de-venomized snakes?

[eternalfrost]

is there such a thing as de-venomized snakes? just wondering because ive always thought some types of vipers looked really amazing but i would never keep something venomous.

not that i would ever actually get one just wondering

[joemophase]

cant be done

[Shelby]

Yes, they can surgically remove the venom glands.. however it is often done by inexperienced people - not qualified vets, and can be quite painful for the snake as it heals. Plus that.. if it isn't done properly, the venom glands can grow back. The snakes also have no way of killing their prey, so if they are not already accusomed to eating p/k prey, they can starve themselves.

Snakes who have had this procedure are called venomoids.

[xdeus]

Hmm... I'm pretty sure venom glands can't grow back, although venom ducts can grow back which is a common method of turning a snake into a venomoid from backyard "vets".

[spix14]

I think I read somewhere that it is bad for the snake, because the venom actually helps in digestion of the prey. Has anyone else heard this?

[Shelby]

Ah.. yeah you're right Lawrence.

[edie]

I had read an article someone had posted about that in another blog a couple months back.. it talked about the issue dealing with digestion, and that sometimes if the surgery isn't done correctly the snake might actually be able to produce venom later in life.. and the snakes can of course die from complications. Someone who actually preformed the surgeries objected on what the person had to say and he then posted some pictures and he had of the snakes he had done surgeries on, on blocks of wood, held down with rubber bands over nails on either side of the snakes head.. it was really disgusting and the guy thought that he was perfectly sanitary and that what he was doing was right.. that was my only experience with reading about it though, I don't know much about it.

[West Coast Jungle]

Some things are meant to be as they are.

[Sputnik]

Some things are meant to be as they are.

Right, altering is selfish and disgusting.

[wilomn]

Some things are meant to be as they are.

Right, altering is selfish and disgusting.

By these statements one could be excused for expecting that neither of you have any body piercings, not even ears. Neither of you have tattoos. Neither of you have ever had any surgery at all, ever.

To take it even further, how about cutting hair or brushing teeth?


IF it's done professionally, then I see no problem with it.