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Questions for the experts (cobras, fer-de-lance)
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by Dumas on December 1, 2005
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I am interested in venomous snakes, but certainly not an expert. I have taken several reptile safari trips and have seen some interesting snakes (my favorite being puffies (what I call puff adders)). But most of the time, the locals tend not to be able to answer my questions, so I thought I'd come here.
First off, I was in Botswana, and I saw a large (4-5 feet long) snake in a field. The snake was VERY light gray, almost white, with black eyes, and a cobra-like look to him. The large scales on his head looked cobra-like. However, he was moving very slowly, and wasn't agitated, so he didn't spread his hood (if he was indeed a cobra). Maybe he was about to shed, I don't know. I took video of this snake that I will be transferring to mpeg tonight and posting a link to, but in the meantime, do any of you know if cobras in southern Africa are ever light grey to the point of being almost white? I know it wasn't a black mamba because I saw black mambas there (much to the horror of the local guides who practically pissed themselves when the mambas moved).
Another question: in Costa Rica I pinned and held a juvenile fer-de-lance (around 10-12 inches long). My group studied it for a while, and then we released it. One of the group members asked if the mother would likely be nearby and I honestly didn't know the answer. So it kind of spooked the group. Does anyone know if mother fer-de-lances stay near their offspring?
Thanks in advance for any help, and I will post the video link tomorrow.
Ed
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RE: Questions for the experts (cobras, fer-de-lanc
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by Cro on December 1, 2005
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Dumas: When the juvenile Fer-De-Lance are first born, they begin to venture about and look for food, water, and shelter within a few days.
They might stay near where they were born if they find food and shelter nearby, or they might venture a few hundred yards, or even a half mile, if the resources they seek are scarce.
Their location can change with the seasons also, and because the young snakes have to eat smaller food items than their adult mother, they might live in slightly different habitats.
They are not cared for by their mother at all, but she might be close by if the conditions she likes for her own food and shelter resources also exist in the area.
As far as the African Snake, it could have very well been a cobra. Let us know when you have posted the video or photo.
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: Questions for the experts (cobras, fer-de-lanc
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by GREGLONGHURST on December 2, 2005
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The Cape Cobra (Naja nivea) has a highly variable color & pattern. That may well have been what you saw.
~~Greg~~
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RE: Questions for the experts (cobras, fer-de-lanc
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by Dumas on December 2, 2005
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I was unable to transfer the video to mpeg becaue I couldn't find my Hi-8 camcorder last night, but I'll look for it again over the weekend. Thanks for the replies and I'll post again as soon as I have the video. Cheers!
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RE: Questions for the experts (cobras, fer-de-lanc
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by Dumas on December 23, 2005
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It took me forever, but here's a link to the video of the "mystery" snake from Botswana:
http://www.irishcarbomb.net/Video.html
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the clip.
The snake was around 5 feet long, and was in northeastern Botswana. You'll hear from the video that the guide thought it was a puff adder, but the color didn't seem right and the body didn't seem fat enough, imho.
If anyone can identify this snake from this (somewhat grainy) video, I would appreciate it.
Ed
p.s. While I was waiting for the video to upload I started scrolling through random posts, and I found that there are a lot of varying skill levels here. It scares me that there are novices thinking about acquiring (or have already acquired!) incredibly dangerous snakes likes gaboon vipers, taipans, mojave greens, etc. These snakes are no joke, and taking them less seriously then they should be taken shows complete lack of respect for yourself, your loved ones, your community, your local medical staff, etc. I urge people to really think abut why you would want to own a "hot" (particularly an aggressive and/or unusually toxic one), and to really ask yourself if this is the kind of risk you want to take and the commitment you want to make. Please think things through! Don't be like I was on my first trip to South Africa (when I was 17), searching every crevice for puff adders and black mambas. I even rattled termite mounds trying to scare out mambas. The locals thought I was nuts (and I was). Use your heads, people! You'll live longer!!
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RE: Questions for the experts (cobras, fer-de-lanc
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by Cro on December 24, 2005
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Ed: It is tough to tell from the video, but I am thinking that the guide was right in calling the snake a puff. They can be highly variable in color, and not all of them are extremely heavy. And I seem to see some evidence of the ``V`` like pattern showing along the snakes back. The snake in the video seems a bit to heavy to be a cobra. If you come up with a better photo, please post it.
As far as your second comment about skill levels, you are right that there are some folks who are keeping very dangerous animals and do not have very much experience or training. That would seem to be the exception though. For the most part, keepers seem to be keeping animals that are appropriate for their skill level. Very often, people who obtain animals like mambas realize in short order that they made a mistake, and try to sell the animals to someone more qualified. Some of them are actually honest enough to admit that they made a mistake.
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: Questions for the experts (cobras, fer-de-lanc
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by Dumas on December 29, 2005
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Thanks, JohnZ for the reply. My apologies for the delay in saying so. I never knew puffies could be so variable, but thanks for your expert opinion. I don't have any other media of that particular snake, so what you see is what you get.
As for your comments on the novice issue, I'm glad it's not as widespread as I feared. I just want people to know what they're getting into.
Happy Holidays to all!
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