# Your first experience handling DWA snakes



## snakeboy101 (Jul 3, 2006)

Share your experiences with us. How did it feel the first time you had to handle a venomous snake? Was it scary/were you nervous? Did someone teach you or was you one of those weirdos that run around the woods and pick up wild snakes with a stick as your snake hook?

I know id be bricking it if I was handling a potentially lethal snake which is why I plan to never own one :lol2:


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## dunny1 (Feb 2, 2009)

*cobra*

first time i handled a venomous snake well you cant really say handled it was more draped round my neck.it was in tunisia this guy came to the hotel with an aspic viper and a box full of cobra's and i mean full of them.i got to kiss the aspic viper he did have a good hold of its head though then he put that away and got the cobra's out.he ws picking them up and putting them around peoples necks and arms so they could have pic's taken kid's included. very dangerous things to be doing but me loving my snakies couldnt resist it and went up for a pic.he put it around my neck and the first thing the cobra done was try to go up the sleeve of my tshirt.i went to grab it myself and got a slap on the hand and he said no touchy was quite funny lol but i got my pic taken and that was it.when i asked afterwards if they still had venom i was told yes thats the closest ive been to a dwa snake. i now keep rear fanged species but theyre not on dwa was i nervous though nah not atall i was young and had no fear. would i be nervous now yeah prob


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## RepBex (Jan 17, 2008)

my first time was at JC exotics for work experance i held a mangrove snake and a hoggy lol
was fine with it use to holding snakes from col ..... but the whole huge yellow anaconda flying out its viv at me and another member of staff was abit more "scery"


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## stuartdouglas (Mar 5, 2008)

I was one of the wierdos running round picking up adders using sticks when I was about 13:2thumb:


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## Owzy (Jan 19, 2009)

Yep I wandered around in Canada & the countryside of Kent poking about.


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## Al Hyde (Jan 6, 2008)

dunny1 said:


> first time i handled a venomous snake well you cant really say handled it was more draped round my neck.it was in tunisia this guy came to the hotel with an aspic viper and a box full of cobra's and i mean full of them.i got to kiss the aspic viper he did have a good hold of its head though then he put that away and got the cobra's out.he ws picking them up and putting them around peoples necks and arms so they could have pic's taken kid's included. very dangerous things to be doing but me loving my snakies couldnt resist it and went up for a pic.he put it around my neck and the first thing the cobra done was try to go up the sleeve of my tshirt.i went to grab it myself and got a slap on the hand and he said no touchy was quite funny lol but i got my pic taken and that was it.when i asked afterwards if they still had venom i was told yes thats the closest ive been to a dwa snake. i now keep rear fanged species but theyre not on dwa was i nervous though nah not atall i was young and had no fear. would i be nervous now yeah prob


Tunisian Snake handlers rip out the teeth or sew up the mouth. Please, if you go anywhere in North Africa do not encourage these morons. The snakes are disposable to them , when they die they just go out and catch more .

Cheers,
Al


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## dunny1 (Feb 2, 2009)

*cobra*

these snakes were able to open there mouths not sure if they had any teeth but they def did open there mouths.i know what you mean though about the tunisians they dont give a s..t about there animals.


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

dunny1 said:


> these snakes were able to open there mouths not sure if they had any teeth but they def did open there mouths.i know what you mean though about the tunisians they dont give a s..t about there animals.


Whether they could open their mouth or not these will have been de-fanged etc.

Dead tourists do not make for god money earning opportunities!


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## mark elliott (Feb 5, 2007)

at the reptile zone in bristol and i shit myself.
regards mark


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

Theres a pic of me (will have to ask the parents for it) holding an adder when i was about 5... my mum thought it was a grass snake and took a pic... my dad had a heart attack when he saw the pic later:lol2: snake was as cool as christmas though, didnt so much as wiggle!


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## Owzy (Jan 19, 2009)

chondro13 said:


> Theres a pic of me (will have to ask the parents for it) holding an adder when i was about 5... my mum thought it was a grass snake and took a pic... my dad had a heart attack when he saw the pic later:lol2: snake was as cool as christmas though, didnt so much as wiggle!


Was it alive? :whistling2:


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## corpselight (Jan 10, 2008)

flipping hell that's lucky! they aren't "aggressive" from everything i've seen and heard, but for one to be that docile is unusual, i'd think!
maybe the fearlessness with which you held it calmed it, many animals seem to respond well to confidence...


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

Owzy said:


> Was it alive? :whistling2:


 
Yes


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## trueviper (Jan 13, 2008)

snakeboy101 said:


> or was you one of those weirdos that run around the woods and pick up wild snakes with a stick as your snake hook?:lol2:


yep that was me :mf_dribble:

Adders were and still are an obsession of mine :whistling2:


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## bee pampered (May 22, 2007)

trueviper said:


> yep that was me :mf_dribble:
> 
> Adders were and still are an obsession of mine :whistling2:


 
We bought a copper head of you just thought id say....(trueviper)

We now live in lincoln and this year we have had loads of adders on an island on a fishing lake we have here.........


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## milsom (Nov 14, 2008)

My first experience handling venomous was in Malaysia with a very famous/infamous Malaysian reptile exporter. He showed me the best way to unpack and work with various idigenous Pit Vipers, Cobras, Kraits and Russell's. I think the very first moment was with a Wagler's and was a bit of a hook and tail affair. Was slightly nervous, but went OK.

Cheers

Ty


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## __sam69__ (Mar 4, 2008)

RepBex said:


> my first time was at JC exotics for work experance i held a mangrove snake and a hoggy lol
> was fine with it use to holding snakes from col ..... but the whole huge yellow anaconda flying out its viv at me and another member of staff was abit more "scery"


 see, id be more wary with a snake that is smaller and faster like venemous species, i always feel more confident working with larger heavier bodied snakes rather than fast flighty slender snakes. saying that im constantly aware and focussed no matter what animal im working with. i havent had the chance to work with DWA animals yet but it will eventually come to that time.


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## trueviper (Jan 13, 2008)

__sam69__ said:


> see, id be more wary with a snake that is smaller and faster like venemous species, i always feel more confident working with larger heavier bodied snakes rather than fast flighty slender snakes. saying that im constantly aware and focussed no matter what animal im working with. i havent had the chance to work with DWA animals yet but it will eventually come to that time.


then perhaps you might prefer to hook a 4' Gaboon Viper :2thumb:


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## __sam69__ (Mar 4, 2008)

trueviper said:


> then perhaps you might prefer to hook a 4' Gaboon Viper :2thumb:


 lol, you never know, but im hoping to become a herpetologist working in the field specialising in snakes when ive been to university. Ill just have to work my way up gain my experience with a huge variety of species, hopefully including gaboon's, theyre a stunning species :2thumb:


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## Incubuss (Dec 19, 2006)

My first time was at a friends house about 4 years ago. i had asked him to mentor me as I was looking into getting a dwal. The first snake I 'handled' (obviously not free handled) was an oldish gaboon. He started me off 'handling' it when it was cold, and then as time went on, he upped the temps slowly each visit, until it was at optimum temp. I found it a lot easier then I expected, and it was a very forgiving snake. Then after I had built up some experience with the gaboon, I moved onto a monocled cobra.


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## ssssnakeman (Aug 19, 2007)

I used to catch worms and beatles, snails and bees and progressed to skinks, tadpoles and frogs.Came across my first elapid here in Melbourne at age 8 or 9,(circa 1975).
It was a little whip snake.This is considered a non dangerous snake but a person i know was killed by one last year..
It went in tank and lived on the bedside table.Not long after that i had a young copperhead in my bedroom aswell.
After watching Harry Butler and other documentary makers i attempted to neck a tigersnake on a golfcourse where my dad was playing.
All went well and i got it ino a bag, i think i was 12 at the time.
One time my parents took myself and my sister camping on the Murry River.
I managed to bring three adult redbellied black snakes back with out being caught, haha.
They were under mums seat.
My mum and dad used to laugh when ever they told the story years after.
Cheers


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## snakekeeper (Oct 29, 2008)

One of those weirdos here who likes poking about and picking up vipera ammodytes with twigs. Been doing it for over 25 years and each time i find one I always think that this time i'm going to get tagged. Still love them though.


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## snakeboy101 (Jul 3, 2006)

Incubuss said:


> My first time was at a friends house about 4 years ago. i had asked him to mentor me as I was looking into getting a dwal. The first snake I 'handled' (obviously not free handled) was an oldish gaboon. He started me off 'handling' it when it was cold, and then as time went on, he upped the temps slowly each visit, until it was at optimum temp. I found it a lot easier then I expected, and it was a very forgiving snake. Then after I had built up some experience with the gaboon, I moved onto a monocled cobra.


Ive always wanted a cobra but again my sense of self preservation always gets the better of me.

I would like to get a Dwarf Caiman though when Ive got space I know a bite from one of those can mess me up and cripple a limb but at least I wont be dead :2thumb:


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## Lamprophis (Jun 12, 2008)

my first experience... well that was a funny story... it was at her house, after school. we were in her bedroom and then.... oh sorry.. D.W.A experience, gee... this is awkward.


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## Richcymru (Nov 21, 2008)

A sri lankan palm viper in Sri lanka. Gave the Sri lankan krait a wide birth though!


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## reptismail (Nov 15, 2008)

milsom said:


> My first experience handling venomous was in Malaysia with a very famous/infamous Malaysian reptile exporter. He showed me the best way to unpack and work with various idigenous Pit Vipers, Cobras, Kraits and Russell's. I think the very first moment was with a Wagler's and was a bit of a hook and tail affair. Was slightly nervous, but went OK.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Ty


 
by any chance was his name michel?


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## Azemiops (May 1, 2008)

reptismail said:


> by any chance was his name michel?


 
Ty would have been there many years before Michel was on Langkawi, thats assumiung we are talking about the same guy. I beleive Ty's reffering to AW (lets not name any names on here!  )


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## reptismail (Nov 15, 2008)

Azemiops said:


> Ty would have been there many years before Michel was on Langkawi, thats assumiung we are talking about the same guy. I beleive Ty's reffering to AW (lets not name any names on here!  )


 
oh lol, i think we may be talking about the sameguy if hes french and moved there and because a big importer and exporeter?


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## herps06 (Jan 5, 2009)

My first was when our rhombic night adder eggs hatched and I was handling the 3 surviving babies. One bit me though. :gasp: :blush:


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## Dracyia (Jul 7, 2008)

My first handling of a venomous snake was an adult hoggie and it bit me! so called it quits and sticking to constrictors =)


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## morallywrong (Sep 18, 2008)

An adult hoggie. didn't get told it was venomous till after i had put it back! guy thought it would worry me too much if i knew!!


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## milsom (Nov 14, 2008)

Azemiops said:


> Ty would have been there many years before Michel was on Langkawi, thats assumiung we are talking about the same guy. I beleive Ty's reffering to AW (lets not name any names on here!  )


Tom! What you trying to say hey? I'm not that old!


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## DaveM (Oct 18, 2006)

my first was a black mamba, jumping in at the deep end I know, but I had a large experience base working with me, and they wouldn't have let me do it if they didn't think I was confident/competent enough, then it was an egyptian cobra and a pacific coast rattler ^^


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