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My first bite

Passport Jun 30, 2003 07:46 PM

This evening as I sat in front of the TV with my 2ft long BP, Lucille, she bit me. Ouch! I wonder what that was all about. She had been moving around in my hand and I would put her in my lap and she would try to crawl away. I was just thinking about how docile she was when I felt this sensation on my arm. Her mouth was wide open and she was trying to close it on my arm. At first I thought, how cute, she is yawning. Then I realized that was no yawn. She drew blood everywhere her teeth touched. She was serious. She didn't strike. Just bit. Anyone want to analyze this?

Replies (9)

Rottenweiler9 Jun 30, 2003 07:55 PM

Well my first guess would be did you handle a mouse before that. My second guess would be would that she got head shy for some reason and bit in defense but it does not sound like she did that. My burm I had out about a month ago and it was my first bite ever it starteld me when I heard the hiss and my hand was bleading. But that was my fault I had her on my arm and I was being an idiot basically and was making fun of brittnay spears and my arm jerked down and I got nailed. So, maybe you just moved to fast or she did not want to be held. Thats why snakes are not to be trusted. They are not domesticated.

Passport Jun 30, 2003 08:20 PM

Nope, hadn't handled a mouse or any prey item. I guess I must have appeared particularly tasty. That's funny. Even though it didn't hurt me much it sure didn't please me. There was no way she would be able to swallow my arm so she must have been telling me to put her back in her enclosure. Actually, I dropped her when she bit me. That's not to cool. I agree that snakes are not domesticated and are quite wild. But I have a bunch of cornsnakes and they have never ever offered to bite and when the really young ones strike and bite they hit and run. Lucille bit without striking which is somewhat bewildering to me.

meretseger Jun 30, 2003 08:10 PM

Sounds like she thought she'd try to eat you for some reason. Were you feeling particularly tasty?
I've been bitten at least once by almost all my snakes, it's just a thing that's going to happen sooner or later.

DeltaWoods Jun 30, 2003 09:21 PM

What would you compare the pain of this bite too? A shot at the doctors maybe? Paper cut?

Passport Jul 01, 2003 06:45 AM

The truth is that I really didn't feel the bite at all. That's because when I looked I thought she was yawning. I must have felt something to make me look at that moment It's amazing that one can be bitten and not feel anything but that's the truth. As far as bloody there were 4 drops of blood when I looked at my arm and this morning there are four little red places where her teeth made contact. I did scrub it with surgical scrub immediately. It was no big deal except for the psychological leftovers. I just don't like the idea of it at all.

zawakees Jun 30, 2003 11:49 PM

did the bite hurt ? if there was blood eveywhere ... then she might like the idea and bite eveytime. does anyone have a different opinion ?

Kikai Jul 01, 2003 09:23 AM

My Ball bit me for the first time, too, a few weeks ago. It was totally my fault, I smelled like a mouse, and he struck and then backed off immediately and curled into a ball, which I've never seen him do before. (For a "ball" python, he rarely balls up.) He was hesitant about feeding right afterwards, I think because he realised that what he bit the first time wasn't food. They DO get to know you if you handle them. Kittens can revert to a feral sate if born in the wild and not handled by humans.
Passport, the way yours bit was really odd, and I have no idea why your Lucille decided to taste you, as it doesn't seem to be a food or fear response. Maybe, like you said, she just wanted to go and chill in her own place for a while? Maybe she didn't like your choice of TV shows??

Rottenweiler9 Jul 01, 2003 12:47 PM

All I can say is when I get bit by my burm I did not feel it at all just saw the dots like you said. As far as her trying to eat me, she has been really good, I was startled to, and still do every once in awhile but I then started taking her out with a glove on and hold her, I did that for a day or so then I went to one glove and then to none. She has been really good since. So I hope not to get nailed again, but I will tell you what a buddy of mine told me and that is Welcome to the Club and it happens to everyone. Just dont be scared of it and let it sit there, continue to work with it and she will be fine.

sparke303 Jul 01, 2003 02:41 PM

It sounds like she was feeling a bit stressed out. If a bp is constantly moving between your hands and trying to get away, you should put them away and let them be, IMO. Perhaps she felt like she might be a prey item and finally began to defend herself.

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