Quote:
Originally Posted by MidgetFadeds
For me it was all about the uniqueness of the animal and the risk was something unfortunate that I was bound to mitigate for my safety and that of others. I liked the snakes as creatures alone not because of their venom but because I like them. If they were not hot I’d like them the same maybe even more because I wouldn’t have had to go through all the safety protocols.....
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I no longer keep anything but harmless snakes, but some years back, I accidentally got into rattlesnakes primarily because they were local & ending up in people's yards, & then kept a number of both hot & previously-owned & unwanted venomoids safely for 20 years. I was not initially drawn to rattlesnakes at all, but I just didn't want them killed needlessly for being in the wrong place, and I've never been sorry that I kept an open mind when the first one (a venomoid) was offered to me, as that snake taught me a great deal. It certainly wasn't about him being venomous, as he had no ability to envenomate, but really about his personality. I can even remember thinking at the time that rattlesnakes were "ugly" as I was comparing them to my colorful rat snakes.
I often told people who asked why I helped rattlesnakes that I didn't like them "because they are venomous, but in spite of it".
So I can really relate to MidgetFadeds' post, quoted above. The statistics say that most venomous bites befall young males who've been drinking+, and while there does seem to be a "macho" element for some, happily not everyone falls into that category. With a background in health care, I've seen plenty of bite images & have an enormous sense of self-preservation. I'd also caution anyone thinking of keeping hots, not only about the liability, but where you're going to live: if you rent, forget it, and if you own a place, good luck with homeowner's insurance. (I was very lucky in that respect, I had an agent with whom I was honest, trusted & locally well-known.)