More new babies...

salt210

Active Member
you have a huge set of 00 my friend. and you have my respect for handling them, well when you finally do.
 

aw2x3

Active Member
Originally Posted by lovethesea
http:///forum/post/3122332
holy mother of gawd!
I don' t like snakes, the only good snake is well .....you know. But every creature needs to have someone love and protect them. (not me....although I am really trying to get over my extreme fear)
I have a question regarding the monster........how will you house him? If you weren't ready for his size, he seems really kinda dangerous and HUGE

As far as those cobras.....how in the hellz do you handle them??
NO.....I have my daughters boyfriend who would probably be a perfect meal.....17 year old 6ft 4ish. PERFECT!!!!

Hey...I'm only about 45 miles from St Louis, lovethesea...you're more than welcome to stop by, any time and check out the babies. lol
My girlfriend likes them just as much as I do, so that makes it easier to keep the collection going.
 

lovethesea

Active Member
Originally Posted by AW2x3
http:///forum/post/3123151
Hey...I'm only about 45 miles from St Louis, lovethesea...you're more than welcome to stop by, any time and check out the babies. lol
.

hmmm.....ummmm.......well........I think I will have to respectfully decline.

 

d-man

Member
so you keeping a 18' snake in a cage that's 8' long x 4' wide x 30" tall! I*'ll bet he makes it look like a shoe box.
Do you live in your closet? I think that's just mean and you should sell some of your other snakes and set up something nice for it if your going to keep some thing like that. I think we all heard about some one that like's big snakes recently. I hope your a bit better, but wonder.
 

crypt keeper

Active Member
Originally Posted by d-man
http:///forum/post/3124608
so you keeping a 18' snake in a cage that's 8' long x 4' wide x 30" tall! I*'ll bet he makes it look like a shoe box.
Do you live in your closet? I think that's just mean and you should sell some of your other snakes and set up something nice for it if your going to keep some thing like that. I think we all heard about some one that like's big snakes recently. I hope your a bit better, but wonder.
simma down now. he just got the snake. Its not like he has had him his entire life. Give things time man.
 

aw2x3

Active Member
Originally Posted by d-man
http:///forum/post/3124608
so you keeping a 18' snake in a cage that's 8' long x 4' wide x 30" tall! I*'ll bet he makes it look like a shoe box.
Do you live in your closet? I think that's just mean and you should sell some of your other snakes and set up something nice for it if your going to keep some thing like that. I think we all heard about some one that like's big snakes recently. I hope your a bit better, but wonder.
Easy there, killer. It's ok to express your opinions...I've been there before. No harm done.
He's in the cage he is now, but when I got him, he'd come from a major breeder who kept him in a 6' long x 24" wide x 24" tall enclosure. In the cage he is in now, he only ventures far enough to drink from his 25gal water source and immediately returns to his heat source.
When I first got into the hobby, I was the same way...I looked at snakes like fish and gripe at people, when they had big snakes in "small" enclosures. Snakes aren't dogs or cats. They don't exercise, etc. They don't do things to work off fat, etc. They sit, drink water, eat, breed and sleep. What I'm keeping him in is actually double what "experts" say is necessary and I'm planning on building bigger, for him.
He'll never be a breeder, for me. I only took him because (to my knowledge), he's the largest MALE Burm in the US, right now...whether in zoos or private collections. I'm already building a temp home, that's 10 feet long x 10 feet wide x 4 feet tall. Eventually, he'll have my old Croc Monitors home, that's 18 feet long x 15 feet wide x 9 feet tall, with a 4' x 6' pond, etc.
I know head reptile keepers, at numerous zoos. I've worked at public facilities with large reptiles, etc. I'm not some newb, just buying up snakes. Even the largest snakes, at major zoos (who have 20' x 20' enclosures) have two spots where they'll sit...in a water source and in a heat source. The plants, mulch/dirt, trees, etc. are just for asthetics, for the visitors.
 

t316

Active Member
Sidenote here...(because I don't want to start a new thread), I finally carried in my Python a couple days ago in exchange for a store credit. She's been at my shop/office for maybe 6 yrs, got her free from somebody that was going to just let her loose in the woods
. I have carried her up to the kids school each year since I've had her and let all the kids hold her and learn.
But, she struck at me twice last week during feeding, and then struck at the glass when I walked by a few days ago. Admittedly, this is my own fault because I have not been able to handle her daily. But, I miss her already
I have come to the conclusion though, that you have to be "all in" with reptiles, or give it up. They are a non-responsive species, they won't go fetch the paper for you, or greet you when you come home....but you damn well better respect them and care for them, and I just couldn't do that anymore for Gretchin.
My kids are pissed at me and don't understand, but....so is life %%
 

aw2x3

Active Member
Good on you, for allowing kids to learn about them. To me, there's nothing better. There's so much of a stigma, that everyone is so afraid of snakes, for really no reason.
Now, keep in mind, before we got Brutus (18' and 214lb), Harley was our biggest snake...and she's pushing 12' - 14', but only about 40lb. I've taken her and our larger albino Burm to my moms day care. Let the kids touch them, hold them and taught them about snakes.
It's just one of those things. Before I got into snakes, I was passionate about two things...I mean, rediculously passionate...that was flying (single and twin engine pilot) and saltwater fish. Now that I've gotten into big snakes, I'll have them the rest of my life. I'm not getting into this to breed and make alot of money...I'm doing it because I enjoy it and it's a passion.
I'll tell you guys what, though...
I handled my female Cobra, for the first time, last night. The male and female were supposed to be shipped in two different containers and they were not. Until last night, they were housed together and fought like cats and dogs (thankfully, when they bite each other, they're immune to the venom). I couldn't keep them together, because they'd fight over food, etc.
I've handled venomous before, but never owned any and never handled in my own home, with other people to worry about. I had Heather standing behind me, to back me up, while I transfered her to her new cage. I handled with a snake tong and snake hook and she got away from me twice. I dropped her and she was no more than 2' from my leg. Luckily, she's calmed down and doesn't hiss or strike anymore. Heather was right with me, telling me to keep it calm, etc.
I got her into her cage, put the hooks down and was shaking like I was a crack addict, having withdrawls.
 

lovethesea

Active Member
oh gawd...............(insert fainting smilie here.......)
I thinking a change of under clothing would have been in order
 

d-man

Member
first off reptiles do have great personality and you can or at least with my tortoises and rubber boa I can get them to come to me and interact if I work with them right. I don't think that comparing to zoo's is that good of a statement and most top breeders are more interested in money that having the creature in it's best mental health. As fare as I know all cold blooded creatures should be housed in a area with a hot spot and a cold spot big enough for at least 75% of the creatures body to be in one or the other so the creature can self-regulate temp.
So you've handled the cobras once and it got way twice? I don't think I would want to be heather!
 

aw2x3

Active Member
Originally Posted by d-man
http:///forum/post/3124873
first off reptiles do have great personality and you can or at least with my tortoises and rubber boa I can get them to come to me and interact if I work with them right. I don't think that comparing to zoo's is that good of a statement and most top breeders are more interested in money that having the creature in it's best mental health. As fare as I know all cold blooded creatures should be housed in a area with a hot spot and a cold spot big enough for at least 75% of the creatures body to be in one or the other so the creature can self-regulate temp.
So you've handled the cobras once and it got way twice? I don't think I would want to be heather!
I do agree with your statements. Weather permitting, I regularly take my snakes outside and let them roam. Them coming to you is not any kind of training or awareness of who you are. Mine will follow me, as well...that's not them coming to me, knowing who I am or because I call them, like a dog.
I'm not a breeder, I'm a hobbiest. I keep my reptiles in the best conditions possible. And no...they don't have a hot spot and a cold spot. They have a basking area and areas for them to get out of the basking temps...so, as you said, they can self regulate body temp.
Comparing to a zoo is a great statement, as they also provide the best care for their animals. They're all about asthetics and natural looking habitats. I'm already planning a natural habitat for my Cobras but by no means is it necessary to have enormous enclosures for snakes. Right now, my baby Retics are kept in 15" long and 8" wide Rubbermaids.
And, yes...I dropped my Cobra. It did not "get away" as you put it. And, I'm glad that Heather has as much passion about the hobby as I do. We always back each other, 110%. I was always in between her and the Cobra and neither one of us were ever in danger.
When you're referring to your pets, you have tortoise and Rubber Boa...nothing even close to the range of animals I keep. It's quite easy for you to keep your animals in cages where only 75% of their bodies take up space, because you're talking about very small animals, compared to some of the sizes of mine. Since aquiring Brutus, he's only utilized about 25% of his 10foot long enclosure, when he's not drinking water.
Not trying to be rude, but trying to compare your experiance with my experiance doesn't even come close to being in the same ball park. May I ask the sizes of your animals, the sizes of their enclosures and pictures?
 

aw2x3

Active Member
HAHA...no. The snakes are always in locked cages. If there are people over, who are interested in the snakes, I'll take them into the basement and let them look. If they want more interaction, I'm always pleased to get a few out.
Heather and I have had people over for parties...bar-b-ques, etc. and some people won't even come into my house, even though they know the snakes are locked up. I greatly respect the wishes of those people and never try to push snakes on them.
 

teresaq

Active Member
Love your new babies, though the cobras do scare me. I have always loved snakes. instead of barbies in my barbies cases, I would go catch garden snakes and keep them in there. Drove my mom nuts.
We had a baby corn snake here the other day. Hubby was weed eating and didnt see it until the last second. It wasnt moving but we could not see any marks. I put it in a small container and it started to come around. It was just stund. We kept it for about an hour and let it go in the yard. It got quite fisty, striking at the side when it saw my hand.
T
 

aquaknight

Active Member
Originally Posted by AW2x3
http:///forum/post/3124757
I handled my female Cobra, for the first time, last night. The male and female were supposed to be shipped in two different containers and they were not. Until last night, they were housed together and fought like cats and dogs (thankfully, when they bite each other, they're immune to the venom). I couldn't keep them together, because they'd fight over food, etc.
Are you sure on this? I watched a special on King Cobras yesterday, in no small part due to this thread
. They were basically following a male and female king around India. Apparently there are one or two rouge males, that were killing the females.
Or is this just a difference between Kings and Monocles? (Not killing during breeding, but being immune to the venom)
 

aw2x3

Active Member
Absolutely positive, about this, concerning Monocled Cobras, anyway. I watched each of them bite each other, numerous times, with no ill effects. Some were just bluff strikes, but a few were full on bites and neither have had any problems.
I've only studied the effects of their venom on humans, not each other...so, I don't have much to add, biology wise.
I got to catch most of that NatGeo show, as well...very interesting stuff.
 

nigerbang

Active Member
Just wondering.. Did the Cobra's come from Diamond?
Glad you have a well laid out plan and everything right in the area in case something were to happen, that way there is no mistake of who put what where..
Hots are nothing to play with..
 
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