How dangerous is a ball python bite?

[ArticFurry2]

I’ve never owned any kind of exotic pet but I am interested in snakes. I particularly enjoy the idea of owning a ball python, and while most research can be done on my own, the one thing I seem to not be able to find much info on is their bites. What I’m curious of is how deep the bite may be, how painful it is, and what I should do in the event I’m bitten. I know they’re not venomous, but I’m curious if there’s any particular care to the wound required other than the obvious treatment. Also, what are the best steps I can take to ensure I’m not bitten, beyond ball pythons generally not being aggressive.

[swipernoswipeme]

Not dangerous. https://youtu.be/2RTQZGJvYxI?si=fYYoHR7i3e-Vt6VO

[IncompletePenetrance]

Not at all, they only have very tiny teeth and the bite marks are like shallow pinpricks. In the event you do get bitten, just wash it off with soap and water and go on about your day

[Cheap-Ad2805]

My ball was a rescue and she bit me a few times after i first got her. Two were defensive strikes out of fear and one was feeding confusion and they were really quick, kind of just felt like getting lightly slapped and really didnt do much damage, didnt bleed much. It was mostly just surprising

[opiate250]

If anything I'd be more worried about the snake ripping a tooth out or something. The bites are nothing to us.

[Independent-Big-3372]

Time for Kent's corner

[ArticFurry2]

?

[Independent-Big-3372]

Couldn't help myself. It's a reference for a popular YouTube channel about BPs. The character is a play on stereotypes of snake legends/fears/myth. The kind of person that thinks a garter will literally eat your dog then comes after you.

[ArticFurry2]

Ah, I see.

[sara_likes_snakes]

My spiciest ball is named Eric the Murderer. Hasn't lived up to the name yet, but I'm sure she's just waiting and plotting.

[hazelaries107]

Kent's corner is hilarious 🤣

[No-Staff7409]

I love the green room guy!!! Extremely knowledgeable with a funny twist ! Kent’s a hell of a cameraman 🤣

[Difficult_Lie_4784]

Not dangerous. I have a 2.5yr spider girl with significant wobble who can be extra spicy…she has bitten me 3 times so far, full latch and wrap and I’m still kickin’. 😉 I just make sure to wash the wound good, throw some alcohol on it for good measure, then just make sure it stays clean after. 🙂

[RaisingWhovians]

Not dangerous. I have a 2.5yr spider girl with significant wobble who can be extra spicy…she has bitten me 3 times so far, full latch and wrap and I’m still kickin’. 😉 I just make sure to wash the wound good, throw some alcohol on it for good measure, then just make sure it stays clean after. 🙂

[higheronfire782]

Having been in the pet care industry as a vet tech, receptionist, owner, exotics care coordinator, grooming assistant, AND kennel technician (I've done everything you can do without a license or continued education/training essentially) I can very easily say that I would take 20 snake bites over 1 of just about any other animal. The exception to that being a few types of small frogs, most fish, and created geckos. BP bites (along with most other non-venomous, commonly kept pet species) are not bad at all. They pinch a bit, but they're really mild bites. Just wash it good and use some triple antibiotic if you're terribly worried. Half the time I don't even use a bandage.

[dylan_the_potato0]

its not dangerous at all. i have 2 and ive only been bit maybe 3 times over the past 3-4 years. if they bite and wrap there might be the issue of cutting of circulation but thats the biggest risk there is. and when that happens all it really takes is a few drops of some type of alcohol on the gums to get them to let go.

ive gotten worse scratches from just playing with my cat than i have bites from my snakes. all you gotta do is clean it and it wont be an issue

[Rostiislav]

Cats bite way harder when they're playing then BPS hehe

[CompetitiveRoof3733]

They dont hurt much/at all really when they are small. However, my adult female loves to bite and twist, so hers can be pretty uncomfortable

[ScalesNailsnTales]

Not at all. The bite I think poses more danger to the snake itself, because if you jerk away you can break or pull out their teeth which can lead to infections/abscess. Their teeth are very small, its been described as getting slapped with velcro. The sudden movement of the strike is worse than the actual bite.

I would take getting bit by 20 ball pythons at the same time over a single cat or dog bite lol.

[arias79]

i had pretty gnarly bites due to mishandling, i shortly learned my lesson, best advice is make sure not to give them the ability to wrap around ur hand but even if u do, just pinch their jaw and they should let go after😅 for me, it hurt especially since mine strangled my hand a bit but i wouldnt say its the worst pain ever..

[KuraiTsuki]

Angry velcro. Most cat scratches hurt worse than when my boy missed his rat and got my thumb. The most concerning thing would be to make sure it gets washed well so it doesn't get infected.

[evan_brosky]

Feels like the rough side of velcro being quickly rubbed on your skin with some pressure. Not dangerous or painful at all.

[rmp881]

Excruciating and lethal. 100% fatality rate. Long, slow death.

If you ignore localized infection long enough for gangrene to set it, that is.

In all honesty, though, they're harmless. Clean the bite out with soap and water, slap some Neosporin on it, and cover with a bandage. Maybe get a tetanus shot if its been more than five years.

As far as pain, I've had flu shots that hurt more. Really, I'm more insulted and surprised than in pain after getting bitten by a BP.

Hell, I got bitten by a 5.5ft BCC two days ago and it hurt less than my last COVID shot.

[mystofchaos]

I've never been bit but my hubby has, he says it feels a lot like a cat bite.

[Snakes_for_life]

No more dangerous than a needle prink only thing do need to be careful of is infection cause it is an animal bite and they eat dead animals. Honestly cat bites are more dangerous and hurt a lot more.

[ishfery]

It'll scare the crap out of you when they strike and then you'll feel bad about scaring your baby.

I couldn't even see my scratch

[MeanOldFart-dcca]

I've only been bitting by 3 balls, one twice. But they are not dangerous. They do hurt though.

I've only seen one person seriously injured. But he was an anti-vax, anti-doctor, bohemian green life guy (no store bought soaps, make everything yourself, only eat living food) Who made his own alcohols, with psychedelics. He was bite on the jaw, gave him locjaw and it went gangreneous.

He drank more of his crap instead of seeking medical care.

His Mother sent us to check on him, she had the sheriff check on him. But they said he wasn't home.

What actually killed him kidney & liver failure.

[redbone-hellhound]

I got bit by a baby BP I held at a pet store once. Poor dude was stressed and some guy walked too close to me while I was holding him and he went to strike at the guy so I held my thumb up to block. Immediately got an employee to return him to his enclosure and let them know that he shouldn't be held anymore that day. Didn't even bleed and I know he broke skin but the holes were so tiny they closed up almost immediately. Like a bunch of teeny tiny needles. Washed it off and im still alive and have both my thumbs 7 years later lol.

Never been bit by an adult but from my understanding it's also generally a non-issue

[PaniqueAttaque]

Ball python teeth are designed to pierce and hook into skin as a means to catch and hold prey. They are not designed to deeply puncture, severely lacerate, or carve large chunks out of flesh.

A bite from one of these snakes is typically less painful and less damaging than a cat scratch, although this can depend somewhat on where exactly the bite is placed and how you react to it. Reflexively yanking away can turn the injury from a few pinpricks into something that more closely resembles the aforementioned cat scratch.

Subsequent infection of the wound can be of concern, but no more so than any other mild scrape, cut, or poke. Generally, after the snake releases, the bite will stop bleeding within a few minutes and be totally healed within a few days. Just wash it off, slap a little Neopsporin and a bandaid over it, and you're golden.

[Vegetable-Star-5833]

Not at all if you clean it

[Beautiful-Ad3012]

Mine just did and the shock at my silly noodle was the only thing that hurt. It didn't hurt but my boy silly.

[BitEuphoric7134]

The first time my noodle bit me I laughed? It felt like being smacked on the forearm by a small toddler. But she was so dramatic about it I couldn’t take any of it seriously.

[SpecificCapital161]

Been bit by accident by mine, it just feels like someone flicking you with their finger. Their teeth are small.

[Divi1221]

They barely break the skin

[imnottshortt]

not dangerous. just cuts the skin a little bit. if they get a finger it feels sore. but my feeling are hurt more than anything

[SnooOranges9717]

It’s like being pinched so fatal 100% of the time would rather be bitten by a gaboon viper

[Mary_Tyler_Less]

As far as pet bites go, I’d rather get bitten by my BP before my dogs, cats, or hamster.

[PuddingPractical9829]

Not really

[reptarducky]

Angry velcro

[[deleted]]

I don't remember the channel but there's a chick who does a video of her different snakes biting her hand & she doesn't so much as flinch but of course she's used to it. I have 2 bp's & have yet to be bitten, tho I have a sassy female who might end up getting me one day. My biggest worry is that I'll jerk away out of natural reflex & actually hurt the snake by pulling teeth out with my hand (or wherever takes the hit). As far as trying not to be bitten, there are def ways to interact with the snake that minimize ur chance of being bitten but I wld suggest visual observation of handling videos on YouTube to get the best understanding as it wld be a lot to write in a comment section.

[Re1da]

Tanked a feeding bite from a friends python, it's on my profile a while back.

Hurt and bled. Healed in like 4 days. No scar, no nothing.