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keeping venomous reptiles?
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by Agkistrodoncomplex on June 18, 2009
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To the average joe, keeping venomous snakes may seem crazy, and people often ask, why the heck would you keep a venomous snake in your house? So I wanted to ask you guys what your reasons are for keeping venomous snakes. Do yall have a good answer to this question?
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RE: keeping venomous reptiles?
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by jparker1167 on June 18, 2009
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there is a good answer for the question i do it cause it is legal where i live and im just as interested in the venomous snakes if not more then the non venomous. and thats the only reason i need.
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RE: keeping venomous reptiles?
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by Rob_Carmichael on June 19, 2009
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For me it's quite simple: I find that venomous reptiles are some of the most beautiful creatures on earth with advanced systems for dispatching prey not to mention the many medicinal applications for venom. They are some of the most misunderstood animals on earth and that's why many of my education programs revolve around breaking down those barriers. Although working with them provides a nice challenge to my handling skills, that's not the reason why I keep them...it's not about machismo, showing off or anything of the like...we have enough Youtube idiots out there who make us all look like a bunch of lunchballs.
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RE: keeping venomous reptiles?
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by najasuphan on June 19, 2009
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For me it's a complex answer. I can remember when I was very young, 4 years old or so, looking in old nature books that my Grandmother had and seeing pictures of snakes like Rinkhals, Gaboon vipers, Cape cobras, Black mambas, etc and just being fascinated with them. I also remember seeing them on some older nature shows from time to time. I think my interest comes partially from their venom but a lot of my interest, I think, developed due to the way these animals were portrayed in those older books and television shows. To me at the time they weren't really animals, they were these mythical beasts that only existed on tv and in some far off place that I would probably never go; Africa. This was a time before the Crocodile hunter was making deadly Australian elapids virtually household names. Years later I learned that you could actually keep these snakes, so I got my first exotic venomous, a pair of gaboon vipers, in 1999. This was after I had been catching and keeping native venomous for several years.
As it stands now I have a relatively small collection of animals which consists of 10 snakes; to which 8 are venomous. I have focused my efforts on African venomous snakes, particularly elapids except for my single puff adder. I have so few because I keep them in good size caging; not the lunch boxes that a lot of people like to keep their snakes in nowadays. It might sound a little hokey but I really enjoy watching and interacting with my snakes; no that doesn't mean freehandling. I still feel like a little kid when I get around some of these snakes. It kind of brings me back to when I would only see pictures of them in a book or a segment about them on tv; now I can go into my snake room and actually look at them and clean their poop off the walls of their enclosures; fun fun.
Ok, that was a little drawn out of an answer. Basically, it is just a very deep rooted fascination with certain species of snakes that was developed in early childhood. Of course new experiences cause me to want certain other species but that is the root of it. If Forest cobras and Black mambas were nonvenomous I would still keep them!
-Jamie
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RE: keeping venomous reptiles?
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by Ptk on June 19, 2009
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There is great value in studying something in its natural environment but to keep something in captivity you must understand its needs in a different way(temperature/heating, humidity, substrate, hides, spacing, food/diet, ventilation, lighting, parasite/diease control, stressors , etc.) If you choose to breed herps the list gets longer. (Salt water fish tanks are another example of understanding the ecosystem that supports the lives of the animals we enjoy.)
I would also add that proximity has a lot to do with the opportunity to learn. If all we saw were snakes in books if would be hard to describe movement or speed, etc. For those that live in the US and study/keep exotics, keeping in a private collection might be the most feasible way to learn.
Cheers ~ PTK
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RE: keeping venomous reptiles?
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by atwageman on June 19, 2009
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Well like many my interest started like most...during childhood. My main focus is rattlesnakes although I do keep a few bitis around. And lately I've slowly started getting into elapids...cobras, mambas, etc. I enjoy learning and seeking knowledge about these misunderstood creatures.
And now my 5 year old nephew has taken a strong interest in reptiles, and as time goes on I can pass along that knowledge.
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by puffadder7 on June 19, 2009
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it all started when i was about four years old, we lived in arkansas, and i would see snakes all the time, and of course i started catching them alot, when i six i was catching and keeping copperheads, i knew exactly what they were and knew they were dangerous, most people say a six year old does not have the coordination to do that, but i did, even though i kept them in jars, i admired them, and released them, and today i still am doing what i love, arin
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