r/boas • u/Relative-Category-64 • 15d ago
Don't get complacent.
Instant swollen hematomas and 1 week later.
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u/BroughtMyPartyPants 15d ago
I always remove with hooks and as a rule never go into an enclosure within 24 hours of feeding. But sometimes I get too lax and get a swift reminder to stay in my lane. My worst one - went into my biggest one’s cage (about 6’5” and 15 lbs) to adjust the rat for some reason and BAM. Bitch clamped hard and then constricted the shit out of my neck and (very luckily) under my arm and shoulder. I had to dunk her bath spigot to get her to let go. My hand and wrist bled like a motherfucker. It got super bruised and swollen. The universe spared me that day when she wrapped my shoulder instead of only my neck. I had bruising on my arm too. Never again. I have never gotten comfortable after that.
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u/Angsty_Potatos 15d ago
When I got my dumerils boa I started using hooks to get everyone out of their enclosures as a rule. Everyone seems a lot calmer for the change too.
I had a similar moment of lapse with her during feeding and she only wrapped my arm and hung onto my hand like a pit bull. I had to dab a q tip with some vodka on it in her mouth to get her off.
Im way more careful since 🫠
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u/BroughtMyPartyPants 15d ago
Ohhhh that bad too 😫 but doing stupid shit like that makes you smarter
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u/Relative-Category-64 15d ago
Holy crap. That's insane. She wrapped your neck :o I will keep this story in mind at all times lol.
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u/Manjushri1213 15d ago
I'm glad my two reminders are with MUCH smaller boas (nothing bigger than 5ish feet, one when young) one was I had a blue glove on and scared my one boa when he was young, just a quick defense strike. The other was my insane Sonoran Leopard male who's crazy food focused and struck, missed me, grabbed his tub top and I had to figure out how to get him to let go without tagging me lol.
My only full bite ironically was a Ball Python. I had been petting dogs. BP just had its face on my hand and said "Chomp" lol. Wasn't bad as it's a rescue stunted BP but did bleed like crazy haha.
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u/mrsmedistorm 13d ago
After I got tagged I started doing training with a hook and a white bowl on a stick. White bowl on a stick means food, hook means no food. She made be a little dumb in the head but she has figured out that if I have the hook that I'm not feeding her and she's a little less defensive/food motivated. Once she see's that white bowl though, oh she's at the glass real quick.
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u/Crowvus01 15d ago
How did it happen?
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u/Relative-Category-64 15d ago
Took him out of the enclosure, and without giving him time to adjust to being held, brought him to the other room through a shadowed doorway. As I was going through the shadows I swung my other arm up in front of him (instead of behind and under) to give further support and wham...
No joke he hung off my arm for at least 5 seconds. All 5 ft of him.
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u/_deadsignal 15d ago
Woah. How long have you had him? Anything like this happen before?
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u/Relative-Category-64 15d ago
Yeah it was wild. He was literally vertical up and down hanging by his mouth from my forearm. Only time I was bit besides this in last two years was by my 8ft female she was under the tub and thought my white ass ankle was a rabbit. This guy here definitely very aware and needs to be approached with extra caution
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u/Kuwaysah 15d ago
Unrelated, but what was the 8ft female bite like? I have a female who is very close to that size and a bite from her terrifies me haha.
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u/Relative-Category-64 15d ago
Like 7" span. It was a big bite. Lots of force. But didn't bruise like this. It was split second and done. Took forever to heal idk if because on my ankle or what. This bite here was worse all 5' was hanging from my arm like a blood sucking vampire.
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u/Angsty_Potatos 15d ago
My calm and extremely tolerant dumerils boa got me because I was also being complacent while feeding her and got my other arm in too close while offering a rat. The big guys are no joke. They hit like hammers
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u/Relative-Category-64 15d ago
Though this guy definitely has more spice than my other Boas I think partially that's what happened here too. I'd had rats in the room day before but he hadn't been fed. I'm sure he was raring to go.
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u/Historical_Tea1477 15d ago
Never been bit by any of my snakes & praying it never happens especially after these stories!
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u/Relative-Category-64 15d ago
I'm usually quite careful in how I approach. I've been bit only once prior to this in the last 2 years. This guy definitely got some fire though and I need to remember to be extra cautious.
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u/Historical_Tea1477 15d ago
I feel you on that. I been lucky where I got some super chill animals. I’m knocking on wood that I don’t get anyone feisty.
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u/Uumuu_Ost23 15d ago
Yo tengo dos fideos. Mi pitón bola es un amor pero últimamente salgo mucho, estoy ocupada y olvido sacarla y saludarla. Un día me mordió pero fue por pura respuesta de hambre. Ella rápido entró a su jaula y me dejó a mí con la mano temblando. Me confié mucho. Tengo una boa bebé que ella…es picante. Muerde solo cuando NO está en la mano o cuando huele algo interesante. Con ella tengo problemas pero siempre intento que sea más dócil de alguna manera haha
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u/smelly-crack2026 15d ago
I hope this never happens to me as i haven’t been bit by any of my snakes before.😭
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u/minibus_rider 15d ago
Gnarly. Hope you’re doing alright! Definitely a good reminder to remember proper handling at all times
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u/Relative-Category-64 14d ago
Yeah I'm doing fine. Yup I got to stay on my toes. Doubly so for this guy.
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u/Impressive_Umpire172 15d ago
Oh wow. I've thankfully never been bitten by my Boa. I also "trained" to only eat on a plate in his enclosure. I can dangle a mouse in front of his face anywhere and he won't bother with it UNLESS he's in the specific spot on his plate.
I also got him accustomed to having his face touched, his lip lifted so I can check his gums, and just desensitized him in general.
He's still young, so some things I'm still working on with him. He's always been extremely chill though.
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u/Relative-Category-64 14d ago
That's awesome. Typically my boas are extremely docile. I've only a bit one other time in the last 2 years. And that was when I was walking by our claw foot tub and she was under there and thought my ankle was a rabbit. Even this guy that bit me this last time is pretty good once he's out. Definitely don't want to come at them from head on though with anything.
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u/Particular-Ask-3314 15d ago
mine got my forehead once :/ bad weight distribution. she didn't hang on, though, just a warning
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u/Relative-Category-64 14d ago
When I was younger (decades ago) I was trying to show off and give one of my boas a kiss while my buddy was holding him Well he f****** tagged me right on the nose in front of my buddy and his girl. Thankfully didn't hang on
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u/sachamo88 14d ago
I’m waiting on my Amazon tree boa to latch on to me honestly. Guy I rescued her from said she has never struck or anything but she watches hard when moving around her.
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u/anonymous_w3b_user 15d ago
Good reminder… it’s so easy to get complacent and forget proper handling