Any pet animal, even the nicest ones, can nip at you if they are startled, sleeping or not feeling well. This goes for reptiles as well as cats and dogs. When a snake bites, they usually do not hold on. A smaller snake may not even break the skin. This article is intended to help you prepare in case you or someone in your home is ever bitten by a pet snake.

If the bite has broken skin, it may bleed heavily due to the numerous small lacerations. Unless you have a large (over 5 feet) snake, the bleeding will quickly stop. Thoroughly wash the wound, and disinfect it with hydrogen peroxide. Swelling generally occurs, but not usually an infection.

If the snake does not release you but choses to hold on, to constrict you - do not panic. If your snake is a large one, you (hopefully) have another person there to help you (see my article Safety With Big Snakes).

Do not hit or otherwise antagonize the snake further because he will only clamp on tighter. If you need to unwind him from the bitten person, start at the tail and work your way up. You can’t unwind a large snake from the head down.

Snakes teeth curve towards the back of their mouth, so when you get to its head, you will need to slide its head forward to disengage the teeth.

At this point the biter and the bitten should be free of each other. If the snake is being uncooperative in releasing, get a beer. (Don’t drink it yourself.) Pour some into the snakes mouth. This will encourage him to release because snakes don’t like beer. If you don’t have beer, any alcoholic or carbonated beverage will do.

Once the person and the snake are free of each other, the first thing to do is put the snake back in its enclosure and be certain he is secured. Then examine the bite to determine if medical attention is needed.

The bite of a large snake is more like slamming your hand in a car door than having a dog bite. There is more of a crushing effect that a bite from the snakes powerful jaws. The bite will swell, bruise, and look pretty bad for a few days. If your initial reaction was to jerk away from the snake, stitches may be required, as snakes have dozens of (relatively) small but razor-sharp teeth.

Clean the wound well with soap and water, and decide if you need to see a doctor. Most of the time, a non-venomous pet snakes bite doesn’t require medical attention, but I am not a doctor, and if you’re not sure, see a doctor about it.

After the Bite
You are going to be very unsure about handling the snake again. There are a few things to do to help you avoid being bitten again, but as a snake-keeper, you can never be 100% certain that this won’t happen. Eventually, it will.

First, don’t suprise the snake. Use a snake hook to pull him out of his cage, so he knows you are there.

Next, don’t handle the snake only when you are feeding him. Then he will think it’s feeding time anytime you get him out and he will be looking for food. Also, feed him in a separate cage from his normal enclosure. Don’t smell like snake food, either. Snakes hunt by scent, not by sight.

Don’t be mad at your snake for biting you. They don’t do it to be mean. Snakes only bite when feeding, frightened, threatened, or antagonized.

Leave the snake alone for a few days before going back to handling him. Likely, he has lost a few teeth in the process. Be firm with him, but gentle. If you are really uneasy, wear a pair of gloves, but don’t stop handling him. Snakes handled infrequently are more likely to bite.

If you find, after being bitten, you just can’t trust or handle your pet snake anymore, check with a local herp society about finding someone to adopt him. There are listing in the phone book, with humane societies, and on the internet.