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preparation?

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What are the best kinds of non-venomous snakes to keep to prepare for the real thing? Now obviously i know there is no substitution for the real thing but i'm just wondering what would make good practice. I think venomoid is barbaric so i'd never go that route.
 
agression

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I think etb's and gtp's are some of the coolest snakes on earth i'm seriously considering getting one or possibly a jungle carpet python. the only problem is ive heard all of these snakes are quite agressive and quick to bite. I dont care to much about being bitten, it comes with the territory, but my girlfriend doesnt want agressive snakes, so which is the best choice and can they be tamed? also whats the average size of each of these snakes as adults?


if your girlfriend dosent want u to have an agressive snake i dont think a venomoid would be the right choice 99.9% off venomous snakes are extremely agressive just my oppinion .And i dont think there is really any snake that can prepare u for a venomous snake but if there is any thing arboreals are the choice because they strike extremely quik and can strike a good percent of there body length ....... good luck with your choice
joe
 
You are correct in that there is no substitute for the real thing...but good practice is good practice. Treat every snake you own as if it is venomous and wants you dead. Learn to use a hook, as well as other tools, for snake "handling" and cage maintenance. Always be aware of the potential - never just stick your hand in the cage, even when you think the snake is tucked snugly in its hide.

As far as what types of snakes might be most similar in behavior & attitude, or provide you with the "feel" you are trying to develop...well that depends on what venomous you hope to work with. Bitis, Naja, Crotalus, and Trimeresurus are very different animals, so you need to have different skills for each.
 
I see a new girlfriend in your future..... :D

You're interests are quickly moving beyond her tolerance limits and something will have to give. You might want to start formulating your response now for the inevitable "it's me or the snakes" ultimatum.
 
constrictorcrazi74 said:
99.9% off venomous snakes are extremely agressive just my oppinion
Click to expand...
While I am sure this expression of your opinion is well-intentioned, I have to disagree with it. I have kept a fair number of venomous reptiles over the years (approx 35 species total; and at one time, the "hot" portion of my collection was larger in number and diversity than the group of animals currently under my care), and I can count on one hand - without even using all 5 fingers - the ones I considered truly aggressive. That is not to say that I considered them tame, or even that they wouldn't have bitten me if I made a mistake...just that they didn't fit the definition of aggressive.
characterized by or tending toward unprovoked offensives, attacks, invasions, or the like
Take the vast majority of venomous reptiles, put them in a situation where they are not closely confined and 5-6 ft away from a person that is not threatening them...what will they do? The vast majority will either sit still or move away from the person (you will find the occasional errant behavior, wherein the snake moves toward, then past the person). Very rarely, if there are other choices, will the animal choose, instead, to attack the person. Put the person closer, making the situation more threatening to the snake, and you will start to see different behaviors. Getting too close, especially if it involves any sort of contact (even with a hook), and you have added provocation. So called aggressive behavior at that point is simply self defense.
 
hhmoore said:
While I am sure this expression of your opinion is well-intentioned, I have to disagree with it. I have kept a fair number of venomous reptiles over the years (approx 35 species total; and at one time, the "hot" portion of my collection was larger in number and diversity than the group of animals currently under my care), and I can count on one hand - without even using all 5 fingers - the ones I considered truly aggressive. That is not to say that I considered them tame, or even that they wouldn't have bitten me if I made a mistake...just that they didn't fit the definition of aggressive.
characterized by or tending toward unprovoked offensives, attacks, invasions, or the like
Take the vast majority of venomous reptiles, put them in a situation where they are not closely confined and 5-6 ft away from a person that is not threatening them...what will they do? The vast majority will either sit still or move away from the person (you will find the occasional errant behavior, wherein the snake moves toward, then past the person). Very rarely, if there are other choices, will the animal choose, instead, to attack the person. Put the person closer, making the situation more threatening to the snake, and you will start to see different behaviors. Getting too close, especially if it involves any sort of contact (even with a hook), and you have added provocation. So called aggressive behavior at that point is simply self defense.
Click to expand...

i totally agree with you i was just sayin venomous are more prone to bite the other snakes but every thing with a mouth can bight i think you should have more expericne with snakes before you go jumping into venomoids like u said when they strike thats there only line of defense i agree with you a 100% i was more puttin it towards that if you give them the chance to bight their gunna take it thats just there nature iguess
 
constrictorcrazi74 said:
i totally agree with you i was just sayin venomous are more prone to bite the other snakes but every thing with a mouth can bight i think you should have more expericne with snakes before you go jumping into venomoids like u said when they strike thats there only line of defense i agree with you a 100% i was more puttin it towards that if you give them the chance to bight their gunna take it thats just there nature iguess
Click to expand...
just out of curiosity, do you know what venomoid means?
 
yea its anything that produces venom in a line of hunting and killing their prey or its a way to immobilize its prey and they use there venom to help start digestive process is that what you were looking for?????????
 
that's what I thought...
venomoid is a term applied to venomous reptiles that have been physically altered to render them "safe". This is typically done by removal of the venom glands and/or duct ligation. I did not say "surgically" altered because, more often than not, it is not performed under sterile conditions by a licensed veterinarian.
 
hmmmmmm i learen something new today im not about to say anything ignorent about your remarks but thanks fer the info i dont like to step low down to other peoples level and make them feel dumb i would rather educate people then to make them feel stupid than make myself feel good because i no more then they do that just no me
 
Also, the only reason that it is any more "their nature" to bite is because they are (for obvious reasons) not subjected to handling in the manner that other captive snakes are. Sure, their bite packs a bit more punch than that of a nonvenomous snake, but that doesn't make them more likely to bite.
 
Ok sorry i forgot to mention a couple of things, first of all i'm not at all sure if venomous is a route that i would want to go as far as adding them to my collection ( i can't even do it legally anyway) even if i had the option, there is absolutly no way on earth my girlfriend would even consider letting me bring a venomous snake in the house, nor would i ever want her to feel unsafe in our house ( we plan on children someday so way to risky, kids can find there way into any room or cage). Second i was asking partially out of curiosity, but mostly because i'm thinking of going back to school for zoology but would like to specialize as a herpetologist, reptiles facinate me but of all of them venomous snakes are the most fascinating of all IMO. So as preparation to deal with the real thing, i was thinking there must be something that i could keep that could serve as good practice, if i want to put my self in danger thats one thing but putting my family and pets lives at risk is quite another. As for which hot snakes im most interested in something along the lines of a gaboon or possibly cottonmouth.
 
constrictorcrazi74 said:
hmmmmmm i learen something new today im not about to say anything ignorent about your remarks but thanks fer the info i dont like to step low down to other peoples level and make them feel dumb i would rather educate people then to make them feel stupid than make myself feel good because i no more then they do that just no me
Click to expand...
I think you misread the intention of my post - quite simply, I asked because it wasn't clear if you knew what venomoids were, or were using the word as synonomous with venomous. When I saw that it was the latter, I offered a brief explanation of the term venomoid...in retrospect, perhaps I shouldn't have included the statement "that's what I thought", but it wasn't meant to cause offense.
On the other hand, you could consider yourself very lucky that you were corrected in THIS thread...had you wandered into a discussion about venomoids, you would likely have come out of it considerably more scarred (take a look around for some of those threads. the subject is a touchy one, and the feelings tend to run strong)
 
I would like to correct the information about jungle carpet pythons. They are often nippy as babies, but if you handle them they quickly become not aggressive. I have a 6 month old jungle carpet python and he is as harmless as a stuffed bunny.
 
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