Love bite?

Kettennatter · 08-30-13, 12:34 PM

Something slightly odd just happened. I have a female BCI, about 6 ft. in length, which has been extremely docile in the past. Always calm and non-aggressive, even during shed. But, as with most BCIs, she is a very good feeding response.

She messed up her enclosure today, and I took her out, wrapped over my shoulder. After about 10 minutes I felt a light nip on my lower right arm. It took me a second or two to realize what it was. She bit me very lightly, meaning that it doesn't hurt, but I can see teeth marks on my arm.

Now I wonder if she is sick, or what might have triggered the behavior. (There are no other indications of any sickness.) I handled our cat not that long before that, but the BCI never responded to it previously, and was just fed a large rat two days ago.

I guess I'll keep an eye on her, but it is still weird.

marvelfreak · 08-30-13, 01:57 PM

Sounds like it might be time to bump up it's food or it just was having a bad day.

KORBIN5895 · 08-30-13, 02:14 PM

It could've yawned and caught you on mistake.

Kettennatter · 08-30-13, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KORBIN5895

It could've yawned and caught you on mistake.

Maybe. Weirder things have happened. But I see teeth marks from both jaws, so maybe I triggered something. The snake seemed calm the whole time, and I figure if a BCI truly wanted to bite me it would have been at least somewhat painful.

smy_749 · 08-30-13, 05:10 PM

They don't usually bite 'lightly' or gently...seems odd. I'll go with korbins theory, though I still feel its highly unlikely. Maybe you were too preoccupied to notice that it really did hurt. Were you drunk ? hahahahah

Kettennatter · 08-31-13, 09:43 AM

No, I wasn't drunk. I was indeed not paying attention on what her head was doing, though. It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened. But it was truly a light bite. In fact, I can't feel it today at all, and you see only rather faint teeth marks. (The paper cut on the hand of the same arm hurts a lot in comparison.

)

I picked her up today, and it seems she is starting to enter shed. She tipped her water bowl and she has become more passive, which is normally a sure sign. (No eye caps yet.)

I do agree, it is odd overall. Not any behavior I would expect, and not anything she had done ever since I've owned her.

InsanityApe · 08-31-13, 10:12 AM

It really could of been just a yawn and it bit you by mistake, my BP usually yawns more when I carry her and close to my face. Just last night she had her head resting on my cheek when I was lying on the bed watching TV, she suddenly moved her head close to my eye and opened, I could see everything inside of her mouth, kind of scary though thought she was going to bit my eye.

sws · 08-31-13, 10:29 AM

my 6ft red tail boo did that on my elbow i know i was bit i watched it happen and felt a slight sting but there was VERy faint marks and no blood at all.

Kettennatter · 08-31-13, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sws

my 6ft red tail boo did that on my elbow i know i was bit i watched it happen and felt a slight sting but there was VERy faint marks and no blood at all.

Yes, that sounds very similar. Any idea what might have triggered that in your case?

sws · 08-31-13, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kettennatter

Yes, that sounds very similar. Any idea what might have triggered that in your case?

Well she wasstress and imoved tofast next to her head

Kettennatter · 09-01-13, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sws

Well she wasstress and imoved tofast next to her head

Interesting. I was wondering if anything had stressed out mine, but I didn't see any changes in her behavior. Thanks for the feedback, btw.

sws · 09-01-13, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kettennatter

Interesting. I was wondering if anything had stressed out mine, but I didn't see any changes in her behavior. Thanks for the feedback, btw.

maybe sense she was close to shed? somethign new in the room or cage?

Kettennatter · 09-02-13, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sws

maybe sense she was close to shed? somethign new in the room or cage?

She was close to shed. Then again, she never exhibited any signs of aggression even during shed before. No, the room has remained the same, and I had her out for about 10 minutes. She was wrapped around my arm/shoulder, her head by my side when I suddenly felt a nibble. I was standing still at that time, but cannot rule out that my arm might have moved.

She hasn't reacted to my kids or even the cat before. I can spot-clean the enclosure with her in it, fill the water bowl, etc. She has been quite conditioned to accept an f/t from above. It looks very different when she strikes, meaning that she strikes hard and pushes my arm holding the tongs with the f/t backward.

Even afterwards she seemed calm, and I could easily put her back into her enclosure.

The only experience I've had that was similar was with a king snake that nibbled on my neck during a handling session, but didn't break the skin.

dom4419 · 09-02-13, 10:50 AM

I wish I could help but I can only had to the mystery.

My ij carpet python does it all the time. She's very aggressive and strikes at me all the time when she's in her tank so I know what her really bites feel like (blood dripping, tingling sensation) but when I'm holding her she calms down but she still gives me these weird bites atleast 2-3 times everytime and they definately aren't the same, there's no blood just red teeth marks. So there's no way it's a yawn, well not in my case anyways.

sws · 09-02-13, 11:20 AM

the only other time i had somethign like this even closly happen was my smaller BP. i was holding her in my bra while i was reading and i felt a tickling sensation and looked down and she was....like slowly chewing on me but only using her lips there was no teeth at all. needless to say she does not go in my ra anymore not a place i want to be bit.