Corn snake questions... and don't laugh!

[Wade]

There's so many variables, I couldn't answer other than to say I agree with Lelle that it's best to not get bitten!

The KIND of bite is almost as important as the kind of snake. Generally, a feeding response (where they hold on) is worse than a defensive response (where they bite and release imediately). Some big pythons, however (retics in particular), are known for "slashing" defensive bites where they seem to be trying to deliberately inflict as much damage as they can. These can be very bad and can result in deep gashes and uncontrolled bleeding.

How you react to a feeding bite can also effect the severity of the wound. When a snake latches onto your hand, your first instict is to try to wrench free whatever it takes, but this can actually make matters worse. Snakes teeth are like needles, often bites from even big snakes end up being little more than a series of punture wounds, but if a snake is latched on and you jerk away, those teeth can cut trough tissue and and you can do some serious damage. When I was bit, my biggest problem was getting to the alcohol gel without pulling hard on my hand. I used my free hand to grip the snake at a lower point so I wasn't putting pressure there. Afterwards, I had two U-shapped red dot formations accross the palm of my hand and a simmilar one on the back of my hand. These healed up nicely and now I can only see the faintest outline where the teeth went in. If I had wrenched free, however, I could have lost the use of the hand for it could have torn muscles and ligaments.

Venom is wierd, different people react to different ways, so in some ways I lean towards the non-venomous bites as being prefrable, simple because venom, even mild venom, is such an unknown quantity once it's in your system.

Wade

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Ok. Thanks Wade and all you others for your responses. I'm always interested in "new" info and its background!

:worship:

I for one am happy with my corn snakes and I doubt I will get other snakes at some point. It's not that I need relatively cuddly snakes. Seen from a beauty standpoint only size would make me say no to some. But I just wanna be able to feel comfortable arround them whether things are going good or bad. As this thread proves - It's hard for me to even do that with my corns right now.

But I don't wanna sound as if I don't really enjoy them, because I do and admire them deeply for what they are! I wouldn't wanna be without them now! ...and all that... bet you know what I feel

 

[galeogirl]

I've been bitten by a medium-sized retic and a large burmese, got off fairly lightly both times. The only reason the bite from the big girl didn't go deeply into my calf was that I was wearing heavy workpants with leggings under them. I think the heavy canvas helped deflect some of the teeth. Got a baseball-sized bruise and several shallow slashes, but none that required stitching. Needed stitches in the retic bite to my upper arm.

If I had to choose between another large constrictor bite and medium hot (hopefully rear-fanged), I'd probably choose the constrictor bite since I have some experience dealing with them.

 

[pitbulllady]

I hope you experts don't mind me asking - this question might look a bit odd, but what would you rather be tagged by, a "medium" hot snake or a tree boa or other snake with some really nasty teeth?

From what some have said the bites from such (the later) often turn out to be extremely nasty - wouldn't it then be better to get tagged by a poisonous one? This comparative question only holds if you presume that you get to hospital and that the venom and bite can be treated without any big delay.

I've been bitten by a Southern Copperhead, which most people would consider a "medium" in terms of venom potency, "hotter", than say, a Mangrove Snake, but much less in terms of potential for damage that, say, a Canebrake rattler or a Puff Adder. While not the worst experience I've been through, medically speaking, it is NOT something I'd wish to repeat! I'd still take the bite from the big Emerald over that, since even though the Emmy bite hurt like hell and bled freely, I was pretty much over the effects in a few days. I knew to keep my cool, and not snatch my hand away, which would no doubt have resulting in a worse injury. With the Copperhead bite, though, I was sick as a dog for a couple of weeks, and the pain lasted throughout that time, like someone had injected my hand with the strongest Habenero hot sauce they could find! It wasn't life-threatening, but it was pretty rough.

pitbulllady

 

[ingas866]

I use to breed corns. They well bit if you do not hold them alot. If they do bite and stay DO NOT PUT ALCIHOL IN THE MOUTH!!!!!!!!!!! put it under water they will let go. I have been biten so many times i lost count and i never had i problem from it.

 

[reptillian]

snakes usually bite if you have a smell of an item it calls prey. So probably it smelt a prey item on your hands. when you said your fingers were seperated it shouldnt of made any difference. my corn has tried to bite me once that was when i first bought it. it is about one year old now. but when it tried to bite me i think it was because it was very hungry.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

My female is a bit egdy now - she told me that. Sunday evening I fed the two. I put her into her feeding box and she wanted out and see the world. I gently but firmly pushed her upper body back over the container using the styrofoam lid. That's when she struck the lid with a surprisingly fast defensive bite.

I wonder what's going on. I mean, I can't believe it's me... I've done the same thing to her loads of times, obviously every time she wants out of the box. Another thing that preceeds it is also that she freaked me out a bit when I tried to pick her up so I could put her in the box. The evening before I had handled her and done nothing special and everything was fine, when feeding time approached the day after (and I hadn't even taken out the mice yet) she got quite nervous, but not in a feeding mode kinda way. As I said she freaked me out - every time I wanted to pick her up she rushed back towards my hands in a striking pose to check out what the heck was going on. She didn't seem to like the "picking up" idea at all. I've never seen her like that before.

I've decided she's to stay in the tank from now on and I pick up the male and put him in the box instead. He is the calm one. Even when he is eating it seems as if he has all the time in the world. The female is the opposite one, she'll sniff out the mouse, hover above it from a hands length away and then strike suddenly. He on the other hand always presses his snout onto the mouse and slowly and very deliberatly opens his mouth to grip the mouse. No way I'd be feeding-mode-bitten by him. I'd see such a bite comming from lightyears away.

I wonder if the female was a bit more nervous because he couldn't hold on to himself and tried to court her a few times the last week. But then I wonder why would she let me pick her up like that the day before feeding?

*I don't understand you girl*

 

[roach dude]

Hi...


Why the "don't laugh" comment? Well, these questions, seen in relation to issues about copperhead snakes, spitting cobras or boas can seem pretty comical. But the question has arisen and I have no way to make it go away by ignoring it so I have to jump in the fire now and ask 'em:

First tho I wanna say where the q's have their origin. I am a rather new corn owner, got 2 adults a few months ago and am very happy about them. They are both in the same tank, about 6-7 years old and have lived that way all along (so I think there is no risk of "accidental" cannibalism, especially as they always get enough food on a regular basis.)

Now to the story: Some weeks ago I took one of them out, it was hungry (we were about 3 days away from feeding) and it tried to eat one of my fingers. Before that I've not handled them with any worry about being bit. The previous owner was only bit once in 4 years, by the same individual. Same problem there, it was hungry and did mistake him for a starter or something.
Now when I pick them up (one at a time) I always worry. Ok, it didn't hurt much and bled only very little and all that and I could have been more hurt hitting my toes against a table - but I think it is unnessessary since it stresses me out a bit and makes me a bit unsure of the procedures, if you know what I mean. I wanna feel as safe as possible when handling them so that I can think of the snakes well being instead of mine!

So here we go with question nr one: Are there any typical things you shouldn't do when handling a snake, even if it is only a corn? When it bit my finger I had my fingers separated. That obviously made them look like a little family of mice or something. But would I always be in danger of being bit if holding my fingers separated infront of the snakes head??

I always wash my hands before handling them (and the one time I didn't do it was when I got bit) and I havn't seen them showing any kind of interest in my fingers besides that one time, presumably because of the soapy smell. I try not to handle them when they have just eaten or when they are only a few days from feeding (unless I separate them prior to feeding ofcourse).

What is the best way to get the snakes jaws off your fingers? At the time of the bite I had no hands free, both were occupied by the snake (one hand with one end of the snake, the other with the other end, the feeding end). So I had to pull the finger right out of it's mouth to get away. Is there a chance the snake would eventually have understood it can't possibly swollow me or would it have tried to turn towards the stump end and swollow it? Would it have let go eventually if I hadn't done anything?

Do corns get very stressed if you gently but firmly hold them by the neck to secure them? I have never tried it, but I've seen enough nature programs to understand that that could be done to hold a snake safely. But if it stresses my corns out too much I don't wanna do it.

Whatever I have asked and whatever the answers may be I will certainly need some time to trust them again. But that doesn't stop me from handling them. Tho now it is only if nessessary, not anymore to experience the feeling of them climbing up and down my arms. Eventually I will trust again tho and this was just another experience I can learn from - and I have.

Snakes are wonderful elegant creatures...
The end.

never put a snake ur to ur eye coz it will strike you eyes!!! and omg would that hurt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(yo joel!)