Venomous snakes

[soph02]

Hello to all you guys out there with Venomous snakes I have a question.
I have always wondered do you actually handle your snakes? You couldn't right? I would love to know how you look after them and stuff.
Please tell me a bit about what you guys do Im interested to know.

Thanks heaps
Sophie

 

[moosenoose]

Most elapids become pretty relaxed in captivity. You can handle them, sometimes ridiculously so, but expect the consequences should things get ugly :lol:

I was pulling a retained shed off my male Tasmanian tiger the other week. There are some pics in my profile photos. He's perhaps one of the most relaxed vens I keep. An absolute gem!

I find the main time I have to keep out of their road is feed time. You don't want to be grabbed by mistake!

 

[JasonL]

Some Elapids calm down to the same extent at some Pythons do, some Elapid keepers treat them as such, but you have to way up the risk of an "accident", it's a tad worse than cleaning up a bit of blood

 

[-Peter]

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

It surely is a bizarre feeling to hold a venomous snake and let it crawl over your bare skin, and you may get away with doing it with out getting bitten,,for a while.
Sooner or later the law of averages will probably catch up with you.
Only handle them when you have to and try not to take unnecassary risk. As i am typing i can see a tigersnake in a tank that seems to thrive on human interaction and i sometimes have to fight the urge to give in and take him out for a cuddle.
It would be so easy for me to complacent with them though im guilty of that aswell.

 

[soph02]

wow thats amazing, im still not sure about you guys but. My pythons are all friendly i have them out all the time but every now and again one of them wont want to play and i end up with nice little bit. and yer like you said at least im only cleaning up the blood. have any of yous been bitten before? tell me stories.
Giving a tipan or tiger snake a cuddle just doesnt seem right. But they are amazing looking snakes.

 

[malya]

I would love to know whether keepers of elapids are allowed (or do) keep anti-venom in the house just in case...

 

[JasonL]

Some people cuddle their Taipans, but clearly they have gone insane ... they also do anthing to avoid being bitten as the side effects means bad hospital food and and uncomfortable bed for the night..

 

[JasonL]

I would love to know whether keepers of elapids are allowed (or do) keep anti-venom in the house just in case...

No, it cost more than gold and has a used by date, and as you can have serious reactions to it itself, shouldn't be administered out of medical help.

 

[jack]

elapids are fairly simple, they have a sharp end and a safe end.
i am a reasonably cautious keeper who doesnt trust any snakes- even my diamonds, which is why i dont have any bite stories to share.

i have been in a room when someone demonstrated how cuddle-able a taipan was....
cheeky sod was between me and the door too!

 

[ShnakeyGirl]

I would love to know whether keepers of elapids are allowed (or do) keep anti-venom in the house just in case...

In Victoria as part of the code of practice of keeping venomous snakes, we have to notify the nearest hospital of what types of vens we keep and they then add it to your file.

Our female Tassie Tiger is very placid, I have only seen her flare out once so far. She may be tame enough to free handle, but I don't trust her enough to try.

 

[malya]

We bought our enclosure from a guy who kept a red bellied black snake and I asked him whether he was scared to hold it. He said the snake was such a good one that he would let his kids (6 and 8yr old) hold it. I thought he was crazy and, because I hadn't spoken to any owners of elapids before him, that's what all snake owners did!

 

[moosenoose]

We bought our enclosure from a guy who kept a red bellied black snake and I asked him whether he was scared to hold it. He said the snake was such a good one that he would let his kids (6 and 8yr old) hold it. I thought he was crazy and, because I hadn't spoken to any owners of elapids before him, that's what all snake owners did!

That story gives me the full-on creeps. I think its "almost remotely" acceptable for a keeper to cop a bite, but handing something like that to a child is completely ridiculous!

 

[soph02]

Yer that is a bit silly...children to, they take less time then us to become sick from a snake bite. i do understand why people would keep them sort of snakes...red belly black for example they have amazing colours. I have only been into snakes for about 2 to 3 years now and i keep buying more and more but i dont think i will ever buy a venomous one. Thanks for all the stories but guys im really interested in the things yous have to say.

 

[reptilefan95]

Jack youve just jinxed your self im sure now that your snakes havent bit you this will drive them too!

 

[ShaneBlack]

We bought our enclosure from a guy who kept a red bellied black snake and I asked him whether he was scared to hold it. He said the snake was such a good one that he would let his kids (6 and 8yr old) hold it. I thought he was crazy and, because I hadn't spoken to any owners of elapids before him, that's what all snake owners did!

The vast majority of elapid keepers are responsible people. I've kept a few elapids in my time and in my opinion you cant trust ANY of them, no matter how quite they are. That goes for all reptiles. There will come a day when that "tame" snake reacts out of character. To hand a dangerous elapid to a child is total stupidity.

 

[anntay]

He said the snake was such a good one that he would let his kids (6 and 8yr old) hold it. I thought he was crazy
i'm with you on that one now way would my kids or me be holding a red belly they can turn at anytime

 

[malya]

I'm glad there are people that are as shocked as I was.

 

[Drew_gyz]

I'm just hoping that it was a figure of speach .. after all if it was a "they are so gentle i'd let my kids handle it"... thats just a brag .. but if it was "here kids, have a deadly snake" .... ..... thats child endangerment ... the police/child protection can get involved for that.

Having said that, i watched my grandfather handle wild RBBS alot (he was a logger in the sunshine coast QLD.. the kind that started out using axes) and the first thing i ever learnt from him was RESPECT the snake cause respect is better then regret.

 

[Fuscus]

not mine (snakes downunder) but this guys was are tame as they get
Hmmm - should go back there soon