Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When a snake bites, what are the chances it holds on and doesn't let go? What compells it to not let go? -Jon

Usually they just hit you and let go, more of a warning. If it does latch on, run very warm water on it, not hot. Should let go right away.

Most hits are mistaken feeder response. If it's warm, moves and smells like food, might be food. Your hand is already warm and moves. If you've been handling feeders or even petting the cat/dog??????

Also, really pays off to PAY ATTENTION to the snakes attitude. I see it all the time at shows and even at home where the snake is visibly irritated and shortly thereafter strikes.
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Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)
4.12 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
2.1 Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 Het for Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
1.0 BCI albino het stripe
1.0 BCI salmon hypo
0.1 BCI ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

If it's a feeding response rather than a defensive strike, they frequently hang on. They're just acting on instinct. It's about all you can do when your brain is the size of a BB and completely lacks a cerebral cortex.

if it is a feeding responce one way to avoid this is to keep sanitizer handy to keep the food smell off you. it works well for us i have not been bitten because of feeding responce. i have been bitten by my rat snake but he has an attitude. so when he bits it is defensive and he dosn't hold on. our 2 boas have never (knock on wood) bitten us.
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2.1.0 ball python (aragorn, frodo, arwen)
2.0.0 columbian boa (wiggles and squiggles)
1.0.0 rat snake (alabastered)
0.1.0 corn snake (baby)
3.3.0 cats (rockie, bs, brownie, lerrado, kole, camie)
1.3.0 kids (dilyen, dakota, chyanne, sierra)
Brian n Chrissy
"snakes are kind of like potato chips, you cant have just one"