When is one ready to own a hot?

[tHeGiNo]

Not like I would ever consider one, however I have always been curious on what you "experts" feel makes you ready to own a hot? Just curious...

[Dom]

many many months to years of shadowing a hot owner..

You need to know your ready as well...

[BWSmith]

Here is a short article I wrote on this subject

Are You Ready for a Hot? (http://www.reptilehaven.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Forum&file=index&action=viewtopic&topic=8483&26)

[Tim and Julie B]

This is a joke so no one take offence. My friend once said " Find the meanest nastiest scubs you can get. Hand tame them and then you are ready!"

I agree with Dom on this! I agree with you too. I personally don't keep them but I have been around enough people that do! I've watched people, that think they are ready, get into hots to quickly (to show off I think). He didn't have any mishaps but his snakes died. Do the proper reasearch and take time to learn. I keep Scorpions. I started small and worked my way up but I still want to gain more experiance before I get into the truely toxic ones. Scorpions are different then snakes but the end result is bad news. Work with someone for a while then decide. I will never forget the first time I saw a rattler eat. Lightning quick! The most beautiful reptiles in the world are species of venomous snakes.

[Dom]

Great article BWSmith .. very interesting..

[BWSmith]

Thanks. That was the "midnight rant". Recently I have expanded on each topic to make it clearer and more comprehensive. But the pics came from the SHHS (www.venomousreptiles.org) and I encourage ANY hot keeper or anyone with an interst in hots to join! By reading the site, you cannot fathom the benifits!

[Matt]

when i was first getting into hots, i was told, "if you have to ask if you are ready, your not ready yet" , just something that i was told!

....very nice article brian, very well written!

[Emily-Fisher]

I personally think that people get into hots just to show off too. I have a friend on th is forum (and I will not name any names) who owns some hots and is always saying that if he gets bitten, he will be sent to the hospital and he's been bitten numerous times etc etc...I don't even t hink that he appreciates his hots. I don't know a single person who keeps them just because they are interested...I get the feeling that all of the hot keepers that I've met keep them just to be a "tough person." Of course there are exceptions though :P it drives me nuts though because afterwards the animal dies and they just buy another one. That's just my opinion...I don't meaan to offend anyone. By the way, great article :P Honestly, no offense to any of the hot keepers on this forum...I am just showing my opinion :)

[Matt]

I personally think that people get into hots just to show off too

Emily,
while i certainly agree that this is true of some people, not all hot keepers that in it for that reason.

I know its hard not to lump all the hot keepers together, but the "testosterone" keepers give the other keepers a real bad name sometime, and i dont think its fair!

[Emily-Fisher]

No..it isn't fair. Say, what is everyone's favorite kind of venemous snake? I like the eyelash viper :)

[reptilesalonica]

No one never is ready for venomous snakes because venomous snakes far more than non-venomous snakes are unpredictable and when there's a hot snake free near you, you must always be alert for the worst. Like Dom suggests, after shadowing a mature and experienced hot keeper you can say that you have something to start with. Remember, owning any hot snakes, you take all the responsibilities for any accident, either hearting yourself or others. In this point i want to stress that i don't want to play it smart here. I own 3 hots. 2 longnose vipers (Vipera ammodytes) and one Taylor's cantil (Agkistrodon bilineatus taylori) that is a very difficult snake cause it's very fast.
~Greg~

[Emily-Fisher]

What do Taylor's cantil look like? I've never heard of them...

[reptilesalonica]

You can take a look at my gallery Emily-Fisher

[Emily-Fisher]

Oh wow, she's beautiful!!! Looks as if she was expensive too :P

[Gregg M]

What Emily said is true to a small extent........ There are alot of us that do not make it public knowledge that we are keeping these animals though......... I myself am very quiet about what I do and only a select few friends I have know what I keep....... I would say that the big majority of the people you talk to in this forum are good at what they do and do it for the right reasons...... I keep them because I am very interested in them........ I am into breeding them and selling babies for way under the regular market price........ As long as they are going to a proper home I have no problem selling them for close to nothing......... I love my snakes and keep them clean, watered, and fed and do not show them off to the public to show how "tough" I am......... I am into proper handling and will never free handle a venomous snake to be cool....... In the wild these snakes are survivors but in a captive situation they will not last long unless they are properly cared for by us....... And when you can get them to thrive and breed you know that you are doing exactly what the snake needs....... And that is why I do what I do.......

[reptilesalonica]

Here in Greece he (boy) is. But in Canana i don't know how much they cost.

[BWSmith]

They run between $100 and $150 in the US.

[marisa]

I must say, I have never really had a huge interest in having a hot snake...but of course those copperheads just draw you in and my mind has thought about owning one of those beauties in a good many years from now.

BUT

After reading your post BWSmith, I have changed my mind that fast. I really personally will never be able to commit myself to the risk they bring into a persons life. That photo really brought the point home for me. I cannot fathom the stupid mistake a person like me could make, ending in that. And frankly in my mind the Copperhead just isn't worth my hand ever looking like that because I got distracted. I am much more comfortable living with the fact that if I have to turn my head, my cornsnake/kingsnake might bite me and thats it.

Marisa

[JD@reptiles]

Well i have been catching herps all my life. i got serously interested about 5 years ago. all i keep that are venomous are vine snakes. i still live with my family, and i will not go further with venomous. i am also only 15 and do not want to make a mistake that i will regret later down the road. i started working with other Non-venomous snakes like rat snakes or crazy green tree pythons with a hook than i started working with them in the wild moving the snakes off the road etc.

Thats how i am getting started!:)

Jordan

[reverendsterlin]

A hard question to answer. I grew up on a ranch in west Texas, and a rattlesnake on the porch, in the barn, by the water trough, or just out and about was very common and by the time I was 8 I was comfortable moving them away from the house or animals on a stick. Cottonmouths were common on the golf course and could get the heart pumping if you hit into the creeks. Of the 9 venomous I currently own only 2 of the WBD (C. atrox) have ever been free handled. The biggest clue for me would be knowing that !100%! of the time the person was focused an aware of the animal. Some of the worst techniques I have ever seen were practiced by long time keepers who had become lax from years of exposure. Tubes, hooks, and tongs can virtually eliminate risk, an experienced keeper can teach handling methods (these can vary greatly between species) but unless it is an emergency I keep my hands to myself now lol. I figure a person is ready for hots when they truely understand 1 tiny mistake can cost them their life or the life of a friend or loved one and they have the competence and experience to avoid those mistakes. Not a good answer but thats ok, hook, tong, and tubing experience don't require a hot snake to begin with, articles and handlers can give an idea of how most species react (forward strikers, multidirectional strikers, ultra-fast animals, slower animals) and general species traits. Even with years of experience there are animals I would never own (some cobras, boomslangs, mambas, and a few other nasties). Oh and my Agkistrodon bilineatus b. is one nasty, snappy, lil puppy lol.
1:1 Gaboon (W.A.), 0:1 Cantil, 1:2 C. atrox, 0:1 C. molossus, 0:1 parabuthus h., and 0:1 Centroides e.

[shaggybill]

Back to what was said earlier, I was looking at the Taylors Cantil yesterday and I was amazed at how much they look like their cousin the Eastern Cottonmouth. Especially in the face.

[reptilesalonica]

Yes, but i like Taylors' much more than eastern cottonmouths because of the yellow-black contrast. Now i will make a new terrarium for my cantil so it is best viewed. Yesterday he ate after 3 months abstention. He was so fast when i oppened he's cage door that amazed me. I want to find a female but here in Greece...:( it will remain a dream.
~Greg~

[marylyn101]

Venomous are attractive creatures . i think if you can keep such a gorgoues creature i bow to you. i would never go near one and have several dreams of owning an albino viper. but i will never because i know i can't.

[reptilesalonica]

Knowing that it takes you one step further :)...It's far more acceptable than some imature hot keepers that put the hot snake family at risks by making impermissible mistakes.
~Greg~