Eyelash vipers or African bush vipers

I know I said a while ago that I wanted a elapid snake for a first but after doing much research and asking I know someone who keeps venomous snakes Im starting to think maybe a small arboreal viper species might be better and easier to get. I do know Atheris are capable of fatal bites and im taking that into account but i like varied colors of the species and their scales have a great look to them. Eyelashes I like a lot as well so im kind of at a crossroads between the two snake species at the moment. There is no best starter venomous to me as far as venom goes both species are very capable of putting a major hurting on me so there is no least venomous to me. I would like to know the length of snake hook I should purchase though I got a good sized one but its to big for the smaller viper species.

Hi Joel!
First of all,please don't feel offended by my post,as i have
the best intention to help you out!
I do not have to tell you that the post you just made,doesn't really convince of a lot of knowledge concerning venomous snakes.
Why i say this?
1)
Starting with an elapid is most of the time a very bad idea.
(i know you decided different now)
2)
You have to read more about the species you really want to keep.
(If you did,you would know that there are a lot of species that would be easier to keep/maintain,less venomous,better available and even more or just as colourfull)
3)
And like point 2,you also have to read/learn a bit more about the tools you use,and how to use them.
(this will be very helpfull,also for your handling skills wich you really need when you are handling venomous snakes)

It would be very wise and helpfull to,spend some more time at your friends place.
He might want to help you gain some expirience with using a hook,tubes and other tools needed.
when you gained a bit more experience with the use of snake hooks,you will be able to answer the question about size and that yourself ;-)
As far as the species go that you want to keep,i suggest you think a little bit longer about what you would like to keep!
As the differences between Elapids and the Viperids you stated above are a very big and absolutely not to be compared at any time!
Nonetheless,these are very nice species,i kept Atheris myself.
If you still decide to stick with the arboreal's as your starter venomous is suggest you start
with one of the Asian's like for instance,
C.albolabris.(there are more species suitable for starter venomous though)
Snake hook lenght,if you decide to buy a fresh CB specimen of pretty much any species of venomous snake,Elapid,Crotalid or Viperid,two foot long(or 30cm)hooks will pretty much do the trick.
You will need bigger hooks depending on the particular species you want to keep,as it grows in size.

Hope this gave you the answer you were looking for,and that you make the good choices;-)
Again,please learn,read and ask/talk to people a lot about what you want and visit as much venomous keepers as possible to get a better point of view of it all!
if you have more specific questions please feel free to ask!
I really hope that i did not offend you in any way,as i stated at the start of my post

To be very honest your right about that there are better species C.albolabris you mean white-lipped viper. Yeah reading about elapids I figured out that was a bad idea given most of them are highly venomous and unpredictable in nature. Actually I would like some recommendations as far as vipers go despite knowing a lot about them I don't know the best species to start with.

Looking at where you are living,
i would say a copperhead or maybe even some smaller rattlers like Sistrurus!
Look into those,all are very rewarding species to keep!
Since you like the fancy colours,Sistrurus miliarius miliarius would suit you quite well!

I do indeed love the Sistrurus we have the Dusky pygmy down my way but they are harder to find then say a Canbrake. But since spring is coming i'll be able to go out looking for some of those or i'll buy one.

Yeah Joel this is risky territory for us. Not as much as for you but...it's an easy way to start a flame war.

Since you asked, and I'm not shy, I'd say
1) do NOT start your venomous "career" with an exotic, particularly one for which no antivenom even exists
2) do not start with an arboreal, they're either sort of harder, or just plain harder, to keep alive and happy and the last thing a newbie needs is medical issues which invariably cause more need for hands-on interaction, which increases the odds of an accident to you, your vet, other people at the vet's, etc
3) yes as Ralf says learn the tools of the trade (tubes, buckets, hooks, home medical stuff, etc), the caging specifications of the trade, the hot room specs of the trade, the handling protocols of the trade, the bite protocols of the trade, care sheets, etc etc etc. You specifically asked about hooks. Anybody here has 3 to 5 hooks I bet, ranging from maybe 10 inches to about 4 feet. Since you have a big one already, maybe get a "medium cage hook" with about a 30" shaft.
4) Look up the permit requirements (VRL venomous reptiles license) for Florida. They're a good place to start thinking about this truly serious thing you're contemplating. Then go to websites like venom 101 http://www.cobras.org/cob_15.htm for more good ideas and practices.
5) if at all possible find a live human being nearby (within maybe 1-2 hr drive) who can serve as a quality mentor (not just some crazy drunk), before you acquire anything - start by going over and watching him clean cages, feed, etc, and graduate up to helping him out; he might be the source of your first animal. You mentioned a friend - make sure he's a quality mentor. It's far easier to learn good habits, than to learn bad habits, try to unlearn them and replace them with good habits, and then keep it all straight.

The state where you report living, Mississippi, remains one of those marvelous (yet disappearing!) bastions of individual liberty and unobtrusive government where to my knowledge any drooling idiot can keep a forest cobra or 12 in a wet paper bag, no questions asked, if that's what he wants to do. The responsible thing for an individual to do, in Mississippi or anywhere, is to start and remain safe, cause no hard to himself, and present no threat to his neighbors, children, spouse, home visitors, veterinarian, dog or cat, etc. Stay out of the papers, stay out of the hospital, lest Mississippi go the way of Alabama and so many others: gone for venomous keeper. Seriously, one of these days the guy that gets another state shut down is going to get visited by some very unhappy keepers. If he doesn't just kill himself like that nut-job in Ohio.

Can I recommend a nice local animal like a pigmy, copperhead, or perhaps best of all a neonate cottonmouth? If a hospital has to see you, they'll be more likely to know how to deal with you and have what you & they need on hand. I mention the last animal because it will do very well for you, and it will probably not allow you to become complacent. It will keep you on your toes because it will always communicate an eagerness to bite you, as well as display what it's packing. That is a healthy thing for any of us to keep in mind, and be reminded of. Complacency is THE kiss of death.

You've made a good start coming here & asking. Keep it up. Don't be put off by people that might seem like hard-asses. Newbies are threatening, is all, because they can cause "the law" to take away things we hold dear.

Cheers and good luck,
Jimi

Yes with regards to my state we can have pretty much anything but I think its best to start with a local species. Im more inclined to the pygmy's my local species is the dusky pygmy rattler issue is that they are hard to find given their size. Ive found the negative publicity is just bad for anyone keeping anything dangerous from gun's to highly venomous snakes and inverts. As far as safety tongs and snake hooks are a must and i'll be getting other sizes then my current hook. Mississippi doesn't have any laws for venomous outside of maybe a small game permit for the local's but its not that big down here really. I have been to the Alabama reptile show its a shame that some moron ruined it for anyone else keeping venomous there. As for being complacent that isn't me for sure with anything venomous im on my toes for sure and i always keep my eye's on it. I'll consider the copperhead as well as we have no lack of them and they are beautiful snakes but they could still put a hurting on me. Your right about the cottonmouth's they are very foul and let you know they will bite when given the chance and their bite can be nasty or fatal. I imagine a foul bothrops is even more scary considering they are highly venomous and bad tempered and kill many many in their range. I look at snake bite reports because it makes me respect a snake more after i read or see what it can do and a good sized viper can do a lot of damage or kill.