• Aviandelight @mander.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    96
    ·
    5 months ago

    Crazy parrot and reptile lady here to confirm. I would much rather take a bite from a large snake any day of the week than take a bite from one of my birds. I’ve had to get stitches multiple times because of my little feathered assholes.

    • Death_Equity@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      21
      ·
      5 months ago

      I have been bit by a conure more times than I can count, I have been bit and constricted by a python once. Getting bit by an actual parrot is a big reason why I haven’t gotten into larger birds.

      I would rather be bit by the Amazonian Hitler pigeon. Python teeth are like Velcro for skin and it is horrible.

      • Aviandelight @mander.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        20
        ·
        5 months ago

        The key to dealing with a (pet) snake bite is to not pull back in fear. Their teeth are definitely like Velcro. Usually I’d just let them go to town and then run some hot tap water over their head. They don’t like the water and immediately let go. With birds you’re getting hurt no matter what you do.

        • Death_Equity@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          15
          ·
          5 months ago

          I don’t remember the exact circumstances, I think I was going to give her a quick bath before a flight(mistake). I was holding her when she bit the meat of my thumb and coiled around my hand and wrist. All 5 feet of her was coiled with her head in the middle of the ball. Water did nothing. I had to wait about a half hour before she got bored, she then peeled her mouth off. I later found out that rubbing alcohol gets them to fuck off immediately, but that was the first and last time she bit me.

    • greenskye@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      This is scary new information for me that puts a childhood incident in a much more horrifying context. I was at pet store when I was like 10 and one of the parrots seemed friendly so I let it climb up to my shoulder, only for it to painfully bite my ear. It hurt a lot, but no blood was drawn. I managed to get free easily enough. I thought that was pretty bad, but now I’m learning that apparently it could’ve easily ripped off my ear?!? Apparently I’m a lot luckier and that parrot was actually a lot nicer than I thought.

      • Aviandelight @mander.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        5 months ago

        My African Grey could easily cause me serious damage but he does hold back by only giving me warning bites. He thinks he’s being gentle but it still hurts and I don’t ever forget what they are capable of.

    • CodingCarpenter@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      5 months ago

      Do they get reported when you get bit? I’ve heard in some places even if it’s your animal you have to report them for biting you

      • Aviandelight @mander.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        5 months ago

        No not where I live. When my husband and I kept hot inverts along with our snakes I kept a comprehensive supplemental insurance just in case someone got hurt, but the laws here only apply for reporting illegal animals.

    • ameancow@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      I’ve had a lot of reptiles and as a result, a lot of reptile bites.

      Almost every time I’ve been bit it was an accident or a response, and as soon as the reptile realized it had human skin in it’s mouth it would release. Even herbivore iguanas have a lot of pretty sharp teeth and I’ve had some unique looking bite marks, but they almost never bite intentionally.

      Parrots meanwhile… they are evil incarnate, at least to me. I’ve never met a parrot that didn’t bite me hard enough to let me know it could easily amputate parts of my body if it so chose. Meanwhile I see them loving and cuddling other people, people who say things like “He’s really very loving, he never bites anyone, he’s perfectly safe to pet!”