I've had a pair of gigas that I've raised from hatchlings for around 3 years now. They are very interesting captives. Much has been made about their venom, but here is my take on it.



It is true that FWC venom has been compared to that of rattlesnakes, the species I've heard most often being Crotalus atrox (Western diamondback). That sounds scary, but you have to take a few things into account. For one, WDB's are not really all that toxic, drop for drop. In fact, comparitively, their venom is actually fairly weak. WDB's are dangerous because of the sheer quantity of venom they can inject in a bite, which can be upwards of 750 mg or more for large specimens. That is at least 50 times or more the amount of venom even the largest of FWC's could deliver in a bite, even from a prolonged chew. The risk of serious envenomation from a FWC is slim at best. If you do get bitten, and experience signs of envenomation, the most likely scenario is that you'll be a bit uncomfortable for a few hours...and that is IF you show signs of envenomation (many people have been bitten and even chewed on without any signs of toxicity developing).



All that said...treat them with caution, as you would any venomous snake. They do have a monster feeding response, and some are more than willing to bite at any sign of provocation (and certainly food). A bite from a large FWC can be very painful, but not neccesarily because of the venom. They have EXTREMELY powerful jaws. I often times hear the sound of cracking skulls when mine chow down on a rodent...they are like the bulldogs of the snake world. They are very enthusiastic chewers, and I would imagine a motivated biter would be fairly difficult to remove from yourself.



As long as you are an adult in good physical condition, I could see no reason why you couldn't keep FWC's. As I said, even a "severe" bite from one is not likely to proceed past some localized swelling and pain. There have been rare instances of swelling spreading past the site of the bite, but nothing that was even close to what anyone would consider life-threatening.



I myself have not had the displeasure of being chomped on by mine (though not for their lack of trying ), but even though the risks are minimal, I would do my best to avoid it. Don't let that keep you from acquiring one (or more) though, because they really are cool snakes.
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Abhishek Prasad

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