hot snakes
- Thread starter Natemass
- Start date
Hey I used to keep hots before i moved
, and now i want to build my collection again and i wanted to buy some from a dealer in florida...but i have to wait and get the state's permit. You may want to check first on the laws and permits for keeping hots in your state. I already did my research and i was told i had to get a permit and that could take a couple of months
Of course, I'm assuming you have lots of experience in keeping snakes already, and you are very well informed of the risks and you have no children in your house, otherwise I would never recommend any hot keeping in your house. Hots require a great deal of responsability and a lot of $$$ to invest on them, and you can't afford to make any mistakes. If you're a veteran keeper and you're ready for the risks, then i think you'll enjoy it as much as i did.
, and now i want to build my collection again and i wanted to buy some from a dealer in florida...but i have to wait and get the state's permit. You may want to check first on the laws and permits for keeping hots in your state. I already did my research and i was told i had to get a permit and that could take a couple of months Of course, I'm assuming you have lots of experience in keeping snakes already, and you are very well informed of the risks and you have no children in your house, otherwise I would never recommend any hot keeping in your house. Hots require a great deal of responsability and a lot of $$$ to invest on them, and you can't afford to make any mistakes. If you're a veteran keeper and you're ready for the risks, then i think you'll enjoy it as much as i did.
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Yeah use to love my hots! At least you can get a permit for them Kriegan, they're now illegal where I live.
Natemass
If you have a local herp club or society you should be able to hook up with knowledgeable people who can teach you what you need to know. There are a few web-sites/forums that specialize in venom.
Natemass
If you have a local herp club or society you should be able to hook up with knowledgeable people who can teach you what you need to know. There are a few web-sites/forums that specialize in venom.
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ive worked with allot of native Crotalus species but i havent had the pleasure of keeping one yet.. maby one of theise days when i move out of the house i will finaly get my rubers ive been wanting.
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if its good new to hots you are looking for then i would steer you towards copperheads(Agkistrodon contortrix)...not so tempted to strike and pretty low strung for hots...though i would advise doing some research and finding what is legal to own in your state..as alot of hot species are illegal to own in many states...good luck
Natemass have you owned any other snakes before?
have you owned a fast striking, aggressive snake before?
if the answer to either of the above questions is no, please, do not get a venomous snake.
if you do, find someone who keeps hots in your area, ask if they will teach you how to deal with the snakes before you get one of your own.
have you owned a fast striking, aggressive snake before?
if the answer to either of the above questions is no, please, do not get a venomous snake.
if you do, find someone who keeps hots in your area, ask if they will teach you how to deal with the snakes before you get one of your own.
I currently keep: 2 Monocled Cobras, 2 Snouted Cobras, 1 Rinkhals, 2 Western Diamondbacks, 2 Cottonmouths, 2 Copperheads and 2 Shore's pit vipers.
I didn't have anyone to teach me about keeping venomous snakes, so I had to do it the hard way. To be honest, the hard way wasn't that hard at all. My first hot snake was a Cape Cobra, and it just kinda snowballed from there.
I feel there is no one right way to do it, since each method has pros and cons. My method of handling or setting up may be completely different to a way you may feel comfortable with.
On that, decide which species you wish to keep (obviously within reason). Do some research on it, and go for it.
Never take risks (trust me, I have learnt this the hard way). Always know where the snake is before you do any kind of work in its enclosure. Unless you make use of a trap box, never work in a snake's enclosure with the snake still in there (even changing the water could end very badly for you). Remember that venomous snakes disfigure or kill people each year, and they never tame. They know they are venomous.
Handling should be kept as a bare neccessity. Pinning is an excellent way to get bit.
As to species, if you plan on keeping cobras one day, a Copperhead won't teach you much about handling. In a case like that, I would go aggressive non-venomous first (coachwhips etc.). If the fast elapids aren't your thing, a Copperhead is a good choice.
A very overlooked point when it comes to venomous is treatment if you make a mistake. Start with something local to your area/state etc.
I didn't have anyone to teach me about keeping venomous snakes, so I had to do it the hard way. To be honest, the hard way wasn't that hard at all. My first hot snake was a Cape Cobra, and it just kinda snowballed from there.
I feel there is no one right way to do it, since each method has pros and cons. My method of handling or setting up may be completely different to a way you may feel comfortable with.
On that, decide which species you wish to keep (obviously within reason). Do some research on it, and go for it.
Never take risks (trust me, I have learnt this the hard way). Always know where the snake is before you do any kind of work in its enclosure. Unless you make use of a trap box, never work in a snake's enclosure with the snake still in there (even changing the water could end very badly for you). Remember that venomous snakes disfigure or kill people each year, and they never tame. They know they are venomous.
Handling should be kept as a bare neccessity. Pinning is an excellent way to get bit.
As to species, if you plan on keeping cobras one day, a Copperhead won't teach you much about handling. In a case like that, I would go aggressive non-venomous first (coachwhips etc.). If the fast elapids aren't your thing, a Copperhead is a good choice.
A very overlooked point when it comes to venomous is treatment if you make a mistake. Start with something local to your area/state etc.
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that is all very sound advice ^
just remember antivenom dosent alwayse work, every mistake you make could be your last, even if you live from a hot venomous bite your fingers and hands might not live with you.
just remember antivenom dosent alwayse work, every mistake you make could be your last, even if you live from a hot venomous bite your fingers and hands might not live with you.
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well absalutely...there is risk of an allergy to the venom or antivenom...I have seen a few guys loose fingers over something as simple as a copperhead. Keeping venomous snakes is a whole other world. Also it really depends on what you get. and there is no reason at first to start with anything pretty bad. If you are going towards elapids i would say a false water cobra would be a good start. If you are going for vipers I would say a copperhead. But all this is up to you if you think you are experienced enough to handle a potentially fatal animal...
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@ Kreigan
There ARE no permits to keep hots in GA. You can legally keep any native venomous species, no permits required. Anything not native to the state of GA is illegal, period. Sorry mate. I've kept hundreds of hots over the years and not being able to is one of the things I hate most about this state. Check out the GA dept of wildlife website for more info.
http://georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/content/displaycontent.asp?txtDocument=6
There ARE no permits to keep hots in GA. You can legally keep any native venomous species, no permits required. Anything not native to the state of GA is illegal, period. Sorry mate. I've kept hundreds of hots over the years and not being able to is one of the things I hate most about this state. Check out the GA dept of wildlife website for more info.
http://georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/content/displaycontent.asp?txtDocument=6
Hallo Galadriel,
:? Now you've got me confused!:wall: When I spoke to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources 3 weeks ago... they transfered my call to the special permit's unit and told me that if i wanted to keep native venomous snakes no permit was required, but since i'm more interested in keeping non native venomous like gaboons, cobras, pitvipers etc...a permit and a license was required to own them. I dunno if it's going to take some months because i'm not an american citizen and i'm here on a working visa, but i told the official i do have a georgia driver's license and my tax id #...but he said i still needed to pay for the license and since they reviewed each case separately it could take some months
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Advice I saw, very possibly from someone who posted here, is take care of a nippy/aggressive non-venomous species and treat it like a hot. Remember every time it tags you, consider a time you could have died.
Don't consider antivenins as a potential safety net. First they are not widely available, and when they are they tend to belong to only native species (in MA copperheads and timber rattlers). Also the anti-venin is occasional ass deadly as the venom. There is risk of severe allergic reaction to them, even leading to anaphylaxis and death.
From what I have heard getting a permit in MA is extremely difficult.
Here is a link to the NE Herp Society http://www.neherp.com/
Good luck on whatever you decide.
Don't consider antivenins as a potential safety net. First they are not widely available, and when they are they tend to belong to only native species (in MA copperheads and timber rattlers). Also the anti-venin is occasional ass deadly as the venom. There is risk of severe allergic reaction to them, even leading to anaphylaxis and death.
From what I have heard getting a permit in MA is extremely difficult.
Here is a link to the NE Herp Society http://www.neherp.com/
Good luck on whatever you decide.
Id say take care of snakes for many years - then consider getting a venomous one. Aggressive non-vens snakes, well Im not so sure about this. There is alot of difference between a Coelognathus and for example a gabonica.
I think experience overall how to deal with snakes is more important then get a aggro one and go some kind of crash course in ven keeping.
The anaphylaxis risk is considerable lower with CroFab antivenom then the old outdated Wyath.
This means unfortunatly that more vials are needed in severe envenomations.
I also think to deterr people from even wanting to own hots.. I've noticed this state has all this info regarding non native hots very hidden from the public and then they make you go through a lot of hassle in getting an expensive license with the liability insurance and all the requirementsHallo Galadriel,
:? Now you've got me confused!:wall: When I spoke to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources 3 weeks ago... they transfered my call to the special permit's unit and told me that if i wanted to keep native venomous snakes no permit was required, but since i'm more interested in keeping non native venomous like gaboons, cobras, pitvipers etc...a permit and a license was required to own them. I dunno if it's going to take some months because i'm not an american citizen and i'm here on a working visa, but i told the official i do have a georgia driver's license and my tax id #...but he said i still needed to pay for the license and since they reviewed each case separately it could take some months
and you have to wait months for it...And only those who have kept hots before know it's totally worth it!!!LOL!! But i honestly think they do everything in their power to want to change your mind about keeping them on purpose. I guess this is good in a certain way...if it were so easy and friendly to obtain there be a lot of people dead in GA already
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