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EYELASH VIPERS

twilightfade212 Sep 14, 2004 05:44 PM

I was wondering how dangerous a bite from an Eyelash Viper would be because I am considering getting one. Thank you.

Replies (2)

eunectes4 Sep 14, 2004 07:00 PM

Ok before anyone jumps on this REALLY hard and does not give you advice...I will try and help with this question. However, I would never ask a question in those terms again. Any bite from a snake can be very very dangerous and is a risk you do not want to take. especially with the news this week. as far as the bite...LD50 is a pretty good one and this snake can deliver a blow that has potential to be fatal. Now as far as getting an eyelash viper. I can say there are a few reasons to get one over many other hot snakes but there si going to be many to disagree with me. NONE of my reasons have anything to do with a less risky bite if it were to occur. I would say to get an eyelash viper if you plan on usuing a single piece substrate like newspaper (or my favorite..carpet). This is because you can set up an arborial cage with branches mounted in the walls so nothing is touching the floor. This means the snake will usually be off the ground leaving you without the task of having to move the snake to clean its cage and water dish. You can simply remove these items with TONGS and should probably wear gloves as an extra measure. The snake being off the ground and not a fast moving arborial like a boomslang makes working around it safer since you rarely need to even hook the snake. You still need to use precautions like tongs to remove anything from the cage and you still need to maintain a high level of focus. The other reason for an eyelash is it is a smaller snake so you do not need as much room to work with it as large vipers or elapids. Also (I mention this in every post I make on the keeping of arporial vipers) while some may be new to hot keeping, nobody getting a hot should be new to snakes so the requirements are a higher level of upkeep and can be a decent challenge so there should be no reason to lose interest on this beautiful animal. (the last advice is light hearteed people so please do not attack that statement). Now for a reason not to get an eyelash over other hots...AV. If it is not from here then it is not likely your local ER will have the AV so you should have your own and it is not always easy to do that. If you do not take a hit then there will be no worry but every now and then people slip up and if it is a slip with the wrong thing in your life..like your eyelash viper...it can be the last mistake you made. I think that is all..but I am sure there will still be others to add to this post and catch me on an error or something I did not mention.

psilocybe Sep 15, 2004 11:10 AM

Eunectes gave a pretty good rundown of the pros and cons of B. schlegeli, so I won't debate him on that...

Bites can range from mild to pretty damn severe (similar to Bothrops bites) with massive necrosis being a certainty. Deaths have been recorded. Obviously, the amount of venom injected will be a critical factor (as with all venomous). One thing to keep in mind is their strike range. It is practically their entire body length. I've heard of more than a few people who have been caught off guard by this, sometimes with very bad consequences. Since they are often at face level with the keeper (depending on your setup), a bite can be a very serious affair. They can also be tricky to get OFF a hook (very easy to get on one). Also, keep in mind that their basic husbandry requirements are more advanced than your average snake, so you want to be well versed in tropical arboreal husbandry.

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