Missed Strike

[Yellowtail]

Just been feeding a few of my snakes and this girl was hiding under the newspaper (recently shed), but had stuck her head up after smelling the rats so I decided to offer her one, I held the rat around where her head was last sighted and no reaction so I persisted dragging the rat along the newspaper edge, nothing?
Then in a blur she struck across from the far side of the 1.2m enclosure, missed the rat with her mouth (and my hand) but wrapped a coil around the rat and grabbed the thermostat probe (no where near the rat) in her mouth. This was funny until she refused to let go the probe and proceeded to swallow it, I had to force open her mouth and free the probe, dropped her and whipped my hand out while she grabbed the rat before she dropped to the enclosure floor. This is her 3rd large rat since laying eggs on 1/10 so she is not exactly starving. I've had this sort of thing happen before with cage furniture, when they are in a feeding frenzy they will swallow anything, I don't have anything in my cages now that can be accidentally grabbed but you don't expect them to grab a probe stuck to the cage wall 2 feet from where you presented the rat. I have to add this is a very calm girl that is good to handle.
Anyone else had interesting experiences with mis-strikes.

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

lol. Love it YT. BHP's are masters at grabbing anything that might remotely be considered as food but never had one try to eat a thermostat probe before

 

[SpottedPythons]

I had a spotted that saw the reflection of the rat in the tank and struck at it, bounced off, struck again, bounced off, and somehow latched on to the actual rat in the process. All in the space of 3 seconds.

 

[pinefamily]

We've had missed strikes into thin air, where we started to think there might be something wrong with the python. Nothing to that degree.
On a similar note, when the EWD is hungry, I have to be quick not have my fingers bitten. Ignores the cricket tub, and goes straight for my fingers.

 

[Tarron]

My girl when she is hungry she strikes at anything that moves. Striking the screen top, the hook, feed box, me, her self, she is a very aggressive eater.

 

[Yellowtail]

I remember now a very aggressive jungle that grabbed herself and would not let go, ended up having to use the vodka to get her to release.
This should be a lesson to those who think it is ok to feed 2 snakes in the one enclosure.

 

[Tarron]

I remember now a very aggressive jungle that grabbed herself and would not let go, ended up having to use the vodka to get her to release.

She doesn’t hold on to herself just bites her self, if she did that I don’t know what I would do jeez

 

[Scutellatus]

What is the silver looking ball above the snake and probe Yellowtail?

 

[Yellowtail]

She doesn’t hold on to herself just bites her self, if she did that I don’t know what I would do jeez

Alcohol is the best to get them to release they don't like the smell, I keep a bottle of vodka handy mainly in case I get grabbed.

 

[Tarron]

Alcohol is the best to get them to release they don't like the smell, I keep a bottle of vodka handy mainly in case I get grabbed.

You could use just cold water out of the tap?

 

[SpottedPythons]

From what I've heard, never use cold water, since the temperature shock could kill them. When a snake grabs me and doesn't let go, I use diluted metho or put the snake's head under lukewarm water.

 

[pinefamily]

Alcohol is the best to get them to release they don't like the smell, I keep a bottle of vodka handy mainly in case I get grabbed.

Also handy if you get the food response bite.

 

[Yellowtail]

What is the silver looking ball above the snake and probe Yellowtail?

Thats aluminium tape that was covering the probe cable where it came thru the enclosure wall, it pulled loose when she grabbed the tip of the probe. Normally that stuff is almost impossible to remove.
Thankfully the Habistat pulse thermo is still working or it would have been an expensive bite.

 

[Yellowtail]

Also handy if you get the food response bite.

Many years ago I had a bad experience with a big jungle that just would not let go, tried to swallow my hand, have kept an old bottle of vodka in my snake room alongside the fire extinguisher ever since.

 

[pythoninfinite]

Alcohol is the best to get them to release they don't like the smell, I keep a bottle of vodka handy mainly in case I get grabbed.

I guess it helps with the pain...

Jamie

 

[Wokka]

Alcohol is the best to get them to release they don't like the smell, I keep a bottle of vodka handy mainly in case I get grabbed.

Wouldn't you have to drink a lot of alcohol for the snake to taste it and let go? i guess if nothing else it will dull your pain!

 

[Yellowtail]

Wouldn't you have to drink a lot of alcohol for the snake to taste it and let go? i guess if nothing else it will dull your pain!

No Wokka, you just take a mouthful and breath on the snake and it has to be Russian, snakes are fussy.

 

[Tarron]

A snake catcher told me if a snake grabs on just put it under water out of the tap

 

[Bl69aze]

A snake catcher told me if a snake grabs on just put it under water out of the tap

This may work sometimes but it’s also known to make the snake bite down more.

OT: I’ve had my coastal completely miss his rat and went straight for my knuckle and wrapped my hand up, LOTS of blood from my hand waiting for him to let go. Finger went like a balloon and hurt for month or 2

 

[Tarron]

This may work sometimes but it’s also known to make the snake bite down more.

OT: I’ve had my coastal completely miss his rat and went straight for my knuckle and wrapped my hand up, LOTS of blood from my hand waiting for him to let go. Finger went like a balloon and hurt for month or 2

Jeez, you could either wait for them to let go, or search up on yt how to get a snake of ya finger