Venomous snakes and the Hobby

Hello Folks,

what is it - you think - makes venomous snakes so interesting, that many people around the world like to put them self in danger in keeping this guys?

cheers
Mario

I said "Special". I'd like to be into venomous snakes in a scientific capacity as well as a collector/breeder capacity, but I haven't had the opportunity and don't have the educational background. I have kept snakes off and on, mostly on, for 40 years, having brought home my first snake when I was 7, according to my mother, and much to her dismay. She has come around though, and actually likes to look at my snakes, and she will handle the non-venomous.

All snakes are fascinating, but venomous snakes, because of their ability to inject venoms that reak havoc on the bodily functions of other animals, are even more fascinating to me. Cobras, all elapids really, would fascinate me even if they weren't venomous. Though that does not justify venomoids. I would still keep cobras if they weren't and had never been venomous, but being venomous just adds to their mystic.

Randy

I said "Special" and "Just a beautiful hobby".

Special because there is always a risk of an fatal mistake. But when you follow the most important rules, it is just a beautiful hobby.

I kept my first snake with the age of 12. It was a babycornsnake. 10 years later i bought my first venomous, a albolabris, also an baby.

The differences between these two ? I was bitten by the cornsnake during maintaining the terrarium. It happens once a while because babys are so. When i was maintaining the albolabris, there was a venomous sign on the terrarium that reminds me always not to put just the hand inside to do my routine. And this sign makes me handling more carefully.

So what are the rules. In my opinion No.1 No fear but always respect. No.2 never let routine to arise. Routine let you make fatal mistakes. These are my roules for 15 years now and they protect me until now from bites.

And why venomous snakes ? Can you find more beautiful and more colourful species in the nonvenomous ? I can´t.

Karsten

I Agree absolutely with Karsten!!You can't find more colourful species in the non venomous!!!Unique shape and colouration.Venomous snakes is the most beautiful animals for me !! cheers

i voted just an beautiful hobby!
it's my job and now my hobby.
in the past, before i start working at herpaworld, i didn't like reptiles!
i found them ugly, scary and weird creatures.

after a little while i was sleeping in our pavillion and then it happend, a Leiopython albertisii was crawling over my back!
Venomous snakes and the Hobby Albert11

i woke up got a shock and then i found it very amazing how these creatures feel like!

one day later i was on the way to the inside of our snakehouse until i saw my dad while he was sexing a Ophiophagus hannah so i touched it and since that time I'm pretty amazed with snakes.

That's why it is not my Job, no it's my hobby now.

Greetz Ben

before i am only interested in non venomous snakes, but when i went to Herpaworld and saw beautiful snakes like mcgregors viper, it was breath taking

i told my self i need to learn more and understand about his animals...

Thats why i voted for scientific interest and beautiful hobby

Cheers

_Arcy

Hi all,
I voted "special" because I think venomous snakes are the most interesting, fascinating and beautiful animals in the world.
When I was six, (in 1958), my Auntie, who worked in Africa, gave me a book on African wildlife. I turned a page and there was a picture of a Gaboon Viper, I have been totally hooked since that day, now, 52 years later, I am just as fascinated with them as I was then.
Not only are they very beautiful and interesting to study from a taxinomical and environmental point, but the fact that they are venomous as well makes them very "special" indeed.
All the best,
Brian.

I said : a beautiful hobby

For me the hobby it's fieldherping because i can't keep venomous snakes in Quebec.

I think viperidae is the most beautiful group of snakes (shape, coloration & patterns). I'm lucky to live in a few hours to a day (by car) from Ontario and southeastern United-States. Every times i saw a ''pitviper'' in the wild it's so exciting to me.

One of my ''dream'' or a ''near futur project'' it's to go in Africa (Kakamega forest in Kenya or KwaZulu-Natal in south Africa) to see Eastern Gaboon Vipers in the wild and others of the genus Bitis.

The snakes I like best changes every week !! Def a beautiful hobby , Hi Benjamin ! Thats an interesting experience especially with albertsii , if I get close to my albertsii they shit on me and bite me in the face , looks like it worked out better for you Smile

For me, I picked just beautiful. I could add almost every other choice in there as well. I love this hobby and plan to stay in it as long as I can. I enjoy the challange as well.

I think its hard to say why we keep venomous snakes. For me I do not know exactly what it is, I just know that the snakes that make me excited happen to be venomous. Its as simple as that. Oh, and indigenous to my country too Smile

» Keeping venomous snakes in the netherlands: a harmless hobby or a public health threat?
» Venomous snakes
» Some of my venomous snakes
» Some pics of my venomous snakes
» My collection of non venomous snakes