Starting a Venomous snake collection.

[ViperLover]

Originally Posted by stuartdouglas

you beat me to it!
Viperlover, let me show you this..................
This was from a snake whose venom is widely regarded as being, like that of the hoggy, no worse than a bee sting...........

image

image
That was from a non-DWA, rear fanged snake. It sent me to A&E in a lot of pain, gave me neurological symptoms and worried me that i would lose part, if not all of my thumb through necrosis.

(Most) people on this section speak from experience. Don't rush into something where you may quickly find yourself way out of your depth. Certainly don't take any rear fanged for granted.

Thankyou - Nasty bite!

What snake did the damage?

[ian14]

It was a mangrove if I remember rightly.

[ViperLover]

Originally Posted by ian14

It was a mangrove if I remember rightly.

Ahhh..

So nobody recomends a W. Hognose?

What about Black Racers? Extremely agressive non-vens togive hook experience

[kettykev]

Originally Posted by ViperLover

Ahhh..

So nobody recomends a W. Hognose?

That's a strange thing to say when the snake section is full of threads regarding hognoses and there are plenty of them for sale in the classifieds.
It is great to see Mark on here but I think he came on here to add a voice of reason and experience to a certain thread and is too busy to answer every query that can easily be looked up either here, in books or just via an internet search.

[ian14]

Originally Posted by ViperLover

Ahhh..

So nobody recomends a W. Hognose?

What about Black Racers? Extremely agressive non-vens togive hook experience

Slow down - black racers are very aggressive and will almost certainly be WC. They are NOT suited to a beginner. You have got to gain plenty of experience with keeping snakes before looking at anything like this.
It's a bit like driving - you can't say "right, I want to own and drive the fastest production car available" when you are not even old enough to drive - you need to learn to drive first, then once you pass your test, get experience in driving before trying to drive a high powered car.
Snake keeping is no different. You need to start off learning how to actually keep them in captivity, then once you have done that, start to progress to more challenging species. Then, once you have years of experience, you could think about DWA. No council is going to give you a licence when you have never kept a snake before, or have only very limited experience.

[Genseric]

TBH, and this is what I was told to do in the dark ages (the 80's)... look around, try to get an idea of the different species out there. Read up on various ones.. one will 'click' with you (mine was the diadem, how I loved those guys)... read up some more, and start to prepare the vivarium (personally I have taken weeks to pre a viv, but I am lazy and precise, not a good combination). Once you have the Viv prepared, temps checked, humidity (if required) checked, and looking all pretty (as we all tend to do our first time).. go get your snake. Now, perhaps it is an unusual (as in not kept by many) species.. wait and study.. bide your time!!

When you do eventually get your animal, the study has just begun!! Weights, feeding, food items.. man even temperature and temprament... fecal examinations.. probing? It is a whole new world, and all with one wee (or large) animal!

I insinuated before, and I will repeat again.. you are lucky. You have some of the best herping minds, not just in the UK, but the world, here at your disposal... and whilst some can't be a personal friend/tutor, they can and do offer advice.. which is priceless!

Don't get caught up in the excitment of the potential.. having a snake, feeding it... get prepared to make it a reality... also, talk to your folks about it.. show them your knowledge and progress (it makes life easier).

Good luck

Oh, and if anyone knows of a Diadem looking a home, drop me a line

[George_Milllett]

Originally Posted by stuartdouglas

you beat me to it!
Viperlover, let me show you this..................
This was from a snake whose venom is widely regarded as being, like that of the hoggy, no worse than a bee sting...........

image

image
That was from a non-DWA, rear fanged snake. It sent me to A&E in a lot of pain, gave me neurological symptoms and worried me that i would lose part, if not all of my thumb through necrosis.

(Most) people on this section speak from experience. Don't rush into something where you may quickly find yourself way out of your depth. Certainly don't take any rear fanged for granted.

Stuart what are the red line and writing on your hand for? A way of tracking the damage over a period of time?

[wildlifewarrior]

Originally Posted by ViperLover

What about Black Racers? Extremely agressive non-vens togive hook experience

I keep and breed coluber constrictor

they do actually tame down pretty well if you get a hatchling...seem to lose the aggression...but yes they are certainly born with agression.


You would need to buy a wc one for the full aggresion of it, but i wouldnt reconmend a wc snake to a new keeper.

I think ian has hit the nail on the head...start off at the bottom and work your way up....thats how everyone learn both DWA and non DWA keepers

[leecb0]

Im sure i have seen those pix somewhere before Stuart cos i was trying to find them to show somebody the otherday what a mangrove can do as they had been told its like a "bee sting"
I was giving a talk to some keepers at Woburn safari park about 10 years ago and i was showing them my FWC, whilst explaining to them that it was rear fanged and i was free handling it that if they latch on try not to let them chew on you so they can get the rear fangs in to you the little sod did just that, one of the keepers said "what like that" and i just said "yes just like this" while trying to detatch the snake, about an hour or so later my hand did swell up a bit not to the extent of yours Stu i also had a numb feeling in my hand which lasted for about 2 weeks or so. i still keep them but i treat them a bit more cautiously now.

[PDR]

Originally Posted by snakedude

I really hate to appear picky and correct you on John's sad death Mark, it was 4th March 2000 when we lost a great figure and a great friend to many, myself included. I will never forget getting the phone call telling me he'd gone, I was planning a visit to the hospital the next day but sadly too late.

I had the privilege to know John for many years and it was a great loss to us all when he died.

Regarding the date/year, to be fair it is an easy mistake to make. I lost my Mother unexpectedly a few months after John died so I know the year was 2000. I do however vividly recall Mark and myself sorting through John’s collection the following day. None of the cages in his flat where labelled so we did not know exactly what was going to be in the trap boxes. John had told me the previous year about his illness and had asked that I give his animals a good home.
Mark and I split the collection, with me mainly taking elapids.... one of which was a King Cobra that I kept for several years and then sent to WMSP. I felt it was right that this snake should go back to the Midlands where John had lived & worked. I believe it is still growing and is an impressive display in the reptile house at WMSP.