"but yes....I have seen illegally caught- wild -raped stuff at shows....more than one show....sometimes under tables...you don't get offered stuff unless you know people...."

I'm not surprised. Oh well.

"anyways....I don't like any rules or regs...."

Funny You should say this. Coming from Massachusetts my entire 29.5-year life and originally going to Florida before We re-deciding (-from one year ago) on Pennsylvania two months ago, I thought Florida's permit system was the most reasonable and greatest thing. But early in my 15 hours and 19 minutes of phone calls with a great and well-known Floridian Hot keeper, I came to realize it's major overkill (to paraphrase him), and who the Hel is the government to say what I can and cannot keep?! Only if I am endangering society, I suppose...

And on that note, it really comes down to keeping out of harm's way via responsibility, common sense, proper equipment and plenty of it, and practical caging. B.W. Smith's Venomous Snakes in Captivity is a "bible" indeed, full of common sense which I pride myself in having much of, yet this book made me realize things that would have otherwise come with time and experience in probably 1-3 years. Having safety protocols (including for natural disasters) isn't a bad idea neither, and stocking Your own antivenin for fast-acting venom (exempli gratia, Dendroaspis polylepis) is the best "insurance policy" if You have the money.

All of the pioneering Hot handlers--Bill Haast, need I say more?--were all autodidact, so who is to say a prospective modern keeper with a good head on their shoulders (!!) can't teach themselves?! ...starting with the right species, of course, such as a Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus. Id est, I don't believe in rules and regulations neither; however...
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T.J. Gould

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