# Colubrids > General Colubrids >  Brazilian Smooth Snake aka False Water Cobra

## Slithers

I LOVE MY NEW SNAKE!!!











Thank You Wes!!! (wilomn on thereptileroom.org) You Rock!! 

Wes will be at the SanJose show this weekend with his babies and his adult False Water Cobras.

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## Razaiel

That's a nice snake   :Smile:   My friend's got an adult pair of FWCs he's hoping to breed. He said he can get his female out and she's really docile - but the male is a raving monster LOL! I always have to look at them when I go in his shop.

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## Slithers

Thank you very much, Razaiel!  :Smile:   He is soo happy here with me.  He's just chillin in his water right now.

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## Slithers

What do you mean I'm 'not a Cobra?' Look at me!


Really...I'm a '_Banded_ Water Cobra!'  uh ya...That's it!

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## Slithers

:Worry:  me thinks nobody likes :Crying:

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## basuca

NIce!! but be carfule!

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## Slithers

Thanks! 

I will.  :Smile:

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## mr~python

i saw a few of those at the great valley serpentarium. they were adults. beautiful snakes! good luck with yours.

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## Slithers

Thanks! 

 I believe mine is a _H. Gigas_ (not sure though) and I think GVS has _H. Bicinctus_ .  I think its just some minor pattern/color differences. 

C'mon I know more of you guys think "Kai" is a good looking snake.  
If you think "Kai" is an awesome snake, let him know about it please!  :Very Happy:  He thrives off compliments!

Thanks!

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## Razaiel

He is beautiful - he's much more pretty than my friend's snakes - but I don't know what variety his are, just that they're FWC  :Smile:     I sent you a PM

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## Slithers

Thank you very much!!!  :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:   :Very Happy: 

It is quite possible that this little guy is a hypo.  :Smile:  
Whether or not he is...I think he is a STUNNER! and I could NOT be happier!!

Really a great species of snake. Very docile. Quick as lighting, aggressive feeders, but very intelligent, personable snakes. Not the scary snake they are made out to be by _some_. They are to be respected, of course, but not _feared_.

I give good rep points for good comments  :Wink:   :Very Happy:   :Sunny:

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## jjspirko

They are indeed great snakes, a snake you must respect because they are not somthing you want to be bitten by but the risk is minimal if you use commone sense.  Also every case where a bite by a hydro had a real reaction, (mostly pain and swelling) the victim was a dimwhit.  

What do I mean by that?  The victim was dim enough to allow the angered hydro to CHEW on him for several seconds to OVER A MINUTE and then was surprise to be envenomated!  

Here is a little quiz to see if you have the aptitude to keep a hydro or a cat eyed snake, mangrove, etc.

If a hydro or other rear fanged mildly venomous animal bites you then you should 

a.  calmly but swiftly remove it and treat the bite with basic first aid and monitor the bite to see if any treatment is necessary 

b.  film the event and cry when your hand swells like a baloon

c.  watch it bite and chew on you and hold it off the ground to see how long it will chew before stoping

d.  the answer is "a" and if you answer b or c you are to dim to be trusted with an anole   :Wag of the finger: 

I have one and he is really cool and for the most part gentle.  He is really pissy when in blue and will hood if you mess with him then so (gasp) I don't bother him in blue.  

He is also about 8 feet and did snap out one time!  I opened his viv and he poured out all mad, hooding with his head level to the ground but about a foot off the ground, charged at me and backed me out of the room!   :Saber duel: 

I closed the door and went back in like 10 minutes later and he was coiled on one of my PC towers.  He was all cool I picked him up and he was fine, never did that again.  It did give me a new respect for him.

Rules with rear fanged animals like hydros are simple, no little kids handling them, pay attention when you handle them and respect them. 

Other then that they are fine,  I have a new cateyed snake, a hydro and a Tanganyika Sand Snake.  All rear fanged and I don't fear any of them but respect them all.

That guy of yours is a beauty, wait about 24 months from now when he is over 7 feet, you won't believe what he does to a rat!

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## jdmls88

awesome snake you get there, have some fun with the neighbor kids lol. Hey kids wanna see my king cobra!

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## PJ FF

Hey, earlyer I was about to ask if he was a hypo but decieded not to. There was a guy selling hypos on kingsnake and fauna.

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## Slithers

I believe you are referring to the person who sold me mine.  :Smile:

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## Razaiel

[QUOTE=jjspirko] 
a. calmly but swiftly remove it and treat the bite with basic first aid and monitor the bite to see if any treatment is necessary 

QUOTE]

Even my hognose I have a lot of respect for - I've never been tagged by her but she gets her quirky moments and I'm careful in case I'm one of the few that can have an allergic reaction to their bites. I keep some vinegar handy (when I've run out of JD!!  :Very Happy:   ) just in case.

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## PJ FF

Did you have to pay for the price of the hypos?

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## Slithers

I bought a normal. 
But I am thinking that it is a hypo that 'flew under the radar'. But this is purely speculation. 
I am not too sure, but I 'think' that it came from the same clutch as some of the hypos. 
I saw the hypo's and I saw the normals...there was quite a difference. Not easy to mix up. But, they do change colors (i think with temperature). So maybe my guy was in dark phase. ?? 

I dunno, but I love my lil guy. He is a great snake.

Thanks!!

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## JLC

Very pretty snake!  Looks super-cute trying to be all cobra-ish!  :Very Happy:

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## PJ FF

Thats awesome. It really does look like one of the hypos. The normals are normally alot darker.

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## Slithers

Thanks very much, JLC!  He thinks he is scary! LOL 

PJ FF, 
I know!!  I am super excited with my purchase.  I know that I really lucked out with this gorgeous snake!  I was thinking the same thing...it is probably a hypo!  It looks like one to me!  

Time for a female!! LOL  

Thanks for the comments!  :Very Happy:

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## mattah320

wait are these snakes venemous?  there are false water cobras at the national zoo and it says that they are venemous on the plaque.  help me out!

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## JLC

> wait are these snakes venemous? there are false water cobras at the national zoo and it says that they are venemous on the plaque. help me out!


Yes, they are.  They are "rear fanged" though, so its not easy for the snake to deliver the venom...relative to our more common image of a venomous snake.  It's also a relatively mild venom...again, compared to what we usually think of...but still can be nasty/painful if the snake gets a good chew on ya.

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## Slithers

Thanks Judy. 

She's right. They are venomous but not Hot. They are venomous but not 'dangerous'.
If you let them chew you, you are in for some trouble...but these snakes are NOT TO BE HANDLED BY MORONS!! Only a moron would let a venomous snake chew on them. Their venom is comparable to a Western Diamondback or a Timber Rattler according to some reports, but the False Water Cobras are only capable of delivering approximately 1/10th of the venom. 10mg as opposed to 100mg. Even still, from what I have read snakes are reluctant to actually envenomate anything but dinner. Furthermore, FWC are very very docile. True they are extremely aggressive eaters, but they are not aggressive generally speaking. They are lightning quick and are equipped with prehensile tails! They are very handleable and are not jumpy or headshy typically speaking. They dont stress very easy and are ravenous eaters. To get bitten by a FWC, it would require a SFE (stupid feeding error) or you would really have to aggravate it. But they are very tolerant of us humans for some reason. You must pay full attention while handling them, of course, and be prepared for anything. But they are a wonderful, intelligent snake...not to be feared. 

If one were to bite and actually latch on, common sense would dictate removing the snake. Vinegar or alcohol can usually be used to safely remove a biting snake. Never ever let a rear fang venomous chew on you!!

I have heard the bites bleed like crazy though!  Imagine an 8 foot FWC...like a boa with rear fangs.

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## sg1trogdor

> Thanks Judy. 
> 
> She's right. They are venomous but not Hot. They are venomous but not 'dangerous'.
> If you let them chew you, you are in for some trouble...but these snakes are NOT TO BE HANDLED BY MORONS!! Only a moron would let a venomous snake chew on them. Their venom is comparable to a Western Diamondback or a Timber Rattler according to some reports, but the False Water Cobras are only capable of delivering approximately 1/10th of the venom. 10mg as opposed to 100mg. Even still, from what I have read snakes are reluctant to actually envenomate anything but dinner. Furthermore, FWC are very very docile. True they are extremely aggressive eaters, but they are not aggressive generally speaking. They are lightning quick and are equipped with prehensile tails! They are very handleable and are not jumpy or headshy typically speaking. They dont stress very easy and are ravenous eaters. To get bitten by a FWC, it would require a SFE (stupid feeding error) or you would really have to aggravate it. But they are very tolerant of us humans for some reason. You must pay full attention while handling them, of course, and be prepared for anything. But they are a wonderful, intelligent snake...not to be feared. 
> 
> If one were to bite and actually latch on, common sense would dictate removing the snake. Vinegar or alcohol can usually be used to safely remove a biting snake. Never ever let a rear fang venomous chew on you!!
> 
> I have heard the bites bleed like crazy though!  Imagine an 8 foot FWC...like a boa with rear fangs.


I know this is an "old" thread but I jst found it lol.  I love my Falsey by the name of Falsey lol.  Shes just gorgeous and although she kinda spooks me sometiimes with her stare shes pretty docile she did however try to get me once lol .  But she was unsuccessful lol.  I also owe many thanks to Wes for my girl.  I will try to get some pics later.  But shes in blue.

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