Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

[Zaphod42]

I hardly ever get bitten. Well I get nipped all the time by the babies but once they hit 1 year old I'm super careful...except for last month when I got nailed twice in one week, lol.







And here's the first outdoor pics of the year. Glad summer finally decided to show up in Boston!

Kitana - High Pink Argentine Boa






Finally got around to taking pictures of what remains of my 2015 litter so I can get these guys sold to make room for more litters next year! These ones are my favorites:







I'll hopefully be taking more outdoor pics now that the weather is getting nicer. I got a couple new lenses for my DSLR and I'd really like to get better at taking pictures this summer. Luckily I have plenty of boas and pythons to take pictures of : )

[Noelle7206]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

Wow, those are great! The snakes, I mean, though the bites are nice too, lol...better you than me! Hey, I thought "bad things come in threes"? Time for gloves...

[Jrock23]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

Gotta love those bites LOL

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[zamora]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

Goodness, that is a lot of teeth marks! I know what you mean about selling the last few babies, I really really need to get updated photos and advertise the last few I have as well. Good to 'see' you again too!

[Zaphod42]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

Goodness, that is a lot of teeth marks! I know what you mean about selling the last few babies, I really really need to get updated photos and advertise the last few I have as well. Good to 'see' you again too!

Yep. Both times they were feeding response bites so they latched on. The first picture was from one of my 2014 central american boas so she wasn't too big but adjusted her bite a few times so it got messy. The second/third picture were from my 2012 BCI male who had never even struck at me before. But he decided that day that my hand was more appetizing than the rat on the tongs. I decided that day that I should invest in longer feeding tongs.

It's tough when you only have a few babies left to sell. I only have 9 so it's not really worth me getting a booth at some of the local reptile shows. I'm hoping to have two litters next year so I need a lot space. It'd be nice to have the 2015 batch cleared out by then but in the grand scheme of things housing 9 additional boas isn't that big of a deal. And I'll be hitting the expos more next year assuming both litters are a success. What I really need is to get a bigger place so I have room to expand...

[Zaphod42]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

Hey, I thought "bad things come in threes"? Time for gloves...

I actually gave gloves some serious thought when I was trying to get my blood python used to being handled. But after six months I gave up, lol. So now I'm just uber careful when I spot clean her cage and when I have to take her out to do a through cleaning it's a mix between using a towel, a snake hook, and shoving the demon into a box. I know one of these days she's going to nail me and it's not going to be fun.

[Noelle7206]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

.... I decided that day that I should invest in longer feeding tongs. .....

Ouch, feeding bites! Long feeding tongs are well-worth every penny. And better to wear gloves than to look (& feel) like you were attacked by a swarm of angry quilters.

[acephantom903]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

Did someone say long tongs? http://www.amazon.com/DDP-STRAIGHT-H...24%22+hemostat

[zamora]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

Did someone say long tongs? http://www.amazon.com/DDP-STRAIGHT-H...24"+hemostat

You can laugh if you want to but I have a pair of those very same ones. I use them religiously for feeding the larger boas and my blood python, they all hit like a Mack truck and I have been bitten by two of them (non feeding bites too!) and hope that NEVER happens again. The bruises alone took over a month to heal.

And I'll be hitting the expos more next year assuming both litters are a success. What I really need is to get a bigger place so I have room to expand...

Unfortunately for me, the nearest expos to me are quite a drive and I can't sell boas there anyway (stupid Parish law) so I'm stuck selling via the 'net.

Bigger place? I have a dream............

[acephantom903]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

You can laugh if you want to but I have a pair of those very same ones.

I use 18" hemostats for feeding. It wasn't a joke. The reason I don't have 24" hemostats is because 18" was the biggest I could find at the time. I also come in at an 90 degree angle to avoid taking a hand strike keeping my hand behind glass.

[bcr_229]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

I love my 24" tongs for feeding. I found out that a big female will blow right by the rat if the tongs are too short! And yes food bites aren't fun, that female grabbed my hand, wrapped my arm, let go, and then proceeded to get me again before I could convince her (via a paper towel with white vinegar) to let go AND unwrap.

For the adult retics we use the 36" field tongs and stand back.

[acephantom903]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

For the adult retics we use the 36" field tongs and stand back.

Brave. I would use the 50"+ snake tongs or throw it in. lol

[Zaphod42]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

I really don't know why I never bought longer feeding tongs before. Granted I don't keep any uber large snakes like retics or burmese pythons but getting bit by a large boa definitely isn't fun. I bought these ones on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Big-Apple-Juni...ilpage_o03_s00 and like them so far.

[acephantom903]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

Those work. I would just be worried about sanitizing them. If they are like the ones we have, the plastic at the tips is porous. They are also not very strong if a boa were to hit them. Whatever works for you.

[Noelle7206]

Re: Bitten Not Once But Twice In One Week!

I have 24" non-locking hemostats, but I don't keep massive boids, they were actually for the hotties I used to keep. I like the 18" ones better, just more comfortable...but if you need longer, hey, by all means!
And they ALL come in handy now & then when I drop something into a "black hole" & don't want to move furniture or appliances...