never pin
I never pin any hots for venom extraction.
I use gloves let the snake slide through and with bare hand quickly grab the head gently but firmly.
For mambas and cobras and other elapids bare hands work ok most of the time.
but this is for the snakes benefit not mine.
also i never ever massage or squeeze the snakes glands to force out venom.
the grab method has been used for a long time you get bit now and then but thats the price you pay for this hobby.
my worst week i was bit by a 6ft green mamba a 5 foot eastern diamond back then a 4ft naja nigrollis then to top it off a 1foot death adder all within a day of each other.
The single day record was 3 bites from popes pit vipers in one day I stopped and went home after that.
and never went to the hospital or have had any antivenom ever.
tim presented the work on SI to the herp congress in south africa this year.
and a major university is going at it now very promising stuff.
I might add these bite examples were years ago.
later
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