Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm not sure how many of you out there have followed Animal Planet's attempt at its own reality tv show, but the few times a certain venomous snake showed up as an obvious venomoid really surprised me. With Jeff and Nigel hosting the show, you can of course bet that there would be many snakes used, some of which being venomous. The few times they used an Egyptian cobra in the "challenge" of the day, it was pretty obvious by the smiley look to the snake that it had its glands removed. Oh well, I guess you can't really blame them for using a venomoid haje, but can you? They also featured a large edb, wagler's viper, and some other Asian arboreal viper which were all either very much in tact or had implants from the surgery. It really sealed my suspicions today during the marathon when the "competent snake handler" nearly let the haje tag him as he tried to grab for its tail while it was fleeing. Anyway, I just wanted to express my slight disappointment in the show producers for deciding to use altered, "made-safe" venomous snakes when the show is supposed to be all about dangerous challenges. Thanks for listening to my rant.
-Chance

Chance, I dont want to start a flame! Do you have any other facts other than it "looked" like a venomoid. I have some people that could post picks of hots and moids and I would be willing to bet that you could not pick out the moids. I admit that some of the pics and animals I have seen are terrible looking. I think if AP was going to use a moid though they would have used one that you couldn't tell. Like I said nothing personal and not wanting a flame war. These are just my personal thoughts.

Darin Gray
Stone Cold Reptiles
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Thank you
Darin Gray
Stone Cold Reptiles

I can't blame you for doubting, however if you would have seen the episodes with the haje I think you'd be pretty convinced as well. I had a rescued venomoid monocled for quite some time, so I got used to the sunken head look. If you compare two snakes of the same species or type, one that has had a full adenectomy and the other is intact, do you not think you could tell the two apart? I do realize there are some "surgeons" out there that are quite skilled at using implants and such, but it was apparent that this haje had a full adenectomy and exhibited the sunken head appearance. To further back my story up, like I said the "snake expert" that was handling the cobra was taking some great liberties that one probably wouldn't do with an intact snake. When the snake turned and charged him as he was grabbing for its tail, if it didn't at least nose-butt him I'd be surprised. Anyway, I certainly don't have any other facts to back up my observations other than to just say to try to catch one of those episodes yourself and see if the cobra doesn't look like a venomoid. As far as AP using nice-looking venomoids rather than crappy looking ones, those might have been the vipers and rattler they used, but to me they looked intact.

There is no need to put "" around snake expert. Doc Antle knows what he is doing. I was also surprised when he was almost tagged by the egyptian, but I dont think he wouldve done anything different with a venomoid than a HOT. Those are just mistakes of the trade... everyone makes mistakes, just some are bigger than otheres.

They are also the bunch that filmed they guy that got bit by the black mamba 3 times.
What amazes me is that they had no story he was careless and got bit thats it.
antivenom was used but it was clearly too late so the respirator was what saved him but watch AP spin how venom 1 saved him.
so venomoids are perfect of quick ratings I would not put it past them.

I saw a show yesterday on animal planet. A guy was up a tree in Peru catching a boa constrictor and it looked like the boa had nose rub!! Then in the next scene an anaconda was wrapped around a caiman and it looked like the caimans eyes were rotted out with bugs all over it!
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Mark Kennedy Reptiles

I don't doubt that AP would use venomoids. They have largely become a mass appeal "fluff" channel that is mainly concerned with getting ratings from the "sheep". There are very few programs that I even find interesting.

It would make more sense to have venonmoids than not.Since a few were terrified of snakes,venomous as well as non-venomous then to me it would make better since to have them than not to have them.Imagine what would happen if one of the challengers that were terrified of snakes was to get bit by say the cobra and get a lethal injection of venom in their system.Man the media as well as the people watching would have A/P for breakfast and then some.At least Animal Planet is alot more intriguing than Disney or CNN.Regards Bill McLeod

It's all hoopla for the general public, the show is not designed for those of us that understand/know what to look for.
Much like the popularity of many shows, I've always wondered what real physicians/surgeons etc think of E.R.
These shows are designed to be entertaining to the majority of the public, not the infinitely small number of us. Look at all the other shows, Corwin, Irwin etc.etc. They may or may not be any good at what they do. But it is not the skills they do or do not possess, it's the ability to deal with percieved danger and the individuals personality. Not the expertise involved. Look at BGF, you don't see him running around like he's got a wasp nest up his wazzoo, and waiting for the excitement of it being removed before turning the camera on!!? Go figure. Thats the only snake show on t.v. thats worth the effort to set my beer down and get the remote.
Like I said a minute ago...hoopla its all hoopla.

If they can't stand the heat they should get out of the kitchen. Making a television show to entertain the masses is no reason to butcher a beautiful animal through hack "surgery". This seems hypocritical in light of animal planets supposed conservation and animal friendly image. What's next "King of the Rattlesnake Roundup"?

Just keep in mind- 'animal friendly' Animal Planet takes advertising dollars from both the HSUS and PETA.
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

and they promote a show, animal cops, which has a 100% kill policy for all pit bulls including puppys

Um, the humane society has a policy of euthanizing pit bulls that show major aggression and are unlikely to be adoptable. Not 100% of pits are euthanized, albeit most are. This is not the Humane societies fault, but they people that are breeding these dogs to be killers. I have numerous friends with pitbulls that are all sweethearts. But that is because they haven't been blood-trained and pitted against each other in fights. Bottom line is that in this unfortunate case, the dogs are most certainly the victims, but unfortunantly there is no reliable way of rehabilitating a pit bull that has been a fighter....would you adopt a 100 pound dog that wants to kill all your other animals, might want to chew on your toddler, and might end up mauling you because you yelled at it for pissing on the carpet? If you do, call the humane society and i'm sure they will give you all the savage blood trained pits they get in.

well u know what i say about the HSUS,well i better not say......its not nice.......... People need not take up for them and start being concearned about there own rights to keep exotic animals