how to handle this situation if it happens again

[Python-Lover4lyf]

my spotted did that to me to but unfortunately i wasn't wearing gloves. I ran her under water, tickled her tail. ect. ect. but it all just enticed her to keep going. She had swallowed half my finger now and didn't want her to get stuck so i just ever so slowly angled my finger her and there and it just eventually slipped out. lol

 

[Jande]

Stupid idea perhaps, but I don't suppose it's mistaking the glove for the feel of a mouse's skin? If it's still hungry like I suspect then the combination of soft glove + hunger might be enough to trigger a feed response. Just a thought.

 

[Gruni]

I would not put anything as strong as thinners or metho near my snake to inhale as it has the potential to do some real harm. Especially the thinners, apart from having read how lethal metho fumes can be.

 

[mrs_davo]

With regards to dealing with snakes that do a 'feed response' bite (as in the hold on, not just a defensive strike) I have found the best way to remove them is to dip a cotten bud or your finger into metho, acetone or thinners (whatever you may have at home) & place it near the snout of the animal. I've only had to do this twice & both animals recoiled straight away.

I totally agree & it is definately a food bite, up the food .
Metho works very well this way & i have had to use it on a few ocassions & there is no ill effect to the snake.

Cheers
Ian

 

[shaffycat]

I totally agree & it is definately a food bite, up the food .
Metho works very well this way & i have had to use it on a few ocassions & there is no ill effect to the snake.

Cheers
Ian

thanks for all the advise everyone... will keep it in mind if she does it again
will up her feed size as she loves her food and is growning very nicely
such a learning curve but so interesting at the same time

 

[peterjohnson64]

Couple of points shaffycat.

First, snakes don't eat because they are hungry they eat because they can. If their belly has space they will take another meal. So yes, way up the food. They can also go a very long time without eating but they wont feel like you do without food for a day or two.

the fact she eats your finger is only because she is convinced in her little brain that your finger is food. This can be fixed in some snakes but not in others. I have had mad snakes that take me out regardless. You should ensure that your hands are not something they can smell when you feed them. By that I mean use the longest tongs possible to keep your fingers away from the food so they dont get associated. then if you do want to handle them do ti away from food time.

In the end though, some snakes jus tlove to bite you ands thats just it. You will never stop it. thats jsut the risk you take when you buy a baby snake on the advice of some other APS user that says you should get "this species" because I have one and it doesn't bite. Thing is though, it isn't the species, its the individual snake.

Good luck.

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Keep your fingers away from the bitey end is a good start....

Dont use ANY chemicals not reptile friendly on your snake! NO listerine, NO metho, NO THINNERS OR ACITONE!!!! We kill cane toads with a little spray of dettol....... metho fumes can burn the osofogus and lungs of your snake! You dont know what damage you are doing just from fumes of chemicals! Use only reptile friendly chemicals.

Running water helps them to release, so does playing with thier tail (they hate thier tail being played with) If you have another person there, a tooth pick across the inside of thier mouth and gently unhook the teeth from the skin works well too.

DONT RISK YOUR SNAKES LIFE AND WELL BEING BY USING CHEMICALS THAT ARE POISON TO US! How thick are some people? Next you will have a thread "help, my snake is weezing when it breathes????" well, maybe because you cleaned the enclosure glass with 'windex' or something, or used 'spray and wipe' to clean in the enclosure and the fumes have burned thier lungs or maybe it is because you burned his nasal passages when you dabbed some listerine or metho on his nose to get him to let go?

Wake up!

 

[Owzi]

Over reaction much Captain?
Mate, using a tooth pick to remove the animal is just as much chance to RISK YOUR SNAKES LIFE!!!
Mate, I said dip your finger in or use a cotton bud (as in the ones you clean your ears out with). You would probably have 1ml of liquid. Hold it NEAR the animals snout (don't pour it on) & it will recoil.
As I said, I've had to do this twice in (extreme circumstances) in 20 years of owning pythons.
I know several demonstrators around Aus that have a small bottle of metho with them when they do shows, for this very reason.

 

[davies.ads]

DONT RISK YOUR SNAKES LIFE AND WELL BEING BY USING CHEMICALS THAT ARE POISON TO US!

How is listerine poison to us? Please explain..

 

[GeckoJosh]

How is listerine poison to us? Please explain..

Mouth washes can contain alcohol which is a poison

 

[CaptainRatbag]

It says on listerine and other mouthwashes to gargle and spit, dont swallow.

My point is, dont be too quick to use metho.... acetone?? etc only use reptile friendly chemicals or stuff it is common knowledge/proven to not harm your snake.

Like I said earlier, people up here spray dettol on cane toads because reptile skin is so porous and absorbant.... they take about 2 hops in any direction... then die! Next day they have a texture like a surgical glove full of water (what they sound like when you kick them towards the rubbish bin) My advice would be try to mechanically unhitch the bite, if that fails, tickle the tail, blow your breath at its nostrils, head (or tail tip...last few centimeters) under running water, ice block at bite area on skin near its nose, then if you must use a chemical, try something like rept-hand or F10 near its nose.... I know metho is bad for them, I got scolded by a couple of local breeders just because I mentioned it. Even the fumes of metho can burn the snake, inside or out.... dont risk it is my honest advice. You might not mean to put any metho ON the snake, but trying to open a bottle with snake attached to your hand, you might spill some on the snake by accident?

I say again, dont use ANY chemicals to get it to release, unless you are SURE it wont injure/damage your snake. Sorry if you think I am over reacting, I just think it is cruel to torment them with poisons.... like, would you throw a bucket of petrol on two dogs that are fighting? NO, because it is a fumey, dangerous chemical!_

 

[Owzi]

people up here spray dettol on cane toads because reptile skin is so porous and absorbant.... they take about 2 hops in any direction... then die!

would you throw a bucket of petrol on two dogs that are fighting? NO, because it is a fumey, dangerous chemical!_[/QUOTE

Yep, your spot on. Using any chemicals with 'amphibians' is extremely dangerous & I certainly wouldn't recommend it... but I think you'll find everyone else in this thread is talking about 'reptiles'.

Your dog quote in the end there is ridiculous.

Agreed, use common sense. If you read 'shaffycats' first post, they said they blew on the snakes face & sprayed water on it. I see no point in suggesting this to them again. Obviously this incident has just made them think "hmm, I wonder what we would've done if that were a 2m Carpet'??? Thats why I have suggested what I have.

I had to do it with one of my animals when it latched onto a female friend, yes I tried other methods first which were only making it worse. Something else had to be done. Afterwards that animal didn't miss a feed, continued to behave exactly the same & went on to breed for me the following season.