FaunaClassifieds - View Single Post - good beginner venomous snake
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Old 05-07-2004, 01:52 PM   #10
psilocybe
B. dendrophila is a very rewarding species to keep. Their venom toxicity is pretty mild (though I've not been bitten by mine), and unlikely to cause serious symptoms (though as Tanith said, people have severe reactions to bee and wasp stings, so don't take "mildly venomous" as gospel). They are also very adept at climbing, and it's not much of a challenge for them to pull themselves up their body length while your tailing them, at an alarming speed. This is true with most arboreals, and is obviously a much bigger deal with a mamba or boomslang than a mangrove, but still, be careful. These are not the best snakes to hone your tailing skills on (as I learned myself), but as said before, the consequences of a mistake are not likely to be heavy. I personally treat mine like any hot, and use the appropriate tools (hooks) whenever its neccesary to handle them. I believe this is the best way, because complancency is contagious, and if you get a little to comfortable with your mang, you might get a little too comfortable with more venomous species as you move along in this hobby. Bad habits are very easily learned, and very very hard to break. It's best to not learn them in the first place. Just my .02 and I hope it helps.

Best of luck,

AP