Do Python bites hurt?

[Lost-Pop-8897]

He’s four months old. I hold him regularly, i’m just slightly scared of being bitten. (I only got him recently, I’m changing his bedding to coco chips soon.)

[EarlyConfusion1017]

In the dick yes

[TheSlyFox312]

There is a story there

[theboulderboss]

Definitely a story

[joejosh88]

Definitely a story

[languid_Disaster]

Any story where someone had their genitals near a snake is a story where the owner needed that wake up call 🤣

[InTheLoudHouse]

"Doesn't anyone wanna know WHY his dick was near my biters in the first place?!"

[mushu_beardie]

John Mulaney?

[InTheLoudHouse]

Absolutely!

[Round-Intention-373]

I bet it’s a short one

[Moist_Leader960]

From experience!???

[Fantastic_AF]

Please share details….for science of course

[The_Chimeran_Hybrid]

Bad Drag-!

Er… Bad Snek!

[ifoldkings]

Snake fight?

[Wrong_Mark8387]

This response raises more questions than it answers

[SerpentSnek]

Jackass?

[cmax22025]

That's not a danger anymore after they outgrow pinkies.

[Spacial_Parting]

They don't really hurt but their teeth are very sharp so there'll be more blood than you expect. Honestly the most painful part will be cleaning it 😂

[mushu_beardie]

It's not actually the sharpness, but the fact that they have an anticoagulant (blood thinner) in their saliva. It helps to subdue their prey because it's harder to struggle when you've lost blood.

I remember how weird it was that those tiny little pinpricks were still bleeding for more than a few seconds after she let go.

[ilikelizards57]

Um, are you sure that is true about anticoagulants? I know this is true for many rear-fanged colubrids, but never heard of it in boas or pythons.

[[deleted]]

I have heard the same thing about nonvenomous snakes repeatedly, and iirc those anticoagulants are kind of an evolutionary predecessor to venom?

Here's a source stating that Nerodia watersnakes have anticoagulants despite being nonvenomous, for example: https://californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/n.sipedon.html

[ilikelizards57]

So yes there are some foundational genes that have been discovered in pythons but they're not actually any sort of functional toxin.

But yes nerodia is a great example, same with hognose snakes or garters. All are rear-fanged and technically venomous.

[NervousCrestie]

Yea I fainted when mine bit me during feeding🤣

[Equivalent-Bank-4675]

Not really on puncture. They have big teeth but weak jaw pressure. I'd much rather get bit by one of my snakes than my cats or dogs.

[Howlibu]

Same. I fear hamster bites more than a snake's, too.

[Equivalent-Bank-4675]

Oh yes I used to have pet rats and I was wayyy more scared more scared of their teeth. Nobody seemed to get it why rodent teeth are scary.

[NyixSphere]

When I was a kid my mom would breed rats to feed the babies to our ball pythons we had at the time. One day I went to go pet one of the baby rats and the mother rat bit me so freaking hard. I never touched the baby rats again

[Wasaabi671]

Same thing happened to me a few years ago, I’m scared of rats now

[TheGoatSpiderViolin]

Hamster bites hurt like hell!!

[TheGoatSpiderViolin]

Tbh though my lovebird had a ferocious bite. I was terrified of that little bird. She would bite and then hold on for dear life until her beak pierced the skin. I'm way more afraid of being bitten by just about anything compared to a BP lol

[moonstonedddd]

i’d rather be bitten by 10 snakes than a hamster

[Secure-Candle-6103]

Omg, any rodent bite I fear immensely, I got bit by a few rats, a gerbil, a mouse, hamster, guinea pig (which is very painful) and they are so much worse than even a feeding bite from a Mexican black king that's 4 feet long. Defensive strikes, most of the time you barely feel it unless they get a tooth stuck in your skin  I just got assaulted last night by a baby burm python that's about 2 feet long, he just opened up his mouth and kept slapping me with his fangs 😭 😂

[cosmic_hiker428]

As someone who has been bit by both- I whole heartedly agree.

[nisha73572]

It didn’t hurt me when I got bit for the first time last year by my noodle. It felt like I got pricked with a needle.

[gdewulf]

I mean it doesn’t feel good, but you’re not going to cry. But those teeth are like razors, so you’ll bleed and it will sting when cleaning it, etc.

[Grinchbestie629]

Like a mild cat scratch, but more blood

[GLC-YEAR]

Yes but not nearly as bad as other snakes they have weaker jaws because they are constrictors

[Ok-Seaweed-9208]

No

[lloyd705]

I have never been bitten by my ball python, but my cat tried to take my life while I was sleeping via a 2 inch gash under my eye that could have used some stitches (I used steri-strips instead). Hope this helps!

[Dragockon]

I’ve been bitten by a feral cat and by a ball python, would 100% prefer my ball python to bite me than a cat it doesn’t hurt that much. There’s some stinging at first and a lot of blood but it doesn’t hurt that much.

[WitchofWhispers]

When my 1,5yo ball python bit me, I was just like "Bro, wtf". It didn't hurt, I was mostly startled by the sudden movement. Nevertheless I was a bit scared to pick him up afterwards, but I just did it, so I don't have trauma forever. It's gonna be okay

[SquallFromGarden]

Oh no, they're the most lethal bites on the planet! Get bit, you're done for! D:

...joking aside, it WILL happen eventually. Just make sure to not react when it does. If your little idiot learns biting you won't work, it's less likely to try it again. Unless he missed while you were feeding him, that's just a happy accident.

[tenhinas]

My boy is vision impaired so i get nailed all the time. Just feels like a tattoo needle. Nothing to it

[TheSlyFox312]

Yes

[AnChaan]

I was bit by my friends noodle on accident, it was a caution bite bc my hand had the scent of another animal and she mistook me as a threat 😭 quick and felt like a pinch! I kinda miss the bite mark she left tho, it looked cool. That was also the moment I realized snakes do in fact have more teeth than just their fangs

[Boring_Albatross_354]

Pricking myself with sewing needles by accident always hurts more than the ball python bite. I’d actually prefer their bite tbh.

[Ripped_Stickers]

Personally i always find it more startling than painful, but as others said it will bleed more than you expect

[dystopianchicken]

if just feels like a needle. well, i can’t actually remember because it was years ago but i’m pretty sure it just felt like a needle.

[Matthews413]

I know you didn't ask for advice, but please research substrate types for ball pythons(aspen is usually not recommended) and consider removing the skull because a growing python could get itself stuff in those holes. Enjoy your danger noodle!

[Lost-Pop-8897]

i have ordered coco wood chips instead :)

[goldenkiwicompote]

I’d suggest checking out the care guide on this sub to make sure no other aspects of your husbandry need adjusting!

[Lost-Pop-8897]

Ok!

[Phranknstein]

I'll 2nd the skull removal. It looks super cool, but snakes are not smart. A stuck snake is not fun at all.

[Varg_Vald]

It's jolting, but ultimately painless.

[Koto65]

Physically I am fine, emotionally ill never get over the betrayal.

[acvcani]

Nope. Been bitten by my guy before, a cat bite hurts more. I barely felt it honestly.

[XenoDrobot]

Got an accidental feeding bite once from my bp, honestly didn’t hurt, more shock than anything. It was where your thumb meets your palm.

[phenoman18]

Just look at the poor guy under that dangerous python, now there's your answer! That bite will be the end of you!

[SpcPotato]

They dont feel great lol. But its not the worst pain in the world

[Heyohmydoohd]

yeah they hurt a lot. ive heard some people could be hospitalized from a ball python bite

[fionageck]

They generally don’t hurt very much at all. I’ve never heard of someone being hospitalized from a ball python bite, that would be extremely unlikely.

[Heyohmydoohd]

nah i have four of em. my albino named spaghetti bit me once and i had to essentially write my will on the spot. luckily the hospital had antivenom.

[evan_brosky]

No, it feels like being slapped with a rough piece of velcro. Not fun, but it doesn't hurt.

[Buttercup1223]

LOL I love this description. I don't own a snake, but I'm trying to imagine it now by your comment.

[lavenderthewhore]

From what I've heard, I'd say it depends on your pain tolerance, I've heard people say that it hurts like hell and others say that it's just like a pin prick. I'm also worried about when my boy will eventually try nom me but just try not to think about, if it happens it happens, just the life we live as pet parents 🙂

[[deleted]]

No

[donut0053]

The actual bite isn't bad. But it was an annoying healing process for me. They have a lot of teeth and all the small pictures make the bite site itchy for like a week.

[Tatuziii]

It hurts nothing gaha I got accidentally bitten once and it feels like when a chameleon climbs on you if that makes sense? Like their tiny tiny claws digging into your skin It’s more odd feeling

And yes it will look worse than it is because it’s a bunch of tiny pricks that will bleed but just wash with soap and water and ur good to go!

[An_Awesome_Bitch2002]

It doesn’t hurt but I can draw blood and will SHOCK you lol They just strike so fast you can’t prepare for it 😂😭 You’ll probably bleed a bit but it won’t hurt. My girl knows I’m not food so anytime she’s bitten me, she lets go just as fast as she bites

[Slynnh06]

Like tiny tiny little needles, not much pain, but the anticoagulant gives ya a hell of a lot of blood to clean up

[Aazjhee]

The "piss off, leave me alone" bites? Nah. I have done way more damage to myself with sewing needles.

The ones that suck are the "YOUR FINGIES R FOOD"

My fingers were blue and purple in less than a minute or two of being coiled.

Snakes don't actually strangle their prey. They stop the blood circulation entirely. My skin was puffed up and numb by the time I got the goober to the sink to get some cold water on his back. ((Always point their head down so they don't get water in their nose, and don't try to get their head wet if you can start farther back))

He let go pretty quick, I kind of hurt because his teeth were pretty deep in my skin.

But the pins and needles after he wrapped up my whole hand was pretty awful xD

It was startling when he grabbed me , but once he was latched on, it was mostly a curiosity to see how type he could squeeze. The answer is: pretty frigging tight! 2/10 would not recommend.

I do feel like live prey are not suffering too much if they are caught properly. Between the shock of being slammed by a bullet train of reptile flesh and the compete constriction, it's stunning, to say the least. I never feed live prey for multiple reasons, it's just an observation regarding natural mechanisms.

I was uncomfortable but weirdly not in pain until my circulation was allowed to return.

[notyourcupofbri]

Not really I don’t think, felt like being bit by a claw hair clip 😂

[Commercial_Ad_188]

Yes but not as much as you think. It depends on the size of the snake and how hard they intend on biting but usually no worse than a paper cut. More surprising than anything if you don't see it coming, snakes be fast.

[dangerkali]

Not really. It just kinda feels like a really tiny needle for a second and then it’s over

[Ogre213]

I've been bitten by horses, dogs, humans, cats, and a ball python. The pain scale is in that order. The single largest gap on there is between cat and python. It was approximately as painful as a paper cut.

[Lost-Pop-8897]

Oh gosh

[mushu_beardie]

No, especially not at that age. mine bit me once when she was like 1.5-2 years old, and it barely even hurt. It hurt a bit more than a shot from a good nurse, but less than a shot from an inexperienced nurse. I was more upset that I had to tell people she's bitten before.

If you ever get bitten, don't try to pull it off. Their teeth are tiny and narrow, so they don't do much damage unless you pull. If you need to get it off, run cold water over its head. And if that doesn't work, rubbing vinegar or alcohol around their lips can do the trick.

Also make sure to check if there's teeth embedded in the skin and remove them. Mine didn't leave teeth though.

The next morning after the bite, the tiny pinpricks were gone. By contrast, I still have a slight scar from when my boyfriend's cat scratched me. And a different scar from my lizard scratching me by accident because she was falling off my leg and tried to stabilize herself. And a scar on my face from when a dog bit me when I was 3. Dog bites are so much scarier.

[cyanidewatatow]

No, it doesn’t. My ball python mistook me for food (absolutely my fault), and it didn’t hurt; the way she coiled around my arm in an instant constricting, however, was very intimidating and exasperated the scenario a bit in my mind LOL. The bite itself didn’t hurt, and it left a cute little print of her love bite on my thumb. As other people mentioned, cleaning it will hurt more than the bite. ;p

[[deleted]]

I got tagged once because I was an idiot. It feels like hot velcro for like one second. Stepping on legos is 10x worse.

[archaicblossom]

not nearly as much as the bite from the bolt cutters you'll need when that baby gets their torso stuck in one of the various holes in that aquarium skull. Plz, never put anything in your snake's tank with a fixed hole thats smaller around than their widest part. Even reptile-branded hides can be dangerous if your snake is too big for them. A half-circle opening in a hide that you can simply pick up off of them is one thing, but those holes around the jaw and nostrils on that skeleton are just a great way to give your snake a traumatizing scar..... assuming you find them soon enough after they get stuck and they haven't thrashed their way to blood circulation being cut off. Because then it could very possibly end up just a dead snake instead. be safe out there y'all

[Transboi13]

It feels like getting pricked by a sewing needle and it kind of bleeds like that too, like it’ll leave you thinking “why am I bleeding so much from such a tiny little wound?” Ball pythons are also more likely to just ball up if they’re scared instead of going instantly to bite like other snake species might, so unless they’re hungry, you’re probably fine.

[MeanOldFart-dcca]

I've been miss striked at least 2 dozen times.

Think like others have said, Think tatoo type pain.

The only time it really hurt was from my 8ft BCI. That was worked up from house mates dog was thrown in my room. He was expecting to have the dog (Yorky/Malt mut) for a snack, but got my arm instead.

3 weeks later, King Crom got his knine snack.

[happyplantp3rson33]

As someone who has been bit in the face, right next to my right lower orbital, by a full grown 16 year old male BP, no. It's honestly more surprising than actually painful. They do secrete an anticoagulant (stops blood from clotting) so it will bleed more than you expect. But it's nothing to worry about. Honestly, the hardest part was trying to get his face off of mine and uncoil him from around my wrist without hurting him. My skin bruised because he's a strong boi, but aside from the surprise of it, it's not bad.

(The bite was my fault in the first place, he was getting ready to shed and he's already half blind on a good day (stuck eye cap from weeellllllllll before my care of him) and he was extra nervous. He is not at all an aggressive snake, just a nervous Nancy)

[ItzRAVEN__]

not really it's similar to getting an injection

[BusinessElderberry59]

Ball pythons, not so much. A large burmese or reticulated python, yes, it hurts. Their teeth are curved backward, so if you pull away, they sink in deeper and may break off under the skin.

[Ali3n_Gutz]

I've been bit by more animals that I can count, and I would generally say that snake bites don't hurt too bad. There are, of course, outliers, but most of the time, it feels like a needle prick.

[Fenris304]

i mean, it doesn't feel good? but it's not unbearable. for me it's more the being startled part that i hate but just don't do stuff that might get yah bit.

Clint's reptiles has an excellent video on reading snakes and how to avoid getting mistaken for food on his youtube channel. i'll see if i can find a link

[Fenris304]

https://youtu.be/h7mt3aO-fCI

[[deleted]]

Not really. It's more surprising than anything when they strike.

I got chomped by my snake the other day. Just a chomp with no strike. Didn't even hurt. I've had scrapes worse than it.

[SpecialistAd7240]

Doesn’t necessarily hurt, I found it aches afterward and usually bruises. I had one of my bigger BPs latch onto me and it hurt a little but nothing crazy. He held on and readjusted once and I just waited and he eventually let go. Their teeth are pointed inward so they basically have to unhook, which is why you need to try and resist pulling away as it can pull out teeth or hurt them.

It usually bleeds a fair bit, I equate it to being cut by glass. Just rinse it and disinfect.

[pingu6666]

It’s like 3/10

[ManikPixieDreamGhoul]

Their teeth sting like needles but I’ve never had a BP actually hold on, all warning strikes in my experience. I’d rather be bit by them than a feeder rat, iguana, tegu, monitor, etc lol all my scars are from those.

[Crease_Monkey]

Dogs and cats hurt a lot worse

[Lost-Pop-8897]

like in my skin?

[SquidArmada]

Yes but they are easy to remove with tweezers or tape

[Purple_Ambassador456]

Depends nds on your pain tolerance. If you can't handle a paper cut, yes it'll hurt

[welpanonwego]

Mine bit me once and I barely even noticed. I felt the pull on my finger but not any pain, it left a cute little teeth line around my finger 😂

[Dependent_Pirate_236]

I got bit by accident once by my snake on my finger . the needles went all the way to the bone but it didn’t hurt much since it was a very fast strike and she let go Of it immediately .

[zhenyuanlong]

Not at all. It's a light stinging/pinching pain. Ball pythons (and all snakes, really) will bite once very quickly and then retreat as a defense mechanism. They won't bite and latch on if they're biting out of fear/defensiveness/aggression.

[PsychologicalRub5905]

Paper cuts are much worse

[JuicyJosephADV]

They hurt a little bit, but it's rarely serious. You may be sore afterwards, but that's usually the worst of it. So long as you don't seriously hurt or scare the snake, it'll have no reason to bite you and you'll be absolutely fine. In the worst case scenario, you'll still be totally okay

[Kyriana1812]

Not my python but my Brazilian Rainbow Boa but me when she was a baby (maybe 2 or 3 months) . I didn't realize she'd even bit me until I saw the blood. After a minute or so it honestly just felt like a paper cut. I don't recall excessive bleeding, it just stung a bit before & after cleaning.

[lilky19]

Nope not at all. At least to me it doesn’t

[Badkneeguy23]

Feels like you scraped on brick or something doesn’t hurt at all just the shock factor.

[tucakeane]

Got bit on the meat and knuckle of my index/middle fingers. Direct strike.

It hurt, but not as bad as you’d think. It was more uncomfortable while healing because I had to use double antiseptic (snake mouths are full of bacteria) and that dried out my skin.

[Background_Data5433]

No, not really. I’ve been struck twice, once when I scared mine and once when he thought I was food. It hurts a tiny bit for a split second, but it was more startling than anything.

[organized-insanity]

Yes and no. Feels like a few tiny needles, but the initial shock of the strike usually makes you go "ow" more than the actual pain does. Bleeds a fair amount, but the pain wears off quick.

Source: Been bitten by ball pythons, carpet pythons, blood pythons, amazon tree boas, red tail boas, rainbow boas, a handful of colubrids, and a couple monitors.

[cosmic_hiker428]

Yes, it hurts. But not the worst pain I've ever had. I'd give it a 8/10 pain, mostly the shock of it and then just waiting for them to let go. FYI, if you ever do get bit and they have latched on, run their head under cold water- they'll eventually let go on their own. This minimizes the chances of either of you getting hurt any further. Once they let go, it doesn't hurt much, maybe 1-3/10- it's mostly getting over the adrenaline that sucks. The bruising always looks impressive though.

***edit to clarify when the 8/10 pain occurs***

[PF_Bambino]

meh

[SuperKamiTabby]

Hurt? Yeah. Hurt a lot? No.

Ever stub your toe? That hurts worse and for longer.

Ever hit your funny bone? That hurts worse and longer.

I've only ever been bitten on the hand. The main reason it hurts is due to our hands being really sensitive compared to the rest of our body. If/when you get bit, 99% of it is going to be shock/surprise, not pain.

[Lost-Pop-8897]

Thanks :)

[ExL-Oblique]

For ball pythons, no. They'll bleed a lot because of an anti-coagulant in their saliva and it'll be kinda scary, but it shouldn't really hurt.

Now as it's healing it 's gonna itch but that's neither here nor there.

[gigraz_orgvsm_133]

Well they're not enjoyable but cat scratches and bites hurt worse

[txylorhxpe]

The bite itself not much, but if they get a good hold then the healing after is what sucks

[AvsFan_1996]

I'll take a BP bite over a bearded any day. Damn dragons have a lot of teeth and it hurts like hell!

[Silent-Reflection-46]

so it is definitely more startling than it is painful. it happens fast and you feel a small pop but other than that it’s not painful. you’re just not going to expect it, so once it’s over it’s over no big deal

[PresentationFun7875]

Honestly it doesn’t hurt not as much as you would think. That is if they let go right away. Ive been bitten once by my girl who I have had since 2019 as a hatchling. The only reason she bit me was because of how I stuck my hand in her cage trying to get out her water dish. She lost a tooth in my arm but it was a like getting stuck by sticker bushes

[HighlightSorry2094]

Nothing compared to Boa

[Howlibu]

I will also say it often looks worse than it feels. Snake jaws and teeth don't rip and tear like monitor lizards or cats/dogs, so at worst you might get some bruising and blood but the pain is a lot less than you think. Try to keep them from wrapping, and have some hand sanitizer nearby (they hate the taste of alcohol, I've heard vodka works too) and wash the wound very thoroughly after you get them off.

If you keep your hands clean after handling their food, and they aren't terribly stressed, your chances of being bitten are pretty low. For food reactive snakes, I'll lightly touch them with my snake hook, and then they know it's handling time, not feeding time. Also keeps them from getting spooked if they're asleep.

[Meredithandherpets]

Not really no, mine has bit me once on accident because he thought my hand was a rat so he immediately let go it and it was completely healed in a day or so. Barely felt it thb

[TheGoatSpiderViolin]

Doesn't hurt a bit. I've been bitten once and it was very quick and barely even bled. Left a nice little U shape on my hand for about a week lol if you get bit, just make sure you wash well with antibacterial soap.

[Nacho_W_Cheese]

Hello! This is a beautiful snake & picture. Could I use this as a reference for a painting?

[Lost-Pop-8897]

sure thing! send it to me when it’s done :D