Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey folks.

Does anyone know how to make a snake release its grip quickly???

My friend came over today and saw I had a snake... he begged me to let him have a hold. I told him I wear gloves because of its recent aggressive behaviour but he insisted he was confident enough to handle it without.

Sure enough, he handled it ok, but as I was about to take her back and put her back in the viv, he struck at his finger and would NOT let go. My friend was good though, calm and eventually (45 minutes later) it let go. Is there a way to make it let go quick?

Also, should I continue to wear gloves when handling him myself?
How ca I wean him off the gloves to my bare hand?
I did the whole smelly T-shirt in the viv thing, and since then, its NEVER struck at me, but I still dont have that amount of confidence to not wear gloves, and I know I have to be confident when reaching for him so as not to startle it.

Any and all assistance is VERY much appreciated. I love the little thing and I just want him to be able to be taken out and chill out with me, without me always watching his body language for signs of a strike.

Love ya'll

Duane

Its a California King btw!

Also... when it bit my friend, I was a bit worried about it trying to constrict my friend and hurt him and the snake.

Even though his teeth broke skin, my friend said he didnt feel any real pain. But I held the snakes body to stop the constriction.

Would a cali king snake roughly 2 to 2.5' long do much damage if it bit me and I was unable to stop it constricting me?

Generally, if you run water from a faucet onto the snake, they'll let go. Don't drown him, of course. I think even if you just run the water on part of his body or tail, he'll let go.
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Holly

0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Lizzie Borden) (missing )
1.0 Florida Kingsnake (Eddie Gein)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Black Cat (Shadowfax)
1.0 Egyptian Arabian (Bagan) (Deceased )
1.0 Tennessee Walking Horse (Durango)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)

I agree with the cool tapwater; it works wonders on most snakes. A couple years ago I was getting ready to feed my MBK, and somehow he mistook my hand for a rat and latched onto my thumb and started contricting (he had just recently come out of brumation, so I guess he was a bit more desperate than normal). I just took him into the bathroom and turned on the faucet, then put his head under the (small) stream of water and he immediately let go. That was the only time I've had to do it myself, but I've witnessed it being used on a wide variety of snakes with success.

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- Natalie
(San Francisco Bay Area)

1.0 Banded California King
1.0 Mexican Black King
1.0 Goini Kingsnake
1.0 Bay of LA Rosy Boa
0.1 San Ignacio Rosy Boa
0.1 Ortiz Rosy Boa
2.3 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1 Saharan Sand Boa
1.2 Rubber Boas
0.1 Pickering's Gartersnake

When the tapwater doesn't work - a dab of scope does.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

cause the water thing hasnt worked for me yet!!!

I had a Cal king latch on really good and when I stuck his head under the running water he seems to bite and constrict even harder. Wound up just prying him off with a chopstick.

byron.d

And if the Scope doesn't work in releasing it's bite for whatever reason, my snake's breath is still left fresh & minty clean!..LOL!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

Once in a great while, the inevitable happens to me too!

~Doug

after first latching on....

after several minutes at the VERY split-second of release....

end result of above mistake....

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

I had a Cali king bite my thumb recently; she continued trying to swallow it while her head was under running water. I ended up having to just tease her jaws away, which was very difficult; she kept trying to latch back on. I finally got her off of my thumb, at which point she promptly bit my index finger. After MORE finagling (and a lot of cursing) I finally got her free of my fingers and back in her cage.

It wasn't even feeding time, and I hadn't been handling rodents; I was taking her out so I could change her substrate. She just decided my fingers looked like a mouse that day.

Apparently it WAS feeding time!,....or at least so the SNAKE thought!..LOL!...funny!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

..as soon as i open the cage

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ÌÏËÙÍ ËÁÂE!

Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?
Why do they call them apartments when they are together?
Why do people park in a driveway but drive on a parkway?
Why do they put Braille on drive up ATMs?
If you're "legally drunk", then what's the problem?
Microsoft works

wow it looks like they got your elbow pretty good there.

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i'm not over weight i'm under tall

Didn't you know their called "Blood" Pythons for a very good reason!..hahahaha!

I know ya felt THAT one!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

I felt a little something. Wasn't quite as exciting as the cavity search at the airport!! LOL
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i'm not over weight i'm under tall

Hopefully the airport search was a lot less bloody too!(yuk-yuk!)

~Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

This guy was caught recently posing as an airport security worker, was this the dude that told you it was a simple routine check?

your buddy, Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

Thats him!! But as I remember him he had much bigger fingers....wait a second both hands were on my shoulders WTF !! LOL
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i'm not over weight i'm under tall

n/p
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

nuff said
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" a.k.a. farfrumugen "
hybrid breeders association
1.1 puebladurans
1.1 sinacorns
1.1 hypo corns
1.1 kenyan sand boas
1.1 mbk
1.1 yellow ratsnakes
1.1 albino corns
1.2 childrens python
1.2 ghost corns
1.1 butter(female motley)
1.2 pyroxgreerixruthvenixalternaxcampbellixholbrooki
0.1 hypo pyroxgreerixruthvenixalternaxcampbellixholbrooki
1.0 snow corns
1.0 jurassic milk
1.0 house snake
0.2 albino pueblacorns
0.1 striped ghosts
0.1 anery pueblacorn
0.1 bloodred
0.1 striped albino corn
0.1 albino nelsons
0.1 anery motley
0.1 normal corn het hypo,anery
0.1 hypo tang hondo

LOL!,...probably one definite draw-back to keeping floridana housed in racks at face level!,,LOL!....their like friggin' King Cobras!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

First their feeding bites do not hurt. If you consider their bites as hurting, then do/get something else.

In this case, that snake is not biting you because its mean, its biting you because its hungry, maybe starving.

Also, you say what day is feeding time, the snake should have a say and who says theres only one a week.

That snake told you something very simple, ITS HUNGRY, it should be feeding day. Consider, a snakes goes to feed, WHEN ITS HUNGRY, in nature. In captivity, it cannot go feed because you HOLD BACK THE FOOD. Funny but you deserve to be bitten. hahahahahahahaha are you getting this, the snake is talking.

And please do not get all serious, we are only talking about a little tiny harmless snake. Cheers

>> are you getting this, the snake is talking.

Last time a snake talked we listened, we got kicked out of the garden.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

Yea, you have to watch out for that, but dang, I have been kicked out of the garden for much less. much much less.

This is why I dont mind being bitten by Kings

Chris Flowers

Does anyone know how to make a snake release its grip quickly???

Yes...keep some rubbing alcohol handy and if one of your snakes latches on just put a dab of it on the top of your snake's nose and the fumes will make them release instantly. Works every time! It worked for me when I was cleaning and feeding 150-200 florida kings and cal kings cages years ago. Kevin

I have heard this also and keep a little capped jar near the cages you don't want to get any on them but apparently the fumes make them release. Haven't had to try it yet (knock wood)

Last summer my 4' Brooks King bit me in the hand when I went to get him from behind my back (I think I accidentally knocked him in the head enough to spook him). He would not let go, but just held on for a while. I ended up just dunking him and my hand into a bucket of cool water and within a few seconds he let go. It's best not to try to pull them off, but let them release their grip instead.

I would suggest you continue to handle him gently without gloves. Eventually he should get used to you and realize you are not going to hurt him. Even so, kingsnakes can be notorious for gliding their mouth along your arm and occassionally open their mouths to nibble . My cat does the same thing, so maybe it's a form of playfullness. Just be sure when you hold him to monitor his actions and make sure that if he is beginning to get too stressed to put him back in his cage. These stress free periods should lengthen as he acclimates.

Good luck!
-Chris

OH yeah, and also make sure you wash your hands and arms if you've held any other snakes before you handle your kingsnake. The smell of prey on you is a sure way to get a nip from even a gently kingsnake. I got bit by my eastern milksnake after having handled my corn snake. They don't miss a trick.... But that's why we love them.

That snake is HUNGRY!
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Todd Hughes

OR Thirsty,A Whiskey miniature is good to have in a snake room for a bite release
p.s. nothing worse than a drunk snake,so i recommend putting him back in his/her enclosure and let them sleep it off

i had a snake that would bite everytime i reached in to grab it. it was not hungary it just was never held by its previous owner.
i TRAINED him by getting a small shot glass of rubbing alcohol(scope,whiskey what ever has alcohol) and placing some q-tips in it and then go get the snake and LET HIM BITE YOU AS he is biting you latched on place the qtip in his mouth he will release and usually lash around a bit trying to get the taste out of his mouth and then they usually latch on again. i had to do this as he bit me 6 times in a row and since then he has never bit me again or even attempted it.
this plays on a simple theory of wild snake behavior . if a prey item leaves a nasty taste in the predators mouth he is not going try eating that prey again. make your self taste nasty to the snake
adam
-----
" a.k.a. farfrumugen "
hybrid breeders association
1.1 puebladurans
1.1 sinacorns
1.1 hypo corns
1.1 kenyan sand boas
1.1 mbk
1.1 yellow ratsnakes
1.1 albino corns
1.2 childrens python
1.2 ghost corns
1.1 butter(female motley)
1.2 pyroxgreerixruthvenixalternaxcampbellixholbrooki
0.1 hypo pyroxgreerixruthvenixalternaxcampbellixholbrooki
1.0 snow corns
1.0 jurassic milk
1.0 house snake
0.2 albino pueblacorns
0.1 striped ghosts
0.1 anery pueblacorn
0.1 bloodred
0.1 striped albino corn
0.1 albino nelsons
0.1 anery motley
0.1 normal corn het hypo,anery
0.1 hypo tang hondo

Very true Adam, but that would become VERY painful and bloody with my seven foot Boa Constrictor!..LOL!......YEOOOOOWCH!

DO-TA-DOO!!!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

yeah i wouldnt want to train your boa either only small colubrids with small teeth
lol
adam
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" a.k.a. farfrumugen "
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.

The water trick works well on lizards... I could only assume it o work well on snakes also.

I had a 3 foot sav. that latched on to my careless hand on feeding day.

After 15 minutes of trying to get him to stop walking backwards I gave him a swirely in the sink. Instant release... followed by the purchase of tongs.