Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone!

I am soon to be getting my first ball python!!

I have had many snakes as pets consiting of several garter snakes, king snakes, and corn snakes! I simply love snakes, and for the longest time I've been wanting a ball python and its finally happening.

I'm aquiring this snake form my friend Sierra, the snake i believe is about 2 yrs old, its quite small. One thing I'm a bit concerened aobut is its bite. Its never bitten anyone, and my friend Sierra rarely handles it, when she does she says its calm as can be. SO after abotu 2 weeks of letting it settle when I get it I want to start handling it. Now I've only been bitten by garter snakes, and a kingsnake once, so I'm not experienced with snake bitesm the garter and king bites didnt even draw blood, let alone leave a mark on me. But I'm wondering about a ball pyhton bite. I heard they are rear-fanged, and I havnt been able to clear this myth up yet. Also are their teeth fairly big, enough to draw blood at least, and is it painful? I doubt it will bite me, Balls are supposed to be very docile, but just incase Thanks everyon!

By rear fanged do you mean venomous rear fanged like a mangrove or false water cobra, if you do then no they are not, and as far as I know the dont have fangs, just sharp teeth to grasp live prey for constriction.
Do balls hurt when they bite, it depends on your tolerance to pain, will it draw blood? most likely, especially if it is a feeding response bite, I am always getting bit by my water monitor, he is about three feet long now and he hurts a lot worse, I have been bitten by balls a few times and it has always drawn blood exept when they are young, if your scared to get bit don't get into pythons, especially green trees they hurt like hell
thanks
tony butler

Ball pythons have a bite that can pierce the skin and draw blood. They strike in two different ways.
There is the constricting bite, which is when they do not let go. This is mainly for food items, but I have been bitten like that before and all you need to do to get them off is run them under warm water.
The second bite is the tag. It is a quick bite for whatever reason. If you piss it off, it will bite quickly and release. Both bites feel like needles in your skin, but it is not that damaging, and just stings.
Bottom line is be gentle, considerate and kind, and most likely the snake will not bite you. Good luck with your snake!

Ball pythons can bite you and it might draw a little blood if they do but they dont have fangs, just small teeth used for gripping, like cornsnakes and kingsnakes.

There are two things to consider when it comes to a snake biting:
1) how likely are they to bite, and
2) if they do how much will it hurt

both of these for ball pythons is fairly low. I think i could handle a snake that is more likely to bite, but not one that hurts a whole lot when it happens.

and it's almost entirely a shock effect. I do a lot of herping, so I'm always getting tagged by rat snakes, water snakes, you name it. I've neen bitten by several bp's and I would say the pain level is very low. I've only had 2 bites that I would say were bad. A 14' burm feeding response, man that was scary, she kept twisting here head, and a 2' anaconda lol. That little anaconda chewed and chewed. The only way a ball python bite is really going to hurt is if you pull away and teeth drag through your skin or get broken off in the skin.

Cole Maas

omg a 14'??????

And it chewed and chewed adn chewed...man I dont think I could stand something like that.

Thanks for oyur help abotu the bp I feel alot better now hehe

I don't want to make it sound like a hero story, but it was a rough encounter. I was alone in the house, she took the rabbit, I went to shut the cage, she dropped the rabbit and grabbed my hand. Luckily she got her first coils aroun my arm, not my body. I got into the bathroom and got the tub running, my whole arm had started to turn purple before she finally let go. She bit down 3 or 4 times as she was trying to release my hand. I pulled 4 teeth out of my hand and still have 2 small scars from the ordeal. I thought I would never be comfortable around large snakes again but I quickly forgot about it and her new owner has never had any issues.

Cole Maas

Any animal has the potential to bite, balls are not an exception. Remember to respectfully approach the snake and learn to read it's signals and you should be fine. If the occasion occurs you'll most likely get a warning hiss, lunge or push before it will actually bite.

Do the bites hurt - balls have a quick strike and release so unless you jerk your hand away real quick and drag it's teeth through your skin - you'll end up with a couple of small relatively painless puncture wounds a little blood and a learning experience.

The exception would be if they think you are a food item then they will try to constrict you - run them under some water or pour a little alcohol (drinking or listerine) in their mouth and they release.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

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