... the guy who's first snakes were a pair of tigers at the age of 12??

... the ten year old who caught his first two redbellies?

... the first person to ever keep inland and coastal taipans? (not knowing anything about their capabilities, venom, etc)



Frank, I live in Victoria. It's somewhat cool and unpredictable climate make it a place that pythons and colubrids stay away from (this is presumably applicable in any number of places). The vast majority of our snakes in victoria are venomous.



Only a handful of decades ago, a few of the 'names' here in Vic began keeping Victorias natives. They had no one to teach them how, and keeping non-venomous snakes was just not an option - they were on the other half of the continent.



Yet, if a 10 year old came in here today (with presumably poor spelling and a lack of ability to construct appropriate sentences), and was passionate and dedicated and wanting to learn and keep hots, I have no doubt that that kid would be turned away. Their questions wouldn't be thought out very well. They might not understand what they're being told. But nevertheless, it's been done before - a 10 year old could be perfectly capable and qualified to keep a hot.



Frank, 30 years ago, when the ball began to roll here in Vic, some of our best-known were beind it. And they were 10 and 12 years old.



So, generally, to the few applicable in the forum, don't pick on the little guy. Don't turn him or her away with haste. Because, if a 10 year old can go out and grab some Tiger Snakes from the wild, raise them, breed them, care for them - then practically anybody can. It doesn't take a genious. It doesn't take a university degree. I believe that this may have been what Scott was getting at when he said you don't need to be an expert with half a lifetime of experience with non-vens first.

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