I've had my male Dumerils over a month now and he has been a wonderful pet.....until two days ago. I've been handling him every day or every couple of days and he has been calm and gentle. Then, two days ago, for no apparent reason, when I reached in his cage to pick him up he struck at me and clamped his jaws around my finger. I was shocked to say the least as no snake has ever bitten me before. I gently pried his jaws off my finger and put him back in his cage. The bite didn't hurt much but certainly produced a lot of blood. I didn't disturb him again until this evening when I again took him out of his cage and put him around my neck and sat down to read a book. After about 20 minutes I decided to put him away and when I lifted him from around my neck he bit my thumb really hard. I didn't want to injure him and carefully and gently pried his jaws open. He immediately struck at my other hand and bit my finger while at the same time constricting really firmly around my wrist and hand. I put him, still wrapped around my hand, in his cage thinking he would release. He didn't. It took me several minutes to get him off my hand during which time he bit me repeatedly on both hands. I have six different bite marks now and blood literally dripping off both my hands. Nothing has changed as far as husbandry is concerned. He eats great. Does anyone have any ideas? I cannot keep him if this behavior is going to continue. I've gone from loving him to being afraid of him and I certainly cannot allow anyone else in my family to handle him now.

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