Worst bite

Tonight was feeding night. Some of my proven females are known for being aggressive feeders and jumping out of their tubs. Well I put the rats in the room about an hour before feeding. I pulled the tub of a big female pastel (Phoebe) and she pretty much jumped half way out looking for her dinner.

I slowly slid the tub so that it didn't pinch her but gave her just enough room to retract. She didn't move, so I moved my hand behind her and touched her on the back of the head. That normally scares them enough to retract back into the tub. Before I could pull my hand away, she had my middle finger up to the middle knuckle in her mouth. I bled like a stuck pig. I've been bitten dozens of times but this was the worst. The tip of my finger is swollen and bruised. I never knew a ball python had a bite THIS strong.

I was so confident that I could avoid a nip - moved with no fear at all. Got tagged good. This is why I don't keep hots. I know that I would get lazy. That was the first thing that went through my mind - glad that BPs aren't venomous.

complacency and laziness.... not good for hots....

damn don.... i kinda expect to get bit everytime i open the tank...

Man that sounds like a good tag. Its been a while since my last bite, hopefully I can keep the streak up. . .

Ouch :c I'm sorry to hear. I hope your finger is better soon. Thanks for the words of warning and the story. It's always nice to have a reality check, no matter how long you've been keeping and how much you know. It takes a lot to own up to things like that, and it's appreciated as advice.

Don wrote:

She didn't move, so I moved my hand behind her and touched her on the back of the head.

Typically, this action would be frowned upon in the venomous community.

The natural reaction to being bit is to quickly pull back one's hand. If you did this, do you think it contributed to the severity of the wound?

My most painful snake bite was to the palm of the hand by a 3 foot eastern garter snake. For whatever reason this bite was more painful than bites from large boids and a host of other nonvenomous snakes.

My most memorable bite was from an eastern ratsnake. My brother and I were out looking for snakes and saw a good size ratsnake in the hollow of a tree about 10 feet off the ground. I stood on my brother's shoulders, but unfortunately it wasn't high enough for me to reach into the hole. Grabbing the bottom of the hole I pulled myself up to take a look. As soon as my face was at the level of the hole the snake struck and latched on to my nose. I screamed like a little girl, pushed away from the tree, and fell flat on my back with the snake still attached to my nose. While I lay on the ground trying to get air back in my lungs my brother stood over me laughing his head off. Soon after we were both laughing hysterically.

I'm sure I did jump. I normally get bit on the round part of the hand just up from the thumb. When I pull open the tubs, that fleshy part is right over the top of the lip. Those can be painful too. But, I guess that is still preferred to a bite to the nose!

JW i know that was a bit on the painful side along with bieng suuuuuuppppeeerrrr duuuuuupppppeeerrr funny...

This is why I love this time of year!!

Edit: not the getting bit part but the voracious appetites.

You got to love those jumper, I've got a few myself. Hope your healing up fine.

We have a few that as soon as you open the tub they jump out... they are CRAZY scary when they do it.. if they don't retract we take a lid to an empty tub and slowly kind of nudge them back in.

My favorite heart attack is opening up the tub, moving the lid away just to see the BP has followed it up like a cobra and is hiding behind it.

Adrenaline rush every time XD

Many decades ago, I had a wild caught ball python that was a strong eater. I had gotten a mate for him who was not eating at all (and took much work to ever get her to eat) but I got lazy once, after handling a rat and trying to get the female to eat, and picked up my male.

He, ever so gently, sniffed my thumb, and kind of deciding it was vaguely food-shaped (it smelled right, I hadn't washed my hands after handling the rat), opened his mouth and carefully closed it on my thumb.

I *swear* to you he looked confused for a second, and then let go, but it was the only time he ever bit (or indeed, even tried to bite) me. Totally my fault, and my thumb bled for a bit.

Did teach me the importance of washing up 1st tho.