Larry,



Of course, there are always exceptions, hence my 'generalization.'



I shouldn't be asking this, so We'll perceive this as a hypothetical inquiry for curiosity sake, People, to prove I am NOT looking to start with an Elapid (!!), but what would be a good recommended first Elapid-hot? (I suppose when ready for Elapids in the future, this will be good to know, so it's fine to inquire now, I say. )



What intrigued me to inquire is because of Your, "Even death adders..." comment which lead me to wonder if perhaps there is a more manageable-than-aforementioned-Vipers Elapid-hot that would be good for a beginner...? Frankly, in some sense, as I believe Chris (?) said, the most dangerous hot is the one that just bit You (albeit an Elapid that much more deadly, this I understand!), and as You, Larry, end with the Pygmy comment...



I just wonder--again, a hypothetical answer, I am expecting--about any Elapid that would be a "good" first hot. I didn't know if because I started this thread with a 'Viper focus' that perhaps it (even subconsciously) kept everyone focused on recommending the best Vipers only. Frankly, from what I have heard about Elapids, they sound too crazy to deal with as first hots, and of course the trivia I learned at 7 years of age (1991) that a cobra (in general) can kill a man in 15 minutes always made me think 'no way' (-for a first hot, that is).



Back to Death Adders, as much as I pride myself in escaping strikes or being able to read one ahead of time and retract, I don't think I want to take on a Death Adder, ha!



I would like to randomly stick in here having watched a video forwarded to me by my girlfriend while typing this: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/12/rattlesnake.roundup/index.html which I have re-learned and re-realized about from years ago, how 20K-30K rattlesnakes are senselessly killed every year in the Texas "Rattlesnake Roundups" via gassing/burning, beheading, among other barbaric manners. It enrages me and makes me want to breed rattlesnakes (namely, Texas species) all that much more to ensure these magnificent creatures don't go extinct! So much for "Don't tread on me" with a rattlesnake logo, damn hypocrites...



I just figured I would share my discontentment with others who actually LOVE and RESPECT these creatures, too, and also ones who understand what I have previously stated in another message: if ALL venomous snakes were to disappear, Our ecosystem would be screwed, and MORE people would be dying from diseases spread by vermin and lack of crops!



Timothy



>>>>Haha, fair enough. All-in-all, it sounds like many Elapids are quite tricky...? And thus, vipers *in general* are more manageable...is this a good generalization?

>>

>>That's a pretty good generalization, with a few exceptional species and many exceptional specimens. I even had one forest cobra that was quite laid back, but I can't think of an elapid that I would recommend for a beginner (to hots). Even death adders can go spastic on you. Sort of like a pygmy that can kill you...

>>-----

>>What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.
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T.J. Gould

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