Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, for the first time in almost 5 years of having my ball, I got bitten. It was completely my own fault, and I can't believe I did something so dumb as move my hand near him when the smell of dinner was in the air. Never knew their teeth were that sharp, either!

Moving on, though, is there anything specefic I need to do to treat this? I washed my hand and put on antibiotic ointment last night. I didn't yank my hand away when he struck (he had curled himself completely around my wrist), I just waited for him to relax so I could get him off me. So it's just a bunch of little puncture wounds, no tearing or anything.

TIA for any advice.

You'll be just fine. I've taken some pretty nasty bites. I once was bitten by a large and nasty carpet python and actually had a piece of tooth embedded in my knuckle. Lots of pain and stiffness. It finally went away after about a year. You may have some bruising...the force with which they can bite is amazing. Whenever I'm bitten, a little soap and water takes care of it.

A year lol wow you make it sound so short.. Was the tooth in there that long?

well, the knot was there about that long. It was right on the big knuckle on my index finger. I think my body built a little capsule around the tooth, and slowly absorbed it...It wasn't a major deal...just a little sore when flexed fully or pushed on.

ok I gotta ask, why did you not remove the tooth? LOL

It was embedded in the cartilage of my knuckle...not simply in the skin. It would have taken surgery to get it out and ruined my finger, I'm pretty sure...

ah ok

Yeah, there is a little bruising. It really only hurts at all where he got me on the webbing part. I keep forgetting and stretching out my fingers, which pulls on it.

I didn't figure it was a big deal, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

Thanks!

I'd hate to count up all of the times I've been bitten in my life. I would hazzard to guess its more than a hundred (between all the nippy babies I've started, my cranky carpets, my california kingsnake that latches on any chance he gets, and a couple of "feeding accidents" like yours). I've never once had any even start to get infected or otherwise icky. Don't sweat it...oh, and it usually looks pretty cool. Show your friends how tough you are...

I have a Milk Snake that bites/chews about once a week....He is actualy my roommates. I got him and then gave him to the roommate to make room for the ball python.

It was a gift. We pretty much had to buy it because it latched on to my finger in the store. I literally have to handle it like its a hot. I don't get bitten anymore, but it takes a fair amount of effort and concentration...

It is a pretty neat set of punctures. I've showed a couple people at work today, and their reactions was to ask if I was going to get rid of the snake now. Babies.

both the inner rows, as well as the outer rows of teeth in the top jaw.

The last bite I got the holes had a little blood under the skin and the marks were there for 3 weeks. You could see all the teeth marks. I was in a store talking to someone and the lady says that looks like a funny bite mark. I told her my snake bite me about a week ago, her face was pricless, she walked away like I had a disease. I love people, they are at least good for a laugh.

That's kinda what mine look like...

18 lb Dumeril

I had no idea they had a double set of teeth until this bite. And I've been bitten countless times before.

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2.1 Albino BP
0.4 100% Het Albino
2.1 100% het Caramel Albino BP
1.0 100% Het Clown
1.0 50% het clown
2.12 Normal BP
0.0.2 Western Hognose
alot of cornsnakes
0.1.0 Dumeril Boa
3.6 Bearded Dragons
1.0.2 Sulcatta tortoise
3.3 Russian Tortoise
1.0 Cockatiel
0.1 Rottweiler
0.2 Boston Terriers
0.1 White Boxer
0.1 Paint Mare
bunch of geckos
0.1 Cat
0.1 Teenage daughter
1.0 Husband who puts up with all my critters.

Niiiice!

I didn't know they had a second set of teeth either. That is like a perfect imprint there. Mine is kinda weird because he first grabbed right over the webbing area, then moved a bit to the side so he was holding on to the middle finger.

I'm having a similar problem. My Dumeril came off her winter fast and grabbed my hand. No big deal, they have tiny teeth and she let go almost right away. All is healed except one of my knuckles is still sore.
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2.1 Albino BP
0.4 100% Het Albino
2.1 100% het Caramel Albino BP
1.0 100% Het Clown
1.0 50% het clown
2.12 Normal BP
0.0.2 Western Hognose
alot of cornsnakes
0.1.0 Dumeril Boa
3.6 Bearded Dragons
1.0.2 Sulcatta tortoise
3.3 Russian Tortoise
1.0 Cockatiel
0.1 Rottweiler
0.2 Boston Terriers
0.1 White Boxer
0.1 Paint Mare
bunch of geckos
0.1 Cat
0.1 Teenage daughter
1.0 Husband who puts up with all my critters.

as hatchlings.. is a bp's bite really painfull? my friend has had hers for almost 14 years and has only bit her 2 times. (food related). On a scale of 1-10, 1 being about like a shot in the arm.. what would it rate? Its an experience I hope I never have, but probably will.
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)

Mine is 5 years old, and the bite I got wasn't particularly painful. Like getting a bunch of pinpricks at the same time. Once he was attached and wrapped around my hand, I mostly just felt the pressure from the bite; they have a really good grip.

I can't imagine that a bite from a really young one would be any worse. Their teeth are just as sharp I'm sure, but a little smaller. And they can't grip quite as tightly as adult ones can.

Babies do not hurt but can draw blood, It does not hurt at all. Even the adults do not really hurt but when I got bite (food related) I was more startled than anything.

what do you do when they grab and hold on.... how long do they squeeze for? Do you just wait until the stop squeezing and let go?
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)

Mine bit right between two fingers and immediately wrapped his body all around my hand. I just kind of held my arm still and waited for him to relax his grip on me. He did after about aminute or so, and I was able to twist my hand away from his mouth and push him off.

Here's a good article to read about being bitten:

Depends on the snake and how hungry or nasty it is. My BP's usually let go immediately. The Dumeril held for a second or two, looked up at me and gently let go. I have had a few corns hold on, then I just run their heads under cold water and they let go. I think the key thing to getting them to let go is, don't freak out. I think no movement confuses them and they rethink their dinner plans.

Of course if it's a large snake, you should have a helper with you to help you get the snake off. Personally, I wouldn't handle anything bigger than a friendly female Dumeril by myself. If it's a pissy one, I'd have a helper/spotter.
-----
2.1 Albino BP
0.4 100% Het Albino
2.1 100% het Caramel Albino BP
1.0 100% Het Clown
1.0 50% het clown
2.12 Normal BP
0.0.2 Western Hognose
alot of cornsnakes
0.1.0 Dumeril Boa
3.6 Bearded Dragons
1.0.2 Sulcatta tortoise
3.3 Russian Tortoise
1.0 Cockatiel
0.1 Rottweiler
0.2 Boston Terriers
0.1 White Boxer
0.1 Paint Mare
bunch of geckos
0.1 Cat
0.1 Teenage daughter
1.0 Husband who puts up with all my critters.

I got struck in the leg from a 15 foot young rock python once. Ouch is all I can say. It was my friends snake

I remember being bitten by a burmese and man it hurt the next day pretty badly. That day it didn't feel so great either lol. She was rather large and got my arm, I learned quickly to respect her space and not enter her territory after handling a rabbit.

Hands down though, if I had to choose between being bitten by a snake or an iguana, I'd choose the snake. When the iguana bit me, it hurt so bad and got infected pretty badly. He didn't just bite me though, he bit me, twisted a little bit, ripped and tore the skin away from my hand. I had rescued a mean spirited iguana from a customer who didn't know how to handle them at all and was terrified of this animal he'd had since it was a little bitty lizard. The thing had never been handled even once, he would put a slider in the center of his rather large cage and then clean the clear area, coax the animal back to other side, clean the first side. It was so bad and he didn't tell me the animal hadn't ever been held until he said yeah you can pick him up. When he bit me he told me the whole story. What a mess! That iguana never once warned me, but I'm guessing he was used to humans reaching in and prodding him to the other side of his tank, I hadda scare him half to death when I reached in and grabbed him instead.

I am sure the iguana had razor blades for claws too. I highly doubt he trimmed them. When I was younger I had an iguana that would climb drywall with those claws if they were at teh right length (something my parents hated lol)

his claws surprisingly werent that bad, but his tail hurt like hell!!! It took about two months before he'd stop swinging that tail at the side of his enclosure when we walked by. It hurt pretty bad too, but I believe the reason his claws weren't that bad is because of the amount of wood and stuff the guy had placed in the tank. Might have naturally kept em trimmed down ya know. But still, that bite hurt like hell!