Is this an acceptable method of housing venomous snakes?

I have heard of people who do this: they have a tank for the snake that has a secure lid of course. Eack half of the tank has a seperate lid.. because what they do is, equip it with a divider that is normally not in the tank.. But at cleaning time, they enclose the snake into one half of the tank; clean the other half; then put the snake into the clean half (using tongs or a stick?) and clean the other half.
I remember hearing about this and was wondering if it is common? The keeper never has to come into contact with the snake on a regular basis but yet can clean the enclosure well.. but the downside could be that maybe an inexperienced handler might have to remove the snake eventually and not have the know-how to do so? Just wondering..

It is a good method and quite old though not used as often as I think it should be. Even if you are experienced with venomous snakes it is a very easy way to be very safe in your upkeep of the snake. If more hot keepers used this method there would be less trips the the ER, less lossed fingers, less deaths and less life altering experiences, not to mention less bad press for herpers in general.

I personally feel that there is NEVER a reason to put a hand on a venomous snake. You can do all you need with hooks, clamps and net bags. If you are milking them or what have you, then you do need to touch them but in most instances you can keep a snake for 20 years and never put a hand on it. I adopted this concept from the late Carl Kauffeld from his book published in all the way back in 1969, "The Keeper and the Kept". Wise words from a man who ran the Staten Island Zoo's Reptile collection for several decades and hunted and collected venomous snakes from all over the world in the wild.

In a long career the only time Carl ever took a bite was when he broke his on rule to remove stuck eye caps from an Indian cobra and almost died from it, probally would have, had antivenom had not been on hand.

As for an inexperienced keeper at some point needing to remove the snake well, inexperienced and hots DO NOT MIX. The technique is a great and valuable one, it is not however, a way for the uneducated to keep a dangerous animal. Any hot keeper should aprentice with an experienced keeper before keeping anything truely dangerous.

JMHO

Screen lids for hots is a major no-no with most keepers. A snakes fangs can easily penetrate screen hitting the resting hands on the other side. Also, if something were to fall into the screen breaking it, the snake is gone and you have a potentially deadly escapee. Just my thought on screen tops for hots.

The small amount of hot training I have had told me that comercial plastic or custom cages with locks are the best for hots. Keeps em in as well as everyone else out

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Originally Posted by Pork Chops N' Corn Bread

Screen lids for hots is a major no-no with most keepers. A snakes fangs can easily penetrate screen hitting the resting hands on the other side. Also, if something were to fall into the screen breaking it, the snake is gone and you have a potentially deadly escapee. Just my thought on screen tops for hots.

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On that I totally agree and perhaps should have mentioned it myself. I was speaking personaly more about the devided cage concept. To me that is probally the best and safest way to deal with hot snakes if one is so inclined to do so.

My method is I only work with hots in the wild with proper tools either for photo work or for removals. I will never keep them in my home, I have no axe to grind with anyone that does (responsibly) but for me it is out of the question.

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Originally Posted by jjspirko

I personally feel that there is NEVER a reason to put a hand on a venomous snake. You can do all you need with hooks, clamps and net bags.

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You can't hug your snake with hooks, clamps, and net bags.

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Originally Posted by ctrlfreq

You can't hug your snake with hooks, clamps, and net bags.

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That indeed must be a joke! :laughing:

If not you can hug all the Gabbys, Rattlers and Cobras you want, I will stick to my tools.

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Originally Posted by ctrlfreq

You can't hug your snake with hooks, clamps, and net bags.

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For me, that's why I don't want to keep hots. Would drive me nuts to not be able to hug my pet. =)

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Originally Posted by cassandra

For me, that's why I don't want to keep hots. Would drive me nuts to not be able to hug my pet. =)

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Now I love my snakes, I enjoy holding them and all. But do you really "hug" your snakes. To me they are very cool, enjoyable but I don't have a bond with them like my cats and dogs. Perhaps it is due to the volume I keep, I don't even have names for everyone. Some I have more "affection for then others", such as my young Taiwan Beauty, my old Amel Corn or my Carpet Python but I don't hug any of them.

If I elected to keep copperheads, rattlers or cobras you can bet I would never even think about it, :rolleye2:.

How many of you actually "hug" your snakes? Not judging, just looking to understand another view then my own,

Yeah hugging a snake is... Wow.

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Originally Posted by jjspirko

How many of you actually "hug" your snakes? Not judging, just looking to understand another view then my own,

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I find it hard to hug anything without arms, so for the record, I was kidding :rolleyes: