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About the saw scale vipers
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by herping4life on May 6, 2008
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Hi there i been keeping hots for along time but only like cottonmouths and a eastern diamond back rattler but i do take very very very cautious precautions with these beauties the only time a cage is opened is for feeding or spot cleaning and only time they are out is for routine cage cleaning and steralization i got a family and i got a secure room of my house for my snakes but i been real interested in the saw scale vipers and been reading on them alot as i do with every snake before i purchase them and i figured i would ask some pros to see what they think of the saw scale and if anyone owns one can they give me advise on them
Thank You very much
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RE: About the saw scale vipers
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by Cro on May 6, 2008
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leland, I know some here will not like hearing this, but I really do not like saw scale vipers of any sort.
At the Atlanta Zoo, they were a pain. Always bitey and always wound up and nervous. I do not know why anyone would want to keep them.
However, lots of folks do. I just think there are much better venomous snakes that folks can keep. Why keep a snake that wants to stay hidden most of the time, and that has temperature and caging requirements that are somewhat difficult ?
Why not pick something that will be out where you can see it, and interesting to watch?
Just my 2 cents worth.............
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: About the saw scale vipers
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by herping4life on May 6, 2008
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yeah you got a point there but i been real interested in them for along time but it is nice to have them out where you can see them how about a rhino viper what are your thoughts on those?
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RE: About the saw scale vipers
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by LarryDFishel on May 6, 2008
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We had a few wild-caught specimens that were as John describes. We no longer have those, but I kept one of the offspring and have been raising it for around 5 years.
Completely replicating its natural environment might be a pain, but that doesn't really seem to be necessary. I've seen no indication that he cares whether he's on sand or newspaper. He seems perfectly happy with a plastic hide that is open at the front and temperatures in the low- to mid-eighties.
I can't remember the last time he struck at anything other than food. Though of course, you REALLY don't want to give them the chance.
They will never get big enough to require a large cage and you can easily handle them on hooks without ever getting within a full body length.
The bad news is that they are exotic and in most of the country antivenom is going to take a while to get.
Keep in mind that while I've kept this one without much trouble for a long time, it's still only one speciment (the parents were not really a problem either, but we didn't have them that long). So get a few more opinios first.
Certainly a better choice for the next step than a Rhino. Rhonos get big and can be physically difficult to handle and SEEM to be much more picky about conditions.
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RE: About the saw scale vipers
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by LarryDFishel on May 6, 2008
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P.S. And it sure seems like close to 50% of the keeper deaths I've heard about in the last 5 years have benn from Bitis species.
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RE: About the saw scale vipers
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by herping4life on May 6, 2008
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i also thought about the king cobra but i tell ya this i just am not to wild on the idea of the king they seem very fast and other than looking cool they are just not my style so they are out of the question for me i know the green mamba is a very quick and deadly one also and i do not think i am ready for one of those either i might just stick to rattlers but i am so wanting a saw scale or 2 i do not know why but i just have this thing i like about them and your right a rhino viper does get large and in charge and believe me when i tell ya 100% precautions are taking when having to move them from the enclosers you can rest assured that because i do not want to end up on my back in a hospital or in the grave over my passion for these beauties some people though are different then me they just do not care but i am a family man and i do care alot and i would not want them in harms way at all does anyone have a good hot that is beautiful and has personality that would just stand out in my collection and just WOW me i know there are alot of them out there in the world but i also want to make sure i can aquire the anti venom and all also which if i did get one from over seas as i plan on doing i will want the anti venom here in my fridge so when ems arrive god for bid something happens i can have the administer it to me or wait till a doctor can look me over and get them to try and use it but alot of the american drs will not do it due to fda not approved most anti venoms but i do have a dr that will take my case if god for bid if and i mean if i get struck one day any advice or reccomendations would be awsome since i know you guys have way more years experience at this then me i have 9 years with hot's but i know i am still green but let me tell ya this hobby is wild and i learn new things on a daily basis believe that
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RE: About the saw scale vipers
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by Rob_Carmichael on May 6, 2008
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You need to fill out your profile as I would love to offer some advice...but, if you are a youngster, you shouldn't be owning hots.
As far as the observations of the others on Echis, I agree but I do have one exception. We have an Echis coloratus that is about as mellow as any snake we have ever had - never rasps its scales, hooks like a corn snake and is always out in the open during public exhibit hours - go figure. BUT, I do NOT recommend them unless you have ready access to A/V
Rob Carmichael
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RE: About the saw scale vipers
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by Phobos on May 6, 2008
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I keep 5 species of sawscales and they are one of my favorite vipers. They can be difficult to get to feed on anything but live prey but it can be done it you put the time in. They are generally foul and very bitey and you really have to be focused on them when working or they'll get you. I do have some that are quite calm and about as friendly as sawscales go but I've had them for years and know I'm not a threat. They are one of the most care-free snakes you can get once feeding on a regular basis.
I have several videos on my youtube site of them in action. Just search under "sawscales"
Al
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RE: About the saw scale vipers
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by Buzztail1 on May 6, 2008
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Call me a sissy if you will but I would need much more than a passing interest to work with these animals.
I highly recommend reading Sherman Minton's account of an Echis bite. It scared the mess right out of me. When a snake that small can cause you to bleed out through your orifices and your kidneys to shut down - a mistake is beyond imagining.
Nowadays with all the trouble people are having convincing their local doctor that they do know for sure what bit them and getting the proper treatment - you might be dead from something like this before they figured out how to treat you.
Not a chance I'd be willing to take.
Just me,
Karl
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RE: About the saw scale vipers
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by tj on May 7, 2008
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I've never had an interest in keeping them, until I got to work with one in a friends collection a month or so ago. I didn't feel even abit uneasy about moving the snake around. It was actually a joy and quite easily manipulated. Keep in mind it's an INDIVIDUAL thing, and saw scales are known for their dispositions.
That being said, every precaution needs to be taken when working with and keeping these animals, as accidents will not be forgiving. Echis are also snakes that require a monovalent, species specific AV....just because it is Echis AV doesn't mean it's going to be cross reacitve with different species. You WILL need to know exactly where the snake was from, and what SPECIFIC AV will need to be used if a bite occurs.
It would be a much better choice than a green mamba, or rhino viper, but if you have ANY doubts with ANYTHING, the time isn't right. All three will kill you quite readily, and mistakes with any of them will prove a life-threatening situation. Don't rush, there are plenty of snakes to be had that will stand out in your collection, and many, much less lethal.
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