Handeling tips for Puff Adders - Experts Forum at VenomousReptiles.org

Handeling tips for Puff Adders	Reply
by Snake18 on September 1, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Hy guys, I will most surely get a puff adder this year. It will probably be around 60cm or 2 feet long. Most of you have had lots of experience with this snake. I would like to get some handeling tips. What to watch out for, etc. Anticipated thanks. Best regards, Alex S.

RE: Handeling tips for Puff Adders	Reply
by Phobos on September 2, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Alex: Although massive in build Puffs are very agile and very very fast. It's size makes it very difficult to work with, oh and they don't hook really well. You will need a pair of "Gentle Giant Tongs" for sure. I can't tell you, it's just something to experience how difficult they are to get out of their cage and into a safe container for cage cleaning and back. Keep the cage low to the floor because they unexpectantly explode and fall on the floor from the cage. One thing you don't have to worry about what it's thinking because it's only thinking about how to kill you. It's the snake that I work with the least at my place. They like it around 25-30 C for the most part but do seek out the hot spot after a meal. They can and do retain feces for a long time ~4-8 weeks sometimes, this is normal. I've never had any trouble with shedding Good Luck,

RE: Handeling tips for Puff Adders	Reply
by bush_viper17 on September 2, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Yeah, they dont stay on a hook at all. When you pick them up on a hook the usually only hang on by the very front of their body and then slide off. And obviously being a heavy bodied snake like they are, it can cause the snake damage. I would use the two hook method. Puff adders seem to be more ready to strike than a gaboon(in my experience.)

RE: Handeling tips for Puff Adders	Reply
by Phobos on September 2, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Where did you get your Puff Adder experience Jeremy? Last I heard they were illegal to keep in Georgia without a permit. Al

RE: Handeling tips for Puff Adders	Reply
by Snake18 on September 2, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Thanks for the tips guys. Unfortunatly I have no where to get a tong from. It would cost me about about 300$ to get them from Midwsest(including shipping). I will use 2 hooks when handeling or tailing + hook combo. My largest hook is about 75cm long and my medium sized one is about 60cm long. Apreciate the help... Alex S.

RE: Handeling tips for Puff Adders	Reply
by LarryDFishel on September 2, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Don't even think about tailing any bitis species! They're too strong and too fast. Use two hooks and make sure you're working in a space where you can move and the snake can't get under things. It's not like dealing with a mamba, but puffs can be slippery and suprisingly fast. Assume that he will end up on the floor on a regular basis and plan accordingly. The couple of puffs I've worked with calmed down pretty well after a while and are USUALLY no problem to move from the cage to a container and back again. BUT, on the occasions when they've acted up, I've had to bail out trainees who couldn't contol the snake enough to get it back in the cage. They were not in danger because I make sure they have room to get out of the way and a snake room that they can seal up and lock if they need to go ask for help, but if they were the only handlers for miles around, it certainly would have made things interesting.

RE: Handeling tips for Puff Adders	Reply
by Cro on September 2, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Alex: The two hook metheod works well on puffs. Best Regards JohnZ

RE: Handeling tips for Puff Adders	Reply
by Cro on September 2, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Alex: You mention the high cost of Midwest Gentle Giant Tongs, and shipping from USA. For many years at the AZP, we used Pilstrom Tongs, and often wrapped the gripper part with sponge foam, or even cloth, and taped over it to provide some padding. The foam makes the grip wider, and less likely to damage the snake. Folks used Pilstroms for many, many years before Midwest ever came into business. I saw on EBay a Pilstrom Knockoff Tong, Item number: 7710097556, that says Buy It Now for $25.00 US and $10.00 US to ship Worldwide, with PayPal payment. Says it is in China, but that still might work. I do not know about the exchange rates and regulations for Romania from China, but it might be worth looking into. That would be only $35.00 US, which is a very good deal if the company is reliable. They have feedback on EBay, so you might want to check what others have said about them. And I think PayPal will give you some protection if they do not ship as stated. If that does not work, after trying the double hook thing, and you find you do still need a pair of tongs for the puff, well, I have a 30 year old, 36 inch pair of Pilstroms that I will ship to you if you will pay for the postage. I would guess it would cost $25.00 to ship to you from here, which is a bit much, but I have no control on the costs of International shipping. Hope This Helps. Best Regards JohnZ

RE: Handeling tips for Puff Adders	Reply
by Cro on September 2, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Alex: Like Larry said, do not even think of tailing a small puff, rhino, or gaboon unless it is over 1 meter long, and preferbly 1.5+ . JohnZ

RE: Handeling tips for Puff Adders	Reply
by Snake18 on September 2, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Thanks again for the tips guys. I would never think of tailing the puff adder untill it would be 3 ft long or so. I`ll let you guys know when I`ll get my puff and if I won`t be able to handle it with one or two hooks. I realy hope I`ll get a "cooler" tempered puff adder than most of them. I mean...I like agressive snakes but...there is a limit. Best regards, Alex S.

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