The arboreal vipers are awesome, just may require a double hook because they hang on to stuff pulling them out (if you have branches and stuff with them)...cottonmouths/copperheads are a great start, thats what I started with, as well as WDB rattlers....I held my first Cobra a few days ago, a 5 foot Nubian spitting cobra and went very well, had a midwest 30 inch hook (love it) and tailed it...He definitely wasn't too crazy but did love to ride the hook...great practice and best of luck getting started with everything, gabbys r awesome, but they'll amaze me with their quickness.