Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I love my new 13 " MBK BUT
today he constricted - full power
and immediatly began SWALLOWING my thumb tip first
.
No I hadnt even come close to having held ANY animals today no mice no snakes not even food smells were on me.

Yes he was well fed

WHAT can I do ?

What do you think of me putting BRUT aftershave on my hands tomorrow and handle him to see if i register less like a meal on his senses ?

anyone have this before? is it a Kingsnake trait ?
(this is my 1st king though i have had snakes for 30 years.
Help !

If he was constricting - that's definitely a feeding response.
Feed him.

According to Brian Hubbs in his Mountain Kingsnake book, snakes can be offended by perfumes and other such chemicals - and are more likely to bite.
-----
3.3.4 L. getula californiae
1.1 L. getula nigrita
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
2.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

I remember reading or hearing somewhere that if you put lotion on with a mild scent right before you handled your snake, that the scent in the lotion would do two things. First it would let the snake know you are not a food item and secound supposedly the snake would recognise the scent as being you and not bite. Now I do not know if this works because I have never tried it, but I remember hearing it somewhere. Good luck!

-----
-Robert-

-----
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

1.1 Lampropeltis getula nigritus "MBK"
1.1 Lampropeltus getulus "Brooksi"
0.2 ALbino Argentina Horned Frog

I don't buy it.
Now I do put lotion on my hands before I handle a snake. It is unscented anti-bacterial hand lotion. The purpose is simply to reduce the chances of me being a vector of disease transmission.

Wether Hubbs is right about lotions being offensive to snakes or not I don't know, but I suspect he is - Hubbs knows what he is talking about most of the time.
-----
3.3.4 L. getula californiae
1.1 L. getula nigrita
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
2.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

>>I don't buy it.
>>Now I do put lotion on my hands before I handle a snake. It is unscented anti-bacterial hand lotion. The purpose is simply to reduce the chances of me being a vector of disease transmission.
>>

Like I said, its just what I heard, I have never tried the method. Personally I just pull the snake out and handle it. After I put it back up I normally have hand sanitizer right there. To each his own I guess
-----
-Robert-

-----
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

1.1 Lampropeltis getula nigritus "MBK"
1.1 Lampropeltus getulus "Brooksi"
0.2 ALbino Argentina Horned Frog

I have used my wifes new style no fat cooking and that works as no animal reptile or mammal in their right mind would want a taste of that .

Since you don't have access to it I would try some type of foul tasting perhaps unpleasant smelling cream that should work.

RFLMAO Fleck!!! Maybe you should bottle her dietary restrictions on ya as a repellent. For your sake I hope there's a Mickey D's close by. Ya need that fat at times .LOL
-----
Richard Evans

no not THAT one

Posted by: fauxsanity at Wed Jan 10 07:02:44 2007 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]

RFLMAO Fleck!!! Maybe you should bottle her dietary restrictions on ya as a repellent. For your sake I hope there's a Mickey D's close by. Ya need that fat at times .LOL
-----
Richard Evans

Lol my cholsterol was a tiny bit high and she found out . She means well lol. Thats what I get for getting a check up instead of going to the zoo as I have every year instead of the doctor .
Oh well live and learn

hahahahaha I had my ENTIRE thumb swallowed by my fat het for lav checkerboard speck female and she REFUSED to disengage.
! I had to pry her off with a credit card and offer her a mouse, (her third)! It went on for a good 15 minutes, I thought she would recognize but she did not! She gets no more shots at Jetzen-style hand feeding pics, lol! I hear a dab of rubbing alcohol will effect a release but have never tried it.
Todd Hughes

The best way to get a reptile to release is to dunk it in water.
Seriously.

The reptile will release of its own accord in order to breathe, reducing risk of injury to the reptile.

It is amazing how many people do not know this, but everyone who handles reptiles should know this.

With turtles, you want to dunk fast so they don't fill their lungs with air - otherwise, you may have to wait awhile.

With crocodilians, well, the best thing is probably not to get bitten in the first place
-----
3.3.4 L. getula californiae
1.1 L. getula nigrita
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
2.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

i agree with you about dunking in the water thing, i thought i was the only one that knew this lol i once got a 4 foot cal king home from the show and he bit me and starting to sallows my finger half way then i just put my hand in his water dish then his head was in the water and he let go. i will never forget him and i kinda wish i keep him.

I have tried rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip and the snake (which was constricting and slowly swallowing my pinky-scented thumb)came right off me as soon as I touched the side of its mouth.

One data point, but the response was tremendous. Maybe I'll try it again someday.

My best friend was cleaning a juvie bullsnake (after cleaning mice - whoops!) The bull latched on tight to his thumb and started to chomp down. After spending so much time in the bathroom running cold water on his hand and the snake, that his hand was going numb (and snakey was still "walking the jaw"I was finally "allowed" to squirt a bit of lemon juice into snakey's mouth. He let go in a second! The snake is doing well - and has graduated to larger food items. The thumb is still recovering. LOL.
-----
Kare

"keep smiling; it makes people wonder what you're up to!"

LMAO Todd..what'd you have to do?..put your beer down and call the wife for her credit card?. LOL. If I tried to use my credit card, it'd probably get rejected, damn thing is maxxed out all the time. (sigh)LOL
-----
Richard Evans

no not THAT one

LOL, that's funny! Nah, just didn't have any thing else to use and no way was I gonna give her a drink! She has problems enough already!
Todd Hughes

I want to thank all the posters very much .
I will give him a few days. and try again.
I used
the aftershave tech. for a BURM when i was a kid
and it worked VERY well, aftershave = ME
no aftershave = feeding time .
he knew this VERY well.

as for this king . I just posted a reply saying how there is
NO stopping his eating of my hand
once he has begun
and he repeats the eating
as soon as he is disengaged
put down picked up etc .

I will keep yall posted
I love this damn snake A LOT no doubt
but the feeling that I am a giant mouse to him is a bit CREEPY and I dont creep easily.

My burms were very docile and I never used any kind of aftershave.
They knew that rat meant feeding time. No rat scent meant holding time. Then it was rabbit, fish, ducks, whatever we could get ...

Snakes can learn, and if you use aftershave except when you are feeding them, they may learn exactly what you describe. That doesn't mean they aren't offended by the oder, but rather, that they tolerate it.

How can this be tested? In the field.

When you catch a wild snake, is it more likely to bite if you are wearing aftershave, sun lotion, or some other scented gook?

Wild snakes will not have been trained to be qued to our behavior, so they are better candidates for such testing.
-----
3.3.4 L. getula californiae
1.1 L. getula nigrita
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
2.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

well there is one flaw in that line of thinking ,
if we are to be entirely scientific and play
by the rules of strict science ( you know what I mean , right?), but it is fairly likely that you are right.

Scenting my hands with
something (irritating ) was thought as a last result,
just a technique from 30 yrs ago,
and it is much better to get all of the above feedback from King keepers.
Thanks to each and every.

I have a feeling my kings would be angry drunks and bite more. I just move slowly. It may make you nervous with some because they will watch your hand expecting food, and look like they are about to bite but they are just so inquisitive.

yeah sounds good except not for this case. Im afraid it doesnt matter HOW he is lifted , hooked , placed , poured onto the hand ! what a rascal. I have now officially tried everything we have mentioned on this post and more and more and it comes down to this: even when well fed and gently handled he will within seconds turn his head sideways, push it against some part of the hand and quickly open mouth and begin eating ( human hand ).
if he is heal in the air by the rear end of his body like an arboreal he will lift himself enough to bite onto me.

It was fun trying a dozen ways of handling him but now the question remains : will a 13" snake get trained out of this
or will the keeper buckle under out of the tediousness of attempts to NOT get EATEN !
If it is because he is in a room (large though !!) with two Elaphes and their scent is hungering him then he should be with a keeper who has no snake or at least no Elaphe. ( Free snake for pick up in New York !! ! )
But I had him in a room by himself at one point , it didnt work (though it was only a half a day.
-----
Euprepiophis mandarina
Elaphe guttata
Lampropeltis getulus nigritis

I was never bitten by my MBK, or any of the other couple of kings I've had the pleasure of keeping. What I believe works best is to keep them well fed, and to simply avoid the scent of mice by washing the hands with soap and water prior to handling. Good luck, enjoy these great snakes. Jim

well i've found that alchohl just doesn't work for me, neither cold water, dunking or any other method. it was annoying to try to handle lydia and be mistaken for a food item just about every time. so one time during one of her many attempts to eat my hand i just blew air in her face and she lets go, weirdest thing ever, and definitly esier then trying to pry her off lol
she does have a pretty feirce feeding response lol
please excuse how awful my legs look, they were not expecting photos lol

-----
1.1 cal kings
1.0 rat snake

You can try to avoud this by not simply reaching in and grabbing the snake. Let it see your hand and have time to recognize that your hand is not food.

Second issue is this- you acutally own brut?

ha ! BRUT was a gift from an 8 yr old student of mine.
Gotta use it SOMEhow !

about the snake . he doesnt give a HOOT
whether he is pried off
hand in view
blown on
collared
rearranged
put down
picked up
he will RESUME the hand eating.

IF it is temporary ,
okay great, otherwise
I will want a new MBK since it is the most amusing and lovely snake I have had in years.

Hmmmm??? Maybe you are an asshole and your snake does not like assholes?? Have you checked??

Quit crying you girly boy, you slept in the same room as the worlds most dangerous venomous snakes for thirty years and now you are upset because your new snake sucked your thumb??

I have heard that coating your hand in lighter fluid and then lighting it will prevent a snake bite....

WOW...where did that come from? Who were ya replying to? ..I don't keep hots, but been known to be called a few choice words (used them too)LOL
-----
Richard Evans

no not THAT one

hahaha ! How dare you ? is there no anonymity on this forum ?

lol.. lighter fluid just gets me in trouble...

Try having a 3 foot corn snake try and do that to your whole hand. Usually its when they just miss or get set into feeding mode by accident. Its rare but not too uncommon, I would'nt worry at leat he has a really good feeding response.

well the creepy part is not being bitten of course but is rather the way he slowly constricts and SLOWLY starts sallowing my thumb tip as if I am a pinky who will not even resist. My fear is just that his great feeding response may be a 24/7 thing which is bad cuz I am coming from hots to Kings and actually want handle-abilty for once !

last final update : hmm actually what was I talking about
this guy is 18 or 19 inches and by the way I just checked him out in his tank. he was out and about and when i git with 4 feet he began TAIL RATTLING and cage striking I kid you not ! Cool !!
-----
Euprepiophis mandarina
Elaphe guttata
Lampropeltis getulus nigritis