He bit me!!!!!!!!!

Solid Snake · 08-04-03, 11:26 PM

well i was cleaning my BP's tank, changing his substrate and he curiously came around out of his hide and Bit my hand! I dont think i handled any rats, I think hes gotten used to the way i feed him... i usually dangle the rats with my fingers i guess he thought it was feeding time. Guess its my fault and i learned the hard way

. My fingers a bit bloody... heh

marisa · 08-04-03, 11:51 PM

Ha! That sucks. But at least you know what to expect now. My BP hasn't bitten me yet, so I am kinda wondering how it feels with that big head of hers!

Marisa

**Andy_G** · 08-04-03, 11:53 PM

LOL!!! Don't feed with your hands anymore! I feed mine with hot dog tongs and she gets quite daring when she sees them and she follows them around the room when I have them in my hand like they are food.

Stockwell · 08-04-03, 11:54 PM

Yeah, snakes bite, its that simple! I've worked with dozens of species for 24 years, been bit by them all except Rubber boas, but I'm sure the day is coming. LOL

BurmBaroness · 08-05-03, 10:19 AM

MIght have stirred him up a bit you cleaning his cage while he was in there. I usually remove mine to a tote while cleaning. I have also been bitten more than once, and balls are not as bad as boas and burms......lol

Invictus · 08-05-03, 12:14 PM

I feed all of my snakes by hand and have never been tagged by a single one of them. Don't feed them in their own enclosure, and they won't associate your hand in their enclosure with feeding time.

marisa · 08-05-03, 12:24 PM

That's BS IMHO.

No offense of course. But I believe its BS when it comes to the common pet species of snake. Talking BP'S, corns kings, etc.

I am doing a survey on this right now. Almost 500 people have replied and taken the survey to give their input and see if in cage feeders have beeen bitten more.

I believe if you are practicing proper husbandry it makes no difference where you feed.

For one lets say you open cage once per week for feeding in cage.
You open once per week for water change/spot cleaning
maybe once per week for a full cleaning
say once or twice for handling

That's 4-6 times per week your hand is going in the cage. And out of ONE time the snake thinks from then on its food time? Not IMHO. Not only do I believe its malarky, but I think feeding bite accidents happen FAR more when removing them to a feeding tub. And so far the results from my non-professional personal survey are agreeing with this.

Also if snakes are THAT conditionable that one time per week out of 5 will make them think each time is feeding time then why would taking them out of cage make any differance? If we go by the logic above, then snakes would be as likely to bite when taken out to be fed then when fed in cage. It wouldn't make sense any other way. If they bite when a hand is in cage or lid is opened and that makes them think food because they got it there last time, then feeding ut of the tub is the exact same thing. How many people use a different shape/size color tub each time? Not many. So each time the snake is removed and in the tub the exact same conditioning would happen if the logic is true. I believe its not.

I also feel that people may mistake out of cage feeding calm snakes for snakes that just get more handling. You automatically handle a snake TWICE more than you would if you fed them in cage. That alone takes some getting used to for the snake, giving the appearance of a "friendlier" snake. Although I this is a minor point and just a guess.

All my snakes have been fed in cage their entire lives. Only one bites people and that's a whole different issue. I have yet to be bitten by my corns (fed in cage entire lives, one not ever handled) or my BP who is also fed in cage. I also fed my California Kingsnake IN cage and he is the biggest baby in the world.

This is all IMHO from my thoughts, the little experience I have, and the results/conversations fro people who contacted me about the survey and other large breeders who also have mentioned not having time to fed out of cage but having no aggresion problems.

Marisa

ReptiZone · 08-05-03, 01:07 PM

A snake is a snake they have teeth and can bit it is a fact of life all animals CAN bite it is just a mater of do they choos to bite.

Just like the poodel that snapes your fingers when you prentend to have food or the Angel like pit bull that tarres a kids face of for no apparent reason.

Here is what I think hapend you said you were cleaning well I am sure you did not go and grabe the fecus with your bare hands if you used a klenex or toilet paper or paper towel. well guess what if you pinch the paper towel it looks a white rat and you hand gives of body heat.

You see snakes strike when you look, smell or move like food. You only need to fill in 2 of the above to get biten (looking and moving) in your case.

**Andy_G** · 08-05-03, 01:25 PM

Feeding in your own enclosure is just fine, I'm doing it with all my snakes and i've only been tagged by my king and that was a long time ago when she was a baby. If you are hand feeding a snake, it WILL associate your hand with food, just like it would if you fed with tongs, and you WILL get bit!!

Invictus · 08-05-03, 02:28 PM

See my post above Andy. A snake does NOT automatically associate your hand with food. I feed all of my snakes, be it my BCI or my corns, by hand. None of them ever bite me. Of course, I handle them VERY often, so they know that just because they see my hand doesn't mean they are getting fed.

**Andy_G** · 08-05-03, 03:45 PM

If it doesn't associate your hand with food when you are hand feeding it, how can it associate the enclosure opening with food? I guess I made a point I didn't mean to make with that post lol.

The chances of being bit are indefinitely many times higher if you are handfeeding because they could simply miss the mouse and hit your hand.

BurmBaroness · 08-05-03, 09:13 PM

I just prefer to feed outside the cage, in feed totes, for several reasons. One, that's usually when I do a good cage cleaning. Also clean water bowls, etc. And I don't want the smell of food in the actual cage itself. Just because I clean the cages and want them to not have any sort of feeding smell in the cage. My personal preference, and it DOES help with aggressive snakes.

Infectrix · 08-06-03, 05:39 PM

Yoeun,

didn't it feel good?! I got tagged in the hand by my adult male.. It took him a few seconds to let go even though I allowed him to "chew it up".. He left 3 lil scars on my right ring finger.. Lil *******

snakehunter · 08-06-03, 05:46 PM

i get bit all the time! not by my own snakes (northern water snakes=evil) its become so common that my mom doesnt even care. by the way, those were 6-4 footer snakes, thats hurtin' garters, and small boas are nuthin' compared to these big boys!

sorry to brag i just think its funny when owners complain when their 17in. snake snapps at them, they are snakes, and still have a wild instict to bite, or flee possible danger.

snkmn · 08-07-03, 01:08 AM

dude. dont feed with your fingers. it is just asking for bad