Does anyone else like Sidewinder rattlers? I find them so fascinating! Definitely a snake I'd love to own, if I had the experience and guts.
Cornyguy, in your first post you simply stated that you want to handle. Handle meaning hold? Now when handling a venomous animal of any sort your primary focus should be safety for yourself and the animal. Studying them should be done at a safe distance. iloveherps, maybe you'd like to give details to support your answer? Keep this debate up, I'm enjoying it.
I dated a guy whose job was to do a class lesson on venomous snakes. He had lots of them and would have them out all the time, but he had all this gear he would wear. And handled tham all everyday to keep them socialable and to do a basic chekup on them. He is who I learned how to remove venomous snakes from my yard from. That is why I always get called for every snake that is in the yard, for ID and removal. And it the men of the house who call me to the resuce. It so nice ti be needed. But he has copperheads, rattlers, water moccsains, a couple of others I don't rememeber but just about every venmous snake on the east coast along with a few others. And one of the things he would do is go in a pit he set up for his little show and tell thing and have like 12 of the snkes in there with him ( it was a huge pit with very high walls , very tough thick gear) and he would give lessons on the snakes to school classes. Each snake would have thier own little picec of space with thier own hide water soruce. It seemed to work , well at least while we were dating. I think he still does it.
I want to help people who have been bit by venomous snakes by collecting(milking) their venom, to make anti-venom. Which requires handling. Also to just study them as a biologist.
Whoops, I forgot about this this thread, yeah i'm like the rest of get bitten, too scared.My sister is ginger and I can see where your coming from! Also when i'm older I know I want to be a herp vet, I've known for years but it's hard to get into vet school in england, but my grades are oing in the right direction except for maths,lol, I hate that subject.So hopefully i'll add to that rare breed of herp vets.
