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I bought my partener a pet rat for his birthday... We've been playing with the rat all day (it's pretty cute for a food item ;P ) This evening, I went to handle my kingsnake, and the snake freaked out. Usually, he's really docile and calm. It took me a few minutes to realize, I SMELL LIKE FOOD!

I'm going to have to not handle that rat, or wash up really well after touching him, so I don't freak my poor snake out. Have to give my snake some credit though. He didn't try to bite any hands!

LOL Sorry Im not making fun of you but I thought when you said "Partner" you were referring to the snake ! I was thinking I bet he wanted to play with that Rat lol. Sorry late night last night...Anyway snakes have a tremendous sense of smell so even with a good hand washing a snake will pick up the scent especially if its hungry. After washing your hands from handling the pet rat use some of that hand sanitizer with alcahol in it. that seems to knock out or at least mask the smell from the snake.

Keith

>>I bought my partener a pet rat for his birthday... We've been playing with the rat all day (it's pretty cute for a food item ;P ) This evening, I went to handle my kingsnake, and the snake freaked out. Usually, he's really docile and calm. It took me a few minutes to realize, I SMELL LIKE FOOD!
>>
>>I'm going to have to not handle that rat, or wash up really well after touching him, so I don't freak my poor snake out. Have to give my snake some credit though. He didn't try to bite any hands!
>>
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LOL Well, they both wanted to play with the rat.

I should try that, but I don't know how effective it will be, since there's rat smell on my clothing as well. (hopefully only snakes can smell it though!)

Funny...I have a baby albino banana phase king that's the funniest thing alive. He doesn't even have to smell the mouse on me, if I open his cage, he assumes it's feeding time, and bites the first thing to move, which is usually me. I still swear that snake has never once bitten me out of aggression, it's always bite, constrict, and attempt to swallow my thumb, or hand, or whatever he happens to get his mouth around. And he's ALWAYS hungry. I have four more kingsnakes, but he's always been the best eater of the group. I'm hoping to break him of the habit before he gets any bigger.
Kevin

use an alcohal based hand cleanser just dont wash it all of and reach in and let him bite you if you have enough alcohal on your hands he will let go right away. after a few times he wont bite anymore. snakes hate alcohal. thats why alot of "big snake" owners keep a spray bottle with alcohal next to every cage.
adam
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