I do think that the overriding, dominant fctor in deciding the "next step" is the keepers' confidence and competence. Some people are perfectly satisfied never going beyond the "first hot" phase, while others accumulate quite a collection over the first few years....I'd say that if someone did their research and felt experienced and comfortable enough to keep a new species, then only they can say when the "right" time to "progress" is...



All that being said, my opinion might differ here with the "mainstream", as I wouldn't necessarily recommend a "calm" species as a next hot. I'm assuming one is familiar with the basics of venomous husbandry here. I would personally recommend something a bit more on the "testier" side...(Perhaps an atrox or scutulatus.) My reason for this is because one of a keepers' worst enemies in the snake room is complacency....We all "get to know" our charges so to speak, and this can lead to our doing irrational and quite stupid things that we wouldn't dream of doing with a snake fresh out of the field. (I know I've done some knuckle-head things in the past,(i.e. not locating the head of a snake before opening a cage, not securing a barrier between you and a snake before retrieving a water bowl, etc.) and I'm sure if we are honest, quite a few of us have.)



I simply find it a little harder to get complacent with a PO'ed crote staring at me and making as much noise as he can from a defensive coil than with a "calm" crote that basically sits there like a lump on a log. Remember, complacency is the enemy...



-Kris

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