Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello
Ok I'm new to the hobby for the most part. I had a pygmy rattler that I purchased from hamburg reptile show in 2001.I kept that snake till 2003

I got in an accident (NOT reptile related) anyway had to sell all my reptiles except my gator. I couldn't part with her and I've still got her

We'll my reasone for this post is to gather information on a albino monocled cobra not so much on the snake but setting up a protocal.I'm hoping someone in pa will have the info I need like where to get antivenom? which doctors would be the best to contact in the event something does happen.

I know there are alot of pros and long time keepers on this forum that wish to protect there hobby. I also understand that. so here's your chance help me prepare myself as much as possible, so incase of an accident myself and everyone around me can be as prepared as possible handle the situation correctly.

Now pygmy rattler to monocled big jump I know but this is the only hot I want. I found a baby which is the best place to start. This way I can learn and hone my skills as the snake grows.

I've built a bullet proof cage 2 doors lock with a divider so I can do routine maintenance safely also I've been reading and asking questions since I started with the pygmy. A lot of the people at the hamburg reptile show were very helpful when I purchased my first hot.I don't have time to make it to the show anymore to far and I work 7 days a week more often then not. I do wish I had taken time to get to the show this past sat. but gotta make that money.

well I really hope you guys/girls will help me with out the flamming. I'm a serious hobbiest not a kid running out to buy a snake to impress his friend or for status.I know the risk I've done the research all thats left is a protocal and advice.

Hi:

Cobras don't behave like Pygmy Rattlers at all, so this is a really big jump. You may wish to reconsider your purchase till you have more experience. I do mentor people that live in Eastern PA contact me off line for further discussions on this whole topic.

Thanks,

Al

My Website

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Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

The fact that the only hot snake you want is an albino Monocled Cobra, one of the cheapest and most popular elapids available, doesn't exactly make you come across like a serious hobbyist...

It sounds like you want an exotic venomous snake to match your exotic crocodilian, which I’m sure you plan on keeping until adulthood and not just until it grows past six feet...

Sorry to sound like I’m giving you a hard time, but I just don’t get people who want to own a single “trophy” hot...

Ok here it comes.I take no offence to your opinion, but every newbe thats been to any of the venomous forums gets flammed to no end. That is why I was real cautious about my post. almost afraid to ask any questions cause some of you pros out there will tear a person apart rather than share your knowlede and exsperiences.

So I don't have 30 reptiles around due to space,time,ect I choose the herps I want most and go with it.

I guess that makes me a less serious hobbiest than you.

Well say what you will get mean show me how wrong it is that I'd even think of owning a reptile much less a hot.Even if my post is rational and serious someone will find something wrong with it.

Solong form your not so serious hobbiest the ones that would rather have a few reptiles they could admire and care for. Everyone should have atleat 60 so all you can do is walk buy and glance for a sec cause the next cage need cleaned and another needs water

For the record thanks al for your time and kindness. I do want more than one hot this is the one I want most. Cheap or not I like them. The fact that you point out elapid well it's not cause it's a cobra that I'm getting this reptile if a king snake looked like that I'd have one

Anyway those here willing to help much thanks

Before you get to it the kingsnake part was BS

I didn't mean to flamm you, just felt like being critical, sorry, sometimes that makes sense when your dealing with something serious and dangerous. Your absolutely right, the amount of reptiles in someones collection doesn't decide how committed or devoted they are to the hobby. But for your own sake, my advice would be to consider a different species of elapid to move up to. Like the previous poster mentioned, a mococled a huge step up from a pigmy rattler. Sure pigmies are mean little bastards, but they're tiny in comparison, and cobras tend to be more fluid and erratic in their movement, less mechanical and predictable than a viper. Crazy shark like feeding responses too. You may wanna consider one of the Aspidelaps sp or even a false water cobra. By the way, I could care less about protecting the hobby. It seems inevitable that the private exotic animal keeping will eventually be outlawed, its just too easy a target for opportunist politicians working a vote out of the average scared american parent. It isn't gonna stop people who are really inerested in them from keeping them though. So, oh well. Anyways, for your own sake do a lot of research and keep safe.

There are some bite protocols online, one for a monocled cobra, I'll post it when I get some time to search and locate it. Take care..

"The fact that you point out elapid well it's not cause it's a cobra that I'm getting this reptile if a king snake looked like that I'd have one"

I don't know what you mean here.

There was not much point to the kingsnake I was just rambling, just trying to say, I really like monocled cobras cheap or not.I'm not sure what the attraction is but that's the one snake that has held my intrest and facination from day one

I do want more than one hot the thing is the ones I like are arboreal species.I'm told thats a whole new ball game. So I'll hold out and wait for a while

If you find that protocal please post a link thanks

actually if you dont own any hots yet, you would probably be much better off starting out with an arboreal species over a monocled. most arboreal species such as eyelashes, white lips, and other arborial vipers have a much less toxic venom than monocleds, and in fact are often recommended as first hots. i know that a lot of people start out with eyelashes and white lips. these small arboreal vipers will give you a feel for hots in general and will act much more like a pigmy, which will mean there is less of a chance of you getting tagged. cobras act NOTHING like vipers. unless you can interact with a monocled (or at least some other sort of cobra) under a mentor, i really would advise you against getting any naja to start with.
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1.1 BCI, 1.0 Bearded Dragon

That's odd you should say that.When I posted in 2001 everyone said that arborial vipers are a bad choice for a first hot.

Any way here it goes I'm not gonna bs you guys. I just got my monocled today a beautiful 14 inch albino male. I got a chance to get some pratice in. When I removed him from the container to the cage definatly more agile than pygmys.

No troubles I know it's a little more docile due to stress from shipping and no heat but is still very active and I can see the curiousity

Truth be told I'm sure I'll be alright still got a plan incase something does go wrong.

Thanks for your help and advice.I would like to countiue this thread for a while. I'm not a know it all. I take everything you guys say serious and it does have an affect on my actions and decisions. Just to let you guys know your not talking to a wall

i wouldnt say that arboreal vipers are a BAD first hot, but there are better choices such as coppers or pigmys, simply because they are native to the US.

as for getting the monocled today, well, i wish you the best of luck lol. im 15 and dont own any hots yet but i cant even imagine getting a monocled that quickly. but its your choice and in any case, i hope he does well for you and your hand stays out of his mouth lol. i love monocleds but ive actually told myself that they are the farthest up the ladder of death i will ever go (if i ever get that far). i would love to see some pics if you get a chance! good luck and be safe!
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1.1 BCI, 1.0 Bearded Dragon

This is not a quick decision. I've wanted one of these snakes since I was 12 now 28 so it's been a long time comming.

I'll get some pics in a few days.

i didnt mean it like that i meant that you moved from a pigmy straight to a monocled, which is a huge jump, which has already been stated.

yeah dont stress the little guy out. let him settle into his new home for at least a few days.
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1.1 BCI, 1.0 Bearded Dragon

Here he is.

A coulpe more you get the point. New to posting pics so I tried to get them all

wow hes beautiful man! just watch your ass with that boy lol.

i have a question for you. how well have you been able to control and handle him being that you have no previous cobra experience? im just curious because i dont know too many people that made that big of a jump that fast and id like to know how well youve been able to make the transition. good luck with him and be safe!
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1.1 BCI, 1.0 Bearded Dragon

I've praticed with hook on many snakes almost every snake I could get in contact with.

Copperheads are local pretty common in my area. I've praticed on quite a few of them. Ofcoure I can leave the snake alone if it gets out of control. I never had that happen.

I've also worked with alot of reptiles in my time it really a passion. This maybe the second species of hots I've owned personally but have had the priviledge to pratice on a couple outher hots.

I just didn't want come across a a know it all. I'm no amiture whan it comes to snakes. Cobras well that's new to me yes but everysnake has it's own way.

I'll finish this later gotta go dinner time

Sorry I misread your post. I've had no trouble with the transition .Ofcourse today was the first I time really Handling the snake. I really like it. Smarter than outer snakes I've delt with, which is nice change not just rip and tear so to say.

I would have rather started out with a cobra. The bite may be worse but the snake is so much easier to work with in my opinion. Very foucused

wow i dont think ive ever heard someone say that a cobra is easier to work with than a viper. sure they have a slower strike, but when the snake actually charges you wanting to bite, i dont know how that can be easy lol. plus the thing that scares me about cobras is what happens if they decide to flee instead of stand and hood. then its like trying to handle a racer with deadly venom. not fun lol!
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1.1 BCI, 1.0 Bearded Dragon

This is true fight or flee. Easy might be a bad choice of words but like I said it is an intelligent snake. Which I like better than the pygmys and copperheads. although the copperheads are very aggressive and will turn and charge when they are tired of being bothered atleast the wild ones I delt with. no exsperience with them in captivity.

So far I've found this snake to be fairly calm it watches everything with foucus. I really can't exsplain the reasone I like handling this snake better than the outhers. I do fell more comfortible don't take that the wrong way.

Also it's still a baby and I've only handled it onecs for about 15 minutes to see how it would act on a hook. It didn't really seem to care for the most part. The normal hissing really didn't try and hood flattened out a little. The snake let me do what I was doing. It didn't try and flee But after about 15 mins it got irritated by me and my hook so rather then stress it to much. I backed off got some pics and called it a day

I'm sorry. I'm a terrible typer and find it hard to say what I really mean. So if some of this sounds bad it may just be the way I typed it and not how it really is.

i understand what you mean about them being more intelligent than most other snakes. a friend of mine has a pair of monocleds and they are totally different animals. the male is insane and hisses and strikes at anything near his cage (or in the room for that matter), whereas the female is very calm.

by the way is yours really as pink in real life as he is in the pics you posted? if so hes a real keeper! also, where did you get him from and what type of cage are you housing him in? (sorry for all the questions but i love these guys!)

oh and dont worry about the typing lol. i dont mind.
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1.1 BCI, 1.0 Bearded Dragon

Well the cage is bought at k Mart. I know that sounds bad but it is the perfect hot cage. Add locks drill small holes for air and a spot for heat light and you got it. few mods cost about 60 dollars to buy and mod.

I looked at vision cages but the gap between the glass is to big. I think the snake could squeeze through it. I was looking for a nice wood cabnet to build my own and came across these. check them out in the bathroom center. I think the LPS is going to get them to. they even have nice rack set up for them. best reptile cage I've seen for the price. very solid. Trust me I take no chances with any of my reptiles.I never had one escape. Knocking on wood now. lol

The color of the snake is pretty much on I did't photoshop them a whole lot it is a beautiful snake. I was impressed the pic undergroundreptiles had in the add did no justice.

wow thats really cheap, but hey, if it works then go for it lol. yeah visions are very bad for hots because of the gaps that are above and below the doors. unless you fill these gaps with foam, its a very dangerous combination. i personally like AP cages. they seem like they would make for a very good hot cage in my opinion.

thats hard to believe that he is so pink! i mean ive seen a few albino monocleds in person, and they were nowhere near that pink. you made a good choice
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1.1 BCI, 1.0 Bearded Dragon

I'll try and get some pics down the road I won't photo shop them.

Those pics are pretty close to his true color. The floresent does affect the photos a little. that was my reasone for adjusting the photo to begin with