Have you had this problem or similar? A snake attacking itself by accident?

Have you had this problem or similar? A snake attacking itself by accident?
If so what did you do to make it let go?
I had a king snake try to eat its tail and another bite its side and try to constrict years ago but it was an accident missing food during feeding… This was with many hundreds of snakes so its rare.
Today one of mine missed the food and striked its own side and tried to constrict. She would not stop.
In the rush all I could think of was some mouth wash with alcohol in it. Lesser of too evils in my mind, the snake was harming it self more than the bit of alcohol would…
It worked, she let go immediately. She was ok and fed a few hours later.
Have you had this before? if so any better suggestions than just what I had to hand at the time?

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I picked the least distressing stock image. There are plenty of others.

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I knew someone with a retic that would bite itself instead of striking at people. It was totally an anxiety thing and not a food response.
Honestly all I remember him doing at the time is pretty similar, if he grabbed on to himself, get the alcohol.
The last thing you want to do is make them grab on more tightly from a food response, so you gotta make it taste bad if that is the case… At least that’s my thoughts on it.

Maybe someone else has more experience with it…

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A roommate’s rhino viper accidentally bit its self and must have hit an organ. Terrible way to go, sort of rotted quickly.

My one experience was with two water pythons constructing each other and both my hands. Submerging in warm and cold water eventually worked but it took a long time. I think your way was probably the best. But the water was all I had with no hands.

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My sd retic male has done this around 6 times. He would strike either at a shadow or movement, grab his body and really try to constrict, even rolling and turning upside down. The first time he did this I freaked out and tried to grab him and pry his mouth off, but he struggled harder so I stopped. Tried to squirt cold water around mouth, didn’t try mouthwash or alcohol though. He let go in a few min, no blood or harm done. So when he would do it, I would just leave him be for a few minutes. He realizes it’s not food and let’s go-never seen any self harm. He is really the most cage/food aggressive snake, fine when out but to ease this I covered most his front glass with paper and he is in the very back corner, so no shadows/movement to mess with him. Hasn’t done it in a long time. I just think they can get worked to much up around food or whatever sometimes and grab the first thing they can. Usually not a cause of concern for non venomous I would think. Just a weird freaky thing to witness!

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Kingsnakes are known for occasionally biting… well anything that smells like snake, they love to eat snake.
“HEY that smells like snake- I love eatin’ snakes! CHOMP. Huh something hurts, but who cares? I have a meal of SNAKE!”

…no one ever said they were super bright. XD

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Oh that’s bad! I have a tiny little gray banded and her feeding response is over the top……:face_with_spiral_eyes::shushing_face:

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Happened to me with my albino Japanese rat snake. He’d been on a 4.5 month hunger strike. Apparently he was so ravenous that he didn’t give a darn that he got a mouthful of his own side. Sprayed some isopropyl on my hand and ran it over his nostrils. He let go rather quickly. I’ll likely switch to vodka for safety reasons.

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