Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey folks, I posted the below message to the crotalidae forum but was suggested that I should try here for a better response.

Hey folks, I know this is probably going to sound like I'm a troll, but please believe me I'm not.

I live in Arizona, and I know a fellow who caught a neonate rattler (no, I don't know what species). He's keeping it, buys pinkies off of me when he found I raise mice for my colubrid collection. (not into hots personally).

He tells me that his plan is to raise up this little bugger, eventually milk the venom, sell some, and have some ... ???..INJECTED???? so he can build up an immunity to the venom and be able to handle the snake with impunity....???

To me this sounds completely bizarre! BUT I don't know anything about the subject really, so I thought I would come here and ask the "experts" to see what all of you think about this. Could be it's completely common practice, but I somehow don't think so. Oh, and this is an ADULT person we are talking about, graduate from college and all.

Thanks for any insight.
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~Sasheena

I beleave the first person to successfully (immunize?)by injection was Bill Haast (For more on this read COBRAS IN HIS GARDEN). If you read the posts..In here and in REARFANG. there are others who follow this practice.
Frank

Only my observations, not demonstrated by any research worthy of publication. As Frank indicated there are a number of folks that follow this practice. Bill Haast is a good example. Budman is another. I also may embark on a self innoculation program. That having been said, generally speaking the greater successes seem to be from those that inject neurotoxic venoms as opposed to hemotoxic venoms. The Crotalid your friend has captured is most likely hemotoxic, so it stands to reason (at least to me) that the associated necrosis and tissue damage will be prohibitive to a successful self innoculation program.

I don't know what the right answer is, to me it stands to reason that self innoculation works if properly pursued. But it also stands to reason that there are some venoms that are not suited for the practice of self innoculation.

My 2 Cents,

Regards,
Jeff Nichols