# Hots-getting a mentor



## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

:2thumb:: victory::jump::snake:HEY! 
this question is probably the most important question of my life... 
when im older i am wanting to become a herpetologist and buy a petshop i have a lot of expirience with snakes their behavoir patterns and a lot about them because i have studied them all my entire life. i am only 13 but i am interested in buying and keeping VENEMOUS snakes when i am older for my pet shop as well as other reptiles of course. Beccause i am thirteen i am not able to purchase any sort of venemous snake at the moment and i do not currently have a mentor. i have thought long and hard about this job i want to create and i figured i would start to get mentored now or in a couple of years. but i have a couple of problems i live in sheffield England and i will have to puchace a DWA lisence when i am 18 years old but to get a lisence i need a mentor and in england i cant really see there being one so i need to find one. i am not a stupid little kid who dosnt know the risks i know every risk including death and this is my life i am talking about.Do u know any place i can havae venemous snakes in england and keep them and do u know any mentors here? i dont want u took hook me up with one i just want to know if there are actually here . i think now i am pretty young its the best time to start
this would be my job and life keeping and breeding hots so please reply
Aaron
Coebro


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## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

hey mate. i am in a similar position to you, only i am 17. my advice is this, instead of jumping into the bandwagon, which you are, take it slowly. i have had a long time to choose my career path, and i am still not entirely certain. i have kept various species for a fair amount of time, and currently have some pretty awesome rear fanged snakes, some of which i believe are the only ones in the uk. i have had experience with various with wild hots. i would say instead of trying to jump into the deep end, satart by keeping more snakes. what do you currently keep.

Alex


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## SNAKEWISPERA (Aug 27, 2007)

Totally agree with Carp's.
And most mentors wont even look at you because your 13, too many risks,


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## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

i know i meant in couple of years to come


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## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

i have thought bout this long and vey hard n i think starting in a cuple of years would be the best uopyion my opinion though 
and i have kept
milksnakes
cornsnakes
pythons
kingsnakes


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## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

right, tell me exactly what you have kept, how long for, etc. then people can gauge your experience levels. you dont have to go straight to hots, there are lots of animals that can really help you gain experience for when you do keep venomous, without the risks, which will be far higher for someone with less experience.

Alex


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## glidergirl (Nov 27, 2006)

I doubt you will be able to find anyone to mentor you for a good few years yet I'm afraid. Could you imagine the headlines, 13 year old bitten whilst handling a venomous snake, the mentor would be put through the grinder. 

Take this time to read up and study venoms and their effects and also it would be nice to look at the good side of venom too. There's lots you can be doing, improve your knowledge on welfare and husbandry etc.


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## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

i have kept 4 cornsnakes 2 cali kings 1 ball python 2 milksnakes planning on a lot more ok just calm down: victory:


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## Declan123 (Dec 29, 2007)

us calm down...? maybe you should calm down..?


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## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

not u


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## Declan123 (Dec 29, 2007)

Coebro said:


> not u



Ahh right, ok... sorry for the missunderstanding


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## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

its ok


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

tbh mate I didnt see anyone getting calmed up:lol2: Glidergirl and her partner run handling courses, so they know more than most what is an acceptable age for them to offer mentoring, theres so much to learn and starting young is the best way to learn things by the time you are old enough to get a license you could be very knowledgable if you put the work in :2thumb:


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## pythondave82 (Nov 14, 2007)

Oh dear, your age is showing already how very scareeeeyyy


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## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

thanks a lot will check it out n glad u agree wiv me startin yung even if its a cuple of years away or more
:2thumb:: victory:


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## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

wht u mean very scary age showin thing


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## pythondave82 (Nov 14, 2007)

Well children who get given advise by wiser adults who have many years experience tend to spit their dummy out and get all excited about nothing.

Now that worries us keen Venomous keepers.

(listen and learn)


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## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

errr well i not excited so wht u on about i not stupid u kno:bash:


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## Declan123 (Dec 29, 2007)

Yeah mate, no offence... but your only a "Egg" and youve come on asking about "Venomous" snakes... Seems a little crazy..

As Marie said, it's the mentor that would get pasted if a bite occured, 

If i was you i would reasearch long and hard... read about bites, get your school work out of the way...

then think about it again...

Get as much handling experience from Non-Venomous snakes as possible, from small corns, to big Burms/Retics.... Make sure your with a experienced person at all times


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## Declan123 (Dec 29, 2007)

Coebro said:


> errr well i not excited so wht u on about i not stupid u kno:bash:


Your digging your own grave kid


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## glidergirl (Nov 27, 2006)

Coebro said:


> i have kept 4 cornsnakes 2 cali kings 1 ball python 2 milksnakes planning on a lot more ok just calm down: victory:


Who's getting excited? I advised you that no one would take on a 13 year old as a 'student', I'm sorry if that offends you, I'm not having a go it's my honest opinion and I think many UK venomous keepers would agree. Sure there are some videos on you tube with kids and venomous snakes but they've not exactly had a good response, and these kids have POSSIBLY grown up around venomous snakes with their parents being keepers and handlers. 



Coebro said:


> thanks a lot will check it out n glad u agree wiv me startin yung even if its a cuple of years away or more
> :2thumb:: victory:


There's nothing wrong with starting young, all I'm saying is learn about them, read up on the venoms and what they can do to you, learn about natural habitats and husbandry techniques so that when you do reach the grand old age of 18 you'll already have loads of knowledge which will then set you in good stead with keepers.


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## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

You will want a pet shop now but when the times come you will not. I really wanted a reptile/exotics shop and now after doing business studies etc and just the thought i may not, but i will still be a breeder of high end reptiles.

You do know that 70% of business close down in thier first year?

Also i would say if you are a big breeder you will get more money, my reoson, if you are a big breeder of high end reptiles and go to all the big shows people will travle miles to buy from you, also you will be selling £1000's snakes which is pretty good. Sell 30, £1000 snakes at one show and thats an average salary for most people. Breeding your own food will cut costs, as electricty bills i imagine will be high for a big breeder.

I say let him think hes gonna open a shop, i pretty much guarantee he wont. ( i mean that in a nice way)


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## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

Also you said you keep corns, pythons milks and kings !! you have alot more stages before venomouse, get some wc racers, wc mangrooves (venomouse but not on DWA) maybe take on some rescue snakes that are agressive.


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## leptophis (May 24, 2007)

i am glad marie is giving the advice on this she is way more diplomatic than i am, as someone as said you have alot of stages to go through before considering a snake that could end your life or handicap you.


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## 400runner (May 15, 2006)

snakelover said:


> Sell 30, £1000 snakes at one show and thats an average salary for most people.
> ( i mean that in a nice way)


do you honestly think it is possible to sell 30 snakes worth a grand in one show if your not someone like kevin mccurley or bob clark?


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## SNAKEWISPERA (Aug 27, 2007)

Yes Its quite easy, didn't you know.
Gaaawwwddd, runners these days,


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## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

400runner said:


> do you honestly think it is possible to sell 30 snakes worth a grand in one show if your not someone like kevin mccurley or bob clark?


thats why i sed if your a big breeder selling high end morphs. I belive it is achivable at hamm, but i havent been yet so i am going on what i have heard.

There are plenty of big breeders that could achive that imo.


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## Viper (May 10, 2008)

400runner said:


> do you honestly think it is possible to sell 30 snakes worth a grand in one show if your not someone like kevin mccurley or bob clark?


Depends what your selling mate !!


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

30k average salary, thats above average a very good salary.


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## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

SiUK said:


> 30k average salary, thats above average a very good salary.


is it, that is the average salary gross pay? 
Even if it is more than average that still backs up what i said..


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

I beleive average salary gross in the UK is 25k


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## Declan123 (Dec 29, 2007)

SiUK said:


> 30k average salary, thats above average a very good salary.


Im with you on that one... if my family made that lol, id be rate chuffed


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

yeah same here mate


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## stuartdouglas (Mar 5, 2008)

tee hee, £32K plus Forces pension too.........Anyway, back to topic. As someone already said, get yourself a WC radiated ratsnake, WC B dendrophila, possibly a FWC, when you can feed, clean and maintain these daily without losing them, having them die on you or having them attached to you, then you may be set to tackle somthing hotter. We all have to start somewhere, some of the most respected herpetologists around werer catching venomous snakes in their early teens and most of them learned the hard way about staying away from the sharp end (Mark O'Shea with adders in 1976 I think) Take well meant advice where given, read, read some more and take advantage of the experience of others


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## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

stuartdouglas said:


> tee hee, £32K plus Forces pension too.........Anyway, back to topic. As someone already said, get yourself a WC radiated ratsnake, WC B dendrophila, possibly a FWC, when you can feed, clean and maintain these daily without losing them, having them die on you or having them attached to you, then you may be set to tackle somthing hotter. We all have to start somewhere, some of the most respected herpetologists around werer catching venomous snakes in their early teens and most of them learned the hard way about staying away from the sharp end (Mark O'Shea with adders in 1976 I think) Take well meant advice where given, read, read some more and take advantage of the experience of others


thanks i appreciate all u have said and will take it on but i have heard captive bred radiated ratsnakes are quite docile so shud i get wild caught (if i get one)?


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## Declan123 (Dec 29, 2007)

Coebro said:


> thanks i appreciate all u have said and will take it on but i have heard captive bred radiated ratsnakes are quite docile so shud i get wild caught (if i get one)?


In tailand they use WC radiated rat snakes, for cobra training/snake shows...

They are fair crazy, im looking for a albino spastic myself, but dont really fancy a WC


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## ljkenny (Mar 5, 2007)

Coebro said:


> i have heard captive bred radiated ratsnakes are quite docile


Lol! Yeah right!

Make on of those your next snake, WC or CB and come back in a few months to let us know how you're getting on.


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## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

ljkenny said:


> Lol! Yeah right!
> 
> Make on of those your next snake, WC or CB and come back in a few months to let us know how you're getting on.


ok will do any good morphs u like?


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## ljkenny (Mar 5, 2007)

Coebro said:


> ok will do any good morphs u like?


Is that a genuine question?


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

*Coebro*

*Coebro* Do you go to school?

If you do your English teacher would be ashamed of you because your spelling is appuuallll.......poor:blush::blush::blush:


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## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

slippery42 said:


> *Coebro* Do you go to school?
> 
> If you do your English teacher would be ashamed of you because your spelling is appuuallll.......poor:blush::blush::blush:


its short like i use u for you and tht stuff like even then i used tht 4 that lol and then i used lol for laugh out loud and 4 for for :lol2:


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## Coebro (Jun 16, 2008)

slippery42 said:


> *Coebro* Do you go to school?
> 
> If you do your English teacher would be ashamed of you because your spelling is appuuallll.......poor:blush::blush::blush:


and if you meant the COEBRO bit it does not mean cobra it means my second name COE and me and my brother BRO for short:lol2:


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