What To Do If Attacked By A Boa Constrictor

Do you wonder what to do if your boa constrictor attacks you?

Are you looking to protect yourself just in case something terrible happens?

Boa constrictors will rarely attack people, but if they bite at you, you need to know how to handle it properly, so you don’t hurt yourself or the snake worse.

This is precisely why we made this post on what to do if attacked by a boa constrictor.

If bitten by a boa constrictor, the first thing to do is stay calm. Don’t pull your hand back, or you’ll make the teeth sink in farther. Wait until the boa feels calmer and pull your hand away when it let’s go.

Check out the rest of the article for more details on this scary situation.

Am I Likely To Be Attacked By A Boa Constrictor?

With such a large pet, many people are afraid their boa will attack them.

This seldom happens.

Even though they grow up to be 10′ feet long in some cases, their heads are too small to eat you.

For this reason, they have no reason to attack you other than to defend themselves.

Even when frightened, their primary mode of defense is to run away.

They only attack you if surprised or feel like there’s no escape.

Most biting accidents happen with boa constrictor pets in two situations.

The first is when feeding.

Some inexperienced owners will try to feed their pet by hand.

Never do this with a boa constrictor.

They may get confused and bite your hand in their frenzy to eat instead of the rodent you’re offering them.

We recommend using tongs or something like this to put the food in the tank.

The other time you’re likely to get bitten is when handling the boa constrictor.

If you go about it the wrong way or don’t pay attention to the boa’s signs of stress, you may get bit.

Learn about how to handle a boa constrictor without getting hurt.

What To Do If Attacked By A Boa Constrictor?

Even despite all your precautions, there’s a chance the boa constrictor will bite you at some point.

It’s more likely to happen when they’re young as they’re nippier at this age.

If you are bitten, there are some steps you may wish to take to prevent extra damage from happening.

Read the steps and commit them to memory to avoid a serious situation.

#1 Stay Calm

When bitten by a boa constrictor, especially an adult one, it’s easy to panic.

Do your best to stay as calm as possible.

Remember, boa constrictors aren’t venomous.

There is no extra damage to their bite, just what happens from their teeth.

A boa constrictor’s teeth are small compared to their large body size.

In nature, the boa constrictor uses its bite to hold down prey while it wraps around them.

As it wraps, they cut off blood flow to the prey until it dies.

You are too big for the boa constrictor to eat.

It won’t hold onto you to wrap around you and squeeze.

It’s not even strong enough.

Learn more about how strong a boa constrictor can squeeze.

You are in no immediate danger as long as you follow the other instructions.

Even then, nothing too bad will happen.

#2 Wait For The Boa Constrictor To Let Go

Do you stay still when a boa constrictor attacks? Absolutely.

Your boa constrictor has only bit you as a way to get you away from it.

It doesn’t want to hold onto you any more than you want it to.

Once the boa is sure you’re not attacking it, the boa constrictor will release you and slither away.

However, if you pull on it or hit the boas, it’ll feel under attack and hold on tighter.

It may take some time for the boa to release, but waiting is the best way to prevent further harm to you and the snake.

#3 Don’t Pull Your Hand Back Or Pull On The Boa

Wherever you’ve been bit, don’t pull it or try to pull the snake off of you.

A boa constrictor’s teeth angled inward at a sharp degree.

This is to keep the prey from escaping.

As a rodent tries to escape, the angle of the teeth digs themselves deeper into the prey.

A boa constrictor’s bite is probably only on the surface.

It hurts, and it’s scary, but you probably won’t even need stitches.

This is not the case if you try to yank your hand out or the snake off.

#4 Spray The Snake’s Face (If Needed)

If you have a spray bottle handy of vinegar and water, you may want to spray the boa constrictor face.

In some cases, this will encourage the snake to let go faster.

Submerging the snakes head in water so it can’t breathe is also an option.

But in the heat of the moment, you probably won’t be able to get it to let go.

This method doesn’t always work, and it depends on the mood the snake is in.

However, if you wish to try it, there shouldn’t be any harm coming to you or the snake.

Still, it’s better to wait.

#5 Break The Snake’s Jaw (Only If Needed)

To be clear, this step is not a safe one for the snake.

If you feel like you are in dire threat, take your hand or an object and break the steaks jaw.

Pull the lower jaw off by moving the head toward the bite to release the teeth’ pull.

Then do the same with the upper jaw.

This is the quickest way to get out of a boa constrictor bite, but it is dangerous for the pet.

At best, you’ll need to rush your snake to the vet for some serious help.

More likely, your snake will require surgery, and even then, it’s not expected to survive.

Again, we do not recommend this unless necessary.

This is only for when you the snake is biting your neck or something vital.

This step is best for knowing how to survive a boa constrictor attack when you don’t care if the animal dies.

Conclusion

I hope you feel more comfortable handling your pet now that you know what to do if attacked by a boa constrictor.

It doesn’t often happen if you handle them correctly, and even if they bite, they won’t cause serious harm in most situations.

Stay calm, don’t pull the snake, and wait for it to let go.

Many owners consider the boa safer than a cat, so enjoy these fearsome but sweet pets.