well, caught it from my burm for the first time...

Spaghetti · 05-02-12, 01:37 AM

So, I made a SFE (stupid feeding error). Luckily, Joe is a baby, so it was more annoying than anything else. But, it's a funny story, so I thought I'd share.

Here's what happened: After he "killed" the thawed rat, he decided he wasn't hungry and just left it, coils loosely encircling it but making no move to actually eat it. I let it sit with him for a few hours, and finally I decided that he wasn't going to eat, and attempted to remove it so I could rinse it off and give it to another snake. That's what I normally do, I feed my "problem feeders" first, so if they refuse I can just pass the food item along to another snake instead of wasting the feeder.

But, Joe didn't want ME to have the rat either. As soon as I reached in to pick up the mangled rodent, I caught it in the wrist, and he wrapped his coils around my hand before I could blink.

So, I tried blowing on him. Bad idea. I blew into his mouth to get him to let go...it worked, but it pissed him off. You know what happened? Exactly what you think. He let go of my wrist and bit my lower lip.

Now I had puncture wounds in my wrist and an angry snake hanging onto my lower lip. I ran into the living room, where my buddy was sitting, but he was no help. Nope, he just laughed and got himself another beer from my fridge...which I suppose is fair, since it was my own stupidity that got me into the situation. And Joe is still around two feet long, so it's not like I was in danger.

Eventually, Joe let go. As of now, he is sitting happily in his enclosure, content with the injury he has inflicted on my person. I learned a valuable lesson today...never put your face within the strike range of a snake. Also, always use tongs when a snake is in feeding mode. I was very lucky that Joe was a baby this time...a fully grown burm would have probably taken my lip off!

Anyone else have any fun "learning experiences" they'd like to share? It's finals week in college right now, and I could use a laugh

KSTAR · 05-02-12, 02:15 AM

LOL...Well Even though Hea Small It still Sucks To have A baby Burm Hanging From Your Lower Lip Angry At That!

shaunyboy · 05-02-12, 02:16 AM

great story mate,thats got me grinning from ear to ear

and a lesson learned for you

next time try running the cold tap of the sink/bath, at a " trickle " onto his head,he will let go when the cold water hits him

just don't run the water too hard

cheers shaun

SnakeyJay · 05-02-12, 03:19 AM

God i wish youd got all that on video

I've heard that mouthwash will make them let go when trickled near bite area... Don't know how advisable it is tho...

Lankyrob · 05-02-12, 04:11 AM

Loving it!!!

I only have one funny one, my adult corn used to be fed in the a tub rather than his tank and i would put the mouse in first (f/t) and then slide the snake in. this one time he struck at the mouse whilst still in my arms and wrapped me as well as the mouse and i had to just sit there with him locked onto my arm whilst he finshed eating

KORBIN5895 · 05-02-12, 06:16 AM

Something tells me a full grown burn would have got more than just your lip.

Did you see the YouTube video where the garter bites the kid on the lip?

alessia55 · 05-02-12, 08:20 AM

lol, that was funny

Lesson learned!!

shaunyboy · 05-02-12, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KORBIN5895

Something tells me a full grown burn would have got more than just your lip.

Did you see the YouTube video where the garter bites the kid on the lip?

as embaressing as it is for me to admit,my youngest son was around 7 years old,when.....

he shouted downstairs on me to come up,i was making him a cup of tea at the time,so assumed that was what he was after

i come upstairs FIVE minutes later,to find.....

a one year old kingsnake,hanging from my sons left nostril,trying to eat its way up it

its bottom jaw was inside the nostril,its top jaw on the outside

my son had the snakes body on a pillow,because he didn't want the snake to hurt itself,by just dangling there

after releasing the snake from my sons bleeding nostril,my sons first words were.....

" don't give jimmy a telling off dad,he didn't mean to bite me "

jimmy was the name of my sons florida kingsnake

needless to say after that my son was supervised,when taking his kingsnake out

cheers shaun

**millertime89** · 05-02-12, 05:45 PM

awe... cute story Shaun.
Sghetti, next time, try leaving the room and coming back in a few hours. You never know, you might have a shy eater.
If this happens again and you've left him alone but he's still coiled around his dinner, get a small snake hook of some sort and use it to work him away slowly and gently (expect some strikes) and then use the tongs to get the food back.
I would never use mouthwash to get a snake to let go, cold water is what I would use, I don't like the thought of them accidentally ingesting mouthwash.

jaleely · 05-02-12, 10:37 PM

Oh shaun! That is the cutest kid story EVER. What an adorable kid. I love it. That says so much about him. What a doll!!!!

I wouldn't use alcohol or anything potent on a snake. The only time i've had a biter who wouldn't let go, i just put my wrapped up chewed on hand into a bowl of water. In fact, there are pics on this forum somewhere (it was my hognose lol)

Rogue628 · 05-02-12, 11:20 PM

Wow. Can't believe blowing on him pissed him off lol. But then, I've never heard of anyone doing it.

A few months ago, one of my burms tagged me. What I did to cause the bite was completely my fault and completely stupid on my part. I know better than to stick my hand in their hides. I was extremely tired after working a couple of weeks with no day off and just come off a 12 hour shift. I was cleaning tubs and hers was one of the last ones. I don't recall the exact reason why I stuck my fingers in there. I think I was trying to adjust it some when my fingers went into her hide where she was lying at the doorway of it. But she let me know really quick she didn't like me intruding into her home. She got the top part of my hand and her hide went flying. Then she had the audacity to look up at me as if to say, "what did I do?" lol

Spaghetti · 05-03-12, 12:47 AM

Quote:

If this happens again and you've left him alone but he's still coiled around his dinner, get a small snake hook of some sort and use it to work him away slowly and gently (expect some strikes) and then use the tongs to get the food back.

Good idea! I'll do that next time

**millertime89** · 05-03-12, 02:11 PM

Its what I do.
speaking of things like this, funny story on the retic fb page... a white towel apparently looked enough like a white rat to put a member's retic in feed mode. Apparently it chased him around the bathroom because he was giving it a bath and was drying it off when it happened.