Tubing mambas - experts Forum at VenomousReptiles.org

Tubing mambas	Reply
by jungle on March 21, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
What's up guys? Does anyone have any tips on tubing black mambas? I've never had to tube something as agile or as fast as a mamba. I don't need to as of now but I would like to some tips, just incase something occurs. Thanks alot. Tod.

RE: Tubing mambas	Reply
by Phobos on March 21, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
The safest way to tube a Mamba or other crazy Elapids is the bagging system offered by Midwest. http://rs289.securehostserver.com/%7Etongscom/shop/index.php?GrID=35 Geee Tod...You keep all those species listed on your profile and you're asking for tips on tubing... I would think anyone that experienced would already know... Al

RE: Tubing mambas	Reply
by Cro on March 21, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Tod: Have you ever considered constructing a "switch box" on the back of your cages? Many zoos use them for mambas. They are usually a small wooden box attached to the back of a cage with a guillotine door and a screen mesh top, and safety cover. Once the snake enters the box, the door is closed, and the snake has little room for movement. If you use a 1/2 inch screen mesh on top of the switch box, you can work through it with long tweezers and homemade restraint tools to remove eyecaps and help shedding, or even hose the snake down with water to loosen a stuck shed. It takes some practice, but it works. It also makes for safe cleaning of the main cage. Tubing seems to give the snakes more chance for excape. I have had to help catch green and jamisons that got loose in cieling ductwork when someone did not use the switch box and opened the cage they were in. It is kind of spooky. JohnZ

RE: Tubing mambas	Reply
by jungle on March 21, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
I have switch boxes, I use tubing for restraining snakes before I start meds etc. I just have never had to tube something like a poly before. I was in the hot room and I was thinking that I would come on here and ask for tips and see if any of you know any special tecniques for them. Al, I don't keep all of those species right now. I just listed the species that I had kept previously. I think that I would be dead if I tried to maintain all of them by myself. The only species I possess now are, Dendroaspis polylepsis, Dendroaspis angusticeps,Bitis gabonica rhinocerous,Tropidolaemus wagleri,Naja pallida,Naja kaouthia,Atheris squamiger,Crotalus durissus,Lachesis muta and one very nasty Bothrops asper.

RE: Tubing mambas	Reply
by Cro on March 21, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
If you are allready using switch boxes, drill a hole in the switch box the exact size of the tube. Make sure it has a secure cover for when it is not in use. Put the tube into the hole and support it, then open the guillitine door and allow the snake to enter the switch box and then the tube. Make sure there is a cover on the end of the tube so the snake does not shoot straight through. Drill a few acess holes in the tube cover and the sides of the tube for access to medicate through. Personally, I do not feel that individuals should keep mambas, tiapans, tree cobras, etc. I hope you will someday donate them to a zoo where they can be appreciated by thousands of folks. You will still be able to say you have "been there and done that", and survived to tell your grandkids about it. I would hate to see in the papers "reptile keeper killed by mamba bite" . There are so many other things a talented reptile keeper could work on. Have you ever read of anyone breeding Eastern Diamondbacks in captivity ? The reason I ask that is that many, many years ago, a very wise reptile curator questioned my wanting to keep exotic reptiles in a private collection, and reminded me that anyone could buy and keep exotic reptiles, but not many folks have done things that really contribute to science. Like breeding EDB's or Lepidus in captivity, or Coral Snakes, or Moreletts Crocodiles. Just something to think about. JohnZ

RE: Tubing mambas	Reply
by Chance on March 21, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
I tend to agree with Al on this one. Even if you've only just barely kept half those species on that list (I myself am doubting the O. scutellatus, mainland form, and O. microlepidotus for some reason...), you would have some idea about how to safely tube Dendroapis. D. polylepis can be tubed the exact same way D. angusticeps, viridis, or jamesoni can: carefully. Now I'm not trying to call you a liar necessarily, but if you really have kept all those amazingly deadly species in the past, how did you get around needing to know how to tube them then? -Chance

RE: Tubing mambas	Reply
by AquaHerp on March 22, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
A few zoos out there have shift boxes that reduce down into a tube at one end. My understanding is that the mambas catch on to this fairly quickly though. Methods I have used (and I have not had to tube many) have been strait from a 40 gallon trash barrel up the pipe, or use tongs to "gently" manipulate the snake into the tube, or run the snake from a bag and in to the tube. Mambas will bag up if you put the bag on the floor and fill it with crumpled newspaper, they like the security once you get the head in, much like a cobra does. Then use your hook to squeeze the snake to one end of the bag while affixing the tube with masking tape to the other. Then dump the snake back down towards the tube end and manipulate. But� they will fire out that pipe quick when they do eventually come, so be ready!! These things will back out of a tube as fast as they go in too , so be careful. I�m certainly am not going to go into the dangers of dealing with mambas in or out of a zoo, their coffin-shaped head should say it all.

RE: Tubing mambas	Reply
by jungle on March 22, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Oh yes, but I have kept them. You see, when you've lived in Austrailia for 5 years you tend to see the native snakes there. Then after you see them, you tend to keep them. My mambas are pretty well behaved, well, for mambas any way. I guess I have the old way of thinking. I have them set up in their cages and I have learned as I went. I have never had any reason to tube elapids for some reason. And truthfully, the only snake I've ever tubed was a Prarie rattlesnake on two occasions.

RE: Tubing mambas	Reply
by jungle on March 22, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
I tend to agree with Al on this one. Even if you've only just barely kept half those species on that list (I myself am doubting the O. scutellatus, mainland form, and O. microlepidotus for some reason...) Chance, I don't think your in the position to tell me what I am capable of mate.

RE: Tubing mambas	Reply
by SerpenXotics on March 22, 2005	Mail this to a friend!
Tod, I surely don't doubt you kept any of those species. just wanted to lay that out there. But I have to say that I agree with Al 150%. you really should have the proper training if you already don't have a method to any situation your venomous (especially Mambas). you really have no buisness keeping them until you are prepared!! Thank you Joe Lesh

Page 1 of 5 Next

Next Topic: Roundup in sweetwater
Previous Topic: Anonymous posting

Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this topic.

Check our help page for help using , or send questions, comments, or suggestions to the Manager.