Venomous keepers??

[NCHERPS]

I was just wondering how many people out there who keep Venomous keep there snakes in top opening Viv's, who keeps them in the normal side opening style?

Which one would you consider safer and why?

 

[wattso]

Probaqbly because side opening doors give the snake oportunity to come straight out at you.
top openers on the other hand, can be opened with the opening facing away from you, hence something between you & snake if it strikes.[more effort for snake to go up than down] Just my guess! less chance of escape perhaps?????

 

[Greebo]

I use a top opening enclosure.
It is easier to access the cage to remove the snake or simply change the water. Other keepers I know also use top opening enclosures.
Most venemous I've seen are ground dwelling and stay on the floor of the cage which makes it easier to open from the top.

 

[NCHERPS]

You have a good point there Greebo, at least in regards to the Aussie species, most are ground dwelling and I can see that it would be safer in respect of those species to have top opening viv's.
I have worked with many venomous species in the UK and have always had side opening viv's, but several of the species I worked with were arboreal, alot weren't though, and apart from Zoo's, no one else that I knew kept Hots in top openers in the UK.

The reason I ask is that I saw a program the other day regarding Eric Worrel and ARP and they showed all his viv's as side openers, maybe it's because it's easier to keep alot more snakes in a smaller area, where as top openers restrict how many viv's you can have because you can't stack so easily.

Is there any sort of State requirement that insists on one way over another?

 

[marc]

well it depends on the snake and it temperament, I don't like top opening cages because just say that the snake had a strike when lifting the lid your normal reaction is to let go years ago it happen to me and the lid killed the snake as it mashed down. I tried using latches that you can lock but I found my hands were in a venerable distance longer, so in the end the top openers went and fronties replaced them, I find them much safer for the keeper and the snake. I also find that top openers take up to much pace as you cant bank them on top of each other.

 

[Robert]

I have only really seen top opening cages with the adders.
The Red bellies,taipan,collett's and blue belly black's i've seen in captivity were all in front opening cages.

Marc i would love to one day check out your collection.Sounds very interesting and right down my alley.

 

[gudang]

i keep venomous snakes. all in front opening cages. i think they are more safe for keeper and snakes. most i keep are fairly quiet (red bellies, colletti and fierce snake) used to have all top opening cages until a few instances with coastal taipans doubling back up more than three quarters of their body length. too fast for me.