Venomoid in/near Indiana?

Originally Posted by BlueCrowned

...I see snakes on Craigslist all the time for reasons like "I don't give it enough attention" or "I don't have time for it"....

You also made me remember that when I adopted my first rattlesnake, that venomoid, he really stunk! He, like many other snakes that keepers lose interest in, had been left for who-knows-how-long in a filthy, feces-laden cage.

The first thing I did was to give him a nice bath in luke-warm water. I'm sure it surprised him but it actually appeared to improve his mood too. He lived a total of 17 healthy years with me, at which point he passed peacefully in old age. My guess, knowing how big he was when captured & how long his previous owners had him, put him in his mid-20's when he died.

A few more things to keep in mind with either venomous or venomoid snakes: I had no mentor & no formal training (both of which ARE a good idea). I only had a deep respect for my own health, as well as that of my snakes...so it was necessary to get creative to do things safely. Things like bathing a rattlesnake. Every thing you do must be thought-out for safety, never rushed, never attempted when you're feeling tired, sick, distracted, angry, or in any condition other than fully sober.

Unlike other "pets", it's most unlikely that you'll find a veterinarian willing to treat your "venomoid" for health issues, unless he or she did the original surgery on the snake; even if you do manage to find one, it's unlikely you'll find the bill "affordable". Snakes that receive good care can live a long time, as they deserve. Ask yourself if your skills are really up to the task, it's a long time to be responsible for their health & routine maintenance.

You're probably thinking that if (when) you get tired of such a pet, you can just re-home it anyways, so no big deal? You should know that good homes are hard to come by, and even with that, there's known to be a much higher mortality among snakes that are re-homed...presumably due to the stress.