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Some people like to live life on the edge doing things like jumping out of planes, racing cars, they swimming with sharks, skiing in avalanche zones, and any number of other dangerous activities. None of these people however are regarded with quite the same level of skepticism that keepers of venomous pet snakes are. Most people aren’t overly comfortable with the idea of snakes being kept as pets anyhow, but add a little venom to the mix and it sends most people over the edge.
- Who keeps venomous snakes?
- Keeping venomous (hot) snakes isn’t for everyone. It takes a level of awareness, care, and commitment above and beyond what the average hobbiest is willing or able to give. A friend once suggested that keepers of “hots” are fearless. At the time I agreed, but now I know better. A fearless man is an unsafe man and every venomous snake handler I’ve ever met is painfully aware of everything that is happening. They have to be, one wrong assumption can lead to disfiguration, paralysis, or even death.
There can only be two possible answers to who keeps these kinds of snakes. Dedicated people with a great admiration for these amazing creations of God, or idiots. We’ll start with the idiots and why they like to keep venomous snakes as pets. Well, for one they’re idiots and sometimes it doesn’t take anything more than that. Many of them like the ego boost it gives them.
“Hey babe, wanna see my snake? It’s venomous.”
But in some cases people simply don’t know any better. They see an ad for a venomous snake and respond to it. Throw down three of four hundred dollars and walk off with a beautiful little Timber Rattler, a tank, hide, some substrate, and if you’re lucky 10 minutes of instruction on snake handling. While that might suffice in other instances in a case involving venomous snakes it falls woefully short. And that’s why I call people who do that idiots. Because of a complete and total lack of common sense.
On the other side of the coin we have the admirers. These people are exceedingly well versed in their knowledge of venomous snakes, especially those they keep. They’ve done extensive research into every aspect of their care and handling. You’ll often find them teaching others about snakes and in general representing the interest of these creatures in the general community.
- Are you ready for a venomous snake?
- Assuming you’re not an idiot (of the sort mentioned above) and you are considering venomous snakes as pets you should give it some serious consideration. Personally I would pray over it, but however you choose to contemplate it is fine. Keep it very much in the forefront of your mind. You’re not contemplating a pet, you are contemplating you life, and the lives of those who will come into contact with the snake. If that’s something you’re willing to risk then you really need to evaluate if you’re ready for one from a capability perspective.
I don’t keep venomous snakes because I know I’m not nearly as careful as I should be. I leave tanks open all the time, pick up snakes that are hissing and striking, hold prey in the tank using my hands instead of forceps. In short I’m one of those “idiots” I talked about before. Difference between myself and them is that I know it and am willing to admit it. Being able to admit it probably saved my life because I’ve been offered venomous snakes for three hundred dollars in the past.
I once read that you should only get a venomous snake if you’re willing to die for your job (or hobby). I’ve also read that you should keep the most obnoxious, evil-tempered non-venomous snake you can find for at least three years. Handle it exactly like you would a venomous snake and keep track of each time it struck at you and each time it struck you. After three years count each time it landed a strike as a point for the snake. If at any time during the process you get bit consider yourself dead and start all over again. Extreme? You bet it is, but you’ll think extreme if a venomous snake get a hold of you.
- Getting a venomous snake
- This isn’t about locating a source for the snake, that’s easy to do, it’s about locating a mentor who will teach you what they know about handling and caring for snakes in general and venomous snakes in particular. A good mentor will tell you when you’re ready to own and care for one of these snakes. More importantly they will tell you honestly when you’re not ready.
But suppose you are ready, then what? First start by making sure everyone else in the house is onboard with the idea. A little bit ago I wrote an article about choosing a snake and the preparation that goes into it. That article was talking of commonly kept non-poisonous snakes. It mentions discussing it with family. For venomous snakes I advise talking not only to family, but also friends and neighbors who could potentially be at risk.
Once you’ve completed that task build a list of hospitals which have anti-venoms for the type of snake you want to get. Contrary to popular belief not all hospitals can administer serum and not all serums are available at those that do. When you have that list of places make sure you keep their phone number handy. They don’t just whip it out of the fridge and give it to you. They need to prepare it so being able to call them before you get to the hospital is essential. Emergency services would normally do this, but when it comes to your life you want to be as careful as possible.
Once that’s done setup it’s living quarters. It’s a bad idea in general to bring a snake home and then set everything up for them afterward. It’s downright moronic to do so with a venomous snake. You want to get it into a new home as quickly as possible to avoid traumatizing it. That’s true of any snake but having a mad corn snake is a lot different than having a mad cobra on your hands. Get them settled in as quickly as possible. By having already prepped the tank you will help speed this process along.
Get your other pets ready. Don’t take a chance with your pets around a venomous snake. In fact you should keep them totally out of the area that the snake will be in. I don’t think there’s reason to belabor the point, just be careful!
Bring it home and enjoy it. I’ve already explained what you should do before buying it and if you do those things you’ll be preparing yourself for when you bring it home. If you’re thinking you’ll learn as you go, think again. An improperly kept venomous snake is a lethal animal. That’s something you can never forget.
On a final note before you get a venomous snake double and triple check the local, state, and federal laws where you live regarding keeping of dangerous reptiles. Almost every town and state in the US has taken the time to specify certain laws affecting the keeping, sale, and importation of reptiles.
If you wish to learn more about venomous snakes and their keepers check this link out envenomated.com and venomousreptiles.org
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello Administration
I would like to request for the some problem not the comment. Actually you people are doing great in this project to give information about snake and i had a one request for you. In human life we are fear from snake bite becasue we are die so that so in the seen period of snake we are kill that snake so i would like to know when we are killed that snake what the things are there in snake body which will give a benefit to us means how to take out that venom gland from snake.
Thank you in Advance for you service
So what you seem to be asking is after you kill a venomous snake what can you harvest from its dead corpse that can be beneficial to people…
Short answer is nothing.
Long answer… I think I’ll turn into an article in the near future.
i want a boa constrictor and a albino monocled cobra please
really bad.
Rachel – How much snake experience do you have? Neither one is really a beginner appropriate species, but a monocled cobra is especially not appropriate for a novice snake owner.
Hmm, I Like this whole article. I have been talking with a Doctor Ray Hunter on aquiring an Eyelash Viper. He has said most of the same things you have mentioned, along with asking if i have ever handled a venomous snake. I have tought myself to handle snakes without getting bitten, like really wild black racers around my house here in Fl. After dealing with those for numerous years, i felt confident in my skills and went herping with another reptile friend and we came upon a Sistrurus Miliarius (Pygmy Rattlesnake) and i attempted to capture it. Luckily I prevailed without a scratch. That was 3years ago when i was about 15. Since then i have cought a few poisonous snakes including a few Corals, Cottonmouths, and a copperhead. I still dont think that i am ready to LIVE with a venomous snake. Experience isnt everything, theres also luck of the draw. I will stick with my pythons, and in the near future a Hypo Sonoma Red Tail Boa.
I have always been fascinated by snakes combined with a healthy respect for them especially when i came accross them outdoors. i just got my first snake a few months ago, an albino corn, because i definately am a beginner and am planning on a red tail soon but if down the road (years) i do decide to move twoards a more aggressive non-venomous species to practice for a venomous one (not planning on owning aggressive for at least a few years, just asking to research and learn) what would be a good choice to consider? ultimately i would love to have a Timber Rattler, and maby if i gained the knowledge and skill a cobra of some breed during my life but again im in no rush and truthfully too scared of them (venomed) and inexperienced at the moment to have one in my home. Any comparible attituded snakes to research and learn about that are non venomed before i take step and buy something potentially lethal.
Thanks for the heads up and advice… wouldn’t have thought about finding a similar temepered non venomed snake.
Jay,
We don’t tend to encourage owning venomous snakes as pets. Especially for folks who don’t have any experience with snakes in general. That said I’d recommend finding a local herpotological society in your area and finding if anyone in it works with “hots”. You can find a growing list of state by state resources, including herp societies at this link:
http://pet-snakes.com/pet-snakes-state
drop 300-400 on a timber even with the supplies your crazy
I live in the sticks in Thailand…i get all sorts on my farm, from rat snakes, to Reticulated Pythons and Burmese Pythons , to Pit Vipers, Monocled Cobra, Indochinese Spitting Cobra, King Cobra and even, Blue Krait (u really don’t want to mess with these) there all really common, except the king cobra “never seen one of these outside a farm!”
I (like Kody Mott) have years of experiance with hots’ allthogh didnt quite start the same! non the less ppl who say start with a mad constrictor are mad & i have never heard a hot keeper give that advice. not hear, or on US forums. you need to have some one, with experiance train you, it takes a lot of time patiants and jakobs the size of monster truck wheels and if your brain works the way it supposed to, you will forget about it , unless your one of the special group or ppl. Or you can just be lucky and try your chances with hots strait of (if yo do recomend the copper head or White-lipped Pit ViperMOST DEFENTLY NOT ^MONOCLED COBRA^ “THATS ABOUT THE MOST INSANE THING YOU COULD EVER DO), i know a lot who do this but most have scars from there mistakes and it really hurts and does not look prity believe me… .
PS i kind of wish ppl would stop calling them pets, any real enthusiast would not call them pets, if u want a pet get a corn snake, cat or a golden retriever dog.