Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Or, things you learned the hard way...
For the benefit of those who are considering getting into hots I thought this could prove to be a helpful topic to get into. Maybe we could share some of those experiences that they just don’t write about in snake books...
Here’s my “dumbest thing I’ve ever done”

The first Diamondback I ever owned I bought from a reptile dealer located just west of Clewiston here in Florida. I couldn’t wait to get it home and check it out. This was before I had ever caught one. I slid it out of its bag and onto my bed in my room. I proceeded to pin it and grab it. (that’s not the dumb part) I was not even aware of their snarl and fang pumping thing, and it promptly got both fangs snagged into my bed spread. I spent the next ten minutes trying to untangle each fang with one hand as my very first moments of handling my new EDR. By the time I got it into the cage I had prepared, I was shaking and in a sweat. Hey newbie- never pin your rattlesnake on your bed!

>>Or, things you learned the hard way...
>>For the benefit of those who are considering getting into hots I thought this could prove to be a helpful topic to get into. Maybe we could share some of those experiences that they just don’t write about in snake books...
>>Here’s my “dumbest thing I’ve ever done”
>>
pretty stupid; no reason for it. But, as you said, we all learn from our mistakes. I shared one of my all time gaffs on the venomousreptiles.org and venomdoc.com ; both are exceptional websites, particularly when it comes to hots.

>>The first Diamondback I ever owned I bought from a reptile dealer located just west of Clewiston here in Florida. I couldn’t wait to get it home and check it out. This was before I had ever caught one. I slid it out of its bag and onto my bed in my room. I proceeded to pin it and grab it. (that’s not the dumb part) I was not even aware of their snarl and fang pumping thing, and it promptly got both fangs snagged into my bed spread. I spent the next ten minutes trying to untangle each fang with one hand as my very first moments of handling my new EDR. By the time I got it into the cage I had prepared, I was shaking and in a sweat. Hey newbie- never pin your rattlesnake on your bed!
>>
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Well.....leaving the Big Bend region of Texas and in route to Alpine Texas from Study Butte > it was just at morning crepuscular hour and we had seen multiple " pancaked " snakes on paved shoulder close to the 33 or 23 mile marker leading up in elevation and meaning it was down right COOL temp wise so I thought! I pined with boot a what to be seemed the cross of prairie rattler and either mojave or atrox and put it in a plastic gallon jar which had been my mainstay of preferred containers of the last 2 decades. Upon trying to put the screw on lid on the jar the rattlesnake jumps out of the jar and I believed her/him had tagged me on my palm area! NOT ! When jumping the snake hit the lid and I had made holes in lid with drill from inside out to as not leaving any protrusions on inside lid and there was a plastic protrusion on top of lid that nabbed me on the palm. Upon driving again toward Alpine I awaited any signs of envenomation not knowing at the time it wasn't the snake fang that got me ! LOL !
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I may be old , cantankerous, crabby, and cynical, but......

- Maybe we could share some of those experiences that they just don’t write about in snake books... -

Boy, can I relate to your story. I remember this one time I had just come back from a Hamburg show with a good sized captive raised adult female Eastern Gaboon Viper. Its previous owner, a very friendly leather-clad bearded dwarf named skip from whom I had purchased it from, assured me that he raised the snake from an itty bitty hatchling and that it was as docile a Gaboon as he's ever come across. When I arrived home, I proceeded to roll down the window shades in my bedroom, lit a few scented candles, and put on some soothing ambient music to calm the snakes jangled nerves. I dumped the snake on the satin covers of my bed and quickly poured two glasses of red wine. Apparently the snake was well hydrated, as she showed no interest in the wine. Now here was where I made the mistake. I decided to drink both glasses of wine myself and before I even new it, I had completely forgotten about putting the snake inside its previously arranged enclosure and instead found myself gently caressing it and asking it what its dreams were and what it really wanted from life. Everything was going fine, until I crossed the proverbial snake-on-the-bed line and attempted to spoon my new specimen. Out of nowhere, this so-called docile Gaboon struck damn near sideways and backwards and sank two fangs directly into my left buttox, completely unprotected by the leopard skin speedos I was wearing. I let out a shriek and ran about my room screaming "you bastard serpent of hell, you have set my left cheek ablaze!". Luckily for me, it turned out to be a very minor bite and I escaped with minimal tissue necrosis, oddly leaving a small scar in the shape of the virgin mary...

I hope my foolish revelation will help other newbes from making the same mistake that I made...Good idea for a topic by the way, perhaps we can get one of the unbiased and non sensationalistic news outlets to report a small segment about our beloved hobbies dumbest mistakes with deadly creatures dreadfully feared by the vast majority of society...

Hilarious!!! Have you subsequently probed the snake to verify your orientation?

...
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Frank Roberts
R&R Herpetological
Roberts'Realm of Reptile Research

OMG!! I just laughed so hard I spit wine out my nose and got it all over my Gaboon!!

>>- Maybe we could share some of those experiences that they just don’t write about in snake books... -
>>
>>
>>Boy, can I relate to your story. I remember this one time I had just come back from a Hamburg show with a good sized captive raised adult female Eastern Gaboon Viper. Its previous owner, a very friendly leather-clad bearded dwarf named skip from whom I had purchased it from, assured me that he raised the snake from an itty bitty hatchling and that it was as docile a Gaboon as he's ever come across. When I arrived home, I proceeded to roll down the window shades in my bedroom, lit a few scented candles, and put on some soothing ambient music to calm the snakes jangled nerves. I dumped the snake on the satin covers of my bed and quickly poured two glasses of red wine. Apparently the snake was well hydrated, as she showed no interest in the wine. Now here was where I made the mistake. I decided to drink both glasses of wine myself and before I even new it, I had completely forgotten about putting the snake inside its previously arranged enclosure and instead found myself gently caressing it and asking it what its dreams were and what it really wanted from life. Everything was going fine, until I crossed the proverbial snake-on-the-bed line and attempted to spoon my new specimen. Out of nowhere, this so-called docile Gaboon struck damn near sideways and backwards and sank two fangs directly into my left buttox, completely unprotected by the leopard skin speedos I was wearing. I let out a shriek and ran about my room screaming "you bastard serpent of hell, you have set my left cheek ablaze!". Luckily for me, it turned out to be a very minor bite and I escaped with minimal tissue necrosis, oddly leaving a small scar in the shape of the virgin mary...
>>
>>I hope my foolish revelation will help other newbes from making the same mistake that I made...Good idea for a topic by the way, perhaps we can get one of the unbiased and non sensationalistic news outlets to report a small segment about our beloved hobbies dumbest mistakes with deadly creatures dreadfully feared by the vast majority of society...
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GratefulFred

First off the whole satin sheet thing... Come on, Gabbys need flannel. Also, the gentle ambient music??? The reptile brain needs some rhythm to get into the swing of things. Then, what's with the wine? Any idiot should know that snakes prefer milk (see post on woman marrying the snake in India) and honey cakes if you have them (See ancient references to sacred serpents kept in temples). Lastly, in my opinion, the bite to the hindquarters was just an attempt to get your Kundalini serpent to rise from the root chakra.
In all, an honorable attempt, but you really should educate yourself on appropriate husbandry techniques. I would strongly recommend "Ophiolatrea" which is online in text form.
Take care.

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Amor et Lux,
Ron

"The gods tolerate the human race for no other reason than our talent for [bleep]. It's the only thing about us that doesn't bore them to tears" Tom Robbins "Villa Incognito"

I badly underestimated the strike range of a juvie eyelash viper, my finger paid the painful price for a week. Remember that prehensile tail boys and girls..

My Story (Second time typing this, PC hiccupped last time)

I was feeding a pigmy in sweater box with the top on it. It killed and didnt eat the mouse. I turned the box so it was short sides near and away from me, creating the most distance betwen me and the snake. So I tipped the box to me, which slid the mouse to my side, and made the snake go the other way. I cracked the top, slid the top back, and while the snake was still "looking for a way out" on the far end, I snapped my hand in real quick to pull the mouse out, and as if the snake saw it coming, he struck at me. It became a Too Close For Comfort moment for me.
I went out the next day and bought 24" tongs.

Person 2 - to remain unnamed.
This person was transporting 9 baby venomous viperids in the back of a Jeep Wrangler on along trip. The backs of Wranglers get real hot since the exhaust runs right underneath the floor in the back.
At the end of the 6 hour trip, all but one baby was still alive. The rest had cooked.
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Tom

"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

Quite a few years back, I took my three ft A. chloroechis out of the cage hanging from my index finger by the tail while I cleaned the cage and changed the water....pretty stupid.

It was so placid it lulled me into a false sense of security. I didn't get bit but I DID get rid of the snakes. If I cannot trust MYSELF, it has no business in my reptile room.

Chris