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Ahh, a moment to remember

Craig W Jul 14, 2003 05:38 PM

I just got bit by my baby boa. Yup, my own damn fault too. I picked up her favourite hide spot to try and get her out of it. It's a tight hide spot that she is usually in, but also usually craps in. I like to check it every few days so that she's not cuddling up to her poo. Anyways, she hissed. First time she hissed too. So stubborn me, I try and get her out. The hide spot is a skull I got at a pet store, so she can either go out from the eye sockets or the back. Eventually, I got her out of the back, after I thought she was calm. She wasn't. One bite just below my elbow. Fortunately, she's still a baby. Not even 2 years. Didn't hurt, tickled a little. But damn, it's bleeding and it's wide. I'm surprised how wide the bite is. About two inches for a snake that's about 3 feet long, if that. Well, that's my interesting story of the day. Truth be told, I'm glad it happened. Now I know what too expect next time, and to respect her warnings. But at least all was not for nothing. Their was some crap in her skull. Now her skull is gone. She really is too big for it.

Replies (2)

woodchip Jul 14, 2003 06:37 PM

This may be applicable though I can only speak based on my Dumeril.
When I take my boa out, I remove the manzanita root and the sheet moss so she is totally exposed. Then I pick her up. Once fully exposed she seems to be more quiescent and tractable and I have yet to have any aggressive behavior (well there was one time she had only her head exposed from under a fold on my blanket and "Bumped" me when I went to scratch her chin)

eurban2 Jul 15, 2003 06:54 AM

Get used to it. I get bit at least once every two weeks. Its not that my boas are aggressive or onery, but sometimes they just don't want to be fooled with. Unfortuantely, if they are sitting in poo - we still have to clean thier cages anyway. I figure it like this - other animals have body laguage that can tell someone how they are feeling, but all snakes have is: hiss, flatten out, strike, and bite. Now, most of mine will not hang on once they have expressed thier feelings for the moment. But, if they do and they are over, say, 2 feet long - they can do a little damage. But I wouldn't worry too much about it until they get to be about 6 or 7 feet long, then you might need a very large band-aid (or several band-aids).

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