Quote Originally Posted by Skiploder View Post
Link to a SA Forum. Set search to "rufous" and have some fun. There is at least one account of a guy getting a reaction after letting one chew on his arm a bit.

Worth checking out the threads for some decent pix and additional info.

http://www.sareptiles.co.za/forum/se...p?mode=results
I spend a lot of time on that forum and I have never found nor could I find any real account of a bit by any Rhamphiophis at all. Perhaps you are thinking of this thread

http://www.sareptiles.co.za/forum/vi...75a9f9a941549c

That has a picture of a pretty stiff reaction to a Skaapsteker bite (Psammophis). I mean any animal can bite but clearly the history, track record and toxicology reports on Rhamphiophis show they are basically harmless. Here is the Toxicology Report on Rufous Beak Snakes

http://www.toxinology.com/fusebox.cf...play&id=SN2181

Again I think keepers of many of this classification of snake romanticize the whole "warm snake" or "moderately venomous" thing. Plenty of people keep Tarantulas that can cause much more of a reaction then a Rufous or say a Diadem Snake. My problem with this is only that it makes people who really want to keep these animals worry far to much about doing so. Informed is great but over thinking things can just be a real hindrance.

To anyone really concerned with keep something in this class I have two questions.

Have you ever seen a really severe clawing by a house cat?

Have you ever seen a really nasty bite by a medium sized dog?

Having seen the results of both I have to say most (not all) of these rear fanged snakes pose far less risk to child or adult then the typical House Cat or Family Fido.