I often am asked about getting bitten by wildlife. Generally the answer is the same, that other than mosquitoes and the like, I don't get bitten by stuff unless I have to handle it. And then, well, things bite, so just don't handle wildlife, okay?
But it's my job to grab things and do stuff, like measure ear length or weigh them. Lots of things depending on the project I am on. So yes, I get bitten. And this has become a point of question again since I posted in a side note that scarlet tanagers bite, but that it doesn't hurt much.
Different species tend to either bite a lot, or not. Some birds never seem to realize that might even be a thing, while others, most notably the chickadee, do nothing but try and bite. Some can give a pretty good pinch, especially the ones with a strong bill like a grosbeak, but mostly it really isn't hard enough to do much.
And, one of the times I am most likely to get bitten is when taking the photos to document the species capture. See, when taking animal measurements I can control the whole animal including the mouth, but for the photos the head needs to be fully in the clear. Which of course allows it more freedom to take a nip. So while I normally just ignore the photos that don't well-document the species for our records, I do have other ones that show what the animal was doing while I was trying to get a good pic.
And to satisfy curiosity, here is what a bite from a scarlet tanager looks like. See, not much, but if it gets you in the soft spot between your fingers you'll know about it.
But it's my job to grab things and do stuff, like measure ear length or weigh them. Lots of things depending on the project I am on. So yes, I get bitten. And this has become a point of question again since I posted in a side note that scarlet tanagers bite, but that it doesn't hurt much.
Different species tend to either bite a lot, or not. Some birds never seem to realize that might even be a thing, while others, most notably the chickadee, do nothing but try and bite. Some can give a pretty good pinch, especially the ones with a strong bill like a grosbeak, but mostly it really isn't hard enough to do much.
And, one of the times I am most likely to get bitten is when taking the photos to document the species capture. See, when taking animal measurements I can control the whole animal including the mouth, but for the photos the head needs to be fully in the clear. Which of course allows it more freedom to take a nip. So while I normally just ignore the photos that don't well-document the species for our records, I do have other ones that show what the animal was doing while I was trying to get a good pic.
And to satisfy curiosity, here is what a bite from a scarlet tanager looks like. See, not much, but if it gets you in the soft spot between your fingers you'll know about it.
Female scarlet tanager taking a bite
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