Deadly Snakes

[mauesha]

Originally Posted by zulu

If you want to hold and cuddle something get a bunny rabbit or boyfriend

Nah, I'll stick to girls thanx =)

[mauesha]

Originally Posted by JasonL

Most people keeps herps because it interests them, I keep alot of geckoes and many of them I can't touch. Although I do know someone who cuddles his taipans but thats another story. :wink:

Why cant you touch your geckoes?

[munkee]

Hmmm never heard of stonefish being kept outside of pulic aquariums. Interesting pet though, Lion fish too depending on how you thought about them.

Carp are lethal animals jumping out of the water at you with big teeth and attacking you ........ or did I dream it?

If a red belly bit you you would get sick and be rushed to hospital. No deaths of adults from red belly bites have ever been recorded. Still a nasty bite though. Basically because people find the venomous species interesting because they are different. Like I am interested in death adders because of how significantly different they are in appearance and behaviour to the pythons that I keep.

[NinaPeas]

Originally Posted by mauesha

Generally - fish and birds dont kill people

except stone fish and cassowarys

[leptir]

There are quite a few venomous fish and fish that could give you a nice little "wallop".

-Electric catfish (Heard they can hurt)
-Stonefish (Very dangerous)
-Walking catfish (Venomous spines)
-Tandunus Catfish (Venomous spine)

They are all being kept in Australian household aquariums

[Australis]

There is a kind of fresh water "stone fish" in my area,, i thought it was a Redneck myth until i saw all the warning signs around a local creek.


Matt

[Deano]

All elapid species are a different class snake, I would rather the elapid species to pythons and colubrids, I think there absolutely stunning looking!!

[peterescue]

Originally Posted by mauesha

Generally - fish and birds dont kill people

generally, neither do Australian elapids but there are always incidences.
People keep bees and they account for more deaths than snakes.
I was using your criteria of cuddlability.

[Sdaji]

I drive a car, I live in a house where deadly electricity runs through the walls of every room and through cables within each room, I have knives in my kitchen, I walk down the street among people with unknown intentions, and so do hyper-protective parents etc. I keep elapids, I don't freehandle and I expect that if my life is cut short unexpectedly, it is much, much, much more likely to be due to one of the first few examples of my 'crazy risk taking behaviour' than the snakes.

Okay, so I don't freehandle elapids (any more ), but then again, I rarely freehandle any of my non venomous snakes and as others will point out, I don't freehandle my pot plants either. Some people collect stamps or paintings and absolutely love their collection, some people are birdwatchers and despite loving birds dearly and getting untold joy from them, they may rarely or never touch one.

So why keep elapids? For me, it's because they're fascinating and they're beautiful.

Here are some Death Adder pictures, maybe they'll convince you.












I should say, there are certainly a lot of people keeping them for the wrong reasons. Some of the motivations which lead people to elapids, (or sometimes similarly even non venomous snakes) which I think are invalid are the desire to overcome fear, trying to prove that you're 'tough' ("look at me, I'm freehandling a deadly snake, I'm such a man") or feeling that it's just expected that if you've been into snakes for a while you'll move on to elapids. I'm certainly not going to try to encourage anyone to take up elapid keeping or handling, but there are good reasons for some people to do so and if they're willing and capable of doing it safely, I think that's wonderful. I don't think there is anything more special about highly venomous elapids than Children's pythons (I keep Children's pythons too and they're some of my favourite animals), but some people like plants, some like cars, some like fish, some like pythons, some like frogs, some like elapids, etc etc etc.

[JEZ]

IMO People enjoy there animals differently, it's not always about handling etc.

But in regards to owning vens...........It's not like you can rock up to a reptile store and just purchase a ven just like that, there is a process...It's not like a child/inexperienced person can get a ven just as easy any other reptile!!

Personally I don't plan on adding any vens to my collection but I still admire them, they're beautiful snakes. I also admire/respect ppl with them in their own collections....my hat off to them (if keeping for the right reasons).

It's all about respect of the animal and using common sense!!

Great pics Sdaji too.....Beautiful Adder

[the_brad]

Sure mishap can happen but normaly its because you are being irisponsible and showing of. If im not confident with a ven i wont go throwing it around when mates come over, just take it easy when no one is around and get some confidents with the animal. I havnt been bittin before and i "dont plan" on it but ther are serious risk

[Deano]

Unbelievable mate, those pics look great!!!

[Sdaji]

JEZ: I was keeping tiger snakes as a teenager after having kept Children's pythons (two) for a year and two hatchling carpets for a few months. The laws aren't the same everywhere! I think Tasmania and Victoria are the only places where that can happen (at least legally), although I'm not sure if the regulations have changed since then. I used to think it was good having laws which relied on people using their own judgement when it comes to their own safety, but unfortunately, if someone is bitten by their pet elapid, they aren't just risking their own safety, they're risking everyone elses' right to keep venomous snakes, so I support the systems which require people to gain more experience first. About ten years ago I knew people in their early teens keeping highly venomous elapids, which is arguably inappropriate. It's not just venomous animals which are of concern though. In Victoria, a 16 year old kid can legally walk into a pet store and buy an adult lace monitor or scub python!

[Australis]

Originally Posted by JEZ

But in regards to owning vens...........It's not like you can rock up to a reptile store and just purchase a ven just like that, there is a process...It's not like a child/inexperienced person can get a ven just as easy any other reptile!!

It seems pretty easy to get a licence to keep a Ven in Victoria without experience. Just the Cash to upgrade the licence.


Matt

[Sdaji]

Deano: glad you like them, here are some more

Death Adder lure (they come in several colours, this one is yellow/orange, some are black, the adder in the last picture has a white lure).