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looking to buy a west african gaboon viper.....

abeercan Aug 04, 2003 03:40 AM

I hav alway thought that the west african gaboon viper was one of the most beautiful snakes that i have ever seen. there is just something about them that just amazes me. now i want to expand my hot collectionpast my copperheads and i am looking to purchse one of thesebeautiful snakes. where is the cheapest place online that i can purchase one. also if anybody can give me any advice on these snakes it will be greatly appreciated.

I am not new to hots and i consider myself pretty experienced, i have been raising copperheads for aout 5 yrs now. well thanks in advance for any help anybody can give me

Anthony

Replies (7)

longtang Aug 04, 2003 06:34 AM

>>I hav alway thought that the west african gaboon viper was one of the most beautiful snakes that i have ever seen. there is just something about them that just amazes me. now i want to expand my hot collectionpast my copperheads and i am looking to purchse one of thesebeautiful snakes. where is the cheapest place online that i can purchase one. also if anybody can give me any advice on these snakes it will be greatly appreciated.
>>
>>I am not new to hots and i consider myself pretty experienced, i have been raising copperheads for aout 5 yrs now. well thanks in advance for any help anybody can give me
>>
>>
>>Anthony

Hi Anthony:

I saw some babies @ the Hamburg show for $45. They were nice look'n. As I eyed them, I was sure that I would be able to care for the little guys with a hook and long hemostats. However, I have no desire to mess with adults. And these babies would have become adults in just a few years.

Good luck to ya. Sorry that I don't know any on-line places.

BTW, there was a moid gaboon that went for $300.

Cheers.
-----
Longtang. I like snakes and rats.

GaboonKeeper Aug 04, 2003 08:51 AM

Hello,
Keeping gaboons is far different from keeping coppers..... They need alot more attention..... They need to be kept hydrated because most do not go to a water dish on their own...... What I do to keep them hydrated is, I hook them over to the dish every day so they can take a drink, I give them a 1 hour soak once a week and I also inject the F/T mice and rats with a few CCs of room temp sping water...... Gaboons can dehydrate pretty fast..... They can also be over heated..... I try to keep the hottest part of the cage at between 80 to 85f... And the cool end at between 70 to 75f... They need to thermoregulate and they are more often at the cooler end of the cage..... They are provided a basking spot but rarely ever use it..... Humidity is important also..... Mine are never kept under 60% and never over 80% for an extended period of time...... Babies are easy to manage but adult are another story..... Adults are VERY strong and if you are not on top of your game, you can find you self in a situation you dont want to be in, pretty fast...... Do not be fooled into thinking gaboons are tame or calm..... They do get pissy from time to time and will bite if given the chance..... So do not let your guard down..... The strike of a gaboon is unmatched by any other venomous snake...... I would say it is the fastest striker in the world with the puff adder being a close second..... Do yourself a favor and take the time to get AV...... It is fairly cheap at $60 USD a vial and will save your life if a bite should happen..... There is just a ton of paperwork to do...... You need an FDA permit to obtain it and that is just one step..... Gaboons are a very rewarding species to keep but they are not for everyone...... Good luck.....
Gregg
P.S. Do not go for cheap imported or farmed snakes.... Only buy cbb.... They can run you alittle more but in the long run it will be worth every penny.....

abeercan Aug 04, 2003 01:16 PM

thankyou to both of you for your help it is greatly appreciated. i have another question though, where would i go to obtain a vial of AV and will i need more than one vial? i guess ill end up buying a cbb baby as soon as i can find one. i will send some pics when i finally do get one. well i guess im off to get the materials to build a cage. a buddy of mine who has a venemous snake collection gave me a few ideas on some pretty neat cages ill post some pics of the cage when i get it built to see what you think. well thanks again

Anthony

earthmover Aug 04, 2003 08:07 PM

now you will definetly need more than one vial of av you will probably need 10-15 vials because not only do gaboons strike like lightning and with the force of a speeding train they can deliver a very high dose of an extremely dangerous cocktail of venom. gaboons are like a tattoo you get what you pay for, spend the extra cash and buy a high quality cb in the usa gaboon you will definetly be thankful for doing that the color and hardiness of a cb gaboon is unbelievable, one other thing about bitis in general

DONT GET COMPLACENT, JUST BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE BIG FAT AND DONT MOVE MUCH. ONE DAY THAT SNAKE WILL SUPRISE YOU AND STRIKE OVER ITS BACK, FLY OVER THE HOOK AND DO ALL SORTS OF ACROBATICS TO KILL YOU. COMPLACENCY WILL LEAD TO ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS. STAPLE THIS OVER THE CAGE IF YOU HAVE TO JUST REMEBER TO ALWAYS BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING WITH THESE SNAKES.

also go to a search engine and search for gaboon viper bite protocol just in case you suffer a bite bring it to the hospital with you

gaboonkeepers husbandry explanation was good so i wont add anything
good luck they are very rewarding captives

earthmover Aug 04, 2003 08:08 PM

now you will definetly need more than one vial of av you will probably need 10-15 vials because not only do gaboons strike like lightning and with the force of a speeding train they can deliver a very high dose of an extremely dangerous cocktail of venom. gaboons are like a tattoo you get what you pay for, spend the extra cash and buy a high quality cb in the usa gaboon you will definetly be thankful for doing that the color and hardiness of a cb gaboon is unbelievable, one other thing about bitis in general

DONT GET COMPLACENT, JUST BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE BIG FAT AND DONT MOVE MUCH. ONE DAY THAT SNAKE WILL SUPRISE YOU AND STRIKE OVER ITS BACK, FLY OVER THE HOOK AND DO ALL SORTS OF ACROBATICS TO KILL YOU. COMPLACENCY WILL LEAD TO ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS. STAPLE THIS OVER THE CAGE IF YOU HAVE TO JUST REMEBER TO ALWAYS BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING WITH THESE SNAKES.

also go to a search engine and search for gaboon viper bite protocol just in case you suffer a bite bring it to the hospital with you

gaboonkeepers husbandry explanation was good so i wont add anything
good luck they are very rewarding captives

earthmover Aug 04, 2003 08:09 PM

now you will definetly need more than one vial of av you will probably need 10-15 vials because not only do gaboons strike like lightning and with the force of a speeding train they can deliver a very high dose of an extremely dangerous cocktail of venom. gaboons are like a tattoo you get what you pay for, spend the extra cash and buy a high quality cb in the usa gaboon you will definetly be thankful for doing that the color and hardiness of a cb gaboon is unbelievable, one other thing about bitis in general

DONT GET COMPLACENT, JUST BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE BIG FAT AND DONT MOVE MUCH. ONE DAY THAT SNAKE WILL SUPRISE YOU AND STRIKE OVER ITS BACK, FLY OVER THE HOOK AND DO ALL SORTS OF ACROBATICS TO KILL YOU. COMPLACENCY WILL LEAD TO ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS. STAPLE THIS OVER THE CAGE IF YOU HAVE TO JUST REMEBER TO ALWAYS BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING WITH THESE SNAKES.

also go to a search engine and search for gaboon viper bite protocol just in case you suffer a bite bring it to the hospital with you

gaboonkeepers husbandry explanation was good so i wont add anything
good luck they are very rewarding captives

kingcobrafan Aug 04, 2003 09:31 PM

This should be of help to you:
Link

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