Best place to buy a hot...

[Skiploder]

I truly appreciate all your input.

In April I will be working with a local guy with 30 years of experience who primarily deals with indigenous N. American crotalus and elapids.

I asked him about Bitis but he wanted to wait until we finished the apprenticeship. While I understand his apprehension, I just wanted to do some research. Owning a hot is not something I take lightly. I just wanted to see what suggestions you all had to share.
FWIW, Most of my BP's were acquired after doing extensive research on the breeders.

I just wanted as much time as possible to do the same for the gaboon, I thought this forum would be a reliable place to turn to.

I think your mentor is the best person to talk to........this is mainly a ball python forum, and while people here always strive to be helpful, much of the hot information you receive will be based not on experience, but on Google searches and such. I have experience with some hots - heloderma, crotalus, cerastes and dispholidus - but little with elapids or other crotalids.

Again, it's done in the spirit of being helpful.........

Working under a mentor will accomplish several things - first and foremost is of course experience - all of the little tricks and the establishment of habits which will mitigate the risks involved in dealing with these animals. Second (and just as important) is setting up your protocols - obtaining antivenin, finding a doctor to administer it, etc.

Even though your mentor may not work directly with bitis, the community is small and he probably knows someone who does. One of the things I discovered working with native rattlers is that years of experience working with them did not prepare me for arboreal hots. My first time working with a boomslang was a rude awakening.

Every species has their little quirks - some can surprise you with their lack of strike range, others with their ability to strike over seemingly impossible distances, some species are prone to passively riding a hook, and others will double back on it quicker than you can possibly be prepared for. The beauty of the mentorship programs is that one mentor can often hook you up with someone who has a long tenure with whatever species you wish to keep.