Reptile & Amphibian Forums

anybody know if the temple viper has a fatal bite.and where i can find one and if you dont recomend them is there any sub that would be equally as attractive
thankyou
taylor

Under normal circumstances the bite of a Wag's is not life threatening. I have heard everything from bee sting to making you moderatly ill. It realy depends on how sensitive you are to the venom.

As to availability...They are frequently imported, but try for a c/b because the w/c specimens can be a bear to get to eat anything (way too passive). Proper care conditions are crucial for this snake. It needs lots of moisture and cool 75-85*F temps.

I do not recommend this sp.for a begginer.

Looks and attractiveness are individualistic. But if you want to stay in that group, a good starter would be a Popes Viper. They are a lot hardier and much easier to care for.

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

pope vipers were on my list i just came across waglers first ill do some resesearch on them thanks

popes vipers were on my list but i came across waglers first, ill do some reasearch on them by the way how "deadly" is the venom.
thanks,
taylor

Why do you think that pope's make better beginners? I heard that their venom was a lot more potent than the Wagler's. Just curious.
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1.0 snow corn snake '02
0.1 butter corn snake '02
0.1 hi-red corn snake '02
0.1 CB KY locality corn snake '02
1.1 Texas Baird's rat snake '00
0.1 black rat snake '03
1.1 Het for albino and albino radiated rat snake '02&'03
1.1 tri-color hognose snake '03
1.1 albino striped Cal king snake '01
0.1 black king snake '01
1.1 black milk snake '01&'02
1.1 pueblan milk snake '03
0.1 red milk snake '02
1.1 African house snake '03

Reread what I said above. Mortality in Wags is very high. Males seem to die in a heart beat. Frequently both sexes die if they are too warm,too dry,too passive so they starve and also often die of blockages because they are so sedentary that food sometimes just does not digest properly. And that's not even getting into disease and/or parricites. At anywhere from $75-$200 this is an expensive risk.

Popes are more venomous than wags but also are hardier and healthier snakes. They are not a lethal species unless you are really sensitive to venom. All round they are almost as easy to keep as your typical ratsnake and don't get big. I have paid anywhere from $25-$75 for these.

Throw in the money factor and I think you can see that Popes are much more practical for a beginner.

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