Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello
I have been keeping reptiles and learning about them for a good 7 years now and am somewhat interested in the eyelash viper. I read what I could about them in the latest Reptile Magazine article. I would like to know how agressive they are or if there is a different venemous species i should be looking at, and do you think i am ready for a venemous species? These snakes have interested me when i first heared of them about two years ago. Any info. would be greatly appreciated!

Tyler
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3.0 Hypo Tang Leos, 1.0 Blizzard Leo, 1.1 Tremper Tang/Albino Leos, 1.0 Knight Anole, 0.1 Mali Uromastyx, 1.1 Green Iguana, 1.1 Ball Pythons, a Common Snapping Turt, 1 Dark Fire/1 Normal Crested Geckos, 0.1 Columbian Red-Tail Boa

MY SITE:
www.multiplemorphherps.com

Hi!

First of all, why do you want to know if the eyelash-viper is an agressive species? Are you going to free-handle it? I can just answer one question you have. I honestly don't think you are ready to keep hots if you are looking into buying a non- or less agressive species. It shouldn't matter, since it's not a pet that is social nor is it something you play with. I don't even handle my non-venomous species I keep. It doesn't matter to me how agressive or not they are. I am not supposed to hold them with my bare hands anyway for the brief moments I have to handle them. What are you really looking for when you ask if you should look into another species less agressive than the supposedly agressive eyelash-viper? You can't be seriously interested in that species since you care about its temperament and asking for options to it...

In my opinion you are far away from ready to keep venomous species.

If you want to read more about it, i'd suggest you buy The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere...

/Patrik

Sorry for not beeing 100% clear and I have made up my mind to wait and learn more about hot herps. But just to clear up the misconseption on my question about aggression, I was mearly refering to the fact that if I open the cage to mist, remove the snake for cleaning of the cage, or even to fill up its water dish...how is the snake going to react? Will it strike, get in the striking position, or just be on alert. I know enough that these venemous species are not to be handled and when handled to keep it to a minimum. I also am aware of beeing ready for whatever actiont he snake may take when you are dooing some of the above. So sorry for the confusion and I will not be getting a hot snake any time soon!

Thanks,

Tyler
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3.0 Hypo Tang Leos, 1.0 Blizzard Leo, 1.1 Tremper Tang/Albino Leos, 1.0 Knight Anole, 0.1 Mali Uromastyx, 1.1 Green Iguana, 1.1 Ball Pythons, a Common Snapping Turt, 1 Dark Fire/1 Normal Crested Geckos, 0.1 Columbian Red-Tail Boa

MY SITE:
www.multiplemorphherps.com

Though I'm not entirely certain I can try and answer how a Eyelash would react.

In general (with a few exceptions) arboreal vipers don't thrash or show as much aggression as some other viper species. However, extreme caution because hooking them while they are coiled around a branch is most likely incredibly difficult or impossible.

If you are interested in keeping venomous snakes, try keeping a few aggressive colubrids first (such as racers, water snakes, bull snakes) and keep them for a long time until you get proficent at keeping them without getting bitten.

Make sure to visit someone who has hot snakes and let them show you the ropes first... these animals are dangerous if handled or kept improperly, but with training they are kept without too much risk.

Unfortunately I do not recieve the Reptiles magazine anymore, so I can't relate to the specific article that you are referring to. From my experience they generally provide a good amount of information about the species and its care, but handling needs to be learned from hands on experience.

Good luck
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Sean McIntyre

Currently have:
0.1 Antherystic Elaphe Guttata Guttata - Corn Snake
1.0 Elaphe Vulpina Gloydi - Eastern Fox Snake
0.1 Leucistic Elaphe Obsoleta Linheimeri - Texas Ratsnake
1.1 Morelia Spilota Cheyni - Jungle Carpet Python

Saving for:
Agkistrodon Contortix Mokasen - Northern Copperhead
Epicrates Cenchria Cenchria - Brazilian Rainbow Boa

It's a good idea to treat all venomous snakes as aggressive...this can help you avoid becoming complacent.
You may get an eyelash that is a sweetheart, but snakes don't become attached to us, and there are numerous factors that can make it agitated enough to bite. Though I haven't worked with eyelashes, they have a very decieving strike range, they can strike almost their ENTIRE body length, save a few inches of tail they use to anchor to the branch. Some people get thrown off guard by this, and being off guard is one thing you NEVER want to be around a venomous snake.

To my experience Eyelash vipers try to become invisable, either by mimicing a flower, or trying to blend in on the ground. The green phases seem more inclined to hide in the moss. They generally do not strike unless you get too close. Since I use long tweezers to place or remove food which they ignore unless the mouse is there. I can't say for certain how a hand would go over. It probably is a heat thing. The feeding strike is fast and they usually hang on to prey they bite.

In any case, Never put a hand in range.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."