Getting my first hot snake

[SonsofArachne]

Anyone care to ID this snake?

It's one of the Asiatic ratsnakes, not sure which species. Mean, but not venomous.

 

[The Snark]

It's one of the Asiatic ratsnakes, not sure which species. Mean, but not venomous.

Chuckles. Those encounters happen almost daily in the feed piles and barns. "This is my pile of grass! Back off, *******!" The ratters around here are BELLIGERENT!

 

[SonsofArachne]

Chuckles. Those encounters happen almost daily in the feed piles and barns. "This is my pile of grass! Back off, *******!" The ratters around here are BELLIGERENT!

They have a reason to be mean. From what I've read they're one of the favorite foods of Ophiophagus hannah

 

[Dennis Nedry]

They have a reason to be mean. From what I've read they're one of the favorite foods of Ophiophagus hannah

Oh yeah, there’s a guy on IG with a few kings and they all love rat snakes

 

[Teal]

Right like it's bad to lean more like i suposed to know everything about every speciesoof snake if you don't have advice then why comment u know nothing of my handling skills and its not like they make books stating how certain species act in captivity

Dear lord. Let's start with grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Pretty please?

(Anyone care to ID this snake? When it strikes it can come completely off the ground. A strike zone almost twice the length of it's body.)

Taiwanese beauty?

... Or Vietnamese?

The harmless adorable arm decoration dog that after 12 years of fluffy niceness shredded her owners hand.

Nope nope nope. Please do not compare.

Dogs give PLENTY of warning signs that are always ignored by ignorant humans until finally the dog escalates its corrections to biting.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Nope nope nope. Please do not compare.

Dogs give PLENTY of warning signs that are always ignored by ignorant humans until finally the dog escalates its corrections to biting.

Uhm, not always

While is a man made fault action, here in Italy certain dogs breeds (the powerful ones) trained with electrocution etc for defend home property/gradens attacks in no time, they are killing machines.

I know it's hateful and whatnot, but happened here. Just like illegal dogs fights (again, only biggest breeds) are big in central Italy, unfortunately.

 

[Teal]

Uhm, not always

While is a man made fault action, here in Italy certain dogs breeds (the powerful ones) trained with electrocution etc for defend home property/gradens attacks in no time, they are killing machines.

I know it's hateful and whatnot, but happened here. Just like illegal dogs fights (again, only biggest breeds) are big in central Italy, unfortunately.

Yes, ALWAYS.

Property/personal defense dogs are not what we are talking about. We are talking about little fluffy pet dogs that constantly display body language saying they are uncomfortable but humans are ignorant. So finally, the dog gets fed up and bites someone because its previous warnings were ignored. Then people cry that the dog was "always fine" and the attack was "totally random."

Property/personal defense dogs are an entirely different matter. I have those as well as dog aggressive dogs... they come with a completely different set of stigmas, stereotypes, and ignorance.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Yes, ALWAYS.

Property/personal defense dogs are not what we are talking about. We are talking about little fluffy pet dogs that constantly display body language saying they are uncomfortable but humans are ignorant. So finally, the dog gets fed up and bites someone because its previous warnings were ignored. Then people cry that the dog was "always fine" and the attack was "totally random."

Property/personal defense dogs are an entirely different matter. I have those as well as dog aggressive dogs... they come with a completely different set of stigmas, stereotypes, and ignorance.

But the thing is that even certain breeds, technically more suitable for a (legit) home property/defence/whatever than others, if cared properly, behave normal, like the other dogs (size, strenght aside).

It's the man made action that turns, sadly, those breeds into paranoid guardians.

At the end, even a huge Mastino Napoletano and Cane Corso are fluffy and friendly unfortunately, certain thugs force those into a life of violence, with every kind of device, such shocking/electrocution collars etc

 

[Teal]

But the thing is that even certain breeds, technically more suitable for a (legit) home property/defence/whatever than others, if cared properly, behave normal, like the other dogs (size, strenght aside).

It's the man made action that turns, sadly, those breeds into paranoid guardians.

At the end, even a huge Mastino Napoletano and Cane Corso are fluffy and friendly unfortunately, certain thugs force those into a life of violence, with every kind of device, such shocking/electrocution collars etc

If all dogs behaved the same, we wouldn't have specialized breeds. Molossers are guardians and war dogs. They have tough temperaments that can withstand a lot of harsh conditioning. They require a caliber of training that would break other dogs. Though I do agree that many handlers overuse heavy-handed training methods, it is a complete fallacy that the dogs would be fluffy harmless kittens if treated any other way.

 

[Teal]

But, I digress... this thread is about snakes

 

[Teal]

To the OP - Your first step needs to be educating yourself regarding your local laws for keeping hots... find out about permits, restricted species, etc.

Your second step needs to be figuring out what species you specifically want, and then learning from responsible keepers of those species. Handling a Copper in no way prepares you for handling a Gaboon, for instance.

 

[EtienneN]

Or you could take a look at the Animal Planet show Fatal Attractions and watch how ppl die from having pet vipers, like the woman from Cincinnati who was killed by her pet Gaboon viper.

 

[The Snark]

They have a reason to be mean. From what I've read they're one of the favorite foods of Ophiophagus hannah

Oh yeah, there’s a guy on IG with a few kings and they all love rat snakes

I've seen a correlations here. Hannah population inverse to the number of ratters. Last year around 1/3rd of the snakes I saw were Hannah. I think I saw 2, maybe 3 ratters. In these parts the only snakes that aren't instant Hannah dinners would be the strictly arboreals and the heftier pythons - and that probably wouldn't stop a Hannah from biting and discovering it's fangs are bigger than it's stomach.

Dogs give PLENTY of warning signs that are always ignored by ignorant humans until finally the dog escalates its corrections to biting.

With the exception of the ultra inbred foo foos that one day just decide to go bonkers.

 

[Teal]

With the exception of the ultra inbred foo foos that one day just decide to go bonkers.

Except that isn't a thing, but okay.

 

[Jayandash]

I have had plenty of experience with other deadly snakes I get they can kill. I have spend vigorous amounts of time perfecting my skills. I get that no amout of experience can stop certain situations. but carefully planning and experience can lower the odds I just want other hot keepers to express their opinion and experience with there hots. What one is there favorite?

 

[Jayandash]

I also want to add I never said it has to be vipers. I love All snakes and won't judge a book by its cover. But I do like when a snake has looks.(Bright colors)

 

[SonsofArachne]

I have had plenty of experience with other deadly snakes I get they can kill. I have spend vigorous amounts of time perfecting my skills. I get that no amout of experience can stop certain situations. but carefully planning and experience can lower the odds I just want other hot keepers to express their opinion and experience with there hots. What one is there favorite?

Again, I have no personal experience but I knew some hot keepers (I'm no longer in contact). I remember that the Asian bamboo pitvipers were considered good starters and they are quite colorful.

 

[Dennis Nedry]

Again, I have no personal experience but I knew some hot keepers (I'm no longer in contact). I remember that the Asian bamboo pitvipers were considered good starters and they are quite colorful.

I would assume any heavy bodied viper that lives on the ground would be a good choice as long as you never get close to it as they’re not exactly athletic until they decide to strike and are usually happy to stay put

 

[schmiggle]

@Najakeeper are you still around? You would have the most valuable input here I think.

 

[schmiggle]

I still think, by the way, that the thing to do is get a big, strong snake that will leave painful but not dangerous bites (I.e., a constrictor that won't rip your face off).