After all those pics...

[Nikki Gervais]

Can you tell I'm obsessed with vens?

Oh and no venomoids will be in my collection! All beautiful, all natural, all deadly.

[Katt]

Hey Nikki, your page says northern bred excellence and I'm wondering what sorts of snakes you've bred and why don't you post pics of your own guys? That's more fun than someone else's snakes.

[Nikki Gervais]

I would but I don't have a digital camera yet, I'm still working on that. Soon tho... I hope. I never had a need to have a cam before, but now since I should have some snakes available next year I figured it's time to get a cam.

[Katt]

What snakes do you have now and what do you plan to produce?

[Nikki Gervais]

Currently in my herp collection I have:
1.1 snow corns
2.2 ball pythons (all unrelated)
2.1 albino corns
1.1 normal corns
3.1 water snakes
1.1 garter snakes
0.1 burmese python
1.1 kenyan sand boa
1.0 spectacled caiman
1.0 green iguana

Several are well within breeding age, some being 4 -5 years of age. I do not know whether I will breed them or not this year. I know alot on incubation for egg laying species, however I do not have any incubators and I am working on plans to build some. I am in no real hurry and I may wait to breed another year.

The list of snakes I will be picking up next spring/summer is very very long. I am also picking up several crocodilians. I was gonna write out the list I plan on picking up so far but it's quite long and I will just wait and announce them as they arrive next year. I am very interested in lizards and turtles, I just haven't done enough research on them yet. I love all species of reptile so all offers are considered even if they aren't listed on my want list.

Were you looking for anything in particular that is rare in Canada? If so I may be able to help you, email me if you like @ i_love_reptiles@hotmail.com, please include locality (if applicable), latin name, common name, age and sex.

Talk to ya later

[Katt]

Thanks for the offer Nikki, but we have our own sources, plus I like to deal with american stock. I got close to 40 snakes and not looking to really increase anytime soon.

I noticed you wanted to pick up hots, like Crotalus, so I was wondering what sort of equipment you plan to use and who did you apprentice with?

[Nikki Gervais]

I plan on having all the necessary handling and safety equipment such as:

tongs; for the neonate to medium
gentle giant tongs; for medium-large to giant
mini hook; for neonates to small
standard hook; for neonates to medium-large
boid hook; for those large to giant (also for my expanding boid collection)
snake restraint tubes; for treatment of parasites, examination etc
pinning hook; for when you have to get close to the head, restraining etc
leather bite resistant gloves; for up close contact, force feeding, parasites, etc
12" hemostats; for force feeding etc
snake bagger; for field work, preparation to ship etc
field hook; the name explains it all
24" tweezers; for feeding
rubber cushion for tongs/hooks; I have never used professional tongs/hooks before, only my home made ones, depending on how they perform, I may add rubber cushions.

I'm picking up much more equipment although it's not just for hots so I did not list them.

I have no intentions of milking my snakes however just incase I am going to pick up the pinning hook and the gloves. I take these animals very seriously and they are not little corn snakes who will remain happy cruising thru your fingers. A bite could be very serious or if you're unfortunate enough to become a statistic; fatal. I have seen photos and heard stories of the outcomes of careless handlers working with hots, they are a gruesome reminder that you are housing a lethal weapon.

As for an apprentice, there is noone. I have looked and after several months I gave up. I will start small with the dangerous but not usually lethal sistrurus and agkistrodon species. Once I feel I have enough training I will work my way up to medium and then finally large potentially lethal species. Not everyone has the luxery of being taught by an experienced hot keeper, myself being one of them.

However I have taught myself everything and I don't intend to follow examples of Steve Irwin's handling techniques. Hots are strictly hands off. This summer I was dealing with massys in Parry Sound, I know the rountine and I didn't even have a close call. Grab your mirror, hook and camera and away ya go!

[Katt]

I believe the average person can't milk their snakes and then sell the venom as the labs are pretty stict with the purity of their venom supply.

How long have you kept reptiles, before you decided to work with hots?

If you can not apprentice with a person , do you have an email mentor, or someone with whom you discuss handling practises?

A few of my friends work with hots, and I've seen their handling practises, some of which I agree and disagree with, but the nonetheless I have been at least been able to see how to deal with certain hots and how they behave, it's really eye opening.

Surely someone around you is working with hots. They may be in the "closet".

What sort of housing set up are you looking into? A locked room? Locked cages? Homemade, custom? Vision? Neodesha.

Also, have you a second person willing to work with you? Vanan and I have each other, but you've not made mention of a back up.

[Nikki Gervais]

As I said I have no intentions of milking so it doesn't really matter to me. I think that milking them without a purpose is just stressful on the poor snake and dangerous to the handler.

I have been keeping reptiles in captivity for about 8 years now. But I have been fascinated and have caught and released them for as long as I can remember. By next year if I have all equipment necessary and proper cages I will keep sistrurus and agkistrodon species.

I do not have an email apprentice either, never really considered one, that is a good idea tho. I generally discuss handling practices with fellow herpers, we discuss opinions and such but none of them are keeping any hots currently, their "wife" or "family" won't permit them. Perhaps I should look into speaking with a current hot keeper to discuss handling techniques and such, but I have not found many whom are willing to speak without degrading my skills and my ability to keep such an animal. I couldn't care less of how old you are, a 30 year old is no better at keeping hots then a 17 year old if he has no experience. JMHO

Hots not including most rear-fanged snakes are strictly hands off in my honest opinion. No risks, no mistakes, no new laws. I would LOVE to see someone working with their hots, but I know of noone keeping them anywhere near me. (N. Ontario)

I am looking into making custom cages as I do with all my other reptiles. The cages will have a partial screen lid, and the sides will all be of wood. The front will be made of glass doors that slide on a track with a lock to keep the glass from being opened by anyone or the snake. The lock slides between the two panes of glass refusing to budge making a safe and secure cage. I will also add naturalistic decor to them since hots are purely for our viewing pleasure. Sorry I don't know the real name of the locks offhand.

I do not plan on having someone around when I am dealing with them, however if I feel uneasy at first I could have 1 or 2 ppl around just incase. I am very sure in my capabilities and I have no doubts I would be able to do it safely. If someone has doubts in their abilities, and they do not feel secure with themselves working with hots then they should stick to corn snakes. Once I "upgrade" to larger, potentially lethal hots, I may have someone around for feeding, depending on the snakes' personalities/behavior ofcourse.

For now I'm on my own which doesn't really bother me. Although a mentor would be nice.