Hello fellow herpetoculturists!
My first wild caught snake was a King Snake (Lampropeltis getula californiae), at about 13 years old. I put it in a box under my bed and didn't tell anyone. I put a small water dish and a chicken egg in with it. It died of dehydration within 24 hours. I was sad but at the same time elated that I had held a "snake" in my hands for the first time. I was floating on air for a few days because it released a passion in me for snakes, in general.
That experience was in southern California. I moved to other states, without acquiring any more snakes. Oh I found a few of the copious numbers of Garter Snakes(Thamnophis sirtalis), with their well developed "musk" scent. So not much interest in that species.
Then I remembered the venomous snake exhibit at the San Diego zoo, and my quest to acquire a "Cobra" began. I didn't care what species as long as it could present a "hood".
Then a job with a semiconductor electronic company put me in the state of New Mexico. I found out there that I could get a "venomous reptile permit". I was elated! My first shipment came from Sandy, Utah. They were a male and female "albino" Monacle Cobra(Naja kaouthia). Both about 6 months old and feeding on "pinkies". I created a secure reptile room and my collection grew very quickly, coming directly from importers in Florida. I eventually acquired in no particular order. 2 King Cobras (Ophiophagus Hannah). The larger one was 12 foot long. Then a Snouted Cobra ( Naja Haje Annulifera), followed by 2 juvenile Spectacled Cobras ( Naja Naja). Then a Tigersnake (Notechis Scutatus), which was very mellow even though it possessed a toxic venom.
Then I added a hatchling Papuan Taipan(Oxyuranus scutullatus canni). This was the most "nervous" species I had ever seen. It would violently strike at any movement it detected, even though it was about 12" long. At the time I didn't realize that it was potentially the most "deadly" snake in my collection. Within a week it struck at my movement and bit itself in the abdomen, which killed it within seconds.(I was devastated). After that I added a hatchling Black Mamba(Dendroaspis polylepis), it was about 12" and would display it's black mouth(open). It became very docile as it approached 24" and I worked up the "courage" to "neck" it. I was very careful that it's head did not move sideways in my grip. That would have been potentially a fatal accident.
I acquired a Spitting Rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus). It "at first" refused to "spit". But within about 6 hours, it was "spitting" copious amounts of venom on the glass aquarium, which I had to constantly clean off. I "necked" the albino Monacle cobras and the Black Mamba, and "milked them on a rubber covered vial, to extract some venom. I sweated profusely the first few times that I milked these specimens. The albino Monacle Cobras were much more nervous than the Black Mamba, which almost appeared to be "tame".
I attempted to "neck" the 12 foot King Cobra, but when I touched its tail, it struck at my hand about 3-4 feet. So I always put it in a "hide" box to clean its massive enclosure. It was "moderately" defensive to say the least. It was "afraid" of live rats and I didn't feed it snakes, so I had to do the "honours" and beat the rat against a bench( 1 quick blow) to kill it first before I feed it to him. In the beginning the King Cobra would just allow a live rat to walk about without killing it. Therefore my method was necessary.
The next snake I acquired was quite docile and moved like a "caterpillar" for locomotion. It was an Olmec Viper(Atropoides olmec). It was short and "stout" and even though it was capable of a quick "viper" strike, it was reluctant to do anything but wander where ever I put it on the floor. It had no "fear" and no "aggression" or defensive behaviour.
Well, there's plenty more stories to report but I'll end my introduction now. (Oh, I was never bitten by any venomous reptiles, miraculously) During a 6 year hosting of my personal serpentarium. My wife tolerated my "hobby" very well. Even though she was nearly bitten by my Yellow Eyelash viper(Bothriechis schlegelii). I was cleaning it's enclosure and put the tree branch stand on the dining room table with it nested tightly between two branches and forgot tell her as she was preparing dinner. Yeah that was my only mistake.
Talk to everyone soon! Enjoy! Ron
Fri 8 Jun - 19:57
