Venimoids are and atrocity! Mutilating one of these amazing animals no matter what your motivation goes against any and all things that any animal lover should stand for. In addition to all the snakes that die as a result of this disgusting surgery, the survivors are maimed and as you can see in the video link posted not even reliable safe. It’s all ready been stated but Naja kaouthia is far from an ideal beginner hot. Although by cobra standards they are fairly calm they get pretty big and can be quite a handful for a novice. As mentioned before it would be ideal if you found a mentor to show you the ropes before jumping into any hot snake. But if this is not possible and you are determined than I suggest you at the very least start with something a little more manageable, maybe you should consider Aspidelaps. They stay small and will defiantly give you a taste of what it takes to successfully handle elapids. You also need to consider the availability of anti-venom in case you do suffer a bite. Be aware that anit-venom requires a prescription to obtain, has a very limited shelf life and is very expensive. Also depending on where you live ER doctors will more than likely not be aware of how to properly treat any snake bite let alone one from a foreign species.
And most importantly be careful and be safe.
Jason Ladouceur
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