What happens if a python bites you

There are nearly double the amount of teeth on the top row vs. Ball Pythons have 4 rows of teeth on the roof of their mouth, and 2 rows on the bottom part of their jaw. All those little jagged teeth could do some serious damage if you try to force remove a latched on Ball Python. Well first, snakes are not poisonous. In any case, Ball Pythons are not poisonous or venomous , nor are any other species of snake that fall under the Pythonidae family.

First things first, Ball Python bites from captive snakes rarely ever occur. Now, there are some times when you should be more wary of disturbing Ball Pythons, as these are the most common times bites occur.

Consequently, snakes and Ball Pythons are typically vulnerable and defensive right after feeding, too. Ball Pythons, and many other snakes for that matter, tend to strike during these times. You should wait until the snake has had a bowel movement or the lump from feeding is no longer visible before handling again. This will reduce the chances of the snake being defensive and hence biting and latching onto a human.

Snakes also become defensive around the times they are shedding. There are a few key giveaways that you will notice that indicate your Ball Python is ready to shed. First, if they are hanging out in their water bowl more than normal, they are preparing to shed. Second, if you see their eyes are turning blue, this is a dead giveaway that the are about to shed. Ball Pythons will be come defensive during these times, too.

Sometimes, fresh snake skin can be sensitive, and they do not wish to be handled during this time. Often times, they will strike when being picked up from their terrarium. All reptiles have emotions , and there are some clear warning signs you can pick up on. One of the most noteworthy emotions a Ball Python can have is the strike position.

More often than not, they will only make this pose when getting ready to eat. If you see your Ball Python coiled up like this, avoid handling and try again later. Overall, you should be fine if you are bitten by your Ball Python. Ofcourse, we hope it never happens, but it is unfortunately part of the joys of snake ownership. Gently remove your python, wash the bitten area with soap and water, and most importantly, make sure your Ball Python is OK! Glad you found my blog post helpful, and happy to hear your sister is a proud new Ball Python owner!

Just be confident, and you and your sister will get used to handling her in no time! I pretty much read this article while my ball python was latched to my arm! Being calm is key. It might be more traumatic to others, though. I also 2nd that being calm is key during a bite of any kind.

I just bought a banana ball python for my daughter 13th birthday and just wanted to say thank you for the. Fantastic choice! I wish your daughter many happy years of ownership! I just bought a banana ball python for my daughter 13th birthday and just wanted to say thank you for the info.

This was really helpful because am in high school think about becoming a reptile keeper and handling all types of snake and other reptiles. I have had my Firebee for almost a year, had her since she was a hatchling. She latched on for a good amount of time but staying calm she eventually finally let go. Sometimes Ball Pythons get a little stressed — he was probably just spooked. Just picked up 2 ball pythons and the one bite me as soon as I picked it up.

These are babies too. I have a 3. Typically, they will grow more fond of you over time and become more comfortable being handled. I have a banana python hatchling he never comes from his hide and is always in the striking position how do I get him use to human contact if he never comes out of his hide and to stop striking.

Sorry to hear that. Ball Pythons are timid by nature, and often times they like to stay hidden. Just go right in and pick him up. If you hesitate or are jumpy, they can sense that. In my experience, the more frequently you handle them, the more familiar they become with you. Im glad the author replied.

I would just like to add, personally, with hatchlings, I like to allow them time to adjust before picking them up. Normally for about 2ish weeks depends on where I bought it, I judge the time based on how ell the sore is maintined as far as cleanlyness and animal care- poor thing could have had a rough life until getting to you After said time- before taking it out, I like to give it a few days with me just touching it, and allowing my hand in its home.

After that though I go in and handle it as any other of my adults. Dont worry it sounds way worse than it is. Just stay calm, be confidant. Couple points from a medical perspective: With any skin break, cleaning with lots of clean water is probably most important. With a snake bite, it should be soap and water. You have a couple days to get that, so no need to rush to the emergency room for that.

Should I be worried about my snake? I dropped the mouse during feeding and reached in to get it, the snake struck me instead. He latched onto my knuckle and then let go about 10 seconds later. Could he have gotten hurt? Was he maybe just not into the mouse? Not to worry! This is normal. Your ball python likely got confused, bit your hand, and was stressed after that happened. Such basic mistakes are always made by the owner and are thus, avoidable.

While a defensive bite is quick and virtually painless, a hungry bite from a ball python can be painful. Moreover, if your snake mistakes your hand for its meal, it will drive its teeth deeper, wrap around your arm, and constrict. Just remember not to pull away. Ball pythons are constrictor snakes with instincts designed to keep them safe from predation using their sharp teeth and claws.

If the prey moves around too much, it will dig its teeth deeper and constrict tighter to immobilize its prey more effectively. If the prey stops moving, the snake will loosen its grip and let go. Be patient and try to keep your arm still. The snake will soon realize its error and loosen its grip. Just pull its teeth away carefully.

To avoid painful feeding bites from ball pythons, you should always:. Ball pythons have different personalities and temperaments. Some are more irritable and prone to biting. Stress biting can also be caused by an underlying illness. If you suspect your ball python is unwell, take it to a herp vet for a diagnosis. Ball pythons are considered to be the calmest and friendliest pet snakes for novice owners. Your email address will not be published. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment.

Even though they sound scary, venomous snake bites rarely end up being fatal. Only about six people every year die from complications resulting from a venomous snake bite. That being said, venomous snake bites hurt a lot more. A lot. Victims experience debilitating pain, which only worsens as the venom travel through their blood. Fangs are hollow or grooved, allowing the venom to travel down them and into the prey.

Poisonous snakes have a venom sack that holds all the venom and then releases it when a snake bites down. The venom starts acting immediately and can lead to swelling, pain, respiratory difficulty, nausea, vision loss, sweat and salivating, or numbness. In a tiny mouse body, death is pretty quick, but in a big human body, the effects develop slower, and, as mentioned before, are usually non-fatal you should still definitely go to the hospital as soon as possible.

This is done by holding a snake right behind their jaw, squeezing to force their jaw open, and applying pressure on the venom sack to make the venom stream into a prepared container. This venom is used to make antivenom to treat bites from that snake. Unlike bees and their stingers, snakes do not lose their fangs after biting something. Fangs can fall out or break, and if that happens, snakes just grown another one. If you are bitten by a venomous snake, you will know, trust me. So just stay calm, stay still, and call Okay, on with the list.

If you are a healthy, normal person, your outlook is really good! As I said before, snake bites are rarely life-threatening although they have been known to severely damage the odd bank account. They are all non-venomous and docile. Can you defang a snake? You can defang a snake and you can remove the venom sack. If you do defang a snake, you render it unable to eat, and it will die in a month or two, so please never do that. If you just remove the venom sack, it just renders the snake nonvenomous, and anytime they bite, no venom will transfer to the wound.

Can you keep poisonous snakes as pets? You have to have a permit to keep a poisonous snake as a pet. They can be dangerous, and can rarely be fatal if they bite you. There are plenty of non-venomous snakes you can keep as pets without a permit. Complete Medical Guide… …kind of. Lather, Rinse, Repeat You want to wash for a while.

Did I Mention Rinsing? Bandage It Johnson and Johnson have suddenly become your best friends. Evasive Maneuvers: How to Avoid Being Bitten The easiest thing to do to ensure that you never get bitten it to just never annoy your snake. Easy Does It Always approach your snake slowly.

Is it common? Venomous Snake Bites Even though they sound scary, venomous snake bites rarely end up being fatal. Remove any constricting clothing around the area of the bite because the area is going to swell, and you want to let it swell.

Note the time of the bite. This will give the doctors a better idea of how to treat you and gives them something to gauge how bad the bite has gotten. If you can do so safely and without moving too much, try and figure out what kind of snake bit you. Take a picture, or mentally jot down some characteristics.