Rattlers

[Lasiodora]

Cool,
I like those. A couple of American companys are starting to develop those type of glass tanks (with sliding doors). Are they a pain in the ass to move when you need too (the tanks that is)?
Mike

 

[Crotalus]

Cool,
I like those. A couple of American companys are starting to develop those type of glass tanks (with sliding doors). Are they a pain in the ass to move when you need too (the tanks that is)?
Mike

Not really, just lift them out (after removing ton of stones...). The sliding doors is easily removed out of the slides. So moving them are no big deal, worse with the aquarium tank i got...
However when i get my new tanks they be in aluminium with glass sliding doors and one side in glass, much lighter then built entirely in glass in those sizes.

/Lelle

 

[Crotalus]

A few more cerberus shots...
I miss those guys, hibernation sucks sometimes!

/Lelle

 

[Lasiodora]

Very Nice Lelle. So those glass cages are lighter then aquarium cages huh. I always thought they'd be about the same weight. Here's an example of one of the cages being manufactured here: click me Still too expensive for me to consider purchasing. Another company named advanced vivarium technology also makes these types but they have no website.
Mike

 

[Crotalus]

Very Nice Lelle. So those glass cages are lighter then aquarium cages huh. I always thought they'd be about the same weight. Here's an example of one of the cages being manufactured here: click me Still too expensive for me to consider purchasing. Another company named advanced vivarium technology also makes these types but they have no website.
Mike

I was comparing my aquarium with my cages, then they are lighter (smaller and thinner glass). Depends offcourse how large you make the cages, the bigger the thicker glass - so that is why im gonna use aluminium instead.
I have a few cages made of aluminiumframes and bottom and back in aluminium, and they are so much lighter then the overall glass cages and no risk of cracking the bottom when using stones etc.
Like this one but larger:

Same construction as the new ones im making.

/Lelle

 

[Brian S]

Lelle, You have a great collection of Hot Snakes!!!! Thanx for sharing pics.

BTW, Are you breeding these snakes?

 

[Crotalus]

Lelle, You have a great collection of Hot Snakes!!!! Thanx for sharing pics.

BTW, Are you breeding these snakes?

Thanks Brian.
Hopefully getting babies of cerberus and atrox this year, we´ll see how it goes. Also need females for the durissus and for my horridus male.

/Lelle

 

[Brian S]

Lelle, Do you keep any Elapids?

 

[Crotalus]

Lelle, Do you keep any Elapids?

Yes 1.1 juvenile Naja atra

/Lelle

 

[orcrist]

I don't have much experience with herps, but I do know that the Eastern Water Snakes I chase around in the creek can be pretty aggressive. I cought a 4' one once, and it struck at me multiple times, usually just a bluff strike with it's head, but it also latched its teeth on the stick I had a couple times. I know they're not considered venemous, but if you get bit you usually will run a mild fever for a fiew days, porbably from something in their saliva. We had several people getting serious E. coli infections from swimming in the creek a few years ago, so the bites might be giving people mild infections. Either way, most people around here call them brown-spot adders and think that they're deadly poisonous.

 

[misfitsfiend]

I think this is very big misconception. The fact that you owned several amazon tree boas who are aggressive does not necessarily make you qualified to deal with hots. This can give you some experience but you cannot draw everything you need to know from this alone. You have to remember that venomous snakes do not always show signs of aggression when they strike (rattlesnakes sometimes don't even rattle). In those cases having worked with aggressive snakes will mean nothing. You have to be proficient with a snake hook and have calm nerves. Some snakes won't hook at all. I think an overall knowledge of keeping snakes and working closely with someone who keeps hots will better prepare you than anything else. How much time you will need to work with that person varies from individual to individual. You also have to be realistic and plan for a bite. Anyone who keeps hots can tell you that no matter how experienced you that there's always a chance of being bit, however small it may be.
Back to the topic.
Again beautiful pics.
Mike

Well IMO you can learn to become more calm after learning to deal with an agressive snake and I think that learning to handle a snake calmly, especialy a hot snake is very importiant. I didnt mean that just because you have a tree boa, you can go out and handle any snake out there, and in no way do I think it makes someone qualified to work with hots. I did learn from personal experiences, only because I was fortunate enough to have a Father who did research In the same building as some very skilled Herpetologist in Brazil (Instituto Butantan).I got to work with... or acctually help work with some Bothrops bilineatus, Bothrops leucurus, and Micrurus frontalis along with many other less venomous snakes, boas, and non-venomous snakes. Probably the most interesting/exciting days of my life. But like you said you need to have calm nerves and the best way to learn to stay calm is to deal with a more agressive snake (obviously not a hot snake). working with an agressive snake is also a way you could learn to become proficient with a snake hook.

Every time I handle hot snakes I use a hook, and I am extreamly carefull. Also you have the keep both eyes on whats going on and not let yourself get distracted. Like you said there is always a chance you will be bit, so I couldnt agree more about planing what will happen if a bite occurs, it's probably the smartest thing some one could do.