King Cobras- How?

[DestinyLynette]

There wasn't a forum for venomous snakes that I could find, if there was I overlooked it and I apologize!

This is just a general question- some people breed and handle king cobras... and I don't understand how. Pretty positive they don't devenomize or defang them... so what are they just relying on being EXTREMELY careful? Gorgeous and regal animals, but I wouldn't risk keeping one... Just wondering how it's done. There are few king cobra caresheets online and what I do find, they don't really discuss how to "safely" handle them.

[eatgoodfood]

There is a venomous forum. Some people do think its ok to handle venomous, but the majority of the responsible community does not think so. Now that depends on what you mean by handling, by hook and tail, or even tailing? Is there a specific person or video you are referring too?

[KMG]

The simple answer is yes.

Venomous animal threads = http://ball-pythons.net/forums/forum...nomous-Animals

Some info on keeping hots.

http://www.snakegetters.com/hk/handling1.html

http://www.snakegetters.com/hk/handling2.html

[Mike41793]

Just get a false water cobra! Lol

[Crotalids]

Generally, the method to handle large Kings is to hook and tail. Although, you'll get some idiots who like to free handle.

I'm quite lucky, 3 good friends of mine keep king cobras. Due to go to one of their houses in two weeks, il see if I can get a few nice pictures.

[zach_24_90]

Keeping hots is. It for beginners or anything like that. I myself have a few. I choose to keep Bitis because they arent super spastic. They are pretty lazy like fat little pigs and they ride a hook or two very nice. I know that if one gets dropped it's not going to be on the other side of the room in 2 seconds like a cobra or something like that. And your probably saying to yourself yeah but they have the fastest strike in the world and thats why the only thing i ever put in their steike radius is a hook. That being said I am by no means complacent nor do I get into that comfort zone that you can have with normal snakes. I don't free handle and I'm not much for pinning hots and grabbing them by the head either. Just unneeded risk in my situation because I don't need to milk them or anything like that. Keeping hots is something that has to be thought through and you should never just go to a show and buy a hot.

[DestinyLynette]

I guess I meant I saw pictures of someone free-handling. They took a picture with the cobra basically three feet away from their face, and it made my hairs stand on end. I've seen videos of people handling hots with snake hooks though, but this guy looked like he just grabbed his by the tail- seems like they could just whip around and tag him.

See, I KNEW there was a venom forum but naturally, when I need it I can't find it. Very interesting links, I love the "school learning" set up. Cute and educational.

Mike- thanks for mentioning that! I'd never heard of them but now looking at them they're very cool.

What reward do you get out of keeping your vipers? Just the knowledge you can handle them, or do you like to breed? On a side note, it kind of surprises me you don't need any paperwork to own venomous snakes. That seems like that'd be another league of keeping exotics.

[reptileexperts]

The only reason I have ever kept and worked with hots, was for education. I kept and raised CBB local species (Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Southern Copperheads, and Western Cottonmouths) and took them on a tour in various parts of Texas using them as teaching tools, displaying them in a locked cage within a larger cage, but still allowing for ample viewing pleasure, and discussion of their importance. It does take a proper keeper to work with hots. You will get many people, especially in the US, that will keep hots for the sake of masculinity or being the "king" by pocession such things. Many of the best keepers, do not disclose their hots to many people outside of the community.

It's like being a Dr. If you try to do it for the wrong reasons, things will not go well. . .

[djansen]

Let me guess, the man you saw free handling the cobra was Albert Killian

[wolfy-hound]

In Florida, to keep venomous, you must complete 1000 hours of training with the species you want to own, show you have proper facilities, etc.

I think a lot of venomous are beautiful animals and for many the reason to keep them are the same reasons to keep any snake.

Tailing can be a very responsible method of needed handling(i.e. when a snake MUST be handled) IF the keeper is experienced.

Any handling is a risk. Many keepers even have a cage set up to block the snake in one part so the other empty part can be cleaned, etc. So no handling at all for regular duties.