Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am thinking of getting into keeping hots, but I wanted to find out a little more information first. I've been keeping nonvenomous and rear-fanged for a while now. I have had a corn snake for about nine years and a western hognose for a while. Haven't had any experience keeping "true" hots, but there is a guy I know well in the area that has extensive experience and would be willing to show me the ropes.

My biggest questions are what is a good starter species? I have looked into Copperheads and Eyelash vipers as possibilities. Neither get very large and both are relatively inexpensive compared to most other species of hots. I've read a lot of info about the copperheads and the eyelash vipers, and both seem like good prospects for a first hot species. The only reservation I really have about the eyelashes are the fact that their venom is considerably more potent than the copperhead's (if the info I've been reading is true) and they have somewhat more complicated housing requirements (high humidity and climbing room).

If anyone could give me some info about what they started on with hots, I'd really appreciate it. I'm not looking to ever get deep into the venomous side of herps (no cobras or boons for me...) but I have developed an interest in the smaller vipers. I just want to get as much educated information as possible before making a decision and I definitely do NOT want to rush into this. Thanks ahead of time for all the help and I look forward to reading the posts.

David McAliley

I think that a copperhead would be a decent first hot. Mangrove snakes (Boiga dendrophila), though physiologically nothing like copperheads (large, arboreal, agile) in behavior, are rear-fanged and can be good first hots as well. Their bite is a little more serious of an affair than a hognose though, which is pretty reluctant to even bite in the first place. If you're not looking into the larger, more agile venomous like elapids, a mangrove isn't neccesarily the best choice. It basically boils down to what you want to focus on keeping. If vipers are your fancy, a copperhead is a good start. Or even a pygmy rattler or a massauga. I wouldn't recommend eyelash vipers to a beginner as they can be very decieving in their strike range and are more than willing to load you up with their venom. Plus, their husbandry requirements are quite a bit more advanced than the snakes you mentioned experience with. I can tell you though, by your statement that you're not interested in gabs or cobras, you will be . Once you start working with hots, you might find a focus, but you'll want to dip into anything . Just find someone who is responsible and experienced to show you the ropes. That's what i did. And though I have just started keeping hots, I got a bit of experience working in someone else's collection before aquiring one of my own. That being said, the best first hot is someone elses. Hope this helps.