Feelin' hot, Hot, HOT! Oh yeah!

[ugo]

Dear MISS Will0W,

i apologize so much for my bad gender mistaking !!!!!!, but glad that 1 more Girl is in the venomous.

May i be honest?

I don't understand people keeping whatever animals for...nothing. It's unnatural for the kept, and 'suspect' for the Keeper.

a last thing towards all the Members posting replies to Ur nice post :

i know none of U, and surely i'll be wrong; please don't turn too much bad with me (but i m unable to lie, and i wish to know none of U in danger) but for what i read NONE of U had to keep venomous, none i saw having a right back.ground either of knowledge and experience, and,sincerely, none of U showed the typical symptoms of a true venomous keeper, only curiosity and a kind of 'challenge'.
In my opinion there are so many non venomous snakes more worthy to be kept and bred.
I was honest and my intention wasn't to be umpolite or offend anyone, but only to help avoiding possible future troubles:too many accidents and losses last 2 years amongst Friends either paragliders and venomous keepers , and every times ,besides the pain, that bad, guilty, feeling
"why not me?"
Now, feel free to shoot to me!
cheers

[alessia55]

Originally Posted by ugo

May i be honest?

I don't understand people keeping whatever animals for...nothing. It's unnatural for the kept, and 'suspect' for the Keeper.

I have 2 male ball pythons, and as of right now, I don't plan to ever find mates for them to breed them. I keep them as my pets, I enjoy taking care of them, and I enjoy their company. I know this mentality does not apply for keeping venomous snakes, but I wanted to maybe give you a little insight into why someone might keep a snake with no intentions to ever breed.

[stephanbakir]

Originally Posted by ugo

Dear MISS Will0W,

i apologize so much for my bad gender mistaking !!!!!!, but glad that 1 more Girl is in the venomous.

May i be honest?

I don't understand people keeping whatever animals for...nothing. It's unnatural for the kept, and 'suspect' for the Keeper.

a last thing towards all the Members posting replies to Ur nice post :

i know none of U, and surely i'll be wrong; please don't turn too much bad with me (but i m unable to lie, and i wish to know none of U in danger) but for what i read NONE of U had to keep venomous, none i saw having a right back.ground either of knowledge and experience, and,sincerely, none of U showed the typical symptoms of a true venomous keeper, only curiosity and a kind of 'challenge'.
In my opinion there are so many non venomous snakes more worthy to be kept and bred.
I was honest and my intention wasn't to be umpolite or offend anyone, but only to help avoiding possible future troubles:too many accidents and losses last 2 years amongst Friends either paragliders and venomous keepers , and every times ,besides the pain, that bad, guilty, feeling
"why not me?"
Now, feel free to shoot to me!
cheers

Only a handful of people no this forum keep, or have kept hots.
Willow (kim) took ages to learn as much as she could about each and every one of her animals before acquiring it. She has a snakeproof room, locked enclosures, she follows husbandry to a tee. While there are a few people on this forum who improperly house/keep their hots, every time we see the errors we call them on it.

I myself have kept hots, I've only bred a few, and for the most part I kept them for educational purposes.
They are not a pet for everyone, and there are not a pet MOST people should own, even when following husbandry perfectly its still possible to get tagged.

[shaunyboy]

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

Only a handful of people no this forum keep, or have kept hots.
Willow (kim) took ages to learn as much as she could about each and every one of her animals before acquiring it. She has a snakeproof room, locked enclosures, she follows husbandry to a tee. While there are a few people on this forum who improperly house/keep their hots, every time we see the errors we call them on it.

I myself have kept hots, I've only bred a few, and for the most part I kept them for educational purposes.
They are not a pet for everyone, and there are not a pet MOST people should own, even when following husbandry perfectly its still possible to get tagged.

willow also has a mentor

cheers shaun

[Lankyrob]

Personally i would never consider a hot as a PET like i do my other reptiles, the same as i wouldnt consider a loaded gun a toy - the responsibility that comes with owning one makes it not fun for me and if it isnt fun then i wont do it!

I am NOT saying that others shouldnt keep them tho - this is personal to me and me alone

[Freebody]

Kim you never sees to amaze me I love the cobra, if i ever decide to keep a hot, it will certainly have to be one like the albino molocan you have, I love the way it looks with the hood open

[Will0W783]

Thanks guys!

Ugo, you have a valid point, but I could counter your point with why keep a dog if you're not going to breed it? Why keep a cat, or any animal for that matter? I love my animals and respect them and am in constant awe of their grace, agility, and majesty. They bring joy into my life- what other reason is better to keep them?
I agree that too many people rush into keeping hots purely for the "rush" or the bragging rights to boast to their friends about what they own. I do not keep hots BECAUSE they challenge me, nor do I keep them BECAUSE they are dangerous....I keep them because of their beauty and majesty and because they are unique, and I RESPECT them because they are dangerous and a challenge. This forum only has a few people that keep hots, and the ones who go about it wrongly and irresponsibly usually don't last long here. You won't find me, or any of the other hot-keepers on here arguing that more people should keep hots or that they are for everyone- they are not. I would never recommend them to anyone; however, if one trains diligently and gets a mentor and does one's research, it is their choice. I'm sorry you have lost people close to you via snakebite- that must be a very tough thing to go through. My condolences to you.

Thanks Freebody- I love his colors too. If you are thinking of ever getting into elapids, I highly recommend keeping red-tailed green rat snakes, or Spilotes and mangrove snakes first. They are not the same thing, but are fairly decent specimens for fine-tuning your hooking and tailing techniques, and for learning to anticipate quick agile movements and hook-climbing. A cobra will try to climb the hook like there's no tomorrow...it's a constant dance to keep them at the end and away from you.

[jarich]

Originally Posted by ugo

i know none of U, and surely i'll be wrong; please don't turn too much bad with me (but i m unable to lie, and i wish to know none of U in danger) but for what i read NONE of U had to keep venomous, none i saw having a right back.ground either of knowledge and experience, and,sincerely, none of U showed the typical symptoms of a true venomous keeper, only curiosity and a kind of 'challenge'.
In my opinion there are so many non venomous snakes more worthy to be kept and ...

Im just curious as to what you think are the typical symptoms of a true venomous keeper, Ugo?

[Will0W783]

I'm curious of that too.... it's somewhat insulting to tell someone who has trained diligently, researched extensively, and taken years to work up to hot keeping, that they are not a "true venomous keeper." I will admit I took a bit of offense to that, and it's generally pretty hard to offend me.

I personally would consider the following as characteristics/requirements for a good venomous reptile keeper:
1. Knowledge of species desired and general experience with reptiles. One should have a good handle on basic husbandry and handling practices- hooking,
tailing, feeding problem feeders, medicating, maintaining temps and
humidity, etc. as well as experience with a wide variety of non-venomous
species.

2. Preparation. A good keeper will have all medical records, antivenom lists,
doctor contacts, and bite treatment protocols in an accessible place before
an animal is brought in. A venomous snake should NEVER be an impulse
purchase.

3. Patience, patience, patience.
I cannot stress enough the importance of taking time to lay out all supplies
in a convenient arrangement before beginning work with a hot. Every time.
One also cannot get frustrated when an animal is uncooperative, and one
absolutely cannot ever be in a hurry when working with venomous snakes.

4. Attention to detail. the successful hot-keeper will be able to immediately
notice where an animal is in its cage, if the cage needs cleaning, if the
animal is displaying any signs of illness, and will be constantly aware of the
animal's movements and any obstacles or dangers in the room while they
are working with an animal.

5. Ability to remain calm under pressure or in danger.
One must be able to remain calm and in full control when working with
these animals. Panicking when an animal struggles or attacks causes the
keeper to be less aware and can leave him or her with reduced
judgement skills and can easily lead to mistakes. In the event one is bitten,
staying calm can reduce the speed with which the venom spreads, potentially
saving one's life or at least reducing the severity of the bite.

6. Good organizational skills.
A good "hot room" will be clean, free of clutter, spacious, and will always
have cages and supplies laid out in easy-to-access, logical manners,
providing no routes of escape or hiding for the snakes, and allowing the
keeper space to easily and safely care for the animals.


...And last but not least...

Any good venomous keeper will have an unfaltering love and respect for these fascinating creatures. He or she will want to constantly deeper his/her knowledge of venomous snakes and all reptiles and will display passion for the herpetocultural hobby.

[lady_bug87]

^^ annnd BOOM goes the dynamite

[candyraver69]

Very gorgeous creatures. Nothing I will ever be up for, but they are certainly fascinating to see. I have to live vicariously and adore yours and others on this forum

[candyraver69]

Originally Posted by Will0W783

I'm curious of that too.... it's somewhat insulting to tell someone who has trained diligently, researched extensively, and taken years to work up to hot keeping, that they are not a "true venomous keeper." I will admit I took a bit of offense to that, and it's generally pretty hard to offend me.

I personally would consider the following as characteristics/requirements for a good venomous reptile keeper:
1. Knowledge of species desired and general experience with reptiles. One should have a good handle on basic husbandry and handling practices- hooking,
tailing, feeding problem feeders, medicating, maintaining temps and
humidity, etc. as well as experience with a wide variety of non-venomous
species.

2. Preparation. A good keeper will have all medical records, antivenom lists,
doctor contacts, and bite treatment protocols in an accessible place before
an animal is brought in. A venomous snake should NEVER be an impulse
purchase.

3. Patience, patience, patience.
I cannot stress enough the importance of taking time to lay out all supplies
in a convenient arrangement before beginning work with a hot. Every time.
One also cannot get frustrated when an animal is uncooperative, and one
absolutely cannot ever be in a hurry when working with venomous snakes.

4. Attention to detail. the successful hot-keeper will be able to immediately
notice where an animal is in its cage, if the cage needs cleaning, if the
animal is displaying any signs of illness, and will be constantly aware of the
animal's movements and any obstacles or dangers in the room while they
are working with an animal.

5. Ability to remain calm under pressure or in danger.
One must be able to remain calm and in full control when working with
these animals. Panicking when an animal struggles or attacks causes the
keeper to be less aware and can leave him or her with reduced
judgement skills and can easily lead to mistakes. In the event one is bitten,
staying calm can reduce the speed with which the venom spreads, potentially
saving one's life or at least reducing the severity of the bite.

6. Good organizational skills.
A good "hot room" will be clean, free of clutter, spacious, and will always
have cages and supplies laid out in easy-to-access, logical manners,
providing no routes of escape or hiding for the snakes, and allowing the
keeper space to easily and safely care for the animals.


...And last but not least...

Any good venomous keeper will have an unfaltering love and respect for these fascinating creatures. He or she will want to constantly deeper his/her knowledge of venomous snakes and all reptiles and will display passion for the herpetocultural hobby.

I think these are the important points to keeping hots. Some people might think breeding them or having certain ones, or a certain amount might be the qualifier, but to me that just sounds like brag rights which is all the WRONG reasons. I have far more respect for someone like you who knows their limits and grows their collection as their experience grows and at the rate you are comfortable with than someone who has 1000 hots or the most deadly hot on the planet.

[ZARADOZIA]

Kim, all I can say is WOW. One day, I would very much like to see your babies first hand. I'm a bit envious of Alessia now...lol

[alessia55]

Originally Posted by ZARADOZIA

Kim, all I can say is WOW. One day, I would very much like to see your babies first hand. I'm a bit envious of Alessia now...lol

hehehehe lucky for all of you I post enough pics of all of Kim's animals so you can all live vicariously through me

[spots]

WOW, Great collection. As Kat said You got BALL'S!!!
I love the Horned bush viper, and the Albino Monocled Cobra.
Alessia your mom is on to something there, When the Cobra is un-hooded it does look a little like a corn snake.