Haindling vens

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how old should you be to hold a ven???

  • 7-9

    Votes: 9 10.0%
  • 10-13

    Votes: 4 4.4%
  • 13-15

    Votes: 12 13.3%
  • 15-17

    Votes: 65 72.2%

  • Total voters
    90
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I wonder Kristen. Does this mean that you don't let you kids play on junlge gyms, play with big dogs, have a shower standing up, make a coffee, sit by a camp fire or go swimming?

If you would let your kids do these things please entertain me by letting me know why you would.

Again, I have never at any stage offered an opinion about when/if kids should handle elapids. Never. All i have said is that I'd prefer mine to understand the concept of consequences and mortality. If you're going to draw you're own conclusions or assumptions from my statements then fine, I can't stop people from doing that. But don't present it as though I've actually said something I haven't.
 
Kersten,

I take it you are directing the following towards me?

"While it's true that an elapid handler would have a better idea of what an elapid would do; logic dictates that having intensive first hand experience of a particular action is not necessary in order to understand enough of the consequences of that action to form an opinion of it's safety. "

I never said in either of my posts on the subject that if you don't keep/kept/work with elapids that cannot form a relevant opinion towards the subject at hand.

However, the trend on forums is give either "advice" or make comments hidden behind an alias, since this is the case with most people who comment, how as people can we give weight to or to take the opinion propsed seriously if that they are not willing to put their own name behind their comments. The comment I made I stand by, I would be surprised if more than half whom have voted in this pole actually have first hand experience with elapids.

I am not saying that the people without elapid exp cannot make informed decisions on the subject at hand, however I would think that it would relevant to note this in their post.

Cheers,
Scott

That's fair enough, it was directed at you but only in part which is why I didn't quote you. And yes I know that you didn't specifically say that people with no experience shouldn't offer an opinion. For the most part it's a general statement. If this was an identification thread or something requiring technical knowlegde not everyone would have then I would agree that it would be better to have an idea of the experience of others. I just don't happen to think that's the case for this particular thread.
 
While it's true that an elapid handler would have a better idea of what an elapid would do; logic dictates that having intensive first hand experience of a particular action is not necessary in order to understand enough of the consequences of that action to form an opinion of it's safety.

Sorry, you didn't understand. I am on the fence, not for or against. Too many circumstances. However I don't believe you can understand or pass judgement on what Captive Snakes do without keeping them.
When you take my examples you have stuff that everyone has grown up doing. Despite the risks that they carry people allow kids to carry out these activities even sometimes unsupervised because it is what we all did in our lifetime and chances are the kids will do it anyway. You educate them and hopfully they learn.
How can someone who has never stood foot in the ocean stand there and tell other swimmers that they shouldn't have their children swimming in the ocean because it is too dangerous? How can someone who has never kept a large breed of dog tell a breeder they shouldn't have there kids running around with the large dogs because it is unsafe?

What would be interesting is too see who is arguing on what sides. Maybe the question should be under circumstances do you think it is safe for children to handle venomous snakes? Then include if you are a keeper or a non keeper. I would think there'd be a lot of non keepers against it and the majority of people for it would be keepers. Even Jonno who is extremely careful has said he'd be happy to teach his kids at the start of high school if he believed they were up for it. That's 13.
 
Venom on skin- "Skin is quite a good barrier to venom and wont be absorbed, BUT do NOT get venom in wounds, cuts, abrasions or grazes."
Also, venom on bags, or clothes is fine to just wash off and doesn't get transferred through the wash to other articles.

I have asked these questions myself to an elapid specialist and they gave me these answers after getting in touch with their friend who works in the venom industry.

My 10 yr old comes out on python captures, but doesn't feel like he is ready to come on anything that may involve an elapid yet. I don't push my kids into anything, but help and support them with what they want to do. They will let you know.
Didn't answer the poll. Unanswerable.
 
....sorry, didn't realise Kris was signed in.

Kersten
 
Again, I haven't passed judgement on anyone in this thread. I also hadn't assumed that you are pro or anti. I still won't offer an opinion in either direction, for the simple reason that I don't enter into a debate when I know that there are a number of people involved who won't consider anyone else's opinion if it differs from their own and are more interested in being "right" than having an open mind.

Edit: To clarify my point about being able to judge without actually doing it. I think you can be well enough informed without having to lay hands on a snake to make a judgement call.
 
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