In article .com>,
"-L." > wrote:

> Nancy Young wrote:
> > All these scary snake stories, and out of all of you, looks like I'm
> > the only one ever actually bit by one. Hmmm.
>
> I keep snakes, non venomous - have had 5 over the last 8 years.
> Currently have two. All of them have nailed me once (always my fault)
> - one snake a couple times (he's a really cranky sort). The worst was
> when my old Brazilian Rainbow Boa, Nigel, nailed my right hand and then
> coiled around my entire arm, and began squeezing. I was home alone and
> it took me a few minutes to figure out how to get him to release (waved
> rubbing alcohol in front of his nose.) I eventually traded him because
> he was looking at my cat Mimi with that "look" in his eye on a regular
> basis...
>
> The worst part about non-venemous snake bites is that they leave their
> teeth behind in the wound and it can be painful and it's difficult to
> remove them.

Just remove them in the same direction they went in. ;-)
They are shaped like fishhooks...

It's always been amazing to me how that row of little teensy puncture
wounds can freekin' bleed so badly! But the strike is so hard, the area
is numb for awhile so you can treat it.

Wild ratsnake bites were a pita but never very painful, but even the
largest ones are small compared to boas.

And no, I've never been bitten by a pit viper because I was never stupid
enough to try to catch one by hand! I always used snake hooks for
those... Keeps them at a safe distance.

I used to keep a pair of red tail boas. My female weighed about 30 lbs.
at 8 ft. in length. I got nailed a couple of times feeding her. She hit
my hand instead of the (thawed) fresh frozen rat.

<sigh>

Sprained my thumb both times she hit me so hard.

Then there was the shelter rescued ball python (that I passed on to
snake rehab) that was so hungry, when I opened her cage door she came
literally flying out the door and sank her teeth into my belly! She was
a big girl too. I grabbed her coils as her teeth were stuck in my skin
and I did not want to get ripped.

I hollered for mom to come and give me a hand and she pried the snakes
jaws apart with a hairbrush handle.... I had to pick 3 or 4 teeth out
of the wounds and the upper jaws have a double row of teeth. Leaves an
interesting pattern. <G>

The funniest part about that incident is a few days later, one of the ER
docs that knew I dealt with snakes asked me if I knew what a
non-poisonous snake bite looked like (as a bitten kid had just come in).
I lifted up my shirt and said "yeah, looks just like this". The reaction
of the nurses was more than worth it! <lol> The bite pattern was perfect
across my stomach. The bite measured about 4 inches across...

Well, _I_ thought it was amusing anyway. ;-)

Oh well!

The one thing I've noted is that, unlike other wounds I've gotten,
snakebites have never gotten infected. Granted I cleaned them well but
still... The worst ones came from owl or hawk talons buried in my
forearm. :-( Always had to take antibiotics for those. It only happened
twice before I learned to ALWAYS keep a tight hold on their feet when
examining them for broken bones with a pair of welders gloves.

>
> Have also been stung by jellyfish - which was much worse than any snake
> bite I've had.
>
> -L.

So far I've managed to avoid that "pleasure" <G> I wear lycra diveskins
in the ocean. They are very comfortable and protect you from neck to
wrists to ankles from jellyfish...
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson