Venomous Keepers Under the Microscope

Venomous Keepers Under the Microscope

By Adam "Goatsby" Grayson

Technology has made it's impact in all parts of the world. In the past few years, we have watched computers grow and effect everything. From E-commerce to web-streaming and even our hobby. For a good example, this society was founded on the internet. To get to the point, as technology continues to grow, we have a greater responsibility as venomous reptiles keepers to the world as a whole. Now the things we say and do are seen, and judged, by people all over the world. The internet, in essence, could either A) Do great things through proper education, or B) Cause significant, if not irreparable damage - such as statewide bans and restrictions.

The first thing we must be concerned with is the trade and sale of venomous reptiles. I'm sure that most of us remember that less then 5 years ago the Kingsnake.com's Venomous Classifieds were only three or four entries per month! Now look and you will see many more than that within just a few days. With these kind of reptiles available, as breeders and dealers, we must be selective of to whom we sell to and trade with. And I don't only mean the obvious answer - children, but mainly irresponsible and uneducated adults. If these people get bitten, or one of their reptiles gets loose, THEY become the spokes-people for our hobby, without saying a word. Here is a good example:

There is an place here in southern Florida that had four bites (between two individuals) in 2000. All of them were highly publicized and ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEWSPAPER EACH TIME! When interviewed by EVERY news station ON THE SIX O'CLOCK NEWS, the person who had two consecutive bites in as many months after making grossly ignorant mistakes, now speaks for all venomous reptile keepers. Do we really want these people being our spokespersons? No, we don't. Unfortunately it is inevitable to a certain extent, but by being more selective to who we sell to we can curb a few of these people off from doing us harm.

Another thing to consider is the things we say, post and publish. I can name a few websites off the top of my head that grossly misinform people about venomous reptiles, and their care (Is it true that with a little handling your Western Diamondback will get to know you?). When children or people who are trying to gain some form of understanding about our hobby and our herps find a webpage, the first words they read are gold. That's it. And if they do come across better, more informed information, they will question it to the first persons page they saw. This also holds true for postings and articles put into print.

So, what can we do to prevent ignorance from marring our hobby further than it has to? We must all be safeguards, keeping a "vigilant" eye on the world around us. When we see a misinformed webpage or post, it is our duty to try and educate these people, and get them to understand why they are wrong. Calling them stupid and telling them they have no place in our hobby is not the way to go. If you love venomous reptiles, you love venomous reptiles, despite what you may or may not know about them. Even the testosterone junkies might either be swayed to learn more or realize what they are doing is foolish if we approach them in a positive light. A little psychology could go a long way here!

In summary, we are at a period in time where a wealth of information is available to almost everyone. If we take a little extra time and energy to make sure that the proper information is being distributed, it could carry the venomous reptile hobby a long way.

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