Hot Keepers/Prospective Keepers: Goals for 2016

[D Grade]

What's everyones goals for 2016? What do you hope to accomplish and/or obtain? Who's ready to bite the bullet and step into keeping hots? Who's ready to get another hot to add to the collection and what's it gonna be? What shows do you plan on attending related to hots? Anyone in Florida finishing up their 1000hr class and wanna share how it was?

As for me, my goals are to add to the collection:

C.O. Cerberus
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/1210/2480.jpeg

C. M. Pyrrhus (white variation)
https://snakebuddies.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/whitespeck.jpg?w=640&h=426

C. Atrox (patternless, albino, or normal with high copper colored eyes)
http://www.reptilesofaz.org/Graphics/Snakes/herp-c-atrox-0403.jpg

Also planning on vending with my buddie at the San Antonio venomous show at the end of this month (more in the summer), also to have a successful herping season finding Venomous and non-Venomous respectively.

Hows about everyone else?

[Albert Clark]

Man! Those are some awesome hots. Wish I was able make time for the training. Hopefully soon. I'm feeling that C. Atrox! What are the initial requirements to start heading towards licensing to own hots?

[inv3ctiv3]

I love Cerb's but can't own one here in CA and the white pyrrhus's are cool but they are just the speck these days so I lean more towards the blues and some of the other variations. I plan on getting a couple more crotes, mostly specks and I'd like to add a female beaded lizard to go with my male.

[SSSSnakes]

Man! Those are some awesome hots. Wish I was able make time for the training. Hopefully soon. I'm feeling that C. Atrox! What are the initial requirements to start heading towards licensing to own hots?

Albert, hit me up and I'll help you out.

[jpsteele80]

i wish i was able to have hots, my wife would kill me for even bringing one into the house around the kids and i don't blame her, i could never live with myself if one of the kids got bit but i will own a pair of eyelash vipers one day.

[pet_snake_78]

I thought you couldn't get into hots in NY anymore, do they still issue new permits?

[Nightflight99]

My goals for 2016 include a few more expansions to my B. constrictor group and to surplus a few other secondary projects. I'm also aiming at producing a few really neat litters this year, including cape cobras, several species of mambas, shieldnose cobras, and, as usual, Mexican beaded lizards (http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/general-venomous-forum/111763-2016-heloderma-clutch.html).

Venomous additions are always difficult to predict, but I've been on the lookout for a suitable male D. jamesoni kaimosae for several years now, and perhaps 2016 will be the year to get lucky.

As far as venomous shows are concerned, I might stick my head into the San Antonio show later this year. It is tempting to go to the one later this month, but most shows this early in the season have little diversity to offer.

[SSSSnakes]

I thought you couldn't get into hots in NY anymore, do they still issue new permits?

There is still a hold on them, but you could be added as a handler on someone else's permit.

[pet_snake_78]

Rats, I live close to the NY border might move if I could get a permit lol and I don't even really want to get into hots per say, I just want some beaded lizards.

[EL Ziggy]

Wow D, those first two critters are unreal!

[FWK]

I'll be at the San Antonio show on the 28th looking specifically for native Texas hots, though I have been tempted recently by those beautiful white Speckleds. If there happens to be some there and I still have some money left over after buying my target species... not likely though. I have a pretty long list of Texas natives to get through before expanding any further. A. piscivorus is target number one after failing two years in a row to turn up a neonate in the field (dozens of adults, not a single little one). My experiences with Cottonmouths as a kid are directly responsible for my lifelong fascination with snakes, I am very much looking forward to finally working with them in captivity. Other targets include C. l. lepidus, C. ornatus (aka C. m. molossus), A. laticinctus & contortrix (probably labeled as A. c. laticinctus, pictigaster, & contortrix), S. m. streckeri, and S. c. tergeminus. I'm hoping to pick up three or four of these species, and I'll have an eye out for a few colubrids as well. Most notably a Lyre (anything but T. vilkinsonii, as they are protected by the state of Texas. Bummer that it wont technically be a Texas native animal, but close enough for me under the circumstances), a Night Snake, and a Prairie King. I've been planning a trip to a show for a while now, wanted to get all my ducks in a row before adding these species to my collection. I plan on hitting another show later in the year as well.

[sirtalis]

In April I'm starting an unofficial hot program with a good friend of mine. Hopefully by 2017 Ill be ready for a gaboon viper & a rattlesnake (rattlers are what my friend specializes in :))

[D Grade]

Man! Those are some awesome hots. Wish I was able make time for the training. Hopefully soon. I'm feeling that C. Atrox! What are the initial requirements to start heading towards licensing to own hots?

You have to check with your state requirements, but I think Jerry is pointing you in the right direction. Here in AZ, you're allowed to collect up to 4 per species with a general hunting license as long as they are not protected (3 Crotalus, 1 Sistrurus, and 1 Garter species are protected here). Exotics, selling and buying, and over collecting are prohibited but you can collect a non protected species and give it to someone.

i wish i was able to have hots, my wife would kill me for even bringing one into the house around the kids and i don't blame her, i could never live with myself if one of the kids got bit but i will own a pair of eyelash vipers one day.

I keep my C. Molossus in a locked and marked cage out of the reach of my 4 year old daughter and my wife. If I pull her out for cleaning, then I let them watch (if they want) from the next room over.

Wow D, those first two critters are unreal!

I know, that's why they are on my bucket list this season Zig! :)

In April I'm starting an unofficial hot program with a good friend of mine. Hopefully by 2017 Ill be ready for a gaboon viper & a rattlesnake (rattlers are what my friend specializes in :))

Good luck. Do you know what species of rattlesnake you're going to keep first?

[sirtalis]

You have to check with your state requirements, but I think Jerry is pointing you in the right direction. Here in AZ, you're allowed to collect up to 4 per species with a general hunting license as long as they are not protected (3 Crotalus, 1 Sistrurus, and 1 Garter species are protected here). Exotics, selling and buying, and over collecting are prohibited but you can collect a non protected species and give it to someone.



I keep my C. Molossus in a locked and marked cage out of the reach of my 4 year old daughter and my wife. If I pull her out for cleaning, then I let them watch (if they want) from the next room over.



I know, that's why they are on my bucket list this season Zig! :)



Good luck. Do you know what species of rattlesnake you're going to keep first?

Not 100% sure but probably an albino western diamondback, and Thanks! He also has 2 gaboons so I may end up getting one of those once I'm comfortable with working with one :)

[D Grade]

Nice, Gaboon's are definitely a possibility for me if the laws ever change.

[sirtalis]

Move to Texas lol, where I live I could own a bear if I wanted lol. My uncles neighbors have a giraffe, they used to have a hippo but it killed a neighbors cow so they sold it a few years back :p

[D Grade]

I would if I didn't love Arizona so much (as well as my day job). The weather, the scenery, monsoon season, and epic herping is too much to give up. Basically I love everything about AZ......except the drivers.

[sirtalis]

Lol true... my step grandma lives there so every other year or so we visit, exploring the "outback" is a blast, we found a Gila monster in a canyon a few years back, I wish I had taken a few pics :p