mysnakesau
Almost Legendary
As much as this makes look incompetent with my snakes, an idiot and any other flaming name I probably deserve, I am posting this, hoping to be a thread newbies & youngsters will take notice of. Learn by my mistake rather than finding out for yourself that there is no safe method to hand-feeding snakes, and that removing them from enclosures to feed them, is no safer than leaving them in their enclosure. Abony is usually very placid, but never under-estimate any snake at feed time (except my Opals who doesn't snatch but she is still capable of it).
My beautiful Abony gave me hungry python kisses tonight. Was thawing a rat for him. Went to pull him out of the enclosure to offer him a feed. I did rinse my hands from touching the rat but obviously he smelt food on my hand and hit me with the biggest punch I have experienced. He finally let go of my hand but constricted my wrist before latching on again, on my other arm. I was hand-cuffed and his tail wrapped around the branch in his enclosure so was in a vulnerable position. Yelled to my kids to come and help . One grabbed the camera while the other got a wooden spoon. Poked the handle of the spoon through the gap between my arm and his mouth and held the spoon with no pressure, in the corner of his mouth. Next chew he was forced to let go. After letting go the first time I tried offering the rat to keep his mouth busy but he wasn't interested. But after the wooden spoon trick, another couple minutes he just sat there, still constricting my arm. When I tried to unwrap him his mouth came back so my daughter warmed up the rat under the hot water tap and offered it to him. With his mouth now safely on the rat I was able to unwrap him from my arm. How much blood was there - holy crap :shock: - not a little snake. He is 2.5metres and about 4kg in weight. Now my hand is swollen and both bites came up instantly with bruises.
Yes its my boy with the burnt-like injuries. Was attempting to offer him a feed smaller so it wouldn't stretch him. It was completely my fault this happened. Abony is not a dangerous snake. Never been a biter but I know to watch what I do with him, at feed time. Not washing hands properly so the rat smell was still on my hands, not fully focused on what I was doing - kept my kids entertained for half hour anyway.
Sorry Big Fella I should have been more careful
My beautiful Abony gave me hungry python kisses tonight. Was thawing a rat for him. Went to pull him out of the enclosure to offer him a feed. I did rinse my hands from touching the rat but obviously he smelt food on my hand and hit me with the biggest punch I have experienced. He finally let go of my hand but constricted my wrist before latching on again, on my other arm. I was hand-cuffed and his tail wrapped around the branch in his enclosure so was in a vulnerable position. Yelled to my kids to come and help . One grabbed the camera while the other got a wooden spoon. Poked the handle of the spoon through the gap between my arm and his mouth and held the spoon with no pressure, in the corner of his mouth. Next chew he was forced to let go. After letting go the first time I tried offering the rat to keep his mouth busy but he wasn't interested. But after the wooden spoon trick, another couple minutes he just sat there, still constricting my arm. When I tried to unwrap him his mouth came back so my daughter warmed up the rat under the hot water tap and offered it to him. With his mouth now safely on the rat I was able to unwrap him from my arm. How much blood was there - holy crap :shock: - not a little snake. He is 2.5metres and about 4kg in weight. Now my hand is swollen and both bites came up instantly with bruises.
Yes its my boy with the burnt-like injuries. Was attempting to offer him a feed smaller so it wouldn't stretch him. It was completely my fault this happened. Abony is not a dangerous snake. Never been a biter but I know to watch what I do with him, at feed time. Not washing hands properly so the rat smell was still on my hands, not fully focused on what I was doing - kept my kids entertained for half hour anyway.
Sorry Big Fella I should have been more careful
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