Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This spring I was very excited about getting 2.2 snow corns. After about two weeks I noticed that my best female had escaped. I looked all over my house to no avail. SIX MONTHS later I got a call from my 16 year old cousin that lives about 200 yards away saing he found an albino boa. I knew there was no way but I went to see it anyway. As you may have guessed it was my snow corn. It has a slight zig zag pattern so I know this is the one. There are about 10 dogs and 25 cats between the two houses but the snake was unharmed!! I have kept about 10 different species of snake including gaboons and the corn was the only one that got loose. What a turn of events. I still am in shock.
Tom

I hope that this is a troll,really I do.Anyone else bothered by someone that keeps Gaboons(admits to it)and in the same paragraph expects us to be happy for him finding a corn snake that got away from some dogs and cats?? I suggest you STICK to corns and anything else that cant KILL PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!! Or am I wrong??LOL.Dont pass go, dont collect NOTHIN, go back to the beginners forums and PLEASE realize you harm ALL of us when you do something so stupid...then admit to it on a public forum!! Geez, I am pissed.Your welcome,Jeff

you know, i only keep two corns but i've ALWAYS kept them in 40 gallon breeders (you know, the one's that have that sticker that says "not recommended for small snakes"--each one has their own tank, and neither of them have ever escaped... this doesn't mean i haven't found them lodged up in the edge more than a few dozen times, but i've never had one escape on me... i don't know how everyone has such problems with them getting out, BUT, i imagine it's a lot different when you have more than 2 snakes......anyhow, point being, what is the desire in keeping a snake that can kill you with a bite? honestly people, i think rhinos and tigers and scorpions are all really interesting and beautiful creatures (in their own respects) but i would never wish to keep one for the same reason... i don't get it--- just blabbin, don't take this for anything more than some chatter

Most people don't understand why anyone would be crazy enough to have a snake period, so I think all of us people who own snakes of any type should try to understand each other. Besides, he said he HAD owned Gaboons, and they never escaped. Maybe he was trying out a new lid on the corns, or wasn't used to such small snakes. I'm a hot keeper, but I don't put all my non-hots in the ulta secure cages that my hots are in.

The same reason why you keep corns is why another person would keep Gabby's or any other Hot. There is no difference. That is their passion as corns or whatever is yours. I kept hots for a season or two and they were kept in my sealed, secure snake room and in secure enclosures as a double precaution. My corns were still in the same room and occasionally they escaped their enclosures. They couldnt get out of the room of course but corns escape from time to time. Does that mean I am not qualified to keep hots? Hardly! The only objection to hots that I have is I feel that whoever keeps them has a responsibility to properly secure them from the public. Not all states require this. As a venomous permit holder in NY, I can say you have to prove to the state on the application that you have secured "the public" from these animals and they are kept in a humane, safe fashion. I dont think we should second guess someone because one of his snakes escaped without knowing the full story. Thanks. Mike Panichi
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honesty is my only policy

We shouldn't be so quick to flame someone. I have corns and an 8 foot burm. The enclosure for the burm is securely locked! The corns however are not locked in, and I have had one escapee. We should give the poster the benefit of the doubt and remember different breeds require different levels of security. I have changed my husbandry after the corn escape and use only sliding locking lid 10 gal tanks for my little guys.

Did everyone READ the whole post? Lets see how many mistakes were made.....1)admitting in a public post that he who loses snakes also has kept/is keeping HOT and likely illeagal animals.2)that he obviously lives in a URBAN setting putting added significance on being caught with illeagal animals with the press.3)that he has a 16 year old cousin...how old does that make him?? Not likely 30, and very likely under 20.What is ANYONE that age doing keeping HOTS??You know he hasnt had any professional training!4)The total lack of "couth"that he had to add up all his experience to count against the one that got away. We have all kept snakes,they all get away at some point,lol.AND 5)coming onto kingsnake.com to publish his memoirs. I want to make it very clear that I dont disapprove of keeping HOTS. I just HATE to think this guy could be the next poster boy for some new PETA campaign that would cause us all a whole lot more aggrevation. It only takes 1 idiot to make us all look bad so if we condone this activity it will not improve! I live in Mass. and a few years ago we had a guy keeping a COBRA in the house next to an elementary school. You can guess what happened.....2-3 weeks after it was missing the guy came forward to warn the community(WEEKS,LOL)and wouldnt you know it they found it IN THE SCHOOL!! IN A CLASSROOM FULL OF 2nd graders!! It was published in the papers and they had a field day. This then led to a crackdown on ALL illeagal animals, changed laws,etc....and the repercussions are STILL being felt. Try keeping a GARTER snake in that town now!!!YOU ARE NOT MADONNA!! Bad press is not better than no press at all.OK?Get it??Who ever you are---how you handle your snakes can effect people outside your room,your house,your life! Keep those horror stories to yourself,lol, nothing personal! Jeff

while i agree with your whole point on keeping "hots", I'm not sure it's okay to judge this kid just yet. Perhaps it was a parent who actually kept the Gaboon? his experience in keeping "hot's" or any other may well be through a parent or other adult.

And as for a corn escaping, I never thought it would happen to me, but one of my hatchlings escaped on me just last week. I'm still hoping he'll pop up here soon. One more thing, I have a 12 year old cousin, and a 46 year old cousin,and THEY are first cousins! I'm in the middle at 33, so it is possible for an adult to have a teenage cousin. not that this is his story, but just to let you know it is possible
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Dianne
AKA IcedGoddess
IcedGoddess Creations
Castle Serpents

ok to be honest...this guy had only a corn escape...not a HOT one as revered to...and dont get me wrong, i am totally against having HOT snakes around, they can be a weapon expecially cause there is no ruling about having them(not in Holland, down here ppl can buy them without registration without proving to be an experienced keeper of snakes) and yes that bothers me more then everything...i am willing to put all my energy into ruling en registration...
but this is what happened here! this person lost a CORN!!...gosh didnt we all lose one or to in de past years..i know i did
i know there are a lot of ppl prejusticed about snakes in common...but isnt it true that someone used to keeping dangerous snakes, and is very sure they are kept very well and very locked....is a bit easy on corns...as far as the locking, isnt the person just happy to find his corn again??
i think that is what this story (in the beginning is al about)
xcuse my bad english
mariska

there's a big difference between a snake that can kill with a bite and a retic that would kill by constricting, and i would never keep an animal that could kill me with a bite.
just my opinion
not meaning to get everyone fired up, i just don't see why anyone would want to put themselves at that kind of risk, no matter how much one enjoyed a particular hobby- i absolutely love the build and look of rattlesnakes - their shorter more robust bodies with incredibly wide jawlines... they look wicked, and i would love to have one to look at everyday- but it is not worth my or anyone else's safety.

I used to keep marine fish, i had a 6 feet by 2 feet by 3 feet tank, i have kept lion fish, scropion fish, moray eels, sting rays, and even the Blue Ringed Octopus(its about the size of a golf ball but if it bites u, u will be dead by the time u walk 8 foot steps). It was a thrill as they were predatory fish and really exotic...but I really kept my distance when it came to cleaning the tank.

It's like....I think everyone would handle a HOT cup of coffee with a lot more care compared to holding a cold glass of water, know what I mean?
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"Isn't it funny you hear a phone ring and it could be anybody, but a ringing phone has to be answered doesn't it?"

I don't quite understand what you are so pissed about.
The fact that he used to keep a "hot" species or that he had a corn snake escape? I bet you will find a very high percentage of corn snake keepers have had corns escape. I know I have.
I also beleive it is pretty obvious that he must have been doing something right when he was keeping a gaboon viper. He is still able to post....lol
I would have to beleive that he had different types of setups for venomous vs non-venomous snakes.
Not to mention the simple fact that most people think we are stupid for keeping any kind of snake so who are we to say that keeping venomous is any more stupid.
I personally wouldn't keep them but to each his own...
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Remember, my posts are MY opinion only.
Jimmy (draybar)

Thats all, other than that he should be ok,lol,Jeff

First off, Do you mean your experience?
Does that mean you have kept "hots"
If so, then what makes you any better then him? Why would it be OK for you to keep "hot" but not another?
If not, Then you have no experience in that particular field and therefore expeience is a non-factor.

Second off, What makes keeping "hots" any more or less moral then keeping non-hots.
What does morality have to do with it anyway? Practicality maybe or courtisy towards your neighbors maybe but morals?
Don't quite get that one either.

To rant and call someone stupid is NOT in any way, form or fashion an attempt at educating anyone. It is just plain rude and an attempt to elevate yourself above another.

So, educate me on your experience in the morals, or lack there of, in keeping "hots".
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Remember, my posts are MY opinion only.
Jimmy (draybar)

>>First off, Do you mean your experience?
>>Does that mean you have kept "hots"
>>If so, then what makes you any better then him? Why would it be OK for you to keep "hot" but not another?
>>If not, Then you have no experience in that particular field and therefore expeience is a non-factor.
>>
>>Second off, What makes keeping "hots" any more or less moral then keeping non-hots.
>>What does morality have to do with it anyway? Practicality maybe or courtisy towards your neighbors maybe but morals?
>>Don't quite get that one either.
>>
>>To rant and call someone stupid is NOT in any way, form or fashion an attempt at educating anyone. It is just plain rude and an attempt to elevate yourself above another.
>>
>>So, educate me on your experience in the morals, or lack there of, in keeping "hots".
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>>Remember, my posts are MY opinion only.
>>Jimmy (draybar)
>>

I must apologise on my "morals" section, I misread the message. I thought morals when in fact you said ethics. so disreguard the part on morals and accept, or don't, my apologies for that section.
But...why would it be any less ethical for that matter....hmmm
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Remember, my posts are MY opinion only.
Jimmy (draybar)

np