Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just curious. What king of bite can a full grown Dum give you? I've had three (currently 1) and they were the calmest snakes I've ever owned. I never hear about anyone being bitten by one, but there has to be a few stories. From watching them strike at food my guess would be that they would do more damage from impact than from the their teeth.

thanks
jeff

I can see why you're concerned. My Dumerils is very docile, but
the one time he did try and bite me he wasn't bluffing.

I named him Mauler after seeing him demolish a rat pup one time.

One time I tried getting him out of his cage just a day or two
after feeding him, I forgot he'd been fed so soon. Well I
grabbed him right at the bulge in my ignorance and he tried to
kill me. He struck very fast & hard. I was lucky he missed.

His body is like solid steel, & he doesn't eat all that
frequently. All that muscle and tension is very impressive.

It will be like getting hit with dozens of very sharp needles!! Wont be pretty!!! Lots of blood!! Just be careful and learn the snakes moods and all can be avoided!
-----
Chris
Contact
Captive Bred Herps

0.0.2 Gila Monsters
1.2 KSB "Normal"
1.2 KSB "Albino Het/snow"
1.1 KSB "Anery"
2.2 Rubber boas
3.3 Solomon Island G. Boa
1.2 BCC Born 5-30
1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.0 Pacman Frog

I sold my 1.2 Dumerils to a buddy of mine. The male is a yearling and he bit my friend when he was reaching in his cage to take him out.There was some blood but he is only a yearling. So yes Dumerils bite.

I think most on this forum have been bitten by a BCI so it would be easier to understand if compared to a Dum.

I don't know about a Dum but I had an interesting episode with my Colombian (close to 8') a couple months ago...

I was reaching in to get him out and he grabbed me on the inside of my forearm and instantly took a wrap. So here I am standing on a stool with my arms down an 18 inch deep cage with a snake as big around as my upper arm chewing on my forearm, my other hand trying to keep him from taking more wraps.

It took about 2 minutes to get him off but it felt like an hour. Bled for hours and hurt like hell.

Brings up a question I've been trying get answered: will a spirt of whiskey in the mouth really cause a release? I've heard it but haven't tried it and am not certain if it will really work. Anyone tried it or seen it tried?

There was a special on tv about large snakes in captivity and about bites from them. One of the stories involved a large burm biting its owner and the keeper used alcohol. He poured rum into the snakes mouth and it released its bite.

In many years of keeping herps I've been bit several times. All but one were defensive strike and release hits. The one time one of my snakes actually wrapped onto my hand (full grown 6' BRB) She was fully wrapped and I could not unwrap her, when I tried she squeezed harder. I submerged her (still on my hand) in cold water. The cold water felt good to my crushed fingers and she released fairly soon, don't think she liked the cold water.

imo, not a good idea to use alcohol or any other chemical. I would think the animal could have an adverse reaction. Not to mention it might be hard to get it into the AA meetings
-----
Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife
0.2 kids
4.12 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.1 Ball python
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

WOW that is crazy, i have a BRB who is pretty mean and i bet one day he will wrap up on me..water.. thats good to know. But also if u can get hot water.. they hate that too, it makes them very uncomfortable..IME BRB hate hot water more than cold....i bet all snakes do.

That's good info, did not know they don't like warm either. I just figured pulling wasn't working and if I immersed her eventually she'd have to come up for air
-----
Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife
0.2 kids
4.12 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.1 Ball python
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

I've heard alcohol works, but luckily I've not had to try it.
I would use it as a last resort tho. Water should work as well.
Almost all the bites I've taken were strikes, I've only had one strike and wrap, from my 6.5' albino BCi (my mistake, she thought
my hand was a rat lol). Anyways, I just grabbed her with my
free hand right behind the head and she let go after a moment.
I always tell my b/f when I will be messing with the big ones so if something like that happens he can help, and he did! While I held her head with the good hand and held my bad hand over a bucket so I didn't get blood everywhere he helped push her body back in the cage. Dang boa, she's such a brat!

I agree it should be a last resort thing. Had I had it handy when I got that bite I would have used it, I was a hurtin' puppy and wasn't sure I was going to be able to get him off.

Yea, I broke the rule about not handling a big snake alone. It'll be a long time before I break it again......

I've had PLENTY of snakes bite and wrap - none of them boas though! We work with lots of different Colubrids, and King Snakes seem to be notoriously bad about this. They just have such a strong, aggressive feeding response. I've had King Snakes lung out of their cage when I opened it with their mouths wide open!

We use the "water method" like several others mentioned but we use warm water. I find that hot/warm water works extremely well. You don't want the water so hot that it burns the snake but the warm water from your faucet should do the trick. I think the dramatic sudden temperature change surprises the animal and they let go.

A friend of mine was bit by a 8 foot long Burmese Python from a feeding response and we turned on the hot water and less than 5 seconds of the snake being under the water caused him to let go.

Another time, someone else I knew got bit by a juvenile California King Snake. The hot water heater at her place was broke and the cold water wasn't doing the trick. So we had to microwave some water to get it warm. Poor girl had to wait a few minutes with this CalKing trying to eat her finger LOL!

Thanks,
Celia
-----
Celia Chien

www.BoaConstrictorMorphs.com

Celia Chien Photography

www.ExoticsByNature.com
www.BallPythonMorphs.com
www.CornsnakeMorphs.com

Colubrids are bad that way! My son's Mexican black kingsnake nails me on a regular basis. My son, of course, thinks that's hilarious..

I'm sure the water works but it can be a bit of a trick getting enough hot water to dip a big boa into in a "right now" timeframe! Obviously the best answer to to not screw up and end up in his mouth again

We actually don't even bother submerging the entire snake in the water. All you really have to do is put the part of your body with the snake's head attached to it under the stream of running water. That is usually enough to do the trick! They don't like the temperature change on their head.

But what you mentioned is definitely right - it's always best not to put yourself in that situation to begin with!

Thanks,
Celia
-----
Celia Chien

www.BoaConstrictorMorphs.com

Celia Chien Photography

www.ExoticsByNature.com
www.BallPythonMorphs.com
www.CornsnakeMorphs.com

Dumes can give a VERY nasty bite believe me! I had a female that was the snake from hell, and would nail me whenever she could - and I have some nasty scars on my arm to prove it!

did you guys see this video? its been posted in various snake forums. Its a guy getting bit on the arm by a big anaconda. My apologies if its a repost here.

http://unoriginal.co.uk/newvideos/UNORIGINAL.CO.UK - Anaconda .wmv

First thing I would try (works for me) if the snake is attached to you is put it under warm fast running water (tub, I dont think they like the pressure of running water).

Second thing if this does not work! Rubbing alcohal will work! Not good for animal but these snakes can kill you!!! So in an emergancy this is what you may have to do!

Just be careful with your animals. They have moods just like you and I. Learn to see these moods and take extra care. You can never fully trust your animals! They have bad days too.

Happy herping!!
-----
Chris
Contact
Captive Bred Herps

0.0.2 Gila Monsters
1.2 KSB "Normal"
1.2 KSB "Albino Het/snow"
1.1 KSB "Anery"
2.2 Rubber boas
3.3 Solomon Island G. Boa
1.2 BCC Born 5-30
1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.0 Pacman Frog