I love gaboons

[reverendsterlin]

not very clear, but she only ate 5 days ago so is low http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/272PICT0089_WEB-med.jpg
and definitely unhappy even after this afternoon's poop
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/272PICT0087_WEB-med.jpg
Thanks for looking

[ReneeB]

interesting pic, still think you are crazy, nutz, and insane, but I luv ya anyways..

[reverendsterlin]

thats why I love ya hon

[asphyxia]

interesting pic, still think you are crazy, nutz, and insane, but I luv ya anyways..

Brian

[JD@reptiles]

be careful!

Jordan :)

[Gregg M]

Not the way I would hold my gaboons........ Wait, I would not hold them at all.....LOL..... Watch out they have some pretty mobile fangs....... Lucky for me I have only had to pin a handfull of times and never really seen a reason to milk them...... That is gonna change soon being that Doc fry will need some venom samples...... Gonna have someone with me who has milked before........ I am pretty sure Bryan is setting something up for me......... Be careful.....

[ETET]

I agree with Gregg, this may not a perfect way to hold a viper. When the gaboon struggles sideway, you may tag by one fang and the gaboon may hurt her neck.

When I milk a viper, I use a three finger grip and use my ring and baby finger to hold the section just behind the neck. This serve dual purpose - protect yourself with maximum control and prevent the viper from hurting itself. For the size of gaboon, it really hard to control by hand expecially if the specimen is an adult. I find tube them far more easier to handle. No one should ever try to milk venomous (especially a viper) without proper training. A bite will most probably a full envenomation and the snake may serously injured during the procedure. Dr. Fry should have quite a bit to share about milking....

Vipers also seems under lots of stress after milking. I always give them 2-3 weeks rest between milking sessions. Still I loss some daboia a while ago. That's really a interesting picture. Be safe...

ETET :-)

[reverendsterlin]

lol, well pic taking did put a finger(after milking) in a bad spot but I think my experience helps. you would be surprised how tightly she was being held and I am sure my aderinaline levels were *very* high at the time. I know well the danger of these animals, the hospital here has already said SAMIR is not on hand nor could be flown in time. Life is a risk, enjoy it, bungee jump, rock climb, skydive, ect. I know every time I hold her I'm dead if not totally aware, what a rush (poor reason to hold one).

[JD@reptiles]

what was the point in milking it?

[reverendsterlin]

point in milking it? you know of another way to examine the venom structure under a microscope?

[JD@reptiles]

what was the point of looking at the venom structure under a microscope? just for fun?

[Soul_Reaper]

Man i gotta tip the hat to you venomous handlers...you people must have balls the size of watermellons to do what you do.

I'm with JD on this one tho...what do you do with the venom? Do you sell it? (mind my ignorance on the subject please, just trying to learn)

[reverendsterlin]

liking the science end of things(shows in some of my posts) and having access to great equipment for testing on campus and a prof that is studying crot venoms peaked interest on my part. I figure the gaboons are no harder to handle than the big crots I started on as a kid. Tell the truth I'm more nervous around the Cantil, now that is a gonzo animal *shiver*