PYTHONS · 07-28-04, 01:56 AM

TIM:

I heard a little calcium and iron and plastic is always good for the body............lol.

Joking everyone.........lol.

Actually my girl hit me once and only once but under the arm pit its not a good place to wait for the death grip to let go from, cried like a baby girl for almost 15 minutes, lol.

Cya...

Tony

CHRISANDBOIDS14 · 07-28-04, 12:14 PM

Thats Crazy! I've only been tagged twice by an 18"er, and neither was severe(though the second tag was one tooth holding my lip!). They both happed within 8hrs of getting her, with the first when I oppened the box at the airport. Glad my big boy hasnt tagged me.

Linds: Did you hold him and get the bag out of his mouth? Or what procedure did you use to prevent him from swallowing the bag?

C.

Invictus · 07-28-04, 01:28 PM

Interesting... my blood has never bitten a single individual in her whole life. They're not ALL bad.

Big_V · 07-28-04, 01:34 PM

My blood just has a crazy feeding response but is all bluff after that. That is one crazy pic though Linds. And one nice looking borneo.

Linds · 07-28-04, 02:12 PM

Roy,
The only thing that that bag had ever been in contact with was some grains and other assorted garbage from bulk barn... however this was still a feeding reflex as there had been a rodent stinking his cage over the night. Nonetheless, you would assume he would eventually realize the bag wasn't the rodent at some point! Either way, for the most part he just huffs and puffs, but rarely ever acts on anything and is more just a bunch of dead weight when it comes to having to handle him, my female on the other hand... well let's just say she's lucky she's pretty with the attitude on her! She's the only snake I have had to straddle

She's the type of snake that gave these snakes the horrid reputation... so much as touch her with a hook, much less a hand, and she flails herself wildly - it is incredible how these animals can hurl themselves upside down and all around in a blink of an eye!

Chris,
I asked my sister to get me some vinegar from downstairs, because my bottle was empty. By the time she got upstairs I had gently held him behind the head and removed it from his mouth

Invictus,
LOL... I wouldn't speak so soon! Both of mine were about 1.5 years in my ownership before they so much as struck at me

CHRISANDBOIDS14 · 07-28-04, 03:20 PM

Sounds like an interesting method(the vinegar) Linds. Would you perhaps be able to explain a little better? Thanks.

C.

Linds · 07-28-04, 05:03 PM

Chris,
Vinegar in the mouth is one of the most common methods used to encourage a snake to drop whatever (or whoever

) it's latched on to. An absolute must in any herpers safety kit when dealing with large boids!

Tony,
Ouch! That's definitely one of the most sensitive parts to take a hit on, I've never heard of anyone getting nailed there before!

Jezabel · 07-28-04, 05:22 PM

Funny pics! WOW they've grown quite a bit! Anymore pics of them?

CHRISANDBOIDS14 · 07-28-04, 06:03 PM

Thanks Linds! I thought so, or figured that the acidic(and rather gross when taken directly) taste would deter the snake. I've got a quick question however: Have you ever heard that you should keep some hairspray nearby and if you(or something) gets bit by a snake, spray it in the face and it will let go imediately? I've been told its cause it stings the eyes, but I do not trust any human products that could have potentialy bad(poisoning) results. Thanks!

C.

Linds · 07-28-04, 10:50 PM

Jezabel,
No I haven't taken any recent pics of them. I'll try and snap a few soon though

Chris,
Eep

I've never heard of such a thing. I would NEVER consider spraying hairspray in to any animals face... the ingredients in there are quite toxic, and can easily poison if ingested or blind if it gets in contact with eyes. Snakes have eyecaps however, so I think it would be highly ineffective if the motive was to sting their eyes. Vinegar is safe and works well, some people use hard liquor as well, though I've never tried this method before.

BOAS_N_PYTHONS · 07-28-04, 10:56 PM

LINDS:

Yeah it was my mistake. She was a Malaysian Red Blood Python at 3 years of age around 5 plus feet and about 30 lbs. Never shown attitude and I let my guard down in changing the water dish and I must have scared her or spooked her and she launched and landed in my left arm pit, held on for almost 10 minutes....................shhhhhhhhh I cried like a little girl but who cares no need to be macho about those teeth, lol.

No real scare but I let her give up after a few squirts of water mist in the face.

Now I really watch there response when I am going in.

Cya...

Tony