yet another snake owner that makes other owners look bad?

So today I took trash out to the curb. and I seen my neighbor holding what looks like a snake in his hand. I am not so much against taking my snakes out in public areas when it is low populated or to a pet store that sells snakes, but and from time to time I will drape one of my balls over my shoulders if I am cleaning out its cage and taking it out to dump but this guy is just sitting there on his front porch holding this so I went to take it a look. It was a VERY HOT snake. he was holding a copper head. Needless to say it was the most docile copper head I have seen, but I wouldn't come with in 5 feet of the guy. His first question was "What you scared of snakes?" I explained to him that I am not and I have helped people remove hot snakes from there property to relocate. I told him Copperheads are amoungst one of my favorite snakes and that I would love to own one day. the Guy said he had a permit ( I just took his word for it since I am not an enforcer of it) but I told him that I am also respectful towards other people that live around us that are scared of snakes. I wish I had of had my phone though, I did get to check out his animals. He had a Pegmy Rattler, Diamand Back, Gaboon, and 2 copperheads. The one he was holding he explain has been raised from a baby, I was just in shock of how docile it was, copperheads are normally aggressive from what I dealt with even in captivity, but even with it being docile I still don't think I would want to free hand one milked or not. I have had Rosie my Boa dig her teath into me and lached on and it didn't feel too great, I don't think I want a copperheads fangs digging in my flesh like that, or being responsible for the injury or death of some one else because of choosing to set on front porch with it.

From what I understand, respectful and SMART owners handle ALL hots as if they are fully loaded. That guy is an idiot, and we'll see him on the news some day.

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Originally Posted by crepers86

or being responsible for the injury or death of some one else because of choosing to set on front porch with it.

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This exactly. Way to risky!

Dumb. Hots should always be handled with the utmost respect. People like that Give the responsible owners poor reputations.


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It's a shame the idiots of the world still get to reproduce. There should be some sort of screening process, then the people that fail are sterilized.

Its ok i see/hear about him on the next episode of Bitten on animal planet. Maybe youll be allowed to make a cameo appearance crepers!!! lmao

Although I agree that he should not be handling a copperhead on his front porch, and that free-handling any hot is a huge risk, I have to disagree with your comment about copperheads being aggressive. I have encountered many of them living in Georgia, and they were never aggressive. In fact, just last summer, my dad picked one up out of a neighbor's yard and put it in a tub before realizing what he had (oops!), and it never showed any aggression. She has been relocated to a MUCH less populated area on private property.

You play Russian roulette one too many times your bound to "win" one of these days.

While not the smartest idea to handle a copperhead like that (I sure wouldn't do it), I wouldn't compare it to Russian roulette. You guys are making it sound like a copperhead bite equals death and that's just not the case.

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Originally Posted by AndrewGeibel

While not the smartest idea to handle a copperhead like that (I sure wouldn't do it), I wouldn't compare it to Russian roulette. You guys are making it sound like a copperhead bite equals death and that's just not the case.

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Ok let me try again. If you play the "lottery" enough, you may win. My point being handling a hot like that shouldn't be common practice. Even if he is docile, it's just a matter of time before you get tagged.

In the state of Texas you have to take a two week class to get a permit to get mintored 1000 hours to get a permit to own and work with these wonderful animals. I am actually going through it. The only way around it is to get a degree in herptology

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Originally Posted by AndrewGeibel

While not the smartest idea to handle a copperhead like that (I sure wouldn't do it), I wouldn't compare it to Russian roulette. You guys are making it sound like a copperhead bite equals death and that's just not the case.

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I don't think it's so much as to how deadly the bite is, as much as it's about making the herp community look bad. The general public sees and hears "Man bit by pet copperhead" and all they see is "poisonous snake is going to kill us all!!"

I really don't care if some fool gets bitten by a copperhead while acting like an irresponsible idiot. That is how the stupid genes get weeded out of our gene pool. I consider it to be beneficial to the population as a whole.

However what pisses me off to no end is when some idiot goes out in public showing off with a venomous snake, a snake that quite a few folks can identify even if they don't like snakes. I can just picture what goes through their minds as they walk past the jackass--probably something on the order of "that's why people shouldn't be allowed to own snakes."

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Originally Posted by Rob

You play Russian roulette one too many times your bound to "win" one of these days.

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X2 I feel a Darwin award coming soon :mad:

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Originally Posted by LGray23

"Man bit by pet copperhead" and all they see is "poisonous snake is going to kill us all!!"

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In the case of people who get bitten while doing stupid things, it's a shame that the general public can't hear how the other snake owners talk about the fools. :D

well the copperhead bite likely won't kill him their bites do cause enough damage to cause amputations, the guy is a moron, the exact kind of person we don't need in the hobby.

its luck will run out and he will take a bite, i hope he doesn't do that stuff with the gaboon or diamond back because he will most likely make the news very soon.

People like this will learn their lesson the hard way, hate it for them and only hope it's not his Gaboon Viper that does.