how do you stop a pet snake from biting?

Answer 1

Wow, I'm disappointed in Snake_Girl85's response. She usually has great advice, but not this time.

It's an old husbandry myth that snakes need to be fed in a separate container or else they will associate your hand with food. Most of the time when snakes bite a handler it is not due to a feeding response but rather out of fear or aggression to a perceived threat (the owner). That's not to say that a snake can't be conditioned to expect food when you enter a cage, but only if the owner enters the cage ONLY when feeding. People will typically go into a snake cage more often to clean, change water, handle the snake, etc.

FWIW, I feed all of my snakes in their cages and have only been bitten by a feeding response once, and that was shortly after I received an underfed snake.

To answer your question, Snake_Girl and another person have already given you the best advice: keep handling your snake. You can also place a worn t-shirt in the cage for a few days so the snake can get used to your scent and won't automatically assume you're a threat.

Good luck!

Answer 2

The best way to avoid getting bitten is if your scared is to wear gloves, and as a previous commenter has remake yes they smell fear. Having had a corn snake for nigh on 15 years I can assure you that there is usually a reason for them to bite or strike. This is most often because you have scared them somehow. I can recommend reading books and research on the reptiles in question. Somethings are just common sense - for example corn snakes are primarily ground dwelling reptiles so they will feel safer being held against your body, this sort of thing will help reduce their fear and make them less likely to strike. Regular handling also can reduce the likelihood of them biting. One thing that does occur to me is why exactly are you scared of being bitten by a kingsnake? they will not be able to kill you. I can suggest letting yourself get bitten by your kingsnake once its happened you will see that it is not a dangerous reptile.

Answer 3

Basically keep handling it, eventually it will learn that you are not a threat, and that biting won't make you go away. As stated above, if you feed him in the tank, or only handle him when he's being fed, that needs to change. Most pet snakes bite out of a food response. If they are used to seeing prey "fall from the sky" and/or their tank smells like food, they will logically assume that your hand is food. Feed in a seperate tank so they don't associate you with food.

Answer 4

How old is this snake? What kind is it? How large is it? Has it been socialized at all. Please offer additional details so the snake lovers have a better chance at offering good advice.

Answer 5

Do you feed your snake in the same tank you keep it in? If so that is the first mistake. It i associates your hand as food therefore it wants to bite you because it is food. You need to get two tanks. One tank to feed him in and the other to house him in. He should stop biting you.

Answer 6

It's a SNAKE afterall. You cannot TAME A SNAKE.

A SNAKE is not a PET. A DOG OR CAT are pets NOT SNAKES!

What were you thinking?

Everyone knows you stop a snake from biting by killing it!

Answer 7

Chop right below the head. Snakes bite, they don't punch, kick or scream, (some varieties do), but mostly, a snakes defense mechanism tells him to bite and that's what they do.

Answer 8

You don't. They aren't the type of pet that ever leave their instincts behind because they are so comfortable with their owners.

Answer 9

cup his head in your two hands and slowly blow on his face.
also, throw a used sock in its tank so that it can get used to your smell and know who you are.

Answer 10

handle it alot to get it used to it.