Learning to handle hots.

[SunkistSRT]

good luck 2 u! although i think 1 day, if i can handle a hot or even touch 1, it would be awesome!

[cecilbturtle]

good luck! i've been looking for someone to learn from for years!!! I'm very jealous!

[Skittles1101]

Good luck!

I read this and saw these pictures today and it pretty much confirmed I'll never touch a hot lol. Cudos to you though, I have respect for people who have the nerve and responsibility to work with them responsibly.

Warning Extremely graphic and disgusting pictures.
http://www.rattlesnakebite.org/picsconfirm.htm

[mr.spooky]

Just one question,, why are you working with them? HONESTLY.... this is a serious question. Is it for the good of man kind, or do you just wanna mess with danger?
spooky

[Anatopism]

Throwing "Mangrove Cat Snake" out there as a perfect candidate for 'practice'. We have a 6 foot foster mangrove at home (dumped at our local vet for an abscess the owner couldn't treat properly), and he is the most unpredictable intimidating snake we've ever had.

He acts dead/lethargic 95% of the time.. but that other 5% is striking a distance of several feet, a HUGE gaping mouth (they may be rear fanged, but I've seen this guy bash his face against a rat pup and I've seen the damage a quick strike did- I don't want that sort of laceration across my hand or arms!), and a quadruple S standing a foot and a half into the air. He is inactive just enough time to try and convince you that he can be trusted, that he's "tamed down", but if you look close, his eyes are twitching at your every move.

He has all the fire you would expect from some of difficult hots... without risk of death, but packs enough of a punch in his venom to ruin your day (or the next few days) and command your respect in a way much different from a mean, non-venomous snake.

I have worked with a few cranky colubrids and angry GTPs and ETBs.. while I don't want to get bit, there is still an entirely different feeling when working with a mildly venomous snake, like the Mangrove.

[ChrisS]

Just one question,, why are you working with them? HONESTLY.... this is a serious question. Is it for the good of man kind, or do you just wanna mess with danger?
spooky

The main reason I want to learn to work wit hots is because I want to be able to safely rehome them when found in unwanted areas. Secondly I would love to work showing reptiles to schools libraries and anywhere else allowed. So while I would never take a hot out at a place like this it would make a wonderful display animal. And also teach people what to really look for not just assume every snake is venomous and kill it.

[Mike41793]

x2 to what Leah posted^

My only experience with a Hot was removing a baby, im pretty sure it was a copperhead, from my grandparents barn in NC. I carefully scooped it up with a LONG pitchfork and dropped it into a bucket then closed the lid and transported him out to the woods on the edge of their property. I only did it bc it was a very small baby and my chances of getting bit were pretty minimal after i accessed the situation.

You will NEVER catch me playing with hots for fun lol. The only reason i would ever do it is to save a snake by removing it, like i did with the baby copperhead. Otherwise i stay far away lol.