Ok... I'm sure that this post will get others to post. There are red flags in this post that must be addressed.
Will an eyelash viper (Bothriechis schleglii) kill you? Very possibly. If you managed to take a fang in the vein, which has happened with envenomations of other species, I'd guess it could probably kill you. Females get pretty big and can pack a punch. While it MAY not kill, you may lose an arm or a finger. Look at snakebite pics and decide if that's for you. Death from allergic reaction is also not entirely out of the question.
Now, there are other vipers commonly termed eyelash. For instance, the African eyelash viper in the family Atheris is more toxic I believe. Last I heard, there was limited antivenin produced for any of the Atheris species.
Comparing vipers to cobras in any sense is not a safe thing to do. Husbandry and handling are two different ball games, imo. The way you handle and work both species are just different. The best starter species is someone else's snakes. I did start out with eyelash vipers and temple vipers. I got a feel for arboreal venomous. Due to the strike fashion, you make sure they don't come up the hook and can't reach from the end of the hook. That doesn't really apply to cobras, which are much quicker and may not even sit on a hook.
Please work with someone else's animals. Any potential mistakes you may make can be rectified before they lead to a bite. Also, life saving advice can be obtained. Some of it is so obvious that you'd never think of it yourself. Check your local herp society. I'm in western NY and have managed to find a whole network of venomous keepers, where I never expected to find any.
Do yourself and the hobby a favor by working with others first. If you took an early bite because of lack of experience, that will drain your wallet and possibly fuel the anti-venomous laws that are constantly in the works.
Good luck,
Dave
