'Learning how to get bit', ie: I'm a freaking pansy =(

[rosequoll]

Okay, I guess maybe this is a silly thing to ask for help with. I LOVE snakes, always have, but my experiences in the past have always been with very tame laid back snakes, never a strike or an opened mouth, barely a hiss. The last snake I owned (before now) was a ball python in the US when I was about 11 years old.

Anyways, I purchased a Darwin about 4 months ago, who I absolutely adore. She's a beautiful snake, amazing personality. When I got her she hadn't been handled pretty much at all, just taken out for cleaning her tub, then popped back in. The first day I got her is the ONLY time I've been bit, and she bit me a couple times (which felt like a mosquito sting the one time she actually got me in between the fingers).

Even though it didn't hurt, it scares the CRAP out of me, and this was a teeny 8 week old Darwin. She's 6 months old now and hasn't even opened her mouth at me since then, though she is a bit fussy and cranky when handled at times. I'm not worried about it hurting, I don't even CARE if it hurts, I just get a mad adrenaline rush and start shaking and I feel like an idiot if she moves her head towards me too quick, or flinches when I pick her up.

The problem is, I'm still scared of getting bit, to the point of being a bit panicky when asked to grab her head to restrain her when I got her sexed, or when she gets a bit pissy and starts flailing a bit when she doesn't want to be held.

Short of just letting myself get bit, how can I deal with my panic in regards to being bit? I'm getting another Darwin (male) this weekend hopefully, and I know that Darwin's are notoriously snappy (man, I've been lucky with my girl) and I'm getting to the point where I'm embarrassed to hold her around friends because I still jump if she moves quickly towards me.

Someone help me! It really sucks being laughed at because I'm too scared to just grab my own snake out of her bag.

 

[hallie]

Suck it up and hold them and hope for the best or get a hook and dont hold them???

 

[dpeica]

Sell it and buy a guinea pig.

 

[bitey]

Get someone with a sure biter to let you get bit over and over untill it no longer scares you lol

 

[Noongato]

Im kinda the same, but sometimes i get a little more confidence, or well reckless and i dont care. Plus i let him cruize around on the lounge.

 

[spilota_variegata]

I'd rather be bitten by a snake than a guinea pig

I've been bitten a few times and I must admit I can never get over the shock factor No matter how small the snake is, I always jump a little - mostly towards the camera to try to get a pic.

If I have a snake that tends to bite, I just try to stay away from the pointy end

 

[melgalea]

a good bite always gets rid of the nerves. i was exactly the same until my water python bit me and left teeth in my arm. lol. my arm stang for 2 weeks. it was always irritated. now i am not bothered if i get bit, but i still do flinch a litttle . i think its only natural.

 

[rosequoll]

Sell it and buy a guinea pig.

Very helpful...thanks?

I can't stand guinea pigs.

 

[FNQ_Snake]

Accept that you will get bitten from time to time and it will not come as such a shock when it actually happens.

 

[butters]

Sorry I didn't mean to laugh.

I don't think you can ever get too over being bitten. I would hate to think how many times I have been bitten and it really doesn't stress me too much anymore (except for big scrubbies) .Even though I am resigned to the fact that if I free handle any snake I will get bitten sooner or later I still jump if I am not expecting it.

My own snakes are fine if I have them out but they nail me regularly in their enclosures.

You never really get used to it IMO but you do become resigned to the fact that it is going to happen and just deal with it.

Cheers Andrew

 

[ClareB]

Hi rosequoll,

I am exactly the same. We have had snakes before, a childrens python and a 5ft diamond python and I was never nervy about them biting because they were placid as but we have just purchased a diamond hatchling and the same thing happens to me. I pump myself up to get him out and then he 'looks' at me funny and I wimp out. My hubby goes on and on to get over it but that doesn't really help.
The best thing I have found is to use a small hook to get him out of the enclosure with and put him onto my hand and still kind of use the hook abit to help move him around if I start to get a bit nervy. Each time I get him out I get more and more confident and use the hook less and less. Don't know if that helps at all, but good luck and your not the only one.

 

[Hydra]

I was like that at the start but it doesnt hurt so after the first few times thats it.
Shes all good now never bites. Be confident.

 

[rosequoll]

It's okay Andrew, I wasn't upset; just really embarassed. =/ I try to brush it off cause I know you guys don't mean badly, but *I* hate being afraid of getting bit, so I'm more upset at myself than anything else.

I guess it's not so much that I jump if I don't expect it. It's the fact that I *over* expect it, and get myself all worked up and anxious and twitchy, and I hate to think how my heart rate going up might affect the snake sitting in my hand. =P

I hook Beagle out everytime, I don't know if I'll ever be 100% comfortable just reaching in and grabbing her. Maybe when she's older and I know her better and have more experience with her moods and attitude.

Hopefully the new Darwin will be an 'easy' Darwin like Beagle. If not then, well, I guess I'll get over my bite fear!

Sorry I didn't mean to laugh.

I don't think you can ever get too over being bitten. I would hate to think how many times I have been bitten and it really doesn't stress me too much anymore (except for big scrubbies) .Even though I am resigned to the fact that if I free handle any snake I will get bitten sooner or later I still jump if I am not expecting it.

My own snakes are fine if I have them out but they nail me regularly in their enclosures.

You never really get used to it IMO but you do become resigned to the fact that it is going to happen and just deal with it.

Cheers Andrew

 

[Didgeman]

I had a similar experience with a bitchy female (no... not my wife) and had to gain my confidence back with her, and she was a big girl so i wasn't particularly keen on getting bitten again. Most replies were people simply saying a bite is gonna happen and just get used to it... well thats pretty true but that doesnt help you build any confidence up. Here a little trick I've used and it might help you.
Take the snake outside, I'm assuming you keep it in an indoor enclosure. The easiest way to do this is use a tub with a removeable lid as a hid and lift it out when the snake is inside.
Take it out to a nice warm sunny spot in the yard and take your hook. i always remove a snake with a hook first and then onto your hands for two reasons:. firstly a hook doesnt have any heat signature so thats one less feeding stimuli going on, and secondly they will associate the initial disturbance with the hook and not your hands.
Ok you've got your tub with the snake outside so take the lid off and sit and watch. Most snakes will be very cautious and spend a lot of time carefully sniffing around this strange new place. lift it out with the hook and place it on the grass (away from any dog poo etc). While it is concentrating so much on the environment aroun it, you shouldnt have any trouble lifting some of its tail end up and holding it. you will usually find them so interested in the grass and smell etc that they hardly realise you are there.
just spend a minute or two and then put him back. If you do this a few times a week and make it a longer period of time each time you should start to build your confidence handling it, the you can try it indoors in more familiar surroundings.
this has worked for me quite often. just be warned, there is the occassional snake that may want to make a beeline for freedom so be ready haha. I have only had one snake do that though.

Give that a go and let me know how you go, This should focus on building your confidence rather than just get used to a bite. haha Snakes bite very quickly and most of us still jump when a strike happens even though people might not want to admit it. Its just reflex action.

Good luck.

 

[swaddo]

Sell it and buy a guinea pig.

LOL, but them guinea pigs bite damn hard!

edit: mind you I've spent quite a while recently digging jungle teeth out of the soft tissue in my hand :evil:. at least guinea pigs don't leave their teeth behind!

 

[Wench]

i bought a spotted last week and hes quiet fiesty. hes the first snake ive ever held less then a year old and snaps at me no matter what i do. he knows when im scared to get him out tho coz he gets snappy instantly, but if i just scoop him up hes fine, unless i make any sudden movements then he cracks it again.
im hoping with age (hes 7 months atm) and more handling he'll stop snapping but no matter how much i hold him/get bitten i still jump everytime he lunges.
maybe wear gloves?? im not sure if thats a good or bad idea haha i did it when i handled my first snake and also the first time i picked up jasta.. cant bite ya through them hehe

 

[Fester]

Bottle of scotch! You will handle anything.

 

[Jewly]

Hey don't feel bad about being scared of a snake....I used to be scared of crickets and I still jump if a big one lands on me. It's pretty normal to be scared of something biting you, especially when they move so fast. Over time your confidence will grow the more you get to know your snake. I'm lucky though, my little one has never tried to bite me but I'm assuming she will one day.

 

[djfreshy]

Down a couple of vodkas first. Works for me!

 

[dragon lady]

i know how you feel.......other than my lil accie,never been bit(but she bites everything)
i would of had to come close to having altogether near 1000 animals in my life
never bitten!

i have high anxiety...when Imalizard came over to watch the snake feeding.........
the first rat was fine...the second i jumped....
i feel i have to be bit..not that i think this snake would ...but to overcome it..
may have to ask the blokes...(R.C)to let one of theirs bit me:shock:...lmao