Snake pet lovers prefer ball pythons over most other snakes due to their non-temperamental nature. They are, therefore, one of the most kept small pet snakes in the world.
However, it’s natural for beginners to get a little scared of ball pythons. Thus, we came up with this article to help you understand if ball pythons are dangerous.
Beginner snake pet owners must know what danger their pets might pose to them. Keep reading to understand if ball python’s bite is painful.
This article has been reviewed by Dr. Gospel. Read more about our knowledge control process here.
Contents
Are Ball Pythons Dangerous?
No, ball pythons are not dangerous. It is because ball pythons are non-venomous, and they rarely bite. Even though they have sharp teeth, they don’t have strong jaws to break your skin excessively. A ball python bite only feels like needle pricks.
Ball python’s bites do not require anti-venom to treat. You only have to wash the wound with soap water and then disinfect to prevent bacterial infection.
Additionally, ball pythons cannot kill humans through constriction. It is because they are not large enough to constrict humans.
In fact, it’s okay to let your ball python coil around your waist and arms. However, it would help if you were careful not to let the snake too close to your eyes.
In conclusion, ball pythons cannot seriously harm humans. Thus, they are not dangerous. Instead, ball pythons are beginner-friendly snake pets that you should never be afraid of.
Do Ball Pythons Bite?
Yes, ball pythons can bite. However, they rarely ever attack humans. Even so, younger ball pythons are more capable of biting than their adult counterparts. And, even this is uncommon. But, ball python’s bite is painless and not poisonous.
It is because ball pythons are non-venomous and are not even large enough to constrict humans.
Therefore, you should not be afraid to handle ball pythons even if you are a first-time snake pet owner.
Do Ball Pythons Have Fangs?
No, ball pythons do not have fangs. Only venomous snakes have fangs. Venomous snakes use fangs to inject venom into their prey. As for the non-venomous snakes, they only have teeth. Therefore, ball pythons have many teeth but no fangs.
How Many Teeth Does A Ball Python Have?
Ball pythons have many very sharp teeth, like barbs. On average, ball pythons have approximately 100 teeth in total. Ball pythons have four rows of teeth on their top jaw and two rows on the bottom jaw.
Ball python’s teeth face backward to help them latch on the prey.
Additionally, backward teeth help the ball python digest their food once they kill their prey through constriction.
The sharp backward teeth make the ball python’s hungry bite more painful. And, even worse, when you try to yank it away.
How Hurt Is Ball Python’s Bite?
Ball python’s bites are painful! However, it depends on the type of bite that your snake gives.
For instance, a defensive bite is very shallow and painless. However, a hungry bite can be quite hurting, especially if you try to yank the ball python away.
Even so, the shock of being bitten by a snake can be tremendous, especially if it’s your first time.
But, if you stay calm and let the python let go on its own, even the hungry bite might be shallow and less painful.
Why Do Ball Pythons Bite?
It is very uncommon for a ball python to bite you. However, being wild animals, it is natural for them to bite you. But, it’s typically unlikely for a ball python to bite without reason.
There are three significant reasons why ball pythons can bite you. Ball pythons can bite you for defensive purposes, stressed, or they are starving.
Defensive Bite
When a ball python perceives you as a threat, it tries to scare you off by quickly biting and letting go immediately.
Thus, a defensive bite from a ball python can only cause a minor injury that you could barely notice.
However, the speed at which the snake bites can scare you. It only takes 70 milliseconds for a ball python to attack from a coiled position by 0.5feet.
To help you understand how fast the attack can be, imagine that it takes 200milliseconds for humans to blink an eye.
Therefore, defensive bites can only feel like a few pinpricks. And it does not hurt.
Hungry Bite
A hungry bite is probably the most painful bite from a ball python. It’s uncommon for ball pythons to bite when they are hungry unexpectedly. However, they can still do it if they mistake your hand for food.
Ball pythons have poor eyesight. Thus, they highly depend on their sense of smell together with their sensing pits.
Therefore, you must wash your hands after handling your ball python’s food. Handling your ball python with your hands smelling like a prey can cause it to bite you.
A hungry bite is quite painful as the ball python is more likely to latch on your finger and coil around your arm.
If such a mistake happens, the best way to avoid your ball python from hurting you more is by staying calm.
Sudden attempts to make the ball python let go will only cause it to grip tighter on you, causing the teeth to go deeper.
However, if you stay calm, don’t move, the ball python will realize you are not prey and thus, loosen the grip and let go.
The best way to avoid hungry bites from your ball python is by:
- Thoroughly washing your hands with soap after ball python’s meal to eliminate the prey’s smell.
- Using a pair of tongs to feed your snake.
- Not getting too close to the tank when feeding your ball python.
Stressed Bites
Just like humans, even ball python’s personality and temperaments differ from one snake to the other.
Thus, some have more chances of biting you than others. Even so, stressed ball pythons are irritable and more prone to biting.
Some of the reasons that may cause your ball python to get stressed include:-
- Shedding
- Too large or small enclosures
- Excessive handling
- Illness
Therefore, if your ball python seems stressed from any of the above reasons, it would be best not to handle it.
Instead, you should look for the underlying cause of the stress and deal with it immediately.
Are Ball Pythons Dangerous to Humans
No, ball pythons are not dangerous to humans. It is because ball pythons are non-venomous, and thus, their bite is not poisonous. Again, ball pythons only kill their prey by constricting. Therefore, they can’t kill humans as such as they are not large enough.
Can Pythons Kill Humans?
No, ball pythons can’t kill adult humans as they are too small to encircle around and constrict them.
However, a ball python can coil around a baby’s neck and constrict it. But, it is a rare situation that has probably never happened.
It is crucial to keep your ball python’s enclosure an escape free to prevent such an instance.
Again, it would be wise not to let children handle snakes without supervision to prevent accidents.
But, other large pythons such as the Burmese are capable of killing humans. Thus, Burmese and other large pythons are not suitable for beginners.
Can Pythons Kill Pet
Whether pythons can kill pets depends on the python’s species. For instance, ball pythons are not capable of killing cats and dogs.
Instead, it is more likely for cats and dogs to harm a ball python.
However, as for other larger pet pythons such as Burmese, they can swallow small cats and dogs.
Therefore, it is critical to keep your snake pet away from other pets to avoid them from hurting each other.
Pro tip: Taming & Handling your Ball Python the Right Way
The best way to avoid being bitten by your ball python is by ensuring that you know when and how to handle them.
Here are some tips for you to handle your ball python the right way.
- Don’t pick your ball python until it adjusts to its new environment.
- Hold your ball python from the mid-body when picking it up.
- Don’t over handle your ball python as it can cause it stress.
- Handle your ball python regularly to help it get accustomed to handling.
- Don’t handle your ball python when it’s shedding, hungry, or after feeding.
- Before choosing your ball python from the pet shop, you should handle it first to see if they are too aggressive.
Wrapping Up
Ball pythons are not dangerous, and their bite does not hurt much. In fact, it is infrequent for a ball python to bite you.
But, if your ball python ever bites you, you should always remember to stay calm, gently remove the snake, and then wash the bitten area with soap and water.
You should also disinfect the wound to prevent bacteria infection, and ensure that your ball python is okay.
Keep safe with your ball python!
