Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been wanting to know for a long time if you guys have to keep antivenom for each different species you keep and how much do you have to keep on hand for each,is it expensive.I have never owned a venomous snake but think that gaboon vipers are very impressive and beautiful snakes,their patterns are unreal,if i were going to own a venomous snake it would be a gaboon,not to say that there are'nt alot of other good looking venomous snakes,most are very impressive,anything that has that much power to kill in a single bite is impressive,you guys and gals must have nerves of steel.

It depends upon the species of snake one keeps. There are polyvalent antivenins that cover a mix of several, usually closely related species of snakes. Most North American crotalids are covered by a single antivenin. There are African & Asian polyvalents as well, though most cover just a handful of different snakes. There are also monovalent antivenins that cover a single species. Then there are snakes, some of which are somewhat desirable to maintain in captivity that have no antivenin, or the antivenin is not exported from the snake's native area due to constant short supply.

There are some here who inject themselves with snake venom, beginning with a very mild dose & building up, to immunize themselves, thereby obviating the need for antivenin.

Nerves don't enter into it as much as does knowledge. One ought to know what the snake and its venom are capable of, and what one's own limitations are. Use the proper tools, give yourself plenty of room to work in, & it's not as hard as it looks. The most difficult venomous snake to handle is......

the first one.

~~Greg~~
Florida's Venomous Snakes

thanks for the reply,very helpful