Venomous snake as pet?

Question

I have owned snakes for many, many years. And have had alot of experiance with them.
Now i feel i want to go to venomous snakes. Any ideas of what type i should get?
Please no stupid answers. Also, is there anybody out there that do have venomous snakes? Please tell me your experience's with them :)

I live in South Australia

Answer 1

First off, permits are not necessary everywhere. It depends on city and state ordinances regarding venomous snakes. I live in Texas, and it's up to the city. Most large cities don't allow venomous snakes, or "hots". Many smaller communities have not bothered to pass laws, so hots are legal. But, again, it depends on where you live. Florida, for example, requires permits, but they are very hard to get.

Now, with the legal mumbo jumbo out of the way, let's talk hots! I've owned many in the past, including an albino monocle cobra, a gaboon viper, and various rattlers, copperheads, and cottonmouths. For a first hot, go with a copperhead. They are very rarely fatal, although they still pack enough of a punch that you could lose a finger to amputation. But, they stay small, are relatively laid back, and good looking snakes. My favorite are broadbanded copperheads, which I've bred before. They only get about 2 1/2 feet long and are very reluctant to bite. But, of course, you never give them the chance to prove you wrong. I just took a scientist from Texas A&M University out last weekend so he could get some photos for his upcoming book, and we found a couple of copperheads. One of them wouldn't bite at all. We even tried to get it to strike for a nice picture, but it wouldn't. Another good choice for a first time hot is an eyelash viper. They rarely get past 2 feet long, and again, are rarely fatal. Pygmy rattlers and sidewinders also are good choices, small and not deadly. Keep in mind that if you don't have medical insurance, the average hospital bill for a venomous snakes bite is $20,000. But I've handled hots for years with no bites ever. You have to use common sense. Never stick your hand in the enclosure. Use a good set of tongs. I used tongs to grab the water dish or what ever I needed. For cleaning, I pulled them out and put them in a 5 gallon bucket or a big bin. Cobras are cool, but difficult to handle. Don't let the guys on TV fool you. E-mail me if you have any more questions. Most of my hots came from Mitch Brynes of Diamond Reptile. He's the biggest and best cobra breeder in the country. Here's his website: http://www.diamondreptile.com

Now, I know people are reading this and wondering why anyone would want a venomous snake. As for myself, I've owned snakes for more than twenty years and have plenty of experience with snakes and even crocodilians. I definitely don't recommend anyone get a hot snake to be cool or to impress their friends. That almost always ends bad. People say why would uyou want a snake that you can't hold? Well, you can't hold the fish and your fishtank, but you can still enjoy their beauty. It's the same with hots. There are some that are amazing looking. Google rhino viper and you'll see what I mean. And sure, they are very dangerous, but so are alot of things. I could get killed driving to the store. There are many people in the U.S. who own hot snakes, yet according to government statistics, more people are killed by lightning in the U.S. than by pet snakes, venomous or not. Mosquitos kill more people than any other animal in the world. So just because someone owns a deadly snake doesn't mean they are asking for trouble. There are a million ways to die. But, like I've said, you must treat hots with respect. I never took any of mine out to show off to friends. If they wanted to see them, they could do so while they were in their enclosure. You can never take any unnecessary chances. As I said, I've handled many hots, both in captivity and in the wild. So feel free to let me know if you have anymore questions.

Answer 2

My brother in law is a herpatologist and has many species of snakes and reptiles venomous and not-

He has had some of his most venomous snakes for many years, raising them since they were youngens and that may be the reason why they had good temperament & he hadnt had a problem until recently!
These types of snakes are venomous for a reason, they're not meant to be pets- You should really leave it to the proffesionals, it is also Very costly!!!

While changing his king brown's water 3 months ago for no reason and out of its usual character it striked him between the thumb and the finger, he was critical for a month and now has critical kidney and liver problems and runs the risk of strok and heart attack, so he has decided to sell all his venomous-

If you really want to do this you must spend a while doing some research, get as much information you can- You ofcourse need the right qualifications and licenses, the facilities for venomous snakes and you need to have the right contacts.
You should think deeply about every aspect you can because it is a dangerous risk you run even if you find a species that is 'suposably' well tempered- and you should consider everything ...... like hypothetically "how far away is the closest hospital, do they have the species antivenom if you do get striked" What does your family think of it, do you have children, do you have the facilites for venomous, can you afford the qualifications and licenses involved. is there contacts in your life with experience in this area that u can turn to if need be?

Answer 3

I have been training with a qualified handler now for a year and am only just gaining the experience needed to handle deadly snakes, i have been working with the second deadliest land snake in the world and you have to have a lot of respect for the animal knowing not only its behavior and instincts but also the effects if you were to be reckless. My suggestion is to first start training with someone.. if you do want a venomous snake go a mildly venomous colubrid (rear fanged, generally mild to low venom, a lot not considered harmful to ADULTS, but could have allergic reaction, may be more deadly to children) so if you do make a novice mistake your not dead because of it.. and then progress to a less docile animal, all the while getting training from a qualified keeper with more potent and less placid animals. then if you gain the skills and obtain the qualifications you need move on to different species.. but always have respect for your animal.. even constrictors need respect.. they can not be trained regardless of what you may hear.. and they all can kill you.. complacency is deadly when it comes to snakes, just because it hasn't bitten/took hold/struck does not mean it never will.. it just means it hasn't yet.. but ultimately the choice is yours.. just be careful with what ever you choose to do.

Answer 4

i keep venomous snakes too.. i agree with the copperhead and pygmy rattler as being good first hots but not the eyelash viper, arboreal are not really the best first ones they are sometimes hard to get off the hook and they climb toward your hand. and alot of people under estimate the strike range of them. i dont keep any buy my friend does.. diamond breeder is good im thinking about getting a leucy monocle cobra from him

like everyone said venomous snakes are not for everyone if its to show off or be cool dont get a hot. you do not drink and handle venomous snakes. like the guy that put the rattler in his mouth. and someoen said they are working with the second most dangerous land snake i think he said it that way what species. you never said lol... and to the poster of the question where are you from. and the guy that said about diamond where ya from too


i forgot to add the pic of the rhino viper some one said about here is the feamle i have

http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b353/parker1167/My%20Snakes/?action=view¤t=000_0790.jpg

Answer 5

buy a false water cobra yes they look like the real thing and yes it does have venom but its not deadly to humans(unless of course you are allergic) and are legal to have

Answer 6

Just out of curiosity, why? I've always been intrigued by the idea but with no snake experience I wouldn't dare.

Answer 7

What would the possible reason be to "upgrade" to snakes of the venomous variety? Is there a thrill factor in potentially exposing yourself to neurotoxins?

Answer 8

First of all: you're going to have to get a license to own a venomous snake.

Secondly: I believe certain types of vipers are fairly even tempered. The only reason people get bit by them is because they step on the poor snakes.

Answer 9

From what I've read in Reptiles magazine, you need to work with an experienced herpetologist to gain experience, then get permits if necessary for the species. You are not only responsible for your life being in danger with improper caging or handling, but of others as well.

http://www.petplace.com/reptiles/keeping-hot-herps-is-it-right-for-you/page1.aspx
http://www.practical-pet-care.com/article_view.php?ver=1