Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I have a really interesting story to report.

Today, I decided, for the first time since I've had him, to give my male coachwhip snake's tank a good cleaning. All was fine and good until I decided to put said snake back in cage. The minute my hand left that snake, it flew, not slithered, not crawled, not jumped, freaking FLEW out of that cage like a bat out of hell, and before I knew it, I had a four foot coachwhip lose in my room. At this point, I did my best Crocodile hunter impression, and grabbed the snake by the tail as it was crawling across my floor. The minute I do this, this snake unloads a massive strike straight at my face, missing me by about six inches. He continues to try to bite me repeatedly, and I use my feet to block him the best I can. Thankfully, my snakehook was within reach, and I managed to pin the snake down. He's now comfortably back in his cage. Amazing how quick they are.
Kevin

I've experienced a similar story.
I was holding my coachwhip about six inches up its tail, and it seemed to be fine it wasn't even remotley stressed by the looks of it. Then, out of nowhere, it shot up and bit me on the lip! It was so fast I didn't even see it, in fact, I wasn't even sure he'd bitten me until I reached up and felt that my lip was bleeding!
-Roy

You gotta grab 'em closer to their head than the length of your arm...or else....

ahem....
:Mark
-----
Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

good thing they only look and act like the mamba huh?

I read the other replies to this and I guess it's nice to see I wasn't the only person bitten in the face by a racer. Back when I had my racer, I knew he was aggressive but sometimes he seemed calm enough to handle out of the tank. I was lying on my bed holding him when out of nowhere he struck fast and bit me RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES, sideways. It only bled a little bit and I couldn't help but find it amusing. The bite hit so perfectly over the bridge of my nose, with little teeth marks evenly on either side. I always thought of it as the 2nd funniest place to be bitten by a snake.

ya, i had a 5 foot northern black come a few inches from my face when it was on the ground and i was standing up straight. it shot up, opened its mouth wide, hissed and blanaced on its tail for a second. i was quite impressed. racers are the only snakes that ive been bitten by when im really trying to not get bit. most snakes you can hold by the tail and theyll just keep their head on the ground. all the racers ive caught try to climb up their own body and make as much effort as they can to make sure they land a strike.

I have a similar story. One day while a friend and I were road cruising, we came upon a large southern black racer. We had the bright idea that we might be able to catch him. Well with the two of us somehow we flushed him back out. I snatched him up by the tail, and before I could say "got him," I had blood dripping down both side of my nose. I had sunglasses on and he literally ripped them off my face by the center nose rest. Racers are excellent sharp shooters.

peace,
Ian Daviss

I had a pet coachwip when I was 12 and it escaped in the room. I had it cornered, when it would move forward and lung at me. When I turned to run, it chased after me and bit me in the ass! I had gotten but just a few steps when it chased me down. I remember shutting it in the room for a few days with towels blocking the door. After a few days, when I checked on it, it was back in its cage. I guess it went for a drink and into its hide box. I was made to release it. But, I would love to get another soon.

Which snake is suppose to chase you and whip you? I know its a fable. If its the coachwhip, now I know how that got started. Because boy that 7 footer whip me and sent me running scared. You can call them "friendly" mambas.

Man, I just had an 8 foot Yellow Tail Cribo do the same to me!
Thankfully I got him under control before any major blood letting occured!

I've been bit, clawed and constricted by about every reptile imagineable.
But I've never had one chase me down like a racer.
I lived by a pond, and so did he.
Happen to take him by surprise one day, and found out they value their privacy and freedom.
I let go, and I decided to part company, but he wasn't taking any chances, he started chasing me.
I had no idea that those snakes could move that fast, or be that agressive.
Now I treat racers like skunks.
I leave them alone, and they leave me alone.