- Joined
- Jun 28, 2003
- Messages
- 386
;P
~~~Psycho~~~
~~~Psycho~~~
Last edited:
The typical don't try this at home type thread
- Thread starter Psycho
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2002
- Messages
- 756
I gotta ask. Maybe I'm dense, but I'm assuming the thing people were a bit worried about was the snake seeing him as a possible food item, correct?
Well, my question is: Would a snake of that size even consider trying to eat something of that size? Seems as though it would be an absolutely huge meal. (I guess I'm saying I think it's a rather far off chance that it would happen, unless the snake was bigger or the boy was smaller..)
Well, my question is: Would a snake of that size even consider trying to eat something of that size? Seems as though it would be an absolutely huge meal. (I guess I'm saying I think it's a rather far off chance that it would happen, unless the snake was bigger or the boy was smaller..)
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2003
- Messages
- 773
Valael, it's not so much the fact that the burm might see the child as a prey item. Although that's not close to impossible, given the appetite of most burms. If the snake ever wrapped around a kid for any reason, there would not be much anyone can do to reverse the situation. Have you ever been squeezed by a snake? I'm not necessarily talking about constriction, but sometimes a snake will hold on tightly to protect itself from falling. Pound for pound, the strength of a 4-5' boid is mind-blowing. Now add a few feet, and a few inches of girth, which means more muscle mass, and think about how much stronger a boid of that size would be.
Bry
Bry
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2002
- Messages
- 788
I agree with Bry here....I'm not in any way opposed to children being taught respect for snakes, but even a captive, trustworthy animal of that size is capable of causing injury to a person. I don't allow children to even touch my 7 foot boa unless I'm holding her securely. She probably wouldn't harm them, but there's always the chance, with her being partially blind and all.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2003
- Messages
- 386
~~~Psycho~~~
Last edited:
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2002
- Messages
- 1,328
As has been covered no harm done.
But yes the concern was that the snake might have viewed the child as food. The problem with burm is that while they are extremely docile snakes they have a voracious feeding response and tend to stay hungry. The are also willing to eat a wide variety of prey so smelling like any of a variety of animals can get you nailed from a feeding response. The majority of burm bites come from someone smelling like rats, chicken, or even the family dog and getting nuked. One that size would be hard to get off by yourself as well.
Phil
But yes the concern was that the snake might have viewed the child as food. The problem with burm is that while they are extremely docile snakes they have a voracious feeding response and tend to stay hungry. The are also willing to eat a wide variety of prey so smelling like any of a variety of animals can get you nailed from a feeding response. The majority of burm bites come from someone smelling like rats, chicken, or even the family dog and getting nuked. One that size would be hard to get off by yourself as well.
Phil
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2003
- Messages
- 773
I can see as plain as day that the snakes are not coiled in any way. I'm all for teaching children respect for snakes and all other living creatures (God knows we need more of those kids). I was just simply stating what could have happened (not WILL happen). Snakes, as you probably know, react instanteously to anything that triggers their instinct. That's all, I wasn't trying to attack anybody.
Bry
P.S. No harm done. ;P
Bry
P.S. No harm done. ;P
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2003
- Messages
- 386
~~~Psycho~~~
Last edited:
Snakes are not toys, or dogs or cats and shouldnt be treated as such. No harm done you say. In a split secont your docile burmese could bite your kids face and the laceration of such a bite is nasty. And that would definitly do harm.
I cannot understand the need to let kids play with reptiles or spiders.
/Lelle
I cannot understand the need to let kids play with reptiles or spiders.
/Lelle
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2002
- Messages
- 756
How is it any different than letting a kid play with a dog or cat?
Dogs can cause just as much damage as the burmese (=death) and the bacteria in the mouth of a cat can cause some major damage, too.
Dogs can cause just as much damage as the burmese (=death) and the bacteria in the mouth of a cat can cause some major damage, too.
I wouldnt let a kid play with a stray dog either. But I guess you talking about pet dogs or cats. They are domesticated and tame, reptiles can never be considered tame or domesticated. They are wild animals, some docile some not. Docile ones can and do bite when triggered and a kid surely doesnt know how and when the snake get triggered, and a parent standing with a camera surely cant react fast enought to avoid a bite if the snake going for the kid.
I have been bitten by cats for 20 years and never had a bacterial infection due to a bite, and most cats (pet cats) dont bite as hard as a burmese.
/Lelle
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2002
- Messages
- 756
I still don't see how it's any different than letting the kid play with a pet or stray dog. Just because it's always been nice in the past doesn't mean it might not decide to take a bite one day.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2003
- Messages
- 386
;P
~~~Psycho~~~
~~~Psycho~~~
Last edited:
I dont see the necessity to put a snake in a kids lap and take pictures of it to make the kid interested in animals. It works fine if the snake is in a cage or out in the wild.
Would you do the same with a retic too? I guess so. Wounds of a large retic bite can be compared with a chainsaw ...
I just dont understand people sometimes.
Well, I dont mind a discussion but you dont seem to like it very much when people dont agree with you.
/Lelle
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2002
- Messages
- 115
I was bit by a 12 foot burmese once and at the exact same moment it bit my hand it was wrapped around my arm. I was just glad it released me almost as soon as it wrapped around me. The reason it bit was due to my bad feeding habits that day, I was home on lunch and fed it a live rat and since I had to leave soon i decided to hold the rat by the tail(which worked well before) but I didn't count on my mom wanting to watch me feed it and at the exact moment it struck at the rat my mom put her hand on my shoulder to see over my shoulder. That caused my arm to go down and the snake got hand. I still feed my ball python that but it is only about 3 feet long.
To get back on subject I don't think I would allow my son to hold even my BP unless I was in firm control of its head.
though I did hold Psychos albino burmese and it is very docile but all it takes is one wrong move by a child that the snake percieves(sp) as threatening and next thing you know you are prying the snake off a child, friend or even yourself.
Wayne
To get back on subject I don't think I would allow my son to hold even my BP unless I was in firm control of its head.
though I did hold Psychos albino burmese and it is very docile but all it takes is one wrong move by a child that the snake percieves(sp) as threatening and next thing you know you are prying the snake off a child, friend or even yourself.
Wayne
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2003
- Messages
- 386
~~~Psycho~~~
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2003
- Messages
- 386
~~~Psycho~~~
Last edited:
I dont know Days of our herps, its not aired here...
I didnt say you had a retic, I just asked if you would do the same with a docile retic? Ok you answered (I guess) that you wouldnt. Why? You do it with the burm.
I got the impression that you had the snake out of its cage so your son could get used to it and more intressted. I might misinterpreted you.
Well, why then if thats not the case? You think the snake likes it? I dont think so. They are not cats who like to be petted.
We just have different opinions what a snake like and dislike. I think they dont like human contact at all, they are most of the time solitary living animals in the wild.
/Lelle
I didnt say you had a retic, I just asked if you would do the same with a docile retic? Ok you answered (I guess) that you wouldnt. Why? You do it with the burm.
I got the impression that you had the snake out of its cage so your son could get used to it and more intressted. I might misinterpreted you.
Well, why then if thats not the case? You think the snake likes it? I dont think so. They are not cats who like to be petted.
We just have different opinions what a snake like and dislike. I think they dont like human contact at all, they are most of the time solitary living animals in the wild.
/Lelle
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2003
- Messages
- 386
~~~Psycho~~~
Last edited:
Life's lessons are sometimes best learned the hard way...
As an experienced python and boa keeper, who adores his pets, i understand one thing about keeping these animals. No matter how docile the snake, being bitten is NOT a matter of IF, but WHEN...
I thought it couldn't happen to me when my 8 foot burmese grabbed my hand...
She was startled by the family dog.
If you think you'll get a burmese python that size off of a small child, you are mistaken. By the time you get the snake off, the child will be dead.
When you do get bitten by your python or boa, try to stay calm and do not fight. Doing so will only intensify the snake's response. They are not dogs, they are not cats... They are one of nature's perfect predators and they tolerate our presence. This does not mean they have any emotional attachment to us. Be sure to keep your pets well fed and remember that you are playing Russian Roulette with your child.
I have handled anacondas, reticulated pythons, burmese pythons, indian pythons, as well as numerous venomous snakes. I love all my reptiles and consider them as much part of the family as a cat or dog, difference being the cat or dog has an emotional attachment, as opposed to my pythons that simply realize I am not a threat and I am not a prey item.
Be careful how you define PET.
As an experienced python and boa keeper, who adores his pets, i understand one thing about keeping these animals. No matter how docile the snake, being bitten is NOT a matter of IF, but WHEN...
I thought it couldn't happen to me when my 8 foot burmese grabbed my hand...
She was startled by the family dog.
If you think you'll get a burmese python that size off of a small child, you are mistaken. By the time you get the snake off, the child will be dead.
When you do get bitten by your python or boa, try to stay calm and do not fight. Doing so will only intensify the snake's response. They are not dogs, they are not cats... They are one of nature's perfect predators and they tolerate our presence. This does not mean they have any emotional attachment to us. Be sure to keep your pets well fed and remember that you are playing Russian Roulette with your child.
I have handled anacondas, reticulated pythons, burmese pythons, indian pythons, as well as numerous venomous snakes. I love all my reptiles and consider them as much part of the family as a cat or dog, difference being the cat or dog has an emotional attachment, as opposed to my pythons that simply realize I am not a threat and I am not a prey item.
Be careful how you define PET.
- Status