Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Not really that bad I guess but I have a question. I have a young western whos name is appropriately Chewie. She eats everything I give her including my fingers, palm, and wrist. I fed her two pinkis her last feeding and 3 days later she still just wants to eat me. Does anyone else have any hogs like this. Do hogs have a bigger appetite than other colubrids. I have recently moved so I have not really handled her a lot. I plan on doing that more and im sure she will stop in time. I was just curious because the other two I had were very sweet, but also would not eat and eventually died. Id rather her eat and bite me and live. Anyway just wondering what you guys had expereinced with these snakes in this regard. Thanks. EP

Mine's never done that, even if he is hungry... Do you have any reaction to the bites? Just curious.

I have been chewed on three times and my girlfriends brother had the pleasure once. Neither one of us had anything happen of great significance, just the standard tiny teeth marks. I think I can feel when a rear fang pokes me though and although it doesnt hurt it is a nice little pinch. I do have a small raised spot on the side of my hand that is red and basically looks like a mosquito bite or something along those lines. The first time it happened I kept looking at my hand to see if it was swelling or anything like that but so far I have't noticed anything.

EP

I wouldn't suggest you continue this practice of letting the snake chew on you. Over time you could get more seriously envenomated by the snake or even worse, you could become hypersensitive to the venom proteins and have a serious reaction.
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Chris Harrison

Oh heck no im not making a practice of it. I would much rather she did not do this. The only reason she gets to chew for a few seconds is because I dont want to just yank her off my hand. As soon as she latches on I immediately begin to gently remove her. Question: If i were to keep some sort of alcohol on my hands while holding her would that possibly deter her after getting a foul taste in her nouth or is this a bad idea? Thanks. EP

The best way is to use running warm water. Start off cool and then gradually increase the heat until they let go.
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*Humans aren't the only species on earth... we just act like it.

".the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without
spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

Mine used to try to bite anything that moved nearly all the time-meaning they seemed to be perpetually hungry-LOL

This includes my easterns and westerns-the movement seemed to set them off.

It's somewhat better since I started to feed them out of their cage and in another container. Just a thought.

L

AWW! Chewie is a really cute name for a hognose and would be appropriate for mine too. Mine also charges at me with it's mouth open and tries to eat me - I wear gloves! He stops chewing after a second and then becomes "tame". I think he's gradually starting to realise that I am not food. I don't think he's vicious, he's just really stupid.