# where to start?



## Lukethegecko (Feb 25, 2010)

Im curious about obtaining a DWA at some point in the future but i dont know where to start in terms of the best animal to start of with. I was thinking of getting a fat tail scorp or a widow spider to begin with and then going from there. I would like a viper of some point but first i need experience with a non venomous first! ^^ any suggestions and constructive criticism will be most helpful ^^


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

There is no starter HOT.

There are causes avaliable with snakes (a few people on here do them moshpitviper, Alex to name just two there is a sticky on the dwa section) as for scores and spiders I don't think there are any causes avaliable, I have never heard of anyone doing them. 

Some people go straight into venmous snakes without experiance with non venmous, nothing can prepare you for a HOT like a HOT.


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## Kelfezond (Nov 20, 2010)

Fully recommend the training courses!


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## coldestblood (Jun 4, 2011)

A scorpion or spider won't get you ready for a snake. Inverts don't require any handling what so ever, where as a snake does. By handling, I mean moving them from one place to another (with hooks), the ability restrain the snake for things like removing eye caps, administering medication, general health checks, and various other things.

I've kept lots of dwa inverts (mainly scorpions) and have never needed to touch them, or get any closer than a long pair of tweezers. Spiders are the same. A pair of tweezers or a paintbrush is enough to coax them into a new enclosure. If that fails, you can always place their old enclosure into their new one, and remove it once they've ventured out. 

Handling a snake takes a lot more skill and patience. You need to be able to predict what it will do, where it will go, and react in a way which will be safe you both you and the snake. Trap boxes can minimise the interactions you have with the snake, but you still need to able to handle them.

Experience with none venomous snakes can be helpful, but isn't essential. I'd kept none venomous snakes for many years before getting into hots, and soon realised that baring husbandry; they're nothing alike. My handling/hook skills were pretty good to begin with, but I had a lot of bad habits. Since I'd kept so many harmless snakes, my instincts were to reach out for them if they were going somewhere I didn't want them, or if they were falling off the hook. 

My advice would be to contact some of the people who run courses, and see which one suites you best.


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## Lukethegecko (Feb 25, 2010)

Bradleybradleyc said:


> There is no starter HOT.
> 
> There are causes avaliable with snakes (a few people on here do them moshpitviper, Alex to name just two there is a sticky on the dwa section) as for scores and spiders I don't think there are any causes avaliable, I have never heard of anyone doing them.
> 
> Some people go straight into venmous snakes without experiance with non venmous, nothing can prepare you for a HOT like a HOT.


i wouldnt hold the scorp or spider any way  (i gave that up once i got bitten by my pokie, dont judge, ive learnt from my mistake) suppose i better start saving up for the course ^^


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

Lukethegecko said:


> i wouldnt hold the scorp or spider any way  (i gave that up once i got bitten by my pokie, dont judge, ive learnt from my mistake) suppose i better start saving up for the course ^^


I'm not a hot keeper, I just admire and stalk the Dwa section oogling the pictures and picking the brains of experianced people (hopefully one day I will have my DWAL- need to convince the misses).

Coldestblood knows what he is talking about. So I'd pay more attention to his post then mine :2thumb:


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## 1b3 (Aug 17, 2011)

Trap boxes? That's where you've got a permanent box in the set up that can be closed from above and locked with a padlock. Or am I wrong?

What would be a typical set up for ground dwelling vipers? Lots of hides, water bowl etc i suppose?


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## coldestblood (Jun 4, 2011)

1b3 said:


> Trap boxes? That's where you've got a permanent box in the set up that can be closed from above and locked with a padlock. Or am I wrong?
> 
> What would be a typical set up for ground dwelling vipers? Lots of hides, water bowl etc i suppose?


A trap box is a lockable hide. 

Vipers live in all kinds of habitats, so there is no typical setup. It depends on the species of viper, and where in the world it comes from


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## Lukethegecko (Feb 25, 2010)

ive emailed pilbara reptiles and i am awaiting reply ^^ so hopefully i'll get a reply


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## Jonathan4 (Nov 19, 2010)

Cold blooded has got it in one.
There is no point in comparing inverts with snakes, nothing on comparison, i fact you might as well start with a fish, or bird, the only similarity is they are both venomous, but if thats all you want go and get a bee.

Im not beeing judgmental just like coldblooded wasn't, but you have to ask yourself realy thurely "why and do you realy wanl to keep hot snakes, or hot at all"?

Hot snakes involve alot of work and i mean lots of work, most people who keep bots devote most of there spair time to it. Do you realy want to be pulling eye caps of, un compllete shed moving a agitated snake that is making best efforts to bite you that could be fatal.

There isnt really a starter snake for hots, nut there are definitely snakes that should be avoided i don recomend hatchlings, they are more tricky, most can be very fast i find that the mental ones are more of a pain to deal with but the more quite ones are just as dangerous, i have seen snakes that look very relaxed all of a sudden flip out and that can be very dangerous if you let your guard down.

There is a plus side and a negative side to keeping fast and aggressive non venomous, as mentioned my coldblooded, you get in bad habits as you Know its not going to be a big problem if you get tagged with something thats not hot, i have and still do get tagged by snakes that aren't hot and i have never been tagged by something that is and i spend much more time with hots, there is a completely different ora about handling hots, the plus side it will get you used to snakes that are defensive and will work on your hook work and tongs.

There are some guys in the UK the dedicate a lot of time to hots and really know there stuff, i would surround yourself with them be as humble as can be and take advice, do a course and get a mentor.


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## Jonathan4 (Nov 19, 2010)

I wouldn't go the way i did again, my first hot was a hatchling N.kaouthia that i found in my garden, then i got a N.siamensis i had been going out herping by my self after talking to some catchers.


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