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any advice or tips for a potential hot keeper

I say when instead of if because while I don't plan on getting bit, there's still the possibility. Believe me , I would love to not get bit & I'm gonna try my hardest not to. I personally feel that when somebody says if instead of when, their over confident & get careless.
 
Matt,
Carelesness has little to do with confidence, but rather complacency. I am quite confident when I work with every animal in my collection however I never lose sight of what the animal is capable of.
By establishing safe husbandry protocols from the very beginning and not deviating you will be well on your way to keeping both you and your animals safe during required interactions.
I would suggest becoming proficient with the proper use of hooks, shift boxes, tubes, as well as approaching the enclosure opening from a safe angle each time you must open it.
Proper use of these husbadry tools can be practiced with non venomous animals, and I encourage you to give it a try, but please don't delude yourself into the mentality that this "practice" will fully prepare you for your fist interaction with an animal that has the ability to cause great bodily harm. In short, their is no shortcut, no amount of practice with non venomous of any species that will take the place of common sense and a continued realization that you now must devote total and complete concentration when working with your new venomous acquistion.
From your posts you have shown that you are interested in learning as well as listening which speaks volumes for your desire to work with venomous. Continue to seek advice from more experienced hobbyists and never feel embarrased to ask a question.
Lastly, I would add that virtually every long term venomous hobbyist that I know who has received a bite, did so under circumstances that were within their control. Each one can recall precisely what THEY did wrong which resulted in their unfortunate accident and each came away from the incident regretting their momentary lapse of judgement.
Remember that getting bitten is a result of your actions and is not an inevitable outcome of keeping these magnificent creatures.
Once again, I wish you the best and encourage you to continue to take it slow and steady.
Please take a moment to visit the link in my signature. We are a dedicated group of enthusiasts and much of the information you seek can be found within those pages. In addition, you will have ready access to answers from everyone from private hobbyists to curators from accredited institutions.
 
I checked out the link & was amazed by all the info. I do have one question, is a shift box the container you put the snake in while your cleaning its cage & what not. Thanks for the info.
 
A shiftbox (also known as a trapbox) is simply a hide within the enclosure that is able to be secured and locked when access to the enclosure becomes necessary.
You'll find that if you keep the box in the enclosure full time the animal will typically use it as a place of shelter which makes it quite easy to simply use your hook to slide the door on the box closed, essentially rendering the enclosure safe once the door has been secured.
These boxes can be adapted for both terrestrial and arboreal species and are an excellent tool in the venomous keepers arsenal.
 
I thought you may enjoy this photo since you may be contemplating Copperheads and small Rattlesnakes.
Looks as though the Fall breeding took so will hopefully have plenty of mouths to feed this Spring LOL!
2005 CBB Hyde Co. Pigmy Rattlesnake
RPR0001.jpg
 
WOW!!! I think I'm in love lol. I can't wait to get one, but I have to build the cage & get the supplies before I even think about getting one.
 
LOL! They are pretty little buggers aren't they?

Good man, taking the time to get everything just right before purchasing.
As far as caging I would highly recommend Neodesha Plastics. They are lightweight, double screened vent/s, lockable, and very secure. The price is quite attractive as well and are typically cost comparative to buying the necessary supplies to build your own.
 
You can...or at least with the old style you could. The door and frame are/were drilled to accept either a plastic screw lock (used to come with them) or a small padlock.
 
Ok good. I wanna be able to lock it so I know while I'm not around nobodys gonna be able to open the cage & get bit. if I can't find one that locks ill build one that does, I'm not taking the chance of anybody getting bit.
 
Hot Help

Matt- I have some used neodesha slant front cages that are lockable. I am in Ohio and have some ties to Springfield. I can also help you track down your snake of choice. This is not a step to be taken lightly, but I will help you if I can.
 
...:bomb:

A bite from any venomous snake could kill you or make you lose a finger or hand..well depending on the species... you should get in contact with someone in your area with venomous experience and has venomous reptiles...do your research...the best way to learn how to work with venomous is to work with venomous.. if you decide not to get experience from someone who has venomous..and just decide to get one and learn on your own... you better have some pretty good insurance hahaha ;)
 
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