Venom project is funded!

[Venomhunter]

Hi everyone, VH here with some exciting news!

I've been working on a project for a while, to do research on venom/poison from animals, giving lectures and trainings etc.
And the hard work finally paid off! It will be funded :)
By the start of next year, i'll have a new place for all the animals and research equipment. Also, i just reserved new snakes for next year: two Dendroaspis angusticeps (eastern green mamba) to add to the collection,
Can't wait to share the progress with you all!

[reptiledude987]

Thats awesome! I love hots!!! Id love to see what you already have in your collection.

[MDT]

congrats VH. great news

[Albert Clark]

Fantastic! Congrats. Who is funding the project and how long is it going to continue?

[sirtalis]

Sounds awesome, congrats!!

[Venomhunter]

Fantastic! Congrats. Who is funding the project and how long is it going to continue?
My boss was in doubt if he would invest money, but lcukily he did!
It will be an ongoing research, as long that there is venom/poison (and is secreted by animals) we will continue.
We also need to give trainings etc. To cover some costs but most expenses are paid.

The name of the organisation is "ND Frisian Venom Research"
I've created a facebook page dedicated to all the progress and in a couple of months i will also launch a website.

[Venomhunter]

congrats VH. great news


Thanks MDT! :)

[Venomhunter]

Thats awesome! I love hots!!! Id love to see what you already have in your collection.

Will share pictures, from the room
I'll go for a nikon :)

[Venomhunter]

Sounds awesome, congrats!!


Thank you very much!!

[dave himself]

Congratulations looking forward to seeing the pictures

[Venomhunter]

I will post some pictures of my spiders and scorpions tommorow, my snake is in shed so i'll leave her until she is done with shedding because otherwise she will spit all over me and the camera :D

Oh, and should people be interested in the facebook page, here is the link:
www.facebook.com/NDfrisianvenomresearch

[Venomhunter]

Congratulations looking forward to seeing the pictures

Here they are;
The box where i keep the smaller hots.
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet (http://imgur.com/JTCPlzN)
My false widow, Steatoda paykulliana
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet (http://imgur.com/JTCPlzN)
My redback spider, Latrodectus hasselti eating a cricket
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet (http://imgur.com/qErqss0)
My European black widow, Latrodectus tredecimgutattus
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet (http://imgur.com/BjeU7oD)
My 2nd instar Deathstalker scorpion, Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet (http://imgur.com/xcpBHMz)
The container of my 2nd instar L.q. hebraeus
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet (http://imgur.com/tUdg9o9)
My 3th instar L.q. Hebraeus
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet (http://imgur.com/PbmJ6P5)
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet (http://imgur.com/hWsq7dq)

[trailblazer295]

Is it just me or do the first two links just show the top of a critter keeper and no animal?

[Venomhunter]

Is it just me or do the first two links just show the top of a critter keeper and no animal?
My fault, working on a tablet isn't always ideal.. will also get a new laptop soon.
Uploading images on this forum from IOS is quite a task :D this is only a part of the shoot, the rest is on the facebook page.

But Here is also my false widow, Steatoda paykulliana
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet (http://imgur.com/ew54k2i)

[trailblazer295]

How do you handle/clean the cages of venomous spiders that small? One bite could kill you but at the same time they are so small it wouldn't be hard to squish them by accident with protective gloves.

[Venomhunter]

How do you handle/clean the cages of venomous spiders that small? One bite could kill you but at the same time they are so small it wouldn't be hard to squish them by accident with protective gloves.

Widow bites are seldom fatal, it's true that they have a very potent venom but they don't have much of it.
One of the key components is Alpha-latrotoxin, a excitatory neurotoxin that overstimulates your nerves, it creates a condition known as "Latrodectism" symptoms are: sweating at the site of the bite, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting etc.
It won't kill you if you seek medical care and it's very slow in onset, so you have time.
There is a antivenom available, however usage of the antivenom is associated with anaphylaxis, so it's only used when the pain is either unbearable or the patient is surely going to die without it.
That being said, even though the bite won't prove fatal in most cases, it's incredibly painful and even with pain medications you still feel alot of the "frying" of your nerves.
People of old age, the young and the ones with a weakend immune system are most at risk for a potential fatal envenomation.
Hypotension may even cause rhabdomyolisis, a condition where muscle cells burst open and release their contents in the blood stream, clogging up the kidneys and causing renal failure.

I don't work with gloves with any of my animals, even the cobra.
It just doesn't work for me, i feel more comfortable without them.
Thereby, this little redback is still a juvenile and only bites from adult female widow spiders can cause severe envenomation in some cases.

[trailblazer295]

Thanks for clarifying.

[Venomhunter]

Update:
Got new business cards today, they turned out very nice!