Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently ruptured a bicep tendon and my ability to work with my snakes is very limited.

I don't have any hots except for some rear fanged stuff.

I'm just curious what you folks with hots do when you only have one functioning hand to work hooks, tongs etc.

Doug T

Doug:

Ouch...major bummer. Good question but I'm not sure this will help.

In my area we formed a "mutual support group" to help each other under emergency or distressed situations. If someone is injured, sick, away. One of the other area handlers will come over and make sure basic support items are taken care of till the situation resolves.

This is how we handle this sort of problem. Good thing snakes are gennerally low maintence animals.

Good Luck,

Al
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The more people I meet...the better I like my venomous snakes.

I no longer keep anything, but when I did have a large collection of venomous, I had enough friends fairly close that had a level of experience equal to my own upon whom I could have called. They in turn could have called upon me. No problem.

~~Greg~~

Doug, this is actually a great question that anyone who keeps hot stuff should take into consideration. As I am getting older (but better seasoned!), I think more about these types of things. As a curator of a wildlife center, I do have some staff trained on the ins and outs of venomous herp management. BUT, due to their experience level, they are not ready for some of the real hot stuff we keep such as various Naja, mambas, Bitis, etc. In these cases, I have actually gone out and "hired" very experienced friends who I have the utmost of respect for. Although they don't work for me on a regular basis, as staff, they are on call should something happen to me and they have agreed to make the trip to help care for the animals while I am away (if its an extended period of time).

There are some SERIOUS liability issues in having friends/cohorts caring for someone else's venomous collection and I would make sure that there is some agreement in writing, supervised by an attorney, to protect both sides should something go wrong.

Rob Carmichael

>>I recently ruptured a bicep tendon and my ability to work with my snakes is very limited.
>>
>>I don't have any hots except for some rear fanged stuff.
>>
>>I'm just curious what you folks with hots do when you only have one functioning hand to work hooks, tongs etc.
>>
>>Doug T
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

did ya have to go there with all the legal-ese? Im sure it wouldnt stand up in court if the homeowner got sued because the friend helping out should already have experience with hots and be well aware that these animals are dangerous. The judge would throw a line out like "if you're a fireman and decide to play with fire, you should already know you could get burned".
I understand though, that in your position as a curator of a museum, you need to CYA with info/advice you distribute.
Im not flaming you, so please dont take it that way. I was just thinking why'd ya have to go and squirt ketsup into a good cup of coffee?
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Tom
TCJ Herps
"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

Believe me, I can't stand where our country is at with our sue-happy mentality, however, that is the reality of the situation. I have to talk to our city attorney quite frequently about various issues, some that pertain to venomous herps, and believe me, the scenario I laid out in my last post will SURELY HOLD UP in court....and, there are documented cases to support that.

>>did ya have to go there with all the legal-ese? Im sure it wouldnt stand up in court if the homeowner got sued because the friend helping out should already have experience with hots and be well aware that these animals are dangerous. The judge would throw a line out like "if you're a fireman and decide to play with fire, you should already know you could get burned".
>>I understand though, that in your position as a curator of a museum, you need to CYA with info/advice you distribute.
>>Im not flaming you, so please dont take it that way. I was just thinking why'd ya have to go and squirt ketsup into a good cup of coffee?
>>-----
>>Tom
>>TCJ Herps
>>"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Thats pitiful if stuff exactly like the scenario you set up actually held water.
Sometimes I wish we were back in the days of cowboys and injins, when an ass whooping was given when it was deserved, and no one complained 'cause they knew that had it coming.
Ok, *rant off* before I get really out of control.
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Tom
TCJ Herps
"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

In a catsup world-buy hamburgers-not coffee!

Now having inflicted my questionable wit on this...Robs dead on right.

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

I find maintaining my snakes kind of a drag sometimes, but I ALWAYS look forward to going over to someone elses house and helping out with changing water bowls and what have you. Im sure you wont have too much trouble coordinating with someone to help out.
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Tom
TCJ Herps
"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

I've helped plenty of friends with labor around their houses so when I need a hand around the house with projects, I'd have a sizeable 'account' to draw from. The only snake person who has ever needed a hand from me just bailed to the mid west.

Now most of my snakes are pussy cats when it comes to handling but in the next few months I'll be getting a baby beaded lizard, my black head python should be dropping eggs (that will need to be moved to the incubator), and a bunch of new cages will mean moving my mussuranas (rear fanged so not for beginning handlers), and eggs from an eastern indigo that will need moving too.

I'm going to be owing somebody some serious cage cleaning time.

As for the ruptured bicep... you dont realize how the world is geared for having two good hands. Try opening a bottle of mayo, taking a shower or eating a mango with only one hand. My trials will be short lived and i'll be back to typing with two hands soon enough. I now have WAY more respect for folks who live with disabilities.

Doug T

>>I find maintaining my snakes kind of a drag sometimes, but I ALWAYS look forward to going over to someone elses house and helping out with changing water bowls and what have you. Im sure you wont have too much trouble coordinating with someone to help out.
>>-----
>>Tom
>>TCJ Herps
>>"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

Doug Taylor Reptiles

I find myself really close at home with this question. I had back surgery last May that left me in bed for a month, and it looks like I'm getting ready to do it all over again, because surgery hasn't helped my problem, only made it worse. I have more than 30 hots. My hot room is in my basement. Just getting down stairs to them is sometimes a challenge. I am very fortunate that my wife loves them as much as I do and is not afraid to work with them, if she has to. We use trap boxes with all are Naja, so the danger factor is really not a factor unless a box gets dropped. Most our rattlers ride hooks like they should so removing them is usually a pretty quick and easy task. We clean cages every 2 weeks or when nature forces us to, and we always feed when cleaning cages so we only have the cage open one time. I have made tools for watering that allows us to fill water bowls without even opening the cage. In the event I am unable to be there and she needs to remove a snake to clean a cage, My dad is always ready to come and assist. He kept Rattlers for a while, and was my mentor into the hobby. I wouldn't allow anyone else to unlock a cage. From the legal stand point, I can't see how you really could win. Its like the case of the dog that bit the man who opened the gate and went in the yard, ignoring the BEWARE OF DOG sign. Having the sign the dog owner was admitting to having a dangerous dog, and the dog owner lost the case. I also have an emergency protocol book left on a shelf in my hot room. It has the name and numbers of a couple hot keeper friends, so If something tragic was to happen to my wife and I, who ever is responsible for my estate will know who to call to come get the snakes out. This is something all hot and even non venomous keepers should do. In most cases, even the local Animal patrol officers wouldn't know what to do with a collection like this. The closest Zoo is a hundred miles away from here, and probably wouldn't have the space or want to house this many snakes. Sorry for carrying on, just felt like chatting for a while.

I really feel your pain ! I had 2 shoulder surgerys over a period of 5 months . A detached and torn rotator cup tendon and a torn glenoid cup. I got real inovative when dealing with mine .Used shift boxes when needed used a bicycle type water bottle with a 2 ft length of plastic tubing for watering and I also used a shield for added safety because of limited use of my left arm. Hey I had to get creative.I was lucky none of mine are too "squirmy"!

I am getting out of hots because of same of these very reasons. After 40 years of keeping hots, my wife ( much younger than me )that possibly could take care of the collection is now a corporate manager and travels, I'm 55 years young, we live in the boonies and absolutely no one would be able to care for my keeps, even if someone could my insurance company stated that while they would possibly have to pay out on a bite situation, I would probably lose my health and my home owners and be triple the cost to replace, that anybody receiving a hot bite other than myself could sue even if they were " invited " and agreed to take care of the collection. The even worse scenario was if that other person was bit and they had major health problems after or the worst scenario of death, any family member of that person could bring charges and including wrongful death.