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OTTAWA SUN (Ontario) 16 December 06 Lethal snakes on display - Area reptile zoo adds extremely rare, extremely deadly serpents (Aedan Helmer)
Six feet of slithering, slimy fun has slid into Little Ray's Reptile Zoo.
A pair of female Bushmasters, some of the world's largest and deadliest snakes, are now on display at the zoo just south of city limits.
The 50-lb. snakes are on loan from a Southern Ontario private breeder, who previously exhibited his prized pets at a reptile zoo in Toronto. They're the only two of their kind on display in Canada.
Zookeeper Paul "Little Ray" Goulet figures the rare creatures will be a popular attraction for young families over the holiday season.
Goulet, with the help of his staff and a pair of four-foot hooks, brought one of the snakes out of her cage yesterday and handled it before a throng of nervous onlookers.
"You have to be very alert when handling these," said Goulet, dripping with sweat.
"Better than coffee," quipped zookeeper Steve Pelletier.
Native to low-lying forested areas of Costa Rica, Brazil and Nicaragua, the Bushmaster is a nocturnal animal that feeds primarily on rodents.
But when agitated, the snakes have been known to attack humans, with often fatal results. The mortality rate in human encounters is the highest of any venomous snake in the western hemisphere.
The snakes are "lightning fast," despite their enormous size, said Goulet.
"When they decide to strike, they can pinpoint their target and be back in position in a fraction of a second," he said.
The venom takes effect immediately, attacking and destroying red blood cells and eventually breaking down the body's internal organs.
"It basically kills a person by digesting you inside out," said Goulet.
The species is extremely rare, but is not listed on any endangered wildlife lists.
The Bushmasters will be on display until at least the end of January, and kids are invited to participate in a Name that Snake contest running until the end of December.
Lethal snakes on display

I just have to wonder if the methods of weighing animals is different north of the border. Fifty pounds at six feet..perhaps that was referring to both animals.

~~Greg~~

Thats still not accurate, at least not for a 6-foot Lachesis and even more so if its Lachesis muta.

I concur.
The article refers to Costa Rica, Brazil, etc. That would be a stenophrys, a much heavier-bodied snake than a muta.
Even if they were stenophrys, 2 six-footers would not weigh 50 lbs. each or together.

Yeah, but are they talking 50 lbs American or 50 lbs Canadian?
You know how that exchange rate is....haha

I'll check on this story ... they're just down the street from me.
Methinks there was a misinterpretation of something said, Paul Goulet is experienced with hots and is one of those types that thinks about what he's about to say.
Since Canada changed its' Weights and Measures standrads a few years back, I'm sure the writer mis-heard the usual "six quartern-loafs" and miscaluclated to Murican pounds from there.

OK ... I found the problem ... twas as we suspected a mis-quote ... "the snakes are actually close to 1.4 stone"* in weight.

Plus, the critters are not "on loan", they're Paul's.

I'll be going down tomorrow to take a boo at them .... and I'll try to get some half-decent pics up.

I trust that the protocols for handling bushmasters and newts are similar? .... similar in that each as a vowel in their name!!

respects
Wes

*Nearly 20 pounds .... US.

Wes: May we assume that is for the pair, not each one? Thank you for checking into that for us. Also, thank you for all the work you do in finding & posting the press releases. It is appreciated more than you can suspect...as is your service in the military, my friend. All the best, & Merry Christmas.

~~Greg~~

np
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-0-1 Rescued Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-2-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet, Isis
0-0-1 Rescued Fit and Trim Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

I guess thats what happens when you rear a Bushmaster on backbacon...

Peter
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Peter and Sara
Beouf River Reptiles

Are bushmasters really rare? How rare? I was just wondering because over the years I've seen 2 at different zoos that weren't in close proximity of each other and I can't seem to find anything supporting that they're rare.

Thanks!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

Scarce in the wild and in zoo collections, but not rare.
When I managed a large import/export reptiles dealership in the mid-nineties we recieved about 10-12 a year from S.A.

The native people who collected the snakes were very afraid of them and usually avoided them when encountered in the wild.
Only after hounding the exporter, we then secured 10-12 spread out over a years worth of imports.

At one time, I had 17 specimens in my private collection. I don't work with Lachesis anymore as I have focused my interest on Asian pitvipers, however Bushmasters are great to work with and their "reported" behavior of being savage etc. is overrated.

"Scarce in the wild and in zoo collections, but not rare."

That's what I was thinking. The fact that a large import/export could only get 10 - 12 per year puts it into perspective.

I don't have any desires to own one, I was just curious, wanting to expand what little bit of knowledge I have. Thank you for obliging me!

Have a good one!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

wow, you did have a lot of these animals. HOw did you find them with stress? From another zoo keeper I've heard they get so stressed out during handling/medical exams ect. they go into a shocky trance and can die at any instant. Did you keep any long term?

Ian

I had Lachesis for 7 years. I had a few imports die, not because of the husbandry, but how they were collected. They were already stressed out when I recieved them.

The trick to keeping wild caughts is,to leave them alone, let them settle in. Don't even look at the for a month or so! LOL!

Go to Dean Ripa's site "Bushmastersonline.com" and you will learn everything you will want to learn about Bushmasters.

Congrats!

I've never seen a Bushmaster at a zoo...same goes for Black Mamba...but I've seen most everything else (except for the obviously hyper-rare stuff) at one time or another.
(I've seen a blk mamba...just not at a zoo)

I was HOPING to see them at the Wildlife Discover Center in Lake Forest (Northern suburb of Chicago) while visiting over Christmas but odds are long that I will be able to get away from family obligations long enough while whirlwinding through town.

Happy Holidays.

Gosh, it's been so long ago, at least it seems. I've been rackin' my brain ever since I made that post, trying to remember where I saw it. I'm pretty sure I saw one at the Atlanta zoo.

The only other places I've been is Gatorland, Sanford (FL) zoo, and way back in the '70s I went to Bush Gardens in Houston.

I hope you get the chance to go by the Wildlife Discovery Center. I'd love to, if I ever get that far north.

Merry Christmas!

Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.