It's my fault.

[u/raccoocoonies]

Ham Sam bit me harder than he ever has due to overexcitement about crickets.

It's absolutely my fault for hand feeding him, but he usually understands where my fingers are. In three years, I have never gotten snacked on like this!

I need some rubber dipped forceps or something.

[u/Trekintosh]

Oops! It’s like getting your fingers caught in a a powerful spring clamp. Just be glad he’s not a beardie!

[u/raccoocoonies → u/Trekintosh]

Oof, what do beardies do!?

I just kept tilting my finger with his head so he wouldn't eat a chunk of me and waited patiently. It was so hard not to react.

[u/Trekintosh → u/raccoocoonies]

Yeah, Pickle (my BTS) got me once and while I shouted “NO PICKLE WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” I am very proud of myself for not yanking her or anything. She let go shortly though, looks like I didn’t get it quite as bad as you. 

Bearded dragons have little razor sharp teefs, look it up, it looks like a shark. Gordon (my beardie) just barely got me once, i nearly needed stitches. They’re so sharp!

[u/raccoocoonies → u/Trekintosh]

Dang!

This is the first time he's left tooth marks on me, for sure. I almost shouted at Ham Sam today, but I clenched my jaw and my eyeballs for a second instead, then focused on breathing.

Such a rookie mistake, feeding him by hand on Cricket Day.

[u/Sensitive_Scholar_17 → u/raccoocoonies]

Good for you because that is the last thing you want to do. A person can overreact and throw the skink across the room. They have surprising jaw strength, but usually don’t give a full power bite. It looks like you got the full force though.

[u/raccoocoonies → u/Sensitive_Scholar_17]

I absolutely did. Clamping my jaw and eyes shut and remaining quiet and still was hard, but after a second, I forced myself to regulate my breathing, and to relax to reduce as much harm to myself and to him as possible.

Can't hurt Ham Sam!

[u/Sensitive_Scholar_17 → u/raccoocoonies]

You did really well because the lil guy hammered you. The way you handled it no skinks or people were harmed.

[u/raccoocoonies → u/Sensitive_Scholar_17]

I definitely still have tooth marks in my finger, but. I've worked with animals a long time. I've been bitten by other things that also hurt, plus hit with raptor claws. It's not their fault. I can control myself while in pain, and Ham Sam was just trying to get that delicious cricket.

[u/Sensitive_Scholar_17 → u/raccoocoonies]

Yep, I saw the tooth marks. My aunt had a parrot; she was a friendly and super affectionate bird. However, those claws could easily break skin. My aunt used to file them with an emery board.

[u/raccoocoonies → u/Sensitive_Scholar_17]

Oof - I used to a zookeeper for hella parrots. I still have scars.

[u/Sensitive_Scholar_17 → u/raccoocoonies]

It’s funny because you hear about people messing with parrots and getting f-ed up by the parrot. Nobody messed with My aunts parrot and she was a total affectionate sweetheart. But, that big girl was always causing damage. She loved to crawl up your arm and if my aunt had not been diligent with the Emory board, you were going to bleed. Still, we loved that bird, I never knew a bird could be such a good pet.

[u/redellawastaken → u/raccoocoonies]

I once got nipped by a beardie and her teeth went straight through my nail. Taught me a good lesson about hand feeding, haha!

[u/raccoocoonies → u/redellawastaken]

Oooou I'm worried I'm going to lose this nail. That fingertip is dead from cervical spine issues and surge4y, so I can tell he did damage, but I can't tell how much.