For Copperhead owners and all other experienced hot keepers...

[Kyle Walkinshaw]

For Copperhead owners and all other experienced hot keepers, I am going to be getting my first hot, a Southern Copperhead a few weeks from now and just wanted to know if anyone could show me some of their copperhead enclosures. Also any extra tips on handling (not free handling), feeding and any other important safety precautions would be much appreciated.

Thx in advance,
Kyle~

[BWSmith]

First let me reitterate a little about coppers. While coppers are not cinsidered to be a deadly species, they are, none the less, venomous and dangerous. Copperhead venom generally causes intense swelling, SEVERE pain, and perhaps necrosis. While i am unaware of any copperhead related deaths, I am told that the bite may make you wish you were because of the pain and many a person has lost fingers to them. Not a snake to be taken lightly.

Now onto the actual information.

Coppers are one of my favorite snakes. Theya re beautiful and inquisitive. There seems to be a broad range of temperaments. Many are calm as they can be, others strike repeatedly. But as a general rule, I have found them to hook nicely and one of the easier hots to tube. Try to get an established snake of about 8 - 10 inches. This should help eliminate some of the feeding issues. With a first hot, the last think you want to have to do is force feed and/or pin. For substrate, i use Cypress mulch or Euceliptis (sp) mulch. I try to keep the hot side in the mid 80's and offer a cooler side with multiple hides if possible. At the very least, some cover for them. If your enclosure is large enough to allow, you can ge the hot spot up to about 90, but only if you have an enclosure that would allow for a cool side of the mid 70's. Now if you use an aquarium (not recommended for hots without modification), it doesnt matter too much on water bowl placement as you can poor it through the top. I use all Precision Caging for my hots. These are front opening with internal heat, stackable, and one of my favorite features, the vent hole is in the back so some idiot doesn't lay their hand on top of the screen and get a fang in the palm! Seen too many instinces like that and alot of people luck out that the fang missed! Another advantage to the front opening cages is changing the water. This is about the only thing i still use Pilstrom Tongs for (removing water bowls and cage deco) as they can easily injur the snake. When moving into hots, always have a set of tubes. They ar there for the original purpose, but they come in very handy. When water gets a little low, I can open the cage and run water down the tube to the water bowl. No pulling out the snake, no stress on them or me, and a pretty safe method as you are 3 feet away. Just remember that ANYTIME a cage opens, you should have at least one hook nearby. I will convey the Holy Grail of Copperhead hooks as far as i am concerned, The Midwest Ultralight Hook. I rarely use anything else for coppers and it is probably my most frequently used piece of equipment with a Midwest Standard Hook coming in second. The Ultralight is less than 20 bucks at Midwest Products (http://www.tongs.com) . With a little practice you will get to know where on each snake to place the hook. Some are worms and will slide off in a matter of 3 seconds, some will perch nicely for an hour. Be sure to have a good secure holding container, preferably with a handle on the top for safety's sake.

As with anyone interested in hots I highly recommend joining the Southeastern Hot Herp Society, It is the largest venomous community in the world. The homepage is HERE (http://www.venomousreptiles.org) and dont be fooled by the site. The site contains for info than anywhere else ont he net about hots, but it is just the tip of the iceburg, membership gets you so much more.

Also here is a link to a Copperhead Caresheet (http://www.venomousreptiles.org/articles/7) by Mardi Snipes. Mardi is a really good keeper and has some great advice in there.

Well, as usual, I am work, so I cannot spend too much time on a long thread (this is not one of my long ones ;) ). If anything else pops into my mind i'll add it, or if you have any specific questions just ask. We have several good hot keepers here to help.

[chas*e]

Keeping "HOTS" are in many ways totally different from, lets say, Boas or Pythons.Venomous snakes are beautiful but, "Don't fool yourself." even Akistrodon Contortrix (copperheads) will leave you a few fingers short if you are bit in the hand. It could be worse if you have a anapylactic reaction to the venom. Usually, if envenomated, all you will need in the way of meds is some Protestone(steroid to reduce swelling and tissue loss) and lots of pain killers.....before you get this beautiful snake read and do what this article describes...http://www.geocities.com/lflank/venom.html thanks

[Kyle Walkinshaw]

Thanks for all the great info Brian and Chas*e. Very informative but I have decided that I am going to wait a while before I get into hots. Not until I have a few years experience handling at the least some very aggressive boids and some large rear fanged in the future. I am going to continue to research them and when I feel I am honestly ready then i'll go for the first one, thanks again for all your help and I am sure I will have some questions for you in the future ;)

Regards,
Kyle Walkinshaw~

[BWSmith]

Good to hear, bro. They key is to take as much time as you need until YOU are ready.

[ETET]

Very good Kyle. Get yourself enough time before you get into hot. But bear in mind, aggressive boids or other non-hots still not 100% same personality as a real one. If you can, work with someone experienced in hots to get some hand on experience. Once you have enough experience then you can get one for your own. This will be safer and easier to work out everything yourself. Another thing, don't underestimate rear-fanged, like bloomslang is deadly. If you have a rear-fanged, treat them like a hot one can prepare your mind and your handling. A not-so-hot or a hot-hot snakes' difference is only how deadly they are. Take care!

ETET