False Water Cobra

[Graham85]

I am very interested in the Hydrodynastes Gigas or false water cobra but can not find really any info on it. I'm mainly interested in the husbandry aspect such as housing requirements, heat, humidity, etc. If anyone has any information I would very much appreciate it!

[Will0W783]

They are great snakes! I love cobras, but don't feel I could handle having a deadly animal in the house and I'm not sure how I feel about venomoids yet, so I got a false water cobra as a compromise for myself. He is a yearling and about 3 feet long. I named him Rogue, and he's one of my favorites.
From what I have read, they are fairly easy to care for. Make sure they have enough floor space as they are very active- and will get to be 6-8 feet long and thick-bodied. They like to climb, so give a few branches and a very large water bowl. Rogue soaks in his a LOT. They also need fairly high humidity- 60-80% so misting several times a day is important. Jungle floor, peat, coconut husk and moss, anything that holds humidity well works for substrate. Heat should be the same pretty much as for most snakes- basking spot near 90 and a cool side around 80-82 in the day and no lower than 75 at night. Make sure you handle it enough when it is young- wear gloves until the snake is tamed, as their venom potency is unclear. Most people say that it is similar to crotalus venom, but that much less is injected and it will lead to only swelling and bruising, and possible mild necrosis, but some people have reported heart palpitations. Basically, try not to get bitten! I have had mine for about 3 months and am comfortable holding him- he's never tried to bite, but he isn't easy to get out of his cage. I wear gloves for getting him out, but once he is out and calmed down I take them off and let him crawl on my arms. They are alert, fast, and extremely curious snakes. They will watch everything you do intently, and appear to be intelligent for snakes. The following is a good webpage on them:
False Water Cobra Home Page (http://falsewatercobra.tripod.com/)

Good luck and I truly recommend one as a first hot! I got mine from Great Valley Serpentarium Great Valley Serpentarium (http://www.snakemuseum.com) and couldn't be happier.

[Joel La Rocque]

When your "pet" gets to be about seven foot long he or she will be taking you for a walk. A FWC is not a cute little harmless snake by any means. We have two and they possess the highest price of all our snakes for 1GM. of venom $1.200 a gram. The venom is a 3FTX or three fingered venom which is comparable to an egyptian cobra or a krate. When a large FWC latches on to a finger or a wrist, good luck at getting it off before the damage is done. By the way there is no antivenin for a FWC at this time. They should be given the same respect as any elapid or viper. In the late 1950's the Boomslang was sold in pet stores as a harmless rear fanged snake, would you let this fellow crawl on your arm? Young folks have a lot to learn and it is my opinion that every venomous keeper should have to undergo one good bite prior to obtaining a license, that would thin the woods out considerably. In 40 years, I have 57 tags to my discredit and when I tell you this is a serious business, I mean exactly that. It matters not where the fangs are located, all that does matter is "They are there".
Good luck
Joel La Rocque

[jparker1167]

it is my opinion that every venomous keeper should have to undergo one good bite prior to obtaining a license, that would thin the woods out considerably

sorry to say it but im gald your opinion doesnt matter, a person should have to take a good bite from a hot if they want to keep them? what would the point in that be. when you keep venomous snakes the point is to not take a bite.

this is the info i got from bryan when i asked about the venom of the false water cobra

yes and no. The toxicity is on par... which means it is fairly weak. Takes about 100 milligrams for a typical rattlesnake to kill. A big Hydrodynastes (I hate the common name false water cobra since it can't be a false anything that lives on another continent, Brasilian smooth snake is a better common name), will never be able to give that much yet alone deliver it. the composition is still fairly unknown as to which toxins are in there

it is nowwhere near as toxic as a cobra or krait and you can quote me on that

[jparker1167]

joel did i read that right that you sell false water cobra venom for $1,200 a gram ?? where do you work that you sell venom.

the thing about getting bit before owning a hot is pretty strange to say. what would that help? what if the person died or lost a limb. you are supposed to prevent bites not cause them. thats what venomous keeping is about.

if a person wants to buy a gun should they have to be shot first?

[Joel La Rocque]

I believe most are taking my comments on a word for word basis: On this web site there is a post about some kid getting nipped on the thumb by a copperhead and receiving 6 vials of Cro-Fab. I have had worse bee stings. My point was that 75% of the people who are dying to keep hots are still wet behind the ears and next year will be into fast cars and will have forgotten about snakes. Hots are something you can not learn about in a book or by watching some idiot on TV chasing a snake through the brush. I own Specialized Venom's in South Carolina. $1.200 a gram of lyophilized FWC venom is standard. Check Kentucky reptile Zoo's price, they are very close to mine. I am semi retired now and only fill orders for established Medical research Labs. We were wiped out by Katrina and relocated here in 2007. If I don't get ten emails a month asking about "How do I sell my snakes venom", I don't get one. It is one hell of a process and it takes for ever to get recognised. As for FWC being compared with Crotalus venom, they are not in the same ball park. Get tagged by a Mojave and receive 35 Mg's. of venom and see what happens, the same goes for a Southern Pacific, or in some cases the Midget Faded rattlesnake. Every venom is specific if it were not, any antivenin would do. 4 are needed for CroFab, why? They are different and to neutralize the bite of most of the others all fractions must be present. Anyway I have to go. Please don't be so serious, life is too short to get upset over the little things. Joel

[jparker1167]

i never said false waters where in the same ball park as mojaves. just stated what brian told me and he said that they no where near a cobra or krait. he said i could quote him on that. and up until you said they where like a cobra or krait i had never heard anyone use othose to compair a false water cobra. i was never upset for the record either lol it would take a lot more then that to upset me.

[MegF]

From the research I've done, the venom is believed to be comparable to Crotalus horridus. However,the venom delivery system is crude and a hold and chew would be necessary to deliver. I've read of one envenomation that resulted in muscle damage with no medical treatement at all and one person who was hospitalized after a bite (no chewing involved) but this sounded like someone who was sensitive to the proteins. Even a bee can kill you if you are allergic. That said, I treat them respect and usually handle with a hook. Feeding time always gets a snake hook or tongs before and after. When I say these animals are eating machines, I mean it! They are a blast to feed. Medium frozen/thawed rats are downed in less than a minute accompanied by smacking noises, slamming of the prey against the tub sides and chewing the crap out of them. They are for the most part docile (the two I have were handled from the time they hatched out and are pretty nice to work with). However, the other night when I fed, the female was very hungry. She had been in blue before I left for Daytona so she wouldn't eat. She went two weeks without food and by the time she cleared and I got her out, she was biting herself, the tub and would have bitten me as well if I hadn't had a hook on her. They are a force to be reckoned with at 7 ft long! They are one of the coolest animals on the planet though and I enjoy the heck out of mine.

[heloderm]

Please contact Dr. Brian Greg Fry on FWC venom, he'll give you the scoop.

[Joel La Rocque]

Open the back of the head or the abdominal cavity just a bit, he will take it. Use forceps to wiggle it around in front of him also. FWC's eat carrion so the smell of a fresh wounded rat or mouse should set him off.

[Faequine]

hahaha, aren't these the same snakes from

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/general-venomous-forum/82498-why-idiots-shouldn-t-field-herp.html

[heloderm]

Yes they are.

[Crein]

iv actually done a little reading on these to, and i have gotten the impression that alot of people get these guys and hognose as an into to hots. simply because the bite isnt as bad as a rattler or cobra. now that being said i feel all snakes should be treated with respect but these are deff a good into snake into hots, because like previously stated the only few bites known where because the people where allergic

[heloderm]

iv actually done a little reading on these to, and i have gotten the impression that alot of people get these guys and hognose as an into to hots. simply because the bite isnt as bad as a rattler or cobra. now that being said i feel all snakes should be treated with respect but these are deff a good into snake into hots, because like previously stated the only few bites known where because the people where allergic

A hognose or false water cobra for a first good starter hot?! I highly disagree!

People who have not been allergic have also had reactions from an fwc bite.

I think you need to check your sources, you are obviously reading bad info!

Taking a bite shouldn't even really enter your head, keeping these guys won't make you think twice.

These are pretty hott and can give a nasty bite, but to most, they will treat them as another harmless colubrid.

[Will0W783]

Like heloderm said, you won't know you're allergic until you're bitten- and insurance won't cover a pet snake bite. And the FWC is a lot hotter than a hognose- people who aren't necessarily allergic have had bad reactions like heart palpitations and swelling/mild necrosis. But as far as I know 9 out of 10 FWC bites that have been reported have stated mild to moderate swelling that went away after a week or so, along with some numbness and tingling. That being said, I keep a hognose and an FWC, and I do freehandle both, but I use a hook to get the FWC out and I use gloves if he seems at all testy. He's been handled his whole life, and he's never made an attempt to bite, but he has his freak out moments where I just use gloves to be on the safe side. I really don't want to test my reaction to the bite; I'd rather never get bitten. My hognose is a gentle little guy and in general hognoses are not apt to bite anyway- they will sooner play dead than bite. But there is always a chance, and I know that and keep that in the forefront of my mind when handling those two snakes. I don't recommend freehandling FWCs even though I myself occasionally do it.
But as for an introduction into hots, I don't think they are good ones. They are not the same thing at all, and in fact are not sold in the venomous sections of reptile shows. If you can commit yourself to really handling it like a hot, then I guess. But the problem is that you know it most likely can't kill you, so you won't subconsciously give it the same respect you would a rattler or copper or cobra. Then you get a false sense of security and think you know what you are doing with hots and then get bitten by something that can cause you to lose a digit or limb or your life.

If you are interested in getting into hots, I honestly think the best way to go is to get a mentor to keeps hots and will work with you and the snakes he/she keeps to train you and get you comfortable handling them.

[heloderm]

This guy joel is a tool, bro please stop giving bad advcice about venomous reptiles, it would be best for you to not even answer posts!

As for problems with them eatting, scent with fish, silversides or minnows, it works great for getting babies going also!

[Crein]

A hognose or false water cobra for a first good starter hot?! I highly disagree!

People who have not been allergic have also had reactions from an fwc bite.

I think you need to check your sources, you are obviously reading bad info!

Taking a bite shouldn't even really enter your head, keeping these guys won't make you think twice.

These are pretty hott and can give a nasty bite, but to most, they will treat them as another harmless colubrid.

by no means did i wanna suggest to stick your hand in a tank and take a bite from either a hognose or a FWC, however, my sources are very good and on quite afew other forums iv seem em used to pick up good hook skills and habits simply for the fact that 9 out of 10 times there are no serious danger other then swelling nd a bruise. i completly understand that the idea of keeping any snake is to never get bit, which is what i ment to imply

oh and i also dont believe these should be used instead of hot trainng and apprenticeship. but from what iv read even some of the hot keepers people have apprenticed under start em with a FWC or hognose simply because their venom is no king cobra or viper venom.

[MegF]

I've never known anyone that has gotten a hognose as a substitution as a hot. Most just get them as pets, and I hazard to guess that quite a few people out there are unaware that they are venomous at all. I am like The others...I use a hook for the most part to remove them from the cages and gloves if I'm not sure what's going to happen and usually both at feeding time. They are the most aggressive feeders ever and frankly that's when I feel I have the highest risk of being bitten. My female is great. I free handle her and have been treating her eyes twice a day with ointment, giving antibiotic shots etc and she's been a gem. Never once has she attempted to bite and I feel quite comfortable with her. Now the male...while he's never bitten or attempted to bite, he's much more squirrely, has a tendency to fully hood up if you touch him and is just generally more jumpy. I use a lot more caution with him and always put on gloves to pull him out of his cage.

[Crein]

i really ment more tword the FWC for the intro into hots, but i do agree precautions should be taken

[heloderm]

Males in general are more squirmy and will try and get away at first. I don't use a hook with these guys at all but I'm pretty careful with how I work with them. Just be careful and if you are bitten don't let them sit there and chew on you! Sorry about the other post, It's pretty difficult to type from a black berry sometimes!

[Will0W783]

Lol. Yeah don't let any snake chew on you, especially a venomous (rear- or front-fanged). If you do a search on this forum, you'll find another thread that shows a video of Nigel Marvin being chewed by a FWC. He apparently was fine other than some swelling, but it is a good example of what NOT to do with a snake, let alone a FWC.

[MegF]

My female is so different from the male as far as calmness. She really is terrific. I free handle her, put the ointment on her eyes without worry. Even wipe anything off her mouth that gets on it. Poor thing is getting so fed up with the ointment by now.....all she does is try to squirm away though. I'm hoping she'll shed soon so that I can see how the eyes look.

[Will0W783]

Awww poor girl. I hope after a shed her eyes are bright and clear again.

[MegF]

Me too. Her boyfriend is now in blue. Maybe if he sheds, she'll get the vibes and shed also. It's making me crazy waiting and she doesn't want to eat either which is also giving me fits. They are a fast metabolizing snake and it's never good when they don't have their voracious appetites. I think the daily ointment and everything else is putting her off her food. She still looks good weight wise though.

[Will0W783]

I can imagine all that would make her lose her appetite poor thing. They are fast metabolizing though. I'm actually trying to switch mine over to frozen/thawed, but no luck again this week. He bit at it and grabbed it but dropped it right away and started hooding and lunging around. How long can they safely go without eating? I know to get a snake to switch over you generally have to get them pretty hungry, but I don't want him to go too long. It's been two and a half weeks. He's a year and a half old.

[MegF]

She's been 3 weeks although she finally ate the other night. She showed no loss of body weight though at that time. Make sure the f/t is very hot and very dry. You can rub it dry with paper towel to really fluff the hair. It's usually too wet and puts them off although mine will eat anything. Are you offering with tongs?

[Will0W783]

Yes I'm offering with tongs and moving the item around and twitching it. Rogue bit it but then let it go right away and went into his usual spazz mode- hooding up and leaping about the tank, lunging around and slapping his tail all over. My little brother was over to visit and went white when he saw the lunging..lol. Rogue's a good boy but he can look quite intimidating for a little guy!

[MegF]

You might just try leaving it in there then and let him find it. Try having 7 ft of lunging, tail slapping, BITING hydro some time. The male is a psycho I've decided! I'm glad I was wearing gloves the other night.

[Will0W783]

Yikes! I hope Rogue calms down by the time he gets to that size!

[MegF]

Yes it's always a fun time in the hydro barn :)

[Will0W783]

Lol. They are really awesome snakes though. As soon as I clear out a bit more room, I think I would like to get Rogue a girlfriend.