No chewing really. They just grabbed with a tight hold and wouldn't let go. Had to give them a firm press/tap on the top of the head to make them let go. These were big girls too, around 3ft so their teeth are quite large and punctured my skin easily.. I've been bitten before but most of the time there's no reaction. This time though they were in quite a feeding frenzy, mouths were very wet with saliva, and they had already had a few bites. I think that made a difference. The "venom" was flowing well before they bit.