How old where you when you got your first hot?

[creepiecrawlie]

I was wondering how old you were when you got your first hot. I have been researching and wanting a hot for a long time now. The only thing is convincing my mom and dad. I have kept reptiles since I was 3 or 4 years old. My mom thinks that I am easily capable of it but I have a ten year old brother but he knows not to mess with it. I go down to our creek everyday in the spring and summer catching snakes including cottonmouths. By the way I use a snake hook with cottons. KrokodilianGuy03 do you need permits for every venomous snake in oklahoma???

[C.m.pyrrhus]

I just got my "First official hot" about a year ago, which is my AZ Black rattlesnake. Although, I have been living with them litterally all my life. Finally decided after moving back to Arizona to collect the buzztails.

As for keeping one yourself, I would suggest holding off until your out of the home at least. I feel that is a more logical and responsible way to go at it. Until then, keep at doing a good job at being safe when out herping.

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

I was around 11-12 when I got my first hot, which was a Western Cottonmouth.
Yes.
You will need a wildlife permit to keep any hot, native or exotic.
If you wish to deal in commercial purposes the permit will have to be a commercial wildlife permit.
If you wish to collect your hots, you will have to have a hunting license.
Import/export permits are needed to import or export any herp, native or not.
Xain

[creepiecrawlie]

Okay thanks.

[Matt]

I was 22 when i got my first, this is just my opinion but i really think that one should be at least 18 or so for their first....gives a person more time to mature and learn about it first and appreciate the severity of potential situations

[Mustangrde1]

Found my first when I was 12 out hunting dove. Kept my first at 18 Nice Southern Pacific that had an arguement with me about a quail I shot. He happen to be laying near it when it fell and refused to move so I moved him :)

[SCReptiles]

I worked with them in the field from as far back as I can remember. The first I ever attempted to house was a black phase Crotalus horridus when I was 15. Classic case of do as I say, not as I do: Don’t try to keep hots if you are under 18. I know there are many of you that have the ability, but we are living in the end times of venomous herpiculture. Mistakes happen with keepers of all ages and we don’t need the bad press of a minor taking an envenomation from his “pet.”

[M_surinamensis]

They were in my house as a minor and I fwent field herping pretty frequently with my old man... but the first which could be called "Mine" was an EDB that I obtained when I was eighteen after getting my own place.

[casacrow]

I was 12 when my uncle gave me a western diamondback. I was definately not ready and it was not too smart on his part to give it to me. After that I did not have anymore until I was 18.

[C.m.pyrrhus]

My first hot that I collected was when I just turned 12. I brought home a coral snake I thought to be a pyromelana. My father of course after finding out, had me take it back to where I found it. Lucky for me they tend to be reasonably placid snakes, as this one was so cool. I had played with it a good amount of time. Maybe roughly 2 hours or so...lol.

Throught the years I had taken in a few rattlesnakes for short periods of time until they could be relocated. This was no more than a few days though. But now that I have time and am in my own safe and stable home, I have finally been able to collect. Crotes will be filling up any spare room now!

[snakeskin]

I was 21 when I got my first pair of Crotalus cerastes cercobombus.. :)