# Begginer dwa snake



## shaneo95 (Jan 5, 2008)

what would you say as i am a begginer with venemous snakes what would you recommend been having lizards and snakes now for 10 years what could you say would be good


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## Barry.M (May 19, 2006)

shaneo95 said:


> what would you say as i am a begginer with venemous snakes what would you recommend been having lizards and snakes now for 10 years what could you say would be good


Finding a mentor to teach you proper venomous handling techniques would be job one mate,after that something not usually regarded as 'too lethal':lol2: maybe Southern Copperheads?Eyelash vipers are thought to be a decent 1st hot,however the most dangerous hot snake in the world is the one that just bit you!


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## leptophis (May 24, 2007)

Barry is quite right, finding yourself a mentor to teach you is the most important thing, first of all, he will go through the opes, protocols, and species, and then spending time with him/her, learning,, will give you a much better idea, of what you want to get


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## Daredevil (Jul 10, 2007)

None are 'beginner' as such as they can all kill you!!:no1:


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## asm1006 (May 5, 2007)

Have to agree with you all there! I have had no experience with 'hots' and have no intention of getting any either:lol2: Happy looking from afar and on here:crazy:

I love venomous snakes but I really think when dealing with the like you cannot afford to make a mistake. The more experience you get via someone who knows what they are doing, the better it'll be-then you'll be able to make an informed decision on what 'hot' would suit you. Good luck.: victory:


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## leeroytheboy (May 4, 2007)

Hi mate. I been keeping venomous for a long time, with no near misses or slip ups. My advice is that there is no good beginner venomous. To be honest I would rather work with a non agressive chilled out 5ft gaboon viper than a nasty, fast 18 inch copperhead. Whats the most venomous?....it doesnt matter. Off course thats an opinion. The best way to deal with and enjoy venomous snakes is to keep all interaction to a minimum, using lockable hides in the vivs etc. Its a fantastic aspect to our hobby, and very different. 
Your friends here are right. Mentoring is the way forward. Good luck with your search for knowledge on the subject.

Try this place for advice on the next move mate. 

The Venom Room


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## Beezle (Aug 26, 2007)

I agree with the guys here, finding a mentor first is an absolute must! I taught myself about venomous snake handling, but I always treat every snake like it is venomous and as a result haven't even come close to being bitten at all in 11+ years of handling herps of all kinds both in captivity and in the wild.


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## Incubuss (Dec 19, 2006)

Never dealt with hot snake and don't intend to (I can be a little over confident with snakes and would prob end up getting bitten), but if you talk to some of the more experienced hot keepers via msn and maybe meet up with them (if they will of course) will help quite a lot. They could show you all the best methods when dealing/housing with them.


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## ianyork (Sep 11, 2006)

finding a mentor is the way but im learning with southern copperheads as my starter hot but is always under guidance atm, both are chilled out which isnt a good thing when dealing with hots but this is where you have to get in the right mind set in what your dealing with and go with your safe procdures for doing maintenance etc

as mention above when i get my license i will most likely progress to pit vipers and my ultimate goal is to be competant enough to deal with elapids but thats a long way off for me


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## leeroytheboy (May 4, 2007)

Good luck with that mate. Your southern copperheads are still very, very dangerous pitvipers.......not to be underestimated or thought any less of than any other venomous when it comes to manipulating.....so learning the correct procedures on hooking etc with these will get you on the right track for some of the more nervy vipers. Nice one mate

Lee


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## Mason (Jan 21, 2008)

shaneo95 said:


> what would you say as i am a begginer with venemous snakes what would you recommend been having lizards and snakes now for 10 years what could you say would be good


A snake that does not require a DWA to keep.

Get yourself some nasty, fast, bitey boids or colubrids...and practice not getting bitten.

Mason


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## ianyork (Sep 11, 2006)

leeroytheboy said:


> Good luck with that mate. Your southern copperheads are still very, very dangerous pitvipers.......not to be underestimated or thought any less of than any other venomous when it comes to manipulating.....so learning the correct procedures on hooking etc with these will get you on the right track for some of the more nervy vipers. Nice one mate
> 
> Lee


aye dont worry i am! it gets drilled into me anyway and im ok manipulating them into a shift box placed in with them but handling purely on a hook in the middle of the room is still something i aint 100% nailed yet. good thing with the shift box method in their cage is that if they do slip off the hook then there still in their cage and not on the floor making a break for it!

still havnt got the courage to try and manipulate with the snake hook and holding the tail that you see alot do :S


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

try using two hooks


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## Mason (Jan 21, 2008)

Si makes a good point. Practising with two hooks will help.

also, depending on the species you wish to keep you won't be able to handle in the mannert you are without risking damage to the snake.

Some of the more heavily bodied pitvipers need a lot of support, if you drape one over a single hook you can do mucho damage to the spine/ribs.

Mason


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## ianyork (Sep 11, 2006)

will have to give two hooks a try and see what i think to them.

luckily with the copperheads being rather young i can get away with one hook but i completely see your point regarding the heavier vipers.

luckily got a mentor to show me how to handle the bigger snakes


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

I have heard copperheads can be quite difficult on a hook, although the one I have been around wasnt.


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## ianyork (Sep 11, 2006)

at first they were finiky but ive got to learn how they move but saying that they still have their moments when they just dont want too play ball and will avoid the hook for a while.

characters into themselves


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## leptophis (May 24, 2007)

in my experience i have never had a problem moving copperheads with one hook,


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## lee-travis (Jan 10, 2008)

souther copperhead and pygmy rattlers are quite good starters if there is such as thing.


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