The Shelby Thread :)

[Will0W783]

It depends on the species. Some species, like those in the genus Atheris (the bush vipers) are known for being aggressive, nervous animals. I have an Usumbara mountain horned bush viper, and I work with her as little as possible. She spazzes and bites herself, the hook, the branches in her cage, the air...everything. She's only about a foot long, so it's fairly simple to stay out of her range, but I do not like upsetting her. Generally most arboreal vipers will not change much no matter how much you work with them. My temple viper is very laid-back and has not struck at me once, even though she is handled only a few times a month to get soaks and/or her cage cleaned. She was tame when I got her, and I see no reason why she wouldnt' remain that way, as the species is known for being docile. I still use hooks, gloves and proper technique, but she's an easy hot to work with.

Other species, like cobras, do benefit from frequent work. They tend to be quite placid as babies, go through a "teenage" aggressive phase, and then go into their adult personality. That being said, there are cobras that will relax into very placid, docile snakes, and there are others that will be holy terrors their entire lives. I have a good friend who had a monocled cobra that became more and more aggressive with each passing week he had it, until the moment he walked into the snake room it was hooded up, hissing, and smashing off the glass of its cage. My mentor has one 6-foot female that was horrendous to work with. She struck at me, whipped around on me, musked me, pooped on me, and twisted her body around like a whip while on the hook. It took me ten minutes to get her moved from one cage to another. On the other hand, he had another female who handled like a cornsnake on the hook and was perfectly pleasant.
Shelby is good with the hook. He can be hooded up and hissing, but as soon as I touch him gently with the hook, he relaxes and can be moved. I use thick bite-resistant gloves in addition to hooking and tailing. They are NOT a substitute for good handling techniques but I like having the extra level of protection.