venomoid?

[WtGreg]

Aside from ethical, humane, and legal debates, I would say you don't want to start with a cobra if you are getting into hots. They are beautiful, but also fast, and can have a temper.

I have had cobras with venom and devenomized and there is ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! I know because I got into hots by jumping straight into cobras (hots, not devenomized at that point), so trust me there. A devonmized needs to be treated as if it were hot, with the fully respect of a deadly cobra. The video posted before is an excellent example of why. If you get bit by one which has venom, even if sold as a v'oid, them do you have access to anything that could help the doctors save your life? Is there anyone in your area that does, because if they can't ship it in in time because it was too far away, then you're screwed, and worse that adds another story in the newspaper to drive people further towards wanting to ban hots and even all reptiles. And, BTW, insurances commonly don't cover antivenom for cases like exotic pet handlers, so you have a potentiaal for a really high medical bill.

With cobras especially, the second you loose respect because you get cocky with the thought "this is a venomoid, it can't hurt me" is the second you get bit. I know this because I did this. It is so easy to get yourself into that mindset you don't even realize it until it happens and you ask "what was I thinking?" I was good with hots, never got bit by one of my other cobras and handled them perfectly with care, but I got cocky with my v'oid while pinning it and sure enough, I was nipped. Grabbed too lightly and it wiggled all of an inch or two forward as I tightened grip, enough to whip it's haed around to scrape me. Hardly a nip of only one fang, but that could have killed me if it was one of my other hots or was not properly devenomized.
I am never happy to admit this, but I do cause I know others can learn from my mistake and others have made the same mistake and not been as fortunate as me..

I know I should never have jumped into hots with cobras looking back, but wayyyy back then it seemed like a good idea and I probably wanted an animal to show off, knowing my younger self. That was all the wrong reasoning and it isn't until I got comfortable with handling all my cobras that I realized I really wasn't ready when I began. I didn't have all the forums and other online resources to tell me all the points I hadn't considered, so I hadn't considered alot of what people point out here, now. Please use the resources that are now available to you.

Since noone can stop you, to own a hot is your choice, but get an experienced handler to show you every thing and guide you. I suggest you start with something easier to handle if you are just starting out in hots. I am not trying to say your shouldn't have hots, but really a cobra needs experience before you get one if it is your first hot. It is not a beginner hot in my opinion. If you are not absolutely comfortable handling a hot cobra, then you shouldn't own a v'oid, cause at the end of it all they are the same thing and should be respected they same.

my 2-cents in novel form.