# A Few Venomous Snake Pictures



## Najakeeper (Nov 4, 2012)

I was at my mate Christoph's house this weekend. Helped him export this year's Acanthophis hawkei babies to the States. He has a great collection of venomous snakes so I took a few pictures. I wish I had more time to take more but I guess that's for next time.

Anyway, here you go:

Pseudechis colletti (Collett's Snake) from Australia:






Naja naja (Common Cobra) from Sri Lanka:






Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (Broad banded Copperhead) from the States






Acanthophis laevis (Smooth scaled Death Adder) from Muting, Indonesia

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## Furret (Nov 6, 2012)

That copperhead is adorable


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## Shell (Nov 6, 2012)

I have no desire to ever keep hots, but they sure are nice to look at. Great pics


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## Shrike (Nov 7, 2012)

You're a brave soul Naja.  Beautiful pictures!


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## Najakeeper (Dec 10, 2012)

Thanks for the comments guys, here are a some pictures of my own snakes...

_Acanthophis hawkei _"Barkly Tableland Death Adder":

Eating a rat pinky












Smelling to see if there are any more around






Eating a leftover mouse pinky snack in her cage






_Acanthophis sp. woolfi_ "Dajarra Death Adder" male:

Under natural sunlight, coming close to a shed






_Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus_ "Cape Coral Cobra":

Male hooding like a real cobra right after a shed






Broad view to show off his colors

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## The Snark (Dec 10, 2012)

Your Cape Coral looks like it's out to win some glamor awards. Super nice pics. Looking forwards to more!


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## Najakeeper (Dec 12, 2012)

The Snark said:


> Your Cape Coral looks like it's out to win some glamor awards. Super nice pics. Looking forwards to more!


The female is even prettier and she is very very calm, hardly ever hoods. She is in shed right now but here is a picture that I took a couple weeks ago.


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## SamuraiSid (Dec 13, 2012)

Gorgeous snakes! Thanks for sharing the pics. I look forward to more


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## Philth (Dec 16, 2012)

I've never seen or heard of Acanthophis laevis , very cool!

Later, Tom


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## The Snark (Dec 16, 2012)

What I can't understand is why the sudden major trade in Death Adders? Smuggling galore everywhere you look. I seriously doubt there are more than a few thousand people in the US qualified to keep those little bombs and undoubtedly a lot of qualified hot keepers want nothing to do with them. Weird.


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## Redneck101 (Dec 16, 2012)

Beautiful snakes! Reminds me of mine when i had Hots. The Copperhead is one of my all time favorites. Along with the Cape Coral. Those two next to Crotalus lepidus were the best snakes i had in my collection.


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## Najakeeper (Dec 16, 2012)

Philth said:


> I've never seen or heard of Acanthophis laevis , very cool!
> 
> Later, Tom


It is probably the most common Acanthophis in the hobby. The common name is Smooth Scaled Death Adder and they are imported from PNG and Indonesia. Most specimens in the US are captive bred individuals.



The Snark said:


> What I can't understand is why the sudden major trade in Death Adders? Smuggling galore everywhere you look. I seriously doubt there are more than a few thousand people in the US qualified to keep those little bombs and undoubtedly a lot of qualified hot keepers want nothing to do with them. Weird.


I think the interest comes from the fact that unlike other elapids, they have viperid characteristics. On top of this, they are  very beautiful snakes but that of course is subjective. 

I don't know if you have kept Acanthophis or not but they are probably one of the easiest species of elapid venomous snakes to take care of. As long as you have common sense and stay out of the strike zone, there is no way you can get bitten. And if you get bitten, even though the venom is very strong, they have almost completely pure post-synaptic neurotoxic venom, which can even be managed by Acetylcholinesterases when there is no antivenom available. For example compared to another common snake in the hobby, Naja kaouthia, Acanthophis are a piece of cake to deal with. N.kaouthia (Monocled cobra) have erratic behavior, they will sometimes even chase you. On top of that, their bite is neurotoxic, myotoxic and cardiotoxic, which will surely cause disfigurement even if you have antivenom available and survive the bite.

When it comes to smuggling, it is unfortunately a part of this hobby. I try to avoid wild caught animals and currently all the animals in my collection are captive bred. However, I do understand that my mainland Death Adders come from smuggled individuals pretty much like all Bearded Dragons, Woma and Blackheaded pythons, all Australian monitors etc. As you know, this is due to the export laws of Australia and there is no way around it. I still wouldn't buy smuggled animals but I can not say no to captive bred individuals from those animals.



Redneck101 said:


> Beautiful snakes! Reminds me of mine when i had Hots. The Copperhead is one of my all time favorites. Along with the Cape Coral. Those two next to Crotalus lepidus were the best snakes i had in my collection.


Thanks. One of my friends also has a Crotalus lepidus pair and they are truly beautiful rattlers.

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## dactylus (Dec 16, 2012)

Thanks for the photos.  


I have always loved the squat, stout, look of the "death adder" group and I would still consider keeping a pair or two of the red A. pyrrhus, (Desert Death Adder) in my collection.  The viper like appearance is definitely a point of attraction for me.  Beautiful snakes!!

Please keep the photos coming!

:biggrin:


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## The Snark (Dec 16, 2012)

Thanks much for the info. I've been lulled into a false sense of security by our local cobras in that they don't maintain a strike zone and can often be intimidated. (My hot experience is mostly limited to western rattlers. Get in their strike zone, you are whammed, period) On the other front, I'd advise against keeping death adders here in Thailand as the local doctors haven't impressed me in being knowledgeable of Acetylcholinesterase and it's inhibitors. Or finding their own arses with both hands on a bad day.


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## Najakeeper (Dec 17, 2012)

The Snark said:


> Thanks much for the info. I've been lulled into a false sense of security by our local cobras in that they don't maintain a strike zone and can often be intimidated.


I have been chased by an albino monocled cobra in my snake room, which was my starter venomous snake by the way. (Bad choice!) Not fun!


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## The Snark (Dec 17, 2012)

Najakeeper said:


> I have been chased by an albino monocled cobra in my snake room, which was my starter venomous snake by the way. (Bad choice!) Not fun!


Uhh... yeah. Sort of a bad idea. Cobras seem to resent being in an enclosed area with bipeds. At the snake farm I've never seen anyone enter a cobra enclosure alone. They work from outside the contained area, have an escape route (a wall that has to be climbed/vaulted) or have a back up with a hook. Out in the open it's no problem. And we are talking about people who have handled hots every day from when they were kids. Look on the bright side, it wasn't a O Hannah.


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## JZC (Dec 17, 2012)

is it a good idea to hold these, like that cobra? I want to keep hots in the future, you know when im older and don't have to ask for a snake. How often do you handle them? Beautiful snakes


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## The Snark (Dec 17, 2012)

JZCtarantulafan said:


> is it a good idea to hold these, like that cobra? I want to keep hots in the future, you know when im older and don't have to ask for a snake. How often do you handle them? Beautiful snakes


I'm waiting for Najakeeper's reply to this. But really, you are dealing with animals that can never be wholly trained and trusted. You can always find anomalies, calmed specimens that can be relatively trusted, but become complacent for one split second... well, Steve Irwin ranted over and over about complacency. 

The single incident that drove it home for me was trying to shoo a krait off the road one evening. As is well known, kraits are slow and laconic and I've done this maybe 20 times. So here's a porked out 4 footer lazing on the pavement and ignoring me as usual. The moment my stick touched him he transposed into a furious rattler, coiled and ready to strike. I backed off and he came right after me, making me climb onto the hood of the jeep. Bottom line is, you never know.


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## Redneck101 (Dec 17, 2012)

The Snark said:


> I'm waiting for Najakeeper's reply to this. But really, you are dealing with animals that can never be wholly trained and trusted. You can always find anomalies, calmed specimens that can be relatively trusted, but become complacent for one split second... well, Steve Irwin ranted over and over about complacency.
> 
> The single incident that drove it home for me was trying to shoo a krait off the road one evening. As is well known, kraits are slow and laconic and I've done this maybe 20 times. So here's a porked out 4 footer lazing on the pavement and ignoring me as usual. The moment my stick touched him he transposed into a furious rattler, coiled and ready to strike. I backed off and he came right after me, making me climb onto the hood of the jeep. Bottom line is, you never know.


Yeah, you do not handle them unless you have to. and even then, the safest way is to have 2 people. you dont want to be alone if you get bit. These snakes are not like your corn snake or ball python. its not a "pet". they dont like to be bothered. Some will put up with you, but if you ever get into owning rattle snakes or adders, you will learn fast, just dont mess with them unless you have too. i did not get my first until after i had worked with a local keeper for years first. its not something you just want to jump into. because in some cases you put health in harms way. if you have any common sense you will do some research and alot of it. this is not a hobby for most people. if you think you can handle it, it is a fun and very rewarding one. but please do your research first. =) didnt mean to sound preachy.


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## jarmst4 (Dec 17, 2012)

I can only imagine my girly screams or the words I would be saying if a cobra was chasing me around my T room. This is a really interesting thread, thanks for the cool pics.


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## Najakeeper (Dec 18, 2012)

JZCtarantulafan said:


> is it a good idea to hold these, like that cobra? I want to keep hots in the future, you know when im older and don't have to ask for a snake. How often do you handle them? Beautiful snakes


It is a very very bad idea to hold any front fanged venomous snake without protection. I am already sorry that I put that picture up, naturally it gives people ideas. Venomous snakes should only be handled with appropriate equipment like snake hooks etc. , the consequences are way too serious to risk free handling. The snake in the picture is a Cape Coral Snake or Cape Coral Cobra, which is from the genus _Aspidelaps_. These snakes are not true cobras (_Naja_) and even though their venom is potent, the quantity is very low. Also, they are usually very calm snakes compared to true cobras and usually strike with a close mouth when they do. Still, full grown Aspidelaps have killed people and I do not intend to handle her again. I did it the day I got her as the previous keeper showed me that she was handled since she hatched, her behavior was pretty much like a corn snake's and she is very calm but dropping your guard is the thing that gets you bitten.

As for getting into venomous snakes, read what Redneck 101 has written. I agree 100%. This is a very serious hobby as it comes with the high risk of death or disfigurment. If you know what you are doing, it is a very rewarding experience to be with these animals but this is not a decision to be taken lightly. I have seen inexperienced people go to reptile shows and buy the pretty Gaboon viper, _Bitis gabonica_ out of a whim, which makes my head explode. 

Here is the cobra that chased me around the snake room over 10 years ago:













A friend of mine still has him in the States and he is still alive, around 13 years of age.

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## Redneck101 (Dec 18, 2012)

beautiful, N.kaouthia! i cant believe you start with it! a normal is bad enough, but an albino. haha. that just adds to it! i started out with the oh so common southern copperhead. but very nice snake regardless.


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## The Snark (Dec 18, 2012)

OP, I'm still trying to figure out how you ended up in a room with a (rather sexy and cute) cobra. Brainfartus maximus? Even a laid back cobra is insatiably curious. Seeing if bare toes resemble pinkies in a cobras eyes? 
My advice for potential hot keepers is get an unhandled adult rat snake, (Ptyas), and see if you can go for a few months without a single tag just keeping in in it's cage. Once you get passed that stage, bare hand catch it every day for a couple of weeks, again without getting tagged once. You get that far you're ready for hots.


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## Najakeeper (Dec 18, 2012)

The Snark said:


> OP, I'm still trying to figure out how you ended up in a room with a (rather sexy and cute) cobra. Brainfartus maximus? Even a laid back cobra is insatiably curious. Seeing if bare toes resemble pinkies in a cobras eyes?


Youth and complacency I guess. I opened the cage door for feeding, he rushed out, I backed off, he chased me. At the end the mouse looked tastier than my toes I guess so he went for the mouse and I tailed him when his mouth was full. He finished his meal inside the cage. You could probably isolate enough adrenalin from my blood to revive several over dosed drug addicts .


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## Redneck101 (Dec 18, 2012)

i am thinking about getting back into keeping a few hots again. yall got any suggestions? somethin a little different.


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## Najakeeper (Dec 18, 2012)

Redneck101 said:


> i am thinking about getting back into keeping a few hots again. yall got any suggestions? somethin a little different.


I am interested in water cobras, the old _Boulengerina_ genus (they are in _Naja_ now), especially the undescribed species from Congo, which stay small. They are laid back cobras, very good starter elapids if you can find captive bred offspring, which are very rare. Of course, they are fish feeders in the wild so they have very strong neurotoxic venom.

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## Redneck101 (Dec 19, 2012)

okay cool, thanks!. i might look into them. As soon as i move im thinking i might be getting something. not sure what though. we shall see.


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## Najakeeper (Dec 19, 2012)

Redneck101 said:


> okay cool, thanks!. i might look into them. As soon as i move im thinking i might be getting something. not sure what though. we shall see.


They are seriously hard to find though. I have only seen an adult pair for sale in US and it was gone in a matter of hours. I am a big fan of _Acanthophis_ as mentioned and captive bred _Acanthophis laevis_ are readily available. Very good looking, manageable snakes that stay small. Here is an _Acanthophis laevis_ that I purchased from Joe Switalski back in US.







---------- Post added 12-19-2012 at 11:53 AM ----------

By the way, here is a video of the female Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus feeding. She seems to be suffering from minor scale rot so I added a little bit of antibiotic paste to the mouse.

[YOUTUBE]aouk1iXkV4A[/YOUTUBE]


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## Redneck101 (Dec 19, 2012)

wow. thats crazy. well, im just looking around right now. i cant even get anything until i move out so. we will see how this goes. haha. and how long is she?


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## Najakeeper (Dec 22, 2012)

Redneck101 said:


> wow. thats crazy. well, im just looking around right now. i cant even get anything until i move out so. we will see how this goes. haha. and how long is she?


They dont get to be very big, usually under 50 cm.

------

So I was going to make a long video of my Acanthophis feeding but interesting things happened so I ended up making a short video of these. 

In the first part, you can see my yearling Acanthophis hawkei female using her tail as a lure. This is called caudal luring and is a very common hunting method for several snake species. Acanthophis genus in general uses caudal luring very often for hunting.

The second part of the video is the unusual part. I was trying to remove my yearling female Acanthophis hawkei out of her cage and she went into feeding mode immediately. When she saw movement, she attacked and bit the little cactus plant, which is planted in the cage. You don't get to see a vegetarian Death Adder everyday so enjoy 

[YOUTUBE]BPsMUhkNiZU[/YOUTUBE]

And here is a photo of the incident:







And here is another photo, it shows my male Acanthophis sp. Dajarra feeding:

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## The Snark (Dec 22, 2012)

Ersnt dat a succulent?


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## Najakeeper (Jan 5, 2013)

The Snark said:


> Ersnt dat a succulent?


The same idiot tried to eat the towel this week!







And here are some more pictures:

























And here is a video of my female Aspidelaps l. lubricus :

[YOUTUBE]VY8RFPll65w[/YOUTUBE]


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## Najakeeper (Jan 21, 2013)

I took a few pictures the other day, here are a couple more death adders:

_Acanthophis hawkei_ baby male







_Acanthophis woolfi_ baby male







_Acanthophis woolfi_ wolfing







And the photographer being photographed while enjoying his work:


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## Petross (Feb 3, 2013)

nice snakes


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## Najakeeper (Feb 8, 2013)

Petross said:


> nice snakes


Thanks. 

I have made a deal for a pair of black headed pythons from "calico" line, which will arrive on March 9th. Awesome looking rare pythons. 

I am also following a lead on a pair of Europe bred Acanthophis wellsi. These Pilbara death adders are even rare in Australian collections and they will be the jewel of any collection with their beautiful orange and black coloration. If I can find a pair for sale, they will probably cost as much as a black market kidney of course...


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## Cydaea (Feb 8, 2013)

Some of those snakes look like they were knitted O__O


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