Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Stupid beginner question.Is a bite from a large carpet [7' ] dangerous or just alot of bleeding? And are they apt to bite out of nowhere or just when getting them out of their cage? Thanks, I'm just curious cause I haven't had the pleasure of a bite yet.

An adult carpet can deliver a substantial bite, as they do have sizable teeth. However, their bite is obviously not life-threatening, but can cause some pain, swelling and minor bleeding. The severity is all contingent upon where you get bit, whether or not you pulled away when you are bitten, and how large the snake was that delivered the bite. I normally wash bites thoroughly with warm soap & water, followed by some peroxide and apply some antiseptic, such as neosporin. Basically treat it like any other abrasion (like as scaping your knee on the cement).

Carpets, like most snakes, are most likely to strike while you are taking them out of their enclosures (the snake may be startled by your presence, or it may simply think you are going to feed it). While the snake is out and being handled you should always be attentive and cautious. Just take it slow and pay attention to your snakes mannerisms. Getting to know their individual personalities and body language is one of the best ways to avoid accidents.
-----
Will Leary
Reptilicus Reptiles
_____

i have a 6 foot JCP. the only time he tried to bite me was when he was like 3-4 foot and i was feeding him in another enclosure then reached in to move him back to his normal enclosure and he went for me. my reaction was to pull away. he only got me a little bit.
other then that my JCP is very good. he will let me reach in and pick him up just about any time i want or need to. however, i am cautious with him even though he is so docile.

I have an 8 footer and she is extremely docile. There were only a couple of occassions that she tried to bite, one during feeding, which was my fault, got too close and she struck. The other was in the middle of the night. I had just moved and she got out of her enclosure, again my fault, but became extremely aggressive. She almost bit me in the face from the ground. She is my most "tame" snake though, and never hisses or strikes other than that. They are wild animals and deserve respect. Common sense is the greatest tool to avoid a painful encounter with any reptile in my opinion. Good luck.

I've been bitten a few times. As most of us who keep snakes have. When you keep snakes you will get bitten at some point, crapped on, or both!
I blame myself for all the bites.
I feel most were due to moving 2 fast and startling the snake. As far as being dangerous it all depends on where you get tagged.
Funny story: Last week a friend of mine had to get rid of his 5 foot Diamond/Jungle cross because his wife hated it. It was a little jumpy but usually became docile when picked up. I took it from him and put in the top tub in one of my racks. I had it for a few days and went to check in on it. As I pulled the tub open it struck out at me. First of all I was dumb enough to peek in so it went right for my face. I attempted to dodge out of the way but it still bit my lip. It only got a couple of fangs in but it hit me hard enough my lip swelled up like somebody smacked the @$%# outta me. When I got to work my co-workers wondered if my wife smacked me around for getting another python....

It turns out the snake was opaque, my fault for not moving slower, but also a dumb mistake 2 peek in face first!! Thats what I get for not having a cup of coffee before checking my snake room at 5:30 in the morning. At least it wasnt one of my Boigas!

Thanks alot guys. I know I'll probably get tagged sometime but am not very worried about it now. Out of the few encounters I've had with ferrets, I've been bit twice. And numerous times by horses, so I guess snakes are pretty docile comparitively. I'm starting to get used to the way they act.Thanks again, Bill

Buy a baby. Get over your fear of being bitten by an adult, it doesn't matter if you get bitten by a carpet or a ball or most snakes with Burms, Rocks, Retics, and Venemous and venemoids as exceptions. As long as your doing everything right, I doubt there would be a reason for a carpet to bite you they are fairly calm especailly as adults but as babies well make sure you can take the bites.
-----
Pat
1.1 (100% het albino) Retics
1.1 Coastal Carpet Pythons