Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a burm and a blood python and i like so many venomous snakes. but i am worried about having a venomous snake get loose with a baby in the house. i dont know much about venomoids except that they had glands removed. i also heard that it is stressful on the snake. is this true, b/c i also have gone on some websites and they talk how they try to cause the least amount of stress upon the animal. is this practice looked down apon or is it not as bad as some people say. i dont want to help promote a bad thing. also how aggressive are gaboon vipers.

thanks mark

Mark:

This is certainly one of the hot button issues on any herp site. Without going into the pros & cons regarding venomoids let me just state the following.

The sellers of venomoids always claim that it's done by a Vet but none of them will disclose just who this VET is....
The economics of producing a venomoid does not add up in my estimation. If you take a dog or a cat to a Vet for just a simple proceedure that requires anesthesia your looking at a bill of $300 minimum plus everything else. Safely & effectively removing the venom gland & ducts is not exactly a simple proceedure. Careful disection and placement of an implant takes time. Just think about it..they can't sell a venomoid Rattlesnakes for $300 and make money if it were done by a Vet. Yes, any surgical proccedure is stressful on any animal.

Gaboons are fairly relaxed animals who prefer to sit in one spot. However, when they want to, can defy the laws of physic and strike in seemingly impossible directions. They hit hard and hold on injecting lots of venom. They should never be underestimated.

Many bites by venomid snakes results in serious infections requiring IV antibotics to keep the victim from dying or loosing a limb. When my kids were small I got rid of my collection till they were 10 yrs old and knew to stay away from them. You may want to consider this including any of your large constrictors. They have been known to kill infants too.

Cheers!!

Al
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Save a Rattlesnake...Skin a Sweetwater Resident!

In case you did not reach this conclusion from Al's response: If you are considering a gaboon as a first venomous snake, think again. A hot toxin combined with a massive muscle mass & the world's longest fangs add up to a beastie that ought to be maintained by more experienced keepers.

~~Greg~~

I'm not going to get into the whole venomoid debate either. It's been done so many times on these forums. But I will say this because it seems to be Gaboons that you're interested in, Gaboon vipers not only use their venom to kill prey but it also starts digestion. I know that they can have trouble digesting food without their venom. It would be taking away more than you realize.

np

I'll avoid the venomoid debate too, other than to say that the surgery, even when done by a vet under proper conditions, doesn't guarantee complete devenomation. If one gets a venomoid, it's still best to assume it's fully armed.

That said, with a baby in the house, I'd recommend no venomous, venomoids OR large constrictors. I recommend you get rid of those animals and avoid acquiring others until the child has grown to the age where life threats are easily understood.

Good luck.

Doug T

>>i have a burm and a blood python and i like so many venomous snakes. but i am worried about having a venomous snake get loose with a baby in the house. i dont know much about venomoids except that they had glands removed. i also heard that it is stressful on the snake. is this true, b/c i also have gone on some websites and they talk how they try to cause the least amount of stress upon the animal. is this practice looked down apon or is it not as bad as some people say. i dont want to help promote a bad thing. also how aggressive are gaboon vipers.
>>
>> thanks mark

I certainly do not condone the practice, it is just not natural, you are destroying a vital componet, I know someone who bought a venomoid gabby against my advice and it died of a massive fecal impaction......why? because the venom starts the digestion process, guess what? without that little extra it could not [bleep]. please think twice before supporting these people. We want to weed them out at some point and every purchase just makes that harder. As for a first hot, DO NOT get a Gabby, stick with a T.albolabris or maybe an eyelash, but do not venture into any hot without first gaining some hands on time, that being said, enjoy.

I think the prices in the first post are off some..i can get my dog fixed at a vet for 150 total. I dont think any of the people saying the surgery was done by a vet is claiming it was done in the vets office...i wouldnt believe them if they were saying that..they may infact actually have a vet that is doing the surgery but i would be willing to bet its being done as more of a side job...for lack of a better term
I have never dealt with a gab but i sure wouldnt get one for a first...if you still plan on getting yourself a hot get a mangrove snake or somthing else that is far less dangerous than a gab.

Wait a minute! Your comparing the plucking of a pair of Testis off a dog that's just SEDATED with Ketamine with a major surgical proceedure? I don't think you know how difficult such a proceedure is. There are major nerves and blood vessels that run through that area around the glands & ducts. One slip and it's at minumum a very damaged snake that won't live but a few weeks. I've done small animal surgery, this is not a walk in the park proceedure.

Al
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Save a Rattlesnake...Skin a Sweetwater Resident!

I never said anything about clipping the nuts off a dog. My dog is female and thats what it would cost to have her fixed..a male would be less. The prices could be different in different parts of the country..thats just what it costs here
Are you a vet yourself??

Even discounting the venom entirely, I would think that a gabby could kill a small child with those fangs alone, or at least do very serious damage, especially considering the power I've heard they can put into a strike.
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0.1.0 Ball Python - Shaman
1.0.0 Green Iguana - Ike
1.0.0 Tokay Gecko - Fang
2.2.0 Cats - Pumpkin, Furball, Pixie, Stitch
1.0.0 Cockatiel - Ozzy
0.1.0 Budgie - Tweetie
1.0.0 Dwarf Rabbit - Rascal
0.0.1 Rat who was too friendly to be eaten - Scabbers