Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was fortunate enough to see a monocled cobra in person for the first time the other day and it seemed to be the most personable goofiest snake Ive ever seen i fell in love with it i am considering getting a venomoid because i am not willing to keep it in a cage its whole life nor risk my life handling it i realize that each snake is an individual but was wondering if any one had any first hand experience with this snake and what do you think about free handling a venomoid especially a monocled i have had non venomous and never been bitten or even struck at while handling them are hots (monocleds) more likely to strike

Sigh....

n/p

Venomoids are still venomos species, and should be treated as such.

We welcome you to the ever growing list of envenomations and deaths due to venomoids! You may consider moving this topic to the venomoid list which will probably not bash you as hard as this list will! This is not a responcible way to deal with these snakes venomoid or not!
-----
Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
Conservation through Education

Now i do not have as much experience as a lot of people on this website, but if you are not fully capable of dealing with a hot snake such as naja kouathia, then dont go and get a venomoid. Wait until you have had a lot of experience with hots and then get yourself one. My only reason for this is it just seems useless to have a procedure done or get one with it done to an animal just to show people you have a cobra. If you really do have an appreciation for these interesting snakes then do it right and get the experience and work your way up.

Aside from the ethical issues, you should know that the law generally does not recognize "venomoid" snakes, and if you are prohibited from owning a monocled cobra in your area, the fact that is has been made venomoid will not change the illegal status of owning it.

Hi:

I'm just back from the IHS conference. Tim was there too and knows the real story. I spoke to several zoo keepers that have snakes that were confiscated by Fish & Wildlife, that were suppose to be "Venomoid" but were actually HOTTER than Hell!!

Also, a forgotton fact, that serious life threating infections occur from bites from venomoids. I know of several on record personally.

Al
-----
Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

Do you guys have any type of documented instances. I would love to see them and possibly use them in venomoid discussions.

Wish I could have made the conference to meet some of you guys. Sounds like it was a good time....

Oh and to the original post.....FYI- Venomoids don't like to be handled any more than Hots.....You may think they do but they don't. They would rather be left in the cage you secured for them.......

Brett

thanks for all your honest opinions. can anyone tell me if my observations of this snake were accurate the guy showing me them had about 30 snakes and large lizards and the cobra literally made me laugh. I'm sure he was in no way trying to entertain me but he seemed like he was really having fun kinda like a cat with a ball. and are hots in general more likely to bite than non hots. thanks, brent
p.s. i apologize if my questions seem dumb but i'm trying to learn as much as possible before making any decisions i regret so thanks again for your opinions and as i sense in some replies refrain

Nothing personal but by even thinking about a venomoid you are giving creedence to a practice that is both cruel and unnecessary. Learn how to handle hots if that is what you want but dont contribute to the butchers who carve up these animals so someone without learning the ropes can look cool. Please consider these facts before you subject a beautiful and vital creature to this barbaric treatment.
thanks

To say a venomoid snake wont like to be handled anymore than a hot snake is pretty stupid really. The fact that a snake is venomous or not has nothing to do with its preferance to being handled. My ATB is non venomous and hates being handled.
A venomous snake is in my opinion perfectly capable of being tamed to the point of holding. I personally wouldnt do it but the fact that they carry venom makes no difference to the snake being tolerant to handling.

And keep beating the horse..its not quite dead yet.

I have three words for you: Grace Olive Wiley.

I knew a guy who did educational shows and his black and white spitter was tamer than his milk snakes. So it just depends on the snake not the fact that it is or not venomous.
-----
1.1.0 cornsnake
1.0.0 red iguana
1.0.0 green iguana
1.0.0 ball python
1.0.0 ornate box turtle
0.0.11 painted turtles
1.0.0 tokay gecko
0.0.1 armadillo lizard
1.0.0 red sided plated lizard
1.0.0 pixie frog

They are very Naja spp. "like" in behavior, phenotypic appearance and "feel", but do not harbor the associated risks of handeling a venomous specimen or venomoid. Heck, even the good Dr. Wuster has coined the genus "honorary cobras".

Best regards,

Jeff
-----
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

Yeah I was about to say...tell me if death tickles when/if you find out it was done wrong lol...Learn My lesson about venomoids a while back check out my thread from way back when lol...:O

i had a venomoid cobra for 7 years.

i never was bitten but i treated it like it had venom

every 6 months i would let it strike a mouse to make sure it was still a venomoid.
it is not the type of snake that should be handled. what you may have seen as funny was the snake looking and threatening everything that moves. when you see the hood of the cobra that is a threatening pose.
this is a animal to be looked at not handled.