Got Venom??
Photo Courtesy of: Rob Olivier- Black and White Spitting Cobra
So, why are you considering keeping a venomous snake as a “pet”? Perhaps you are a fan of Steve Irwin. Perhaps you need your head examined. Perhaps you are a serious and dedicated keeper of reptiles and found an interest in “hot” snakes. Regardless your reasoning for even considering this, there are a few things that MUST be taken into consideration. My goal here is if I cannot talk you out of this decision, I can at least possibly educate you on what you need to do to prepare yourself before bringing one of these animals into your household.
I will start by informing you that I am NOT a keeper of venomous snakes. My reasoning for not owning these magnificent animals is as follows:
If I decided to keep venomous snakes today, it would be very irresponsible of me. I would be only adding to the problem that we have with today’s pet trade and reptile hobby. I urge you to take the following very seriously and be 100% honest with your answers to any of the following questions.
Now let’s get started. The following will be a list of definite things to think about BEFORE obtaining one of these animals:
Those living WITH or AROUND you will be placed in harms way. Of course, most of you are probably thinking, “No, they won’t be in harms way”, “I am going to have it in a cage that it can’t get out of”. You could also be thinking, “The only time it’s going to be out of the cage is when I am handling it. I will have it perfectly under control”. Perhaps you are pretty good at handling the snake. However, one thing that you may not have thought of is that it’s possible to have an allergic reaction to the snake’s venom. You will not only be facing the danger of the venom as it is, but you will have to then face the possibility of having an allergic reaction to the venom and it possibly disabling your ability to focus or properly handle the snake, thus, not being able to get the snake back into it’s enclosure.
If a snake gets loose in your house, this creates MANY problems. First off, have you checked your house to be CERTAIN that there is absolutely NO chance of escape? Your cool “pet” could possibly be visiting your next door neighbor, yet again, creating a very dangerous situation. Let’s assume there is not a possibility of escape from the house. This still creates a very dangerous situation for you and your family. Not knowing where this snake is located could possibly result in you or a loved one in your family suffering a bite. These snakes require 100% escape proof enclosures. It is best and almost a definite requirement, but certainly recommended, to have these animals in a room all to themselves. This room should be modified so that in the event of an escape they would still be contained.
Antivenin must be available, no ands, ifs, or buts about it. Contact your local hospital and be sure that they carry antivenin for the species of snake you wish to keep. If not, then check into an antivenin bank. If that doesn’t pan out, and you are serious about owning one of these animals, then it is best that you stock the antivenin yourself. Antivenin is a MUST with these animals. If you or somebody else gets bit by your animal, you WILL need it. Not having antivenin is the DUMBEST mistake you can make. It is simply not worth the risk. Zoos do NOT count as a viable source of your antivenin. Zoos stock enough antivenin for the animals that they keep. When you have to use their antivenin to save your life, you are gutting their supply and leaving their employees at risk. This is yet another reason why so many states are turning their backs on reptile keepers.
Below, pictures of bite wounds by various venomous snakes. All of the below bite photos are courtesy of Midwest Tongs: www.tongs.com
Protocols?:
The following is an article Kris Haas, a fellow herper and responsible venomous keeper. This article is on “protocols” for keeping venomous species. This article is very helpful and is must be well understood BEFORE the purchase of a venomous snake.
In terms of protocols for keeping venomous species
Photo Courtesy of : Al Coritz w/ a stunning photo of the all famous King Cobra
In terms of protocols for
keeping venomous species (regardless of the species), I do believe there are
some fundamental necessities. Regardless of what one desires to keep, I believe
a universal respect is required....these animals can kill you and as such
serious consideration should be given to this fact prior to the acquisition of
any animals.
That being said, the "rules" are going to vary depending upon which animals one
keeps....Obviously a Gaboon viper acts very differently than a black mamba, and
as such one's tools and methods must adjust accordingly. If one thinks that they
can easily keep elapids after experience with crotalids, one might be in for a
rude awakening, and vice versa.
Above all else, COMMON SENSE goes far in venomous snake keeping, and
unfortunately this isn't a trait that one can get from a license or class....If
one does not have the requisite knowledge and experience, then in my opinion,
one has no business owning these animals until it is acquired.....Working with
another’s animals to learn behavioral characteristics under supervision goes far
in acquainting one with the quirks of a given species and what to do when things
"don't go as planned".
Kris Haas
The Tools of the Trade:
Within the following list are items that should be in every “hot” keeper’s arsenal. The list was well thought out and offered by a very experienced venomous snake keeper.
1) Basic snake hooks of
varying sizes- depending on whether you're dealing with a full grown monocled
cobra or a juvenile saw scaled viper, you definitely need a snake hook of
corresponding size. You can basically move snakes around with these as the
snakes will balance on them and can be transported for cage cleaning, general
maintenance, etc. One word of caution...Some species "hook" much better than
others, and having a snake that will simply refuse to be "hooked" can be a
nerve-racking experience as well a frustrating one. With a bit of patience, I've
found that most of mine will eventually submit to being "hooked". The use of two
hooks (supporting the snakes' weight) may be necessary for especially
large/bulky snakes (i.e. Gaboon vipers, Eastern diamondbacks) in order to
prevent spinal injury to the snake.
2) Snake tongs or "Gentle Giants"- These are tools where the snake can actually
be grasped and manipulated (rather than simply lifted up and left to balance)
similar (in some respects) to snake hooks. Some keepers swear by these things,
while others don't like them. With the species I work with (native Arizona
crotalids) I find them of limited use, as most crotalids can be
"hooked"...However, there's always that snake that won't allow itself to be
"hooked"....Keepers of elapids (due to their generally faster movements) may/may
not find these tools more useful than the standard hook.
3) Shift boxes- For some species, (mambas and other fast moving highly venomous
species) a shift box can be essential. Basically, it is a hidebox within the
animals' enclosure that can be locked/secured when the snake is hiding inside of
it, thus allowing it to be removed from the enclosure without direct contact
between the snake/keeper. For large and aggressive venomous snakes, I wouldn't
consider keeping them without a good shift box inside their enclosure.
4) Appropriately sized feeding forceps- These are long "tweezers" that can be
used to feed venomous snakes from a distance. They can also be used anytime it
becomes necessary to remove something from an animals' enclosure and you
(obviously) don't want to stick your hand inside it. It is simply invaluable
tool for most venomous snakes. They must be appropriately sized, as you wouldn't
use 9 inch forceps when working with a 4 ft. rattlesnake.
5) Buckets and/or other temporary holding receptacles- For species where a shift
box is not used/preferred, a simple bucket or other temporary holding receptacle
can be used to contain the snake while cage cleaning. Simply "hook" the snake,
place it inside and secure it with a secure lid. Then, do your cage maintenance
and transfer the snake back into it's enclosure. Care must be taken here to
select a receptacle with sufficient depth so as to avoid the strike of an
agitated animal when opening the bucket.
6) Probing tubes, probes- For keepers that breed these animals, probes are used
to determine the sex of animals. I won't get into how to use them (different
topic) but used correctly, they are the most reliable way of determining the sex
of a snake. The tubes on the other hand can also (in addition to "sexing") be
used anytime one needs to perform any sort of medical treatment on a venomous
snake. This works by encouraging the snake to crawl inside of the tube and
grasping the rear portion of the snake so that it cannot back up inside the
tube. The tube prevents the snake from "turning around", and one can work with
the snake in relative safety. Some tubes have holes along their length to allow
for injections, removal of unshed eye caps, etc.
*7)* Locks, locks and more locks! - EVERY single enclosure that houses a
venomous snake should be locked and secured! I prefer padlocks, but others may
use other methods to ensure that the snake cannot escape its enclosure. If the
enclosure were to fall, it needs to maintain its integrity and prevent the snake
from escaping. One may also consider using Plexiglas instead of regular glass
for venomous snake enclosures due to its superior "unbreak-ability" qualities in
the event of a fall.
Photo Courtesy of : Billy Sallee- Please note the locks (outlined in RED)
8) A good head and calm emotional state- ABSOLUTE necessities!!!! Perhaps more
so than any other listed, this is a MAJOR prerequisite. It may seem silly to
say, but before working with a venomous snake one MUST be free of all alcohol
and other intoxicating substances. Not only can these substances impair
judgment, but in the event of a bite they can be exacerbating factors in the
severity of the bite (i.e. alcohol dilates blood vessels, increasing the rate at
which venom can spread throughout one's system.) One must be responsible in all
that one does with these creatures, as these creatures have perfected the art of
killing other creatures (oneself included). I CANNOT stress this enough!!! One
MUST be of a rational, responsible and knowledgeable before one works with ANY
venomous snake!
9) An "action plan" in case of a bite-Know the closest medical facility to you,
AND the closest facility that keeps antivenin on hand. This is ESPECIALLY
important if one is keeping exotic species of venomous snakes, as no one wants
to find out that no medical facility/zoo stocks the antivenin for the puff adder
they were just bitten by! Always know exactly what you are going to do in the
event of a bite, and be prepared to follow through with it should the most
unfortunate happen. Practice your routine so that if a bite does occur, you
won't have to think about what to do or where to go....Not only does this calm
one down because they know exactly what to do and where to go, it can
significantly cut down on transport time between places and thus allow for
earlier treatment of a bite. A bite treated early is always easier to manage
than a bite treated later.
Kris Haas
Learning to handle “Hots”:
Photo: Chris Law with Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus horridus)
Pictured above: Rob Carmichael with rattlesnake demonstrations (Timber Rattlesnake and Massasauga Rattlesnake)
While there is quite a few materials that can be read such as Allen Hunter’s, “Venom 101”, there is no substitute for real experience. These animals are dangerous in every sense of the word. Learning to handle these animals is not something that can be learned by ONLY reading a book or magazine. The following was offered by a well known and respected herpetologist, Rob Carmichael from the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest, Illinois.
No Substitute for Real Experience
Anyone considering working
with venomous, if they want to do it responsibly, needs to mentor under someone
who has experience and has proven themselves to be responsible keepers. Most of
the skills I have acquired with working with venomous herps was spawned by
printed material but honed by working with those who had far more experience
than me when I first started. Over the years, I have developed my own skills and
protocols that work for me, but there are certain universals/absolutes when it
comes to working with hot stuff. COMMON sense is perhaps the most important
followed by living a clean lifestyle (drugs and alcohol are lethal combinations
when working with venomous), having the resources to provide the proper caging
and having your own supply of A/V, and maturity. While there are certain
equipment that can be somewhat standard when working with any venomous snake
(tongs, long forceps, various shields, etc.), it is also important to make sure
that any printed material is careful to point out that each group of venomous
herps present their own unique challenges and will require a different method in
working with them.
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL
The re-cap and side notes
Venomous snakes are a highly experienced keeper animal ONLY. These animals can cause death and/or severe injury. I highly caution you on your decision or consideration of purchasing a venomous snake. There is no doubt that these animals are fascinating. However, if you do not have the time to gain the proper experience before acquiring one of these specimens, then you have no business keeping one. Keeping venomous snakes require a high level of dedication and experience before you can be considered a good keeper.
Laws and regulations, antivenin availability, experience, knowledge, and ability to properly cage the animal should all be considered before the purchase of any deadly animal. Please do LOTS of research on the specimen you wish to keep prior to it’s acquisition. This will help in the end to ensure that the animal will have a good home, as well as ensure that you will be much safer when handling the specimen. Herpers all around the world rely on each other’s ability to do what is right. When you take one of these animals into your home, you now become part of that community. Please take pride in what you do and act safely, be responsible.
By doing a lot of research and gaining the proper experience before obtaining one of these magnificent creatures, it will help to ensure that you enjoy your animal that much more. I hope that you learn much from your animals and wish you luck with your collections.