Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have wanted to check out a green mohave for a long time and I found a good size mohave around search light NV. What a cool snake - so full of attitude and sure of himself. what a beutifull snake.

2 green Mohave's
1 large yellow scorpion - not sure what kind-yet

snakes, turtles and spiders!!
Can anyone help me with the species of the turtle and tarantula?

Thanks

Chris

I wanted to post a few more pics, here is the turle from north carolina i was trying to identify.

thanks
Chris

The turtle is an eastern Box Turtle.

You shouldn't hold venomous snakes fangs out like that. There is no real reason for it and you can damage the delicate oral epithelium and lead to infections (like mouthrot seen in captive snakes).
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

...I know playing with hots is a rush because I do it, but there's no need to pin them and pick them up like your recent posts show. It's not good for the snake and you can bet your ass that nothing good can possibly come out of it for you.

If nothing else, you're setting a bad example for those that are inexperienced and think it looks like it's easy or fun to try and do what you are demonstrating.

Not a flame, just an observation....
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
0.1.0 Boa Constrictor
1.2.0 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.1.0 Hypo Everglades Rat Snakes
0.1.0 Amel Pacific Gopher Snake
2.1.0 Sonoran Gopher Snakes
0.1.0 Amel Sonoran Gopher Snake
1.1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnakes
1.1.0 California Kingsnake
3.2.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican, Temecula, & Bagdad)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Western Hognoses
0.0.1 Lyre Snake
0.0.1 Glossy Snake
0.0.1 Shovelnose

LIZARDS
2.0.0 Bearded Dragons
1.0.0 African Fat-Tail Gecko
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
1.4.2 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
1.1.1 Chuckwalla
1.4.0 Banded Gecko
0.0.1 Gold Dust Day Gecko
1.1.3 Sandfish
2.0.0 Desert Iguanas

AMPHIBIANS
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Bubbling Kassina
0.0.1 White's Tree Frog
0.0.2 Gold Frogs
1.0.0 Fire Salamander

If you MUST take pictures of venomous snakes with fangs bared could you PLEASE find a road-killed specimen to do this with? Believe it or not, it is remarkably easy to damage a snake's mouth with tactics like this...

We've all seen snake fangs, and are familiar with what they look like...posting pics holding the snake by the neck (with no support of it's body) while having it's mouth pried open to reveal its fangs isn't good for you or the snake....You'd be surprised how crafty those little critters can be when struggling for (what they must feel) is their life...Keep taking pics like this and handling snakes in this manner, and I'm afraid you'll become all too familiar with a snake's fangs...

Just looks bad man....I feel sorry for that snake...

-AzAtrox

there is no need to pin a snake and try to reveal its fangs.And yes they can adjust their jaws no matter how you hold them and they will put a fang in you in a "hot" second.I speak from experience.I never restrain a snake unless there is no other option.I had a small atrox put a fang in my finger the same way that you are restraining that snake in the pic.also always support their body weight.

Just for the record the snake needed meds and that was the only way he was gong to get it.I am very careful but "accidents happen" it was a dry bite but very scary to say the least.I have been keeping hots for a little over 20yrs and i think i've only had to do this once or twice.pinning a hot or any other snake for that matter is a last resort.

Az atrox.excellent idea with using "road kill" for such things.

I can tell from the response from that photo that pinning is not a popular thing to do. I was not aware of the potential hazzards to the snake. I love snakes and all herps in general. In all of my herpin trips I always value the animals safety 1st and I have nothing but respect for them as they are awsome creatures. I wont make that mistake again knowing it can cause injury to the snake. I have caught many snakes in the past and even if it is the 50th black racer of the day it is always great just to see such a great creature ..... so forgive my ignorance ... I have utmost respect for the snakes health and conservation.
PS.. getting bit is not fun either..

Thanks for the response - I want to do it the right way so that my kids can enjoy the snakes when they grow up. PS I hope I did not set a bad precidence for anyone else. I certainly am not the expert just enthusiastic about my hobby.

Thanks

Chris

Keep the enthusiasm high, we are with you in that respect. Just want to let you know that I have found out the hard way, lost my right index finger to am atrox, it isn't fun, and not worth it. I don't handle hots anymore, just move them off the road with the hook. A picture is worth a thousand words they say, so let's be sure the thousand words we say are teaching right! Keep up the good herpin'!
Todd Hughes

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Todd Hughes

Glad to hear you'll be amending your practices...I had a friend once that was tagged by a rattlesnake holding it the "correct" way after pinning it...The snake swiveled a fang out and got him on the finger....he wound up being ok, but certainly learned a lesson...

99% of the time the closest you have to get to a venomous snake in the field is at the end of your hook or tong....Generally safer for both you & the snake...after all, many snakes will thrash violently when restrained and it is easy for a snake to sustain a spinal injury in this manner....

Glad to hear you're lookin' out for the snakes as well!

-AzAtrox

Kudos to you Chris! When I read the first posting warning you against what you were doing I totally agreed, but also completely expected the usual angry defensive response (uh oh, here we go again). When I read your response acknowledging you understood and would stop out of respect for the animals, it caught me completely off guard! That was extremely mature and probably the perfect response to these posts. How much I wish these kinds of understanding responses were the norm, but they're not.

I think you set a precedent that I hope many others will follow. Be safe and happy herping, my friend! I believe your trips into the field will absolutely be safer now than they ever were! Believe me, venomous snakebites are horrible, expensive and never, ever worth it... and snakes mouths are damaged far easier than you could ever believe. The slightest scratch could end up killing a snake in a very short time... and we all love those beautiful animals, don't we?

Peace, Denis

I did not know that this topic would generate such a stir. I appreciate the advice and support from you folks. I have 4 honduran milks and a brooksi king at home and they are spoiled and well cared for.. I thought I was treating the snakes I found with care - just like my snakes at home - and I never pin my snakes at home. but I realize that trying to prevent a hot bite and harming the animal is totally against why I was doing this in the first place.

I will post some photos of my pets and some more field pics when I get time - no pinning !!!!!

Thanks

Chris

Very well put, Denis.

I've been watching this thread, too, and expected the same exact type of response.

It's refreshing to see how this thread turned out!

We do all love these things and the hobby. I want nothing more than to keep all this wonderful fauna around for an eternity for generations to enjoy!

//Todd

I hope you get this response. The picture you posted has a beutiful rattle snake. It has clear white bands on the tail.
Is it a western diamondback??

let me know

Chris

Great picture

Sorry for the VERY late response, Chris.

Yes- that would be the Western Diamondback, or a mojave/diamondback integrade...

Either way, he was FULL of 'tude, and made for a GREAT photo op!

That's 'antelope' keeping the light and his attention off my face, while I snapped that pic!

//Todd

top response chris! live and learn. Cool snakes.

That was said with class. Kudos to you for having some grace and not just flaming the hell out of the guy. This issue has been brought up many times on field forums and its refreshing to see it done with some tact. You'll always get a better response with kindness...