Asian vine snake

Lyre snake or...
 

sidewinder rattlesnake.

I would vote Agkistrodon Contortrix (Copperhead) due to RELATIVELY more forgiving bite and availability of A/V, or a forgiving rear fang species you can get used to handling safely. I.E. one of the Boiga species, maybe an Oxybelis Aeneus (Brown Vine), or foreign vine snake species as mentioned previously.

As I'm sure it was mentioned previously, you want something that is not necessarily life threatening but still demands respect while being handled. Something that if you make a mistake, it won't be your last. Just remember, hot is hot, period.

BTW, holy thread resurrection, batman!

Hognose or ring necks are the only ones someone your age could get away with that I know of because you'd have to work at killing yourself with one by using a dead one as a noose to hang yourself with. The last one I mentioned won't even bite you, and I should know because that's the only venomous snake I've knowingly handled. Flying snakes have weak venom, but Geico won't sell you cheap geckos.
God bless, Jason Scott Irelan

I got a copperhead for my first. Mild temper, mild Venom and relatively easy to deal with. The only thing is they don't Ride the hook that well, but then again every snake is its own individual.Not to mention it's one of the most beautiful snakes in the world. Mine is a southern copperhead.

Its been 16 years. I'm really curious as to what OP has acquired in those 16 years.

Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk

The original author of this thread hasn't been back here for 15 years. Perhaps his foray into hots did not work out well for him. :shrug01:

I have only keeps one HOT and he was a beauty, a mean, strangely smart, beauty, and that said snake was the Northern Copperhead, try that maybe.