getting " envenomated " can get you ........

HHMOORE, i learned the right way of working with hots by making mistakes. and those mistakes almost cost me my life. i have tongs, hooks and all that other good stuff. like i have said before, i have NEVER been bit while handling a venomous snake. i was just being stupid and trusting them. which i will never do again and that is for dam sure. lol. i appreate everything you guys are saying. but if i wanted or needed a mentor not that many people are willing to do so, i dont know maybe im wrong. but i am "NOW A RESPONSIBLE HOT KEEPER AND HANDLER". because of the mistakes i have made by sticking my hands in their cage.. which is the stupidest thing anyone that works with venomous reptiles can do. and it WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN...

Vinny, I would suggest that you get BW Smith's book, "Venomous Snakes in Captivity" and read that thoroughly. You may change your mind about how experienced and knowledgeable you are. I have been talking to people about that book, tempting Myself into getting it, and even people who have been keeping hots for longer than you've been alive, and have an actual education, say they learned a lot from it.
You admit that "see i was never educated by anyone" . BW is educated, let Him teach you via his book. If I was to refer to anyone I know as a herpatologist, it would be Him.

http://www.reptileeducation.com/books.html


Just some advice,
Rick

i used to have the book. i read it one time until i let my friend borrow it and he "so called lost it". from what i rember it's a great book. and i did think twice about some of the things that i used to do after reading it. i want to get another one, but i havent been able to find one that is used. because right now i dont have the money to buy a brand new one. and since im not keeping hot's at my house, im not worried about them. but i do still work with mine since i have alout more experience with them than my friend does. he has worked with venomous for a few years, i taught him everything he knows and has yet to be bitten. so im pretty happy about that. but if you know where i can get the book used or on sale please let me know. cuz i do forget alout of the stuff in it, since i only got to read it once.. thanks CROTALUSADAMANTEUS.. for the information

sorry i didnt see the link in your post. and thats a great price since i payed $69.95 for the one i used to have.

I would recomend this book even if you did not keep hots due to the amount of husbandry info that can be used for other snakes as well.

Rick

i agree. but i have the book "THE REPRODUCTIVE HUSBANDRY OF PYTHONE AND BOAS" that Jerry Marzec gave to me now that book has great information on husbandry for boids and he even autographed it for me lol. but i will get that book again.

Originally Posted by Vinny D

... i do not know everything about reptiles. but i do know alout, and i love to teach people ... see i was never educated by anyone. everything i know about reptiles i taught myself. and i read alout of everyones posts here on fauna and i have learned alout from what you guys and say. and im glad that we are on the same page now..

Vinny I'm curious. If you are largely self-taught, by what means do you measure your level of experience and knowledge so as to promote your self as a teacher of others? This is not intended to be antagonistic, just trying to understand specifically what it is (apart from your mistakes) that makes you so sure you are on the right track.

Originally Posted by Vinny D

HHMOORE, i learned the right way of working with hots by making mistakes.

You are very lucky to be alive..

yes, i am very lucky to be alive. but when your working with deadly or dangerous animals 1 slip up can cost you your life. i learned that the hard way, but im still here. my level of experience is very high for some 1 my age. eveyone that i meet or know will tell you the same. my mom got me my first snake when i was 4 a ball python. ever since than i always did my own reaserch on snakes and other reptiles that i liked. i never had a father growing up to teach me thing's like that so i did it myself. at the age of 6, i caught a eastern coral snake on the playground in kindergarden because the teachers were going to destroy it, and i couldent let that happen. so after that i started doing reaserch on venomous snakes. and i learned than that i would be working with them for many many years. while i was in florida i felt like i was king of the world going out catching all kinds of snakes from black racers to big ol' eastern diamondbacks. i went about 12 years with out a bite or even comming close. than i moved to pa, and bang 2 in a little over 1 year. i cant take back my mikstakes but i can teach people not to make the same. god kept me here for a reason. my whole life is reptiles. and that will never change..thanks for reading

Vinny,
I've tried to bow out of this, and I've held my tongue (fingers) after many of your comments...but do yourself a favor. Just STOP. To continue expounding upon these issues will do nothing more than detract from your credibility and inflame the experienced & conscientious hot keepers on the forum. You may well have learned from your mistakes, but they were careless and stupid. They shouldn't have happened in the first place.
You may well have a lot to offer, but teaching others about working with venomous snakes is not one of them at this point. Yes, you went about 12 years without a bite...but you have admitted that this mainly consisted of occasionally messing with wild specimens. Once you moved to an area that you could legally keep hots, you did...and got nailed twice in just over a year. Translation: once you were involved in the routine, day to day care of venomous snakes your tremendous experience just didn't cut it.
I'm not saying that you can't provide insights that many people don't have - there's nothing like experiencing something first hand - but, at the same time, you should really temper your enthusiasm. Put down your I GOT BIT BY A VENOMOUS SNAKE banner. We got it.