OMG disaster.

[Bogertophis]

Since there's a lot of giant snake ownership bashing going on here, I'll bite.

How the hell does one criticize person who owns a large constrictor and compares owning one to owning a lion, then go on to say "I've owned hots for 20 safe years"!?!?

I can probably survive a bite from a Burm, a Retic, a Boa....especially with help in the room. But I'll pass on something that may require $50,000 worth of antivenom flown in on a private jet that may or may not save your life. There is a small room for error with large constrictors, there is NONE for front fanged venomous. Period....

FYI, I don't advocate private ownership of either giant snakes OR hots, but since you took issue with my comments (which were NOT aimed at "bashing" the OP & were
taken out of context) I shall try to further explain what I meant. The "disaster" that started this thread arose because the OP was unable to restrain his still-growing
giant snake from attacking another nearby, due to it's size, strength & element of surprise for which he was unprepared. Yes, all of us who keep snakes or other animals
get surprised at times by what our animals do, but we ARE expected to have our pets under control at all times. I compared such a giant snake to the idea of having a
lion instead of a house cat for a pet, & I stand by that comparison: I know of some (very few) people who seem able to relate to such large cats, but in no way can any-
one physically control such an animal if it wants to misbehave. How is that different from a giant snake? It's not. They are both wild animals with minds of their own.

Yes, I kept hots for some 20 years in the past. They were NEVER on my "wish list"...quite the opposite. But I lived in an area where there were 6 kinds of rattlesnakes
locally that entered people's property uninvited. For that transgression, they were often killed. As a snake-keeper, I wanted to help keep people safe (many bites happen
when inexperienced people try to take matters into their own hands) and to protect the snakes as well. I was never out catching local snakes (harmless OR venomous)
but often made myself available to rescue & re-locate wayward serpents. The only ones I kept were those unsuitable for relocation (injured, sick or in captivity by others
too long for legal release, per Fish & Game regulations) and I ended up giving local educational programs with them to promote understanding & conservation. At one
point, I was given some non-local hots for which I had to obtain a special (F&G) permit- such permits are not easy to get, and when they came to inspect my premises
I received high marks.

Both giant snakes and hots present special challenges to safe keeping, & in my opinion, more people are keeping them than should. I did NOT say that was true of Sky-
rivers, so don't put words in my mouth, OK? Giant snakes require physical strength & multiple people to handle safely, not to mention stronger caging, while hots have
their own risks which can be minimized by careful planning, using the safest methods, & the avoidance of distractions when working with them. Either way, there is no
room for mistakes that happen when we as keepers over-estimate our skills...& that usually takes some maturity & self-awareness. I don't personally know Skyrivers,
so opinions I've expressed in this thread aren't personally directed at the OP...they are the same opinions I've always had, & intended as part of the general discussion.