The Shelby Thread :) - Page 2

shaunyboy · 11-21-11, 03:10 PM

beautifull cobra kimberly

a very respected old herp gentleman in the uk called Frank Schofield,lost one of his fingers after a bite from an albino cobra

you have some amazing hots in your collection pal

cheers shaun

Lankyrob · 11-21-11, 10:13 AM

There was a guy in the UK recently got killed by a King Cobra - had worked with them for tens of years and ran a rescue for them, he had quite a lot of them and was considered one of the best - it took less than three minutes for him to die, even now nobody really knows how the snake got him only that it was a new rescue being taken form a travel tub to its quarantine cage.

shaunyboy · 11-21-11, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

There was a guy in the UK recently got killed by a King Cobra - had worked with them for tens of years and ran a rescue for them, he had quite a lot of them and was considered one of the best - it took less than three minutes for him to die, even now nobody really knows how the snake got him only that it was a new rescue being taken form a travel tub to its quarantine cage.

in this case the bite induced a massive heart attack,if i remember correctly mate

cheers shaun

stephanbakir · 11-21-11, 10:15 AM

Isn't it true that if you live/work around enough venomous snakes you breath in atomized particles of dry venom and develop a hyper allergic reaction to it over time (without proper ventilation that is)

Will0W783 · 11-21-11, 11:00 AM

Good grief---my internet is driving me nuts today. This is my third attempt to post a reply- Firefox keeps crashing on me, lol.

Stephan, I had not heard that yet, but I suppose it could be possible. It might be similar to what is happening when people inject themselves with very small doses of venom to build up a resistance over time, except that when breathed in the venom might act as an allergen. If one developed this allergic reaction to dry venom, would one also have a much worse experience in the case of a bite then? I'd really be interested in reading the link or paper that you got this information from.

Rob, I did read about Luke Yeomans when he passed a few months back. It's always sad when a seasoned keeper dies, and this was especially sad because he had a wife and young kids and had a huge facility. I hope all his snakes are well cared-for now. He had a few good videos, but I think he tended to take too many chances. He said the cobras respected him and knew him after a while and he trusted them then. First mistake. He also used Venom Defender gloves as a primary protection- without hooks or tongs. He would wear the gloves and let the snakes bite and chew on the gloves....second mistake. He let the snakes move about a bit much when he was working with them too. The moment you set a cobra down on the floor, it claims its territory and then it is in control, not you. Keep it on a hook and moving, so that you can have a chance of staying in control of it. Maybe once one has been working with a particular species for years and years, one gets somewhat comfortable and complacent, but this is actually more dangerous than a newbie keeper who is hyper-careful in many cases. It's sad and I hope his family and animals will be ok without him.

Lankyrob · 11-21-11, 01:27 PM

His animals are now with a friend of mine as far as i know (havent spoken to him for a couple of months and he was meant to be taking them all)

Will0W783 · 11-21-11, 02:29 PM

Oh wow, that's great. I'm glad they are in good hands. I love king cobras- I stare at the one at my local zoo every time I visit until my fiance drags me away, lol. They just get so MASSIVE and they are soo very potent. I can't imagine owning a deadly hot that gets as long as a retic personally. I'll stick with my monocleds and such...they stay small and antivenin is readily available in my area. I would love to get a black forest cobra some day or a black and white spitter- I love their patterns. But that wouldn't be until many years in the future.

jaleely · 11-21-11, 03:27 PM

what a doll. sooo cute. i don't think i'll ever be able to have a hot snake. I'm entirely too hands on, and like you said, it only takes once. My balls, boas, corns and hognose are so easy going, i'm spoiled. My carpet is a little nipper, always has been, but is to the point where she draws blood now. I hardly ever get tagged anymore though, just because i know her better now and know when she's fussy. She threatens too, and will strike but just bump with her nose ..cracks me up, the little brat.

as beautiful as they are, i don't think i trust myself. i'm clumsy, and i get too happy when things are being cute. Was feeding our snowflake eel, and porcupine puffer the other day, and they bite too, if they miss the food. *lmao* i just laugh.

The only thing in the house I haven't been bitten by is the croc skink, and he tarantulas...though i've had hairs kicked at me on numerous occasions.

Anyway...your dude is beautiful. I'm not responsible enough to ever test having one though. but ooooh how jealous i am!

Hurrok · 11-21-11, 03:53 PM

Wow! So gorgeous, he is definitely a stunner

**millertime89** · 11-21-11, 06:40 PM

awesome little cobra, can't wait to see more pictures as he grows.

Will0W783 · 11-28-11, 11:01 AM

Well, you won't have to wait long. He's entering another shed- last one was three weeks ago and he gained 4 inches. He's the fastest-growing snake I've ever kept.

Will0W783 · 01-23-12, 10:08 AM

Ok, well it's been a while, so time for some updates on Shelby Cobra. He's now eating adult f/t mice (he's a bit too small yet for rat pups and rat pinks give him the runs) every week.
He seems to know when it's time to be fed, because if I try to stretch him a few more days, he goes nuts. When I come into the room, he opens his mouth and presses it against the glass, thrashes his tail around, charges all over the cage, and makes little "mouth-smacking" gestures. It's hilarious. He has begun to hood and hiss a LOT....but still is perfectly manageable when I remove him for cleaning. I am hoping that this level of hood/hiss/mock striking is his "terrible teens" and he will chill back out as he nears adulthood.

He's about time and a half the size he was when I got him in September, and sheds about every 3 weeks. I've added some loose moss to the cage, and I mist it down once a day. I often see him moving the moss around from one end to the other, or bunching it up in a corner. It gives him something to do and is neat to watch.

Alessia55 came over Sunday to pick up her two ball pythons that I snakesat while she was on vacation, so she shot a few quick pics of Shelby. Here they are; enjoy!

Norm66 · 01-23-12, 10:57 AM

Sweet pics and amazing snake. As I said in Allessia's thread a couple days ago he's definitely grown. Either that or the tank is shrinkin, lol. Thanks for sharing.

Swany · 01-23-12, 11:16 AM

Beautiful snake. I only got my BP a month ago, and can't imagine even wanting to own a hot, or anything too big to handle on my own. Maybe as time goes by (did someone sat play it again sam ?) I'll change my mind about a large snake, but I'm really too much of a scaredy cat for something that could kill me.

Trent · 01-23-12, 12:09 PM

Wow. he really is something else!!!