Caught my first hot today.

[ScorpDemon]

Me, my girlfriend and my brother were on our way back to my parents after going out for dinner with my parents and some friends, and I saw something in the road, didn't think it was anything, my girlfriend said that was a baby snake, so I turned the truck around and pulled over and got out to check it out. I saw that it was a copperhead not much over a foot long, and yelled for my girlfriend to bring my snake stick, and my brother found a snake bag and she brought that too. So I now have a copperhead at a manageable size. Now for trying to feed it. Gonna try mice first, then scented mice and hope for the best.

This is my first hot that I have caught. I have been around hots before, and have been wanting to try my hand at hots, copperheads are very beautiful snakes, and from what I understand, one of the best starter hots, so I consider myself lucky.

Anyone have any advice, or know where I can find a good caresheet?
I'm off to print out a caresheet now, but I'll take a look at any and all of them just for comparison.

When I get home I'll take some pics and post them when I can.

Now if I can break the excitement, I'm gonna go get the lil guy set up in his/her new home.

The next step is finding someone to sex it, not that it's important, I just wanna know.

 

[Sheri]

I'd like to see pictures, this is the species I am considering as my first hot.

I'd suggest reading some reptile forums that may address care by those that keep them... I remember reading caresheets when I initially got tarantulas...

 

[Crotalus]

Buy a few books such as Ernst "Venomous Reptiles in North America" and you know how to take care for it. Which you should have done before bringing a venomous snake home.
Do you have snake hooks? A larger bucket to keep it in when you clean the tank? Do you have tongs for taking out the waterdish?

 

[ScorpDemon]

Buy a few books such as Ernst "Venomous Reptiles in North America" and you know how to take care for it. Which you should have done before bringing a venomous snake home.
Do you have snake hooks? A larger bucket to keep it in when you clean the tank? Do you have tongs for taking out the waterdish?

I've got the basic care down, I have been researching it for a while, as I have wanted to try my hand at hots, and have done a bit of reading, I was really just asking for any copperhead specific care from someone with experience with the species.
I do have snake hooks, tongs, a holding tank for maintenance, and all that stuff.

I got some pretty good pics last night when I set him/her up. I'm gonna get a few up here in just a few minutes.

 

[Galapoheros]

Cool! Copperheads are pretty interesting not so "hot" hot snakes....of course, if you havn't been bitten, you don't really know how your body is going to react. I just found a Trans-pecos Copperhead a couple of weeks ago but traded it for something else. Think I will miss it. For me, if I where living with someone else, I wouldn't keep anything hotter than a Copperhead. And it would be up to a girlfriend, wife or anybody else if a hot stayed in the house. That's just me though. I'm real bad about leaving containers open. I had a really bad exp with big a Timber rat! I just don't trust myself with most of the hots, but I would keep a Copperhead. The Trans-pecos was a good mouse eater. I've never kept any other kind of Copperhead. Let us know if you see it eat anything!

 

[ScorpDemon]

Pics..

As promised..

Hope you guys enjoy.

 

[Crotalus]

Looks like a juvenile cottonmouth to me

 

[LHP]

Looks like a juvenile cottonmouth to me

Yes, it is. Definitely NOT a good beginner hot. Best to let it go soon and carefully.

If you eventually are ready for a copperhead, there are many CB available, cheaply.

Lindsey

 

[Tleilaxu]

Whats a baby copperhead look like then? And why are cotton mouths bad choices?

 

[LHP]

Link to a young copperhead pic:
http://www.venomousreptiles.org/libraries/showfilepage/50?offset=9

As for why they are not good first hots, their venom is MUCH worse. Also, their disposition is more defensive, but that is a topic of debate. In my experience, that is quite true.

Here is a link to the Southeast Hot Herp Society bite gallery. ***WAY graphic pics so be warned.*** Pages 7 and 8 have some cottonmouth bite pics.
http://www.venomousreptiles.org/libraries/Snakebite Photos

Lindsey

 

[pitbulllady]

That is DEFINATELY a juvie Cottonmouth! I suspected as soon as I saw the pattern, which was not the typical "hourglasses" pattern of a Copperhead, that this was not a Copper, and once I saw the face, with that "bandit's mask", I knew for certain. These snakes are MUCH "hotter" than a Copperhead, though personalities within both species vary a great deal. I've seen Coppers that were really nasty, and would strike continuously at anything that moved or gave off heat, and I've seen Cottons that were one evolutionary step up from an old tire. Still, if that "old tire" decided to bite, the consequences would be potentially much worse than a Copperhead bite, potentially fatal, in fact. The tissue damage these can cause is especially bad. On top of that, some wc young Cottons can be aggravating to switch over to a rodent diet from fish or frogs, while Copperheads tend to be much less picky.

pitbulllady

 

[Crotalus]

All snakes can bite regardless on how they are "in general" but yes the venom are more potent then copperheads.
Not to mention the adult size of cottons, which might be a handful for unexperienced in venomous snakes (and also for experienced too!)

I can recommend Peterson field guide for eastern US which is a good thing to have handy.

/Lelle

 

[Tleilaxu]

The only hot snakes I would ever fathom keeping would be any found up here in MN or (most likely) One of these

 

[Galapoheros]

Ahh, ...too bad. I see how people starting to mess with "hots" would think it's a Copperhead. The juvs have that tan body with the mahagony crossbands. I have no interest in Cottonmouths. You will come across a Copperhead sooner of later. I usually see one when I least expect to. I wasn't going to but I'll show the Trans-pecos in another thread.

 

[ScorpDemon]

Well, I kept it for a week.. I took it to a reptile show yesterday and traded it for a ball python.

 

[The Snark]

No offense meant but this sort of reminds me of a guy who came through here who was determined to capture a Russelli for a pet. People who talk casually of their cobra bites cringe from those guys.

 

[Crotalus]

Well, I kept it for a week.. I took it to a reptile show yesterday and traded it for a ball python.

I hope you gave it to someone that was experienced in venomous snakes. You did check with him right?

 

[ScorpDemon]

yeah.. he's a venomous dealer.. Crotalus sp. is his specialty.. he also has gaboons, rhino vipers, copperheads, a few corals, and some Naja sp.

 

[NrthCstInverts]

Very pretty baby, probably not something i will ever keep, but very sharp looking none the less.