Who's the other man?

[Feed'em All]

OK, simple question 4 the hot keepers, just out of curiosity.
It's a safety rule not to handle your hots alone, so who's the person always there with you?

Martin.

[cobraman]

My guess would be any other qualified handler (it helps to be with someone who knows your handling techniques, etc.)

[Feed'em All]

Yeah I know, but maybe some have like a relative who's with himl or a friend or, well you know what a mean.
For example, all the times a watched Bill Haast on TV his wife is with him (though I dunno if his wife can handle hots).
Just wondering.

[cobraman]

She (Nancy Haast) actually does handle very well, but is allergic to snake venom so has to be very carefull. She goes out and picks up all the snakes people call animal control about for Bill, as Bill rarely leaves the compound, but most of the time Bill works alone.
Ray

[BWSmith]

My wife is usually the one here. Not always in the hot room, but in the house. She is learning handling and doing very well. Even if something goes horribly wrong, there are always Gentle Giant Tongs close.

[Feed'em All]

Ok, so the women are with us when we're handling, that's exatly what I thought...Mt gf loves snakes ans she's willing to learn how to work with them too (but I 'm first on the queue)
So Brian, Was your wife lke crazy about snakes b4 she meet you?
Martin.

[BWSmith]

She has always been into animals, but never really got to work with many herps. Actually she has her own Copperhead ;) Kindof a "ohh, can that one be mine" type thing. But training is hard, especially to someone you love. I tend to snap at her alot more for little errors. Granted, you don't get too many little errors. But most of hers are simply hooking the body wrong or hook placement - not life threatening. And I am always 2 feet away with a hook ready to go. When training someone, THEIR life is in your hands! But I don't think that I can get her to sign my waiver ;)

[unBOAlievable]

Should not it be who is the other person? My wife helps me with our venomous. The only time we interact with them is when they have a problem i. e. stuck eye cap or medicating them. We use removable lockout boxes which they use as there secure hide spot for routine cleaning, feeding etc.

[BWSmith]

Hey! Another GA Boy! Nice trap boxes.

[unBOAlievable]

Thanks!
You know us Georgia boys, aint to many things we can't do.
Exept keep native reptiles, exotic venomous only with a permit and a hefty insurance policy.

[Feed'em All]

PLZ I wanna see a closer pic of the mechanism of the trap boxes and YEAH I'm gonna copy those!!!!
Martin.

[unBOAlievable]

Hey copy away,

[Feed'em All]

Sorry I keep bugging but I don't get the mechanism, how does it work?

[BWSmith]

door prolly just slides on a track to close off the trap box.

[Feed'em All]

It slides from a side right? Because The one's I had in mind slide from top to bottom...
I thought that trap boxes doesn't need to be high (In fact, if it works like a hidding place, the snake would feel more secure in, let's say a two inches high place. so the trapbox measures could be a square foot floor an 2 inches high, with those measures the path the door slides would be short.
Anyway, that was just a design I had in mind, as always I'm very open to suggestions or advice.
Thanx 4 making this thread an interesting one.
Martin.

[reptilesalonica]

And how can convince the snake to leave the hidding box?..?..:confused:
~Greg~

[unBOAlievable]

It slides from the side, the slide is made into the box so it can not come completely out and it has locking pins in it so when the snake is in the box the whole unit can be removed and transported if need be. There is a piece of plexi in the lid which I keep covered to make it dark but I can remove the cover to make sure it is in there I highly suggest this. Sometimes they will hide in the substrate and you get a suprise when you start cleaning the cage. The inside of the hide box has 4 inches clearance which gives my canebrakes a snug fit you have to take in consideration the size of the snake they are the circumferance of the size of a softball. So keep in mind the size of your snake when you make a tight fit. The tops are also screwed on and removable so if you have to medicate them you can get to them, just something to keep in mind.

[reptilesalonica]

:)...still not answer to my question. After the job is done, how you take out of the hide box the snake? You open the hide box? The hide box is darker then the cage so i presume that the snake prefers the security of the hide box.
~Greg~

[unBOAlievable]

You only need to remove the snake from the hidebox if it is ill and needs injections in that case if it is not out of the box I remove the top of the hidebox it only takes a minute then I use a hook and remove the snake. the door is locked at this time so after the injections my wife opens the cage and I put the snake back in the cage and she locks the door. The snake is now secure in its cage so I put the top back on the hide box and then open the slide to the box. Other than medicating the snakes, they can chose when they want to see me. If you mess with them in the hidebox to much they will no longer feel secure and will no longer use it. Generally by observation you should know what time of day your snakes like to come outm and bask so I try to be there at that time if I have to work with the snake.

[Feed'em All]

Great info unBOAlievable, I really didn't think of the glass thing to make sure the snake is currently in the trapbox!!!
I'm on my way to become a hot keeper, so isn't really cool to gather all the possible advice, however I think every hot keeper has his own techniques and ways to achieve his goals, for example, the guy that is "teaching" me doesn't like to build fancy vivs, i don't use trapboxes, I really look him up, but I'm certainly gonna use them....anyway..what was a talking about...damn I forgot my medicine!! LOL!!
Just making some conversation.
Martin
pd:what's your name?

[Tim and Julie B]

I don't keep Hots and probably never will. Even if I wanted to there is no one qualified to teach me around here. But I always lurk around in this forum because I find it all very interesting. UnBOAlievable how on earth do you remove an eye cap on a hot?
BWSmith I am impressed at how you always offer advice to people. After lurking around here I realized that all the Hot keepers I know are dumb asses out to look cool. That is why I said I don't know anyone qualified. UnBOAlievable does your Cranebrake ever rattle? This guy I know had one and it never rattled. I was happy when he sold it to someone that hopefully will accomadate it's needs better. Trapping hide boxes very interesting! Cool idea. I have seen many Hots from various keepers but have never seen locking hide boxes. - Tim

[BWSmith]

awww, yo would be amazed how many hto keepers there are out there. Most are understandably secretive about it.

As far as eyecaps, the easiest way i have found was offered by a buddy of mine, Swampy. Basically you bag the snake in a wet bag. The moisture loosens it and the friction from it crawling around the bag gets it off. Great method and very safe. Another method is to have tbes with holes drilled in them or hardware cloth over the end. That way it is restrained and you can safely pluck it off with tweezers.

Canebrakes can be tempramental. Some never stopp rattling and some never rattle. I was doing a TV shoot with rattlers last fall and brought out a couple Diamondbacks and a Canebrake. We had the cane our for over an hour and he didnt rattle until we went to put him back in the box. Even then it was just a quick buzz. At least the Diamondbacks cooperated. Even got a couple strikes at the camera and had a 5 footer hit a fake leg and leave venom marks :eek:

Every keeper has their own methods and tricks. I personally don't use trap boxes for rattlers. But they are a neccessity with elapids. Trap boxes are by far the safest way to go and he has a great design! I have just never used them for rattlers, but would recommend them. Another do as I say not as I do moment ;) Rattlers are one thing, but I would hate to see people keeping large elapids such as Cobras and particularly mambas and Taipans without a trap box. Hooking a Mamba out of the cage and into a bucket is a far cry from moving a Copperhead.

[unBOAlievable]

I totaly agree with you BW, about the elapids and lock out boxes but those elapids get stuck eye caps and infections to and at some point the keepers will have to deal with them.

I have had some Canebrakes leap right out the door when you open it, downright agressive but that it not the norm and sure I could keep them without the boxes but one human error can make bad press and new laws and I am not willing to take that chance on every day routine cleaning. I always have clean cages even though, when I work, I usually work 18 hour shifts and it is so easy to lock them up since you should never work with your venomous when you do not feel 100% or are tired.

I have never had the eyecaps come off in the bag but I do use the wet bag to moisten the eyecap before placing them in the tube for removal.
And in reply to do my canebrakes rattle, it all depends on the snake. Some are like room alarms as soon as you walk in and some could care less.

[Tim and Julie B]

Thanks for answering my questions guys. Tubing fun stuff. The wet bag is a good idea I should suggest that to my friend with scrubs. By the way I was talking about cobras. I've seen cobra's ten times more then rattlers but I have never once seen a lock box! It is a good idea. Most keepers have them in Neo's with huge sliding doors. Always wondered about how safe that was.

[Feed'em All]

Here the only elapid you can get is a WC micrurus spp (frontalis or corallinus), by the way, have ever heard about CB corals??
Anyway, I am not an elapid kinda guy...too runny for me...lol
Martin.

[Feed'em All]

Oh, I almost forgot, what about the top to bottom sliding cover on a trapbox?
Would it be a good idea?
Martin.

[BWSmith]

Captive bred corals happen, but are rare. Corals are not typical in behavior of most other elapids. They are pretty much a whole different ballgame. It is like having a Sand Boa in mulch. You know it is there, but rarely see it.

[Feed'em All]

yeah I know that, ppl here handle them like colubrids, just seeing that make me sooo nervous...