free handling elapids

[jase75]

Iv had some Tiger Snakes before that iv trusted more than any Python iv ever owned !

 

[ryanharvey1993]

jason what about that coastal taipan at smiths lake :lol:

 

[ssssmithy]

some do it because they know their snakes and do it for conviency and because they feel more comfortable in doing so..... and sadly others brag doing it to be heros haha
and yes as kersten stated.... i wouldnt know any serious elapid keeper that doesnt or hasnt done it before, just dont advertise the fact.

 

[Kersten]

I'd be surprised if there are many elapid keepers out there who've not done it at some time. Some of them get over the need to do it pretty quickly. Others don't.

Some do it just because they hate using hooks on their animals and don't see it as much of a problem.

I wasn't volunteering any opinions on why they do it or why they don't. Just stating facts. But yes, I've heard people offer that as an explanation for free handling before.

 

[DanTheMan]

I don't currently keep elapid's so I cant say that i do
But when I do start keeping them, I cant see a huge problem with free handling an animal I have had a long time, and trust.

I don't understand why people get so worked up over the fact that some people do free handle vens, as it is MY life, and if I die doing so, how does this effect you?
People go on that it gives the hobby a bad name, like it needs any help?
If any one is going to dislike snakes, especially vens, private keepers never being bitten by their pets is not going to change their mind.

I realise some people take it too far as they have ego issues, and some see themselves as hero's when getting bitten by the worlds most venomless, oops i mean venomous snake in the world

 

[Hooglabah]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA I KNOW WHO YOUR TALKING ABOUT LOLSSSSSSSSS STILL LAUGHING STILL GOING okay im over it now.

p.s. the venomlessness in question is the reason i'll do that course as well as any i can get my hands on before i get an elapid i want uber maximo expiriance befor i do start that particular part of the hobby

thanks guys you convinced me to never free handle elapid (not that i needed it but a bit of reienforceing always helps)

hooglabah

 

[DanTheMan]

People who aren't keen to free handle have a better argument than free handlers, but the main reason I wouldn't mind doing it with a trust worthy snake is the feel of them, I'm sure any one who keeps snakes absolutley loves the feel of them, all pythons feel the same. But there's something different about elapids I just love.
The scales are so different, and big. Haha, I probably sound crazy

 

[Ramsayi]

I don't currently keep elapid's so I cant say that i do
But when I do start keeping them, I cant see a huge problem with free handling an animal I have had a long time, and trust.

I don't understand why people get so worked up over the fact that some people do free handle vens, as it is MY life, and if I die doing so, how does this effect you?
People go on that it gives the hobby a bad name, like it needs any help?
If any one is going to dislike snakes, especially vens, private keepers never being bitten by their pets is not going to change their mind.

I realise some people take it too far as they have ego issues, and some see themselves as hero's when getting bitten by the worlds most venomless, oops i mean venomous snake in the world

Unfortunately what you do with YOUR life could at some stage affect others with regard to vens.Apart from the medical costs (tax payer funded aside) if enough keepers ended up in hospital or dead it would be quite feasable that at some stage the keeping of elapids could be banned.Then there is also the bad publicity towards reptiles when these bites occur.

If people want to keep vens thats fine but with it comes a certain responsibilty and it is irresponsible if those risks aren't minimised.

 

[mark83]

you wont see me handling them anytime soon

 

[Kris]

Ramsayi, what you said is true. I used to knock around with vens keepers years ago that all free handled. Some were bitten by the pets that they "trusted", others were bitten by wildcaughts that they thought were placid. Everytime you hear about a keeper being bitten you hear people that don't keep say how stupid these people are to kep these animals in the first place. Why add fuel to the fire?

I used to free handle, I don't now because I don't want to end up causing my family unneccessary worry or being a bad newspaper story like what we've seen a few times in recent years. I also want to see my kids grow up.

Cheers,

Kris.

 

[ecosnake]

I handled hots freely before and often when I was younger. There are species that you can trust more than pythons not to bite and others your just playing with fire, but there’s always the chance of a bite from a placid hot for whatever reason.
To be honest I don’t do it anymore because I have more responsibilities in my life and issues surrounding free handling hots and possible bite is great.
Species like RBB’s and Tigers are commonly free handled, taking a bite from either your most likely not going to die, species like browns and taipan even if it doesn’t kill you there potential on going health issues, some people never recover fully.
It’s a free world and people can handle the snakes they want, handle at your own risk.
Where keepers over step the mark is mocking someone who is responsible by not free handling their hots or showing off about free handling their hots or even promoting free handling hots and not commenting on the dangers surrounding it.

 

[redbellybite]

this is an elapid,perfect free handling with no risk at all..got more chance being done by your python ,then with this little fella ...there are lots of elapids that are no worries to free handle ...

 

[timpye1]

i have seen it done many times.. when a keeper has a ven for a long time it generally settles down enough. not to say it wont snap one day though. obviously not to be done on a young snake!

 

[megrim]

It’s a free world and people can handle the snakes they want, handle at your own risk.

I think the point some people here are trying to make is that if people continue to be tagged and require hospitalisation by their own ven's, then eventually it won't be such a 'free world' as legislation would be put in place to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

I guess it'd sort of be like a gun lobbiest occaisionally shooting himself in the shoulder by accident Doesn't really help the cause. That being said, accidents will, (and do), happen from time to time even without free handling.

 

[emerald_taipan]

I used to free handle quite a lot in my younger days:red bellies, spotted blacks, tigers, taipans. But I hate hospitals and wouldn't recommend it. Not so much scared of death.
I only received two bites, one from a tiger and one from a red belly (wasn't free handling tiger when bitten and red belly was a juvenile). I have heard some truly horrific stories from experienced keepers who have been bitten. I wouldn't recommend free handling any elapid (someone near my town died from a little whip snake). i'm a lot more cautious these days.

 

[redbellybite]

I think the point some people here are trying to make is that if people continue to be tagged and require hospitalisation by their own ven's, then eventually it won't be such a 'free world' as legislation would be put in place to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

I guess it'd sort of be like a gun lobbiest occaisionally shooting himself in the shoulder by accident Doesn't really help the cause. That being said, accidents will, (and do), happen from time to time even without free handling.

could say the same thing about dogs ...more dog attacks and bites even to the one that feeds them ,then you have from ven keepers now ...I think anyone ,that has never had anything to do with vens are simply throwing one out there ...99% of ven keepers have their wits about them and know exactly what dangers they can encounter,,,sometimes ****** happens this is true ..but over all ven keepers do everything within their own capabilities ....

 

[megrim]

could say the same thing about dogs ...more dog attacks and bites even to the one that feeds them ,then you have from ven keepers now ...I think anyone ,that has never had anything to do with vens are simply throwing one out there ...99% of ven keepers have their wits about them and know exactly what dangers they can encounter,,,sometimes ****** happens this is true ..but over all ven keepers do everything within their own capabilities ....

Oh I know dogs are worse in that sense The issue isn't to do with 99% of ven keepers being alert and sensible, which I'm most sure they are. As far as I can see the issue is that the percent of population that keeps vens is about 0.009%, meaning that the ven keepers themselves are about the only ones who truly understand the risks involved.

In a democratic society, ven keepers don't have much in the way of people power to stop silly knee-jerk reaction legislation if it should happen. All it's going to take is some middle-aged, fat white woman to scream "Won't someone think of the children", and ven keeping will be illegal in the blink of an eye. I think a lot of people realise this, and can see the part of keepers getting envenomated playing a part in it and are thusly not so keen for people to freehandle vens.

We here all realise that cars, guns, drugs, cigarettes, bee-stings and cholesterol are more dangerous than vens, but that's unlikely to calm down Mr and Mrs 'What is This World Coming To".

Edit: On the subject of both dogs and legislation, I was under the impression that some dog varieties have in fact already been outllawed in this country, though perhaps it's a state-by-state thing?.

 

[-Peter]

What's a bupkiss?

I think it is one of those locale specific carpets.

 

[elapid66]

never free handled its just stupid

 

[RELLIK81]

i have seen people on youtube freehandle elapids ....