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collecting trip
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by CAL on April 13, 2001
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Going on a small trip to see if I can get a small snake to keep. I have not been on a trip in 39 years, so all the places I used to go are now houses, buildings etc. Any place around New Orleans that I migh go to find something other then water snakes?
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RE: collecting trip
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by filthy on April 13, 2001
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Hi Cal,
There's lots of Cotton (A. c. leucostoma) back up in the bayou. Also Canebrakes and Coppers (A. c. contortrix). C. adamanteus is considered extinct in LA. Just look in the right habitat.
If I may make a suggestion, why not buy a captive-bred animal from a reputable dealer? You'll get a parasite-free snake and not have to go through all the acclimation hassle and so forth. Catch the wild ones with your camera.
A Copper might run you $30,00 and a Cotton about the same. Horridus isn't a lot higher, and adamanteus might go for a little over $100.00. Or maybe a little under, depending. Indeed, there's no limit on what you can find with a little looking around.
wishing luck,
f
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RE: collecting trip
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by CAL on April 16, 2001
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Thank you. I did not make it clear when I asked . I intend to keep something like a king snake or hognose. Something like that. Mostly for the grandkids to look at. While looking around the spillway last Wedsday, I saw 1 Moccasin. and a couple of water snakes. Nothing I wanted, but let me ask you your opinion on this. Looking back 39 years, I see where I was not as cautious with venomous snakes as I thought I was being at the time. I can recall a couple of times that it was strickly reflexes that got me out of being bitten. Althought, I did get bit once with a pigmy rattler. Anyway, I do not feel that I now have the same reflexes as I did then. Probabaly no one has, anyway, the question is, do you feel that the age of the person doing the handling is a factor, because of slower reflexes?. The one time with the pigmy rattler was a case of pure stupity on my part and had nothing to do with actual handling. Thank you again.
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RE: collecting trip
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by filthy on April 17, 2001
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Hi again, Cal,
Of course age has something to do with it! Us old guys are a lot smarter.
I'm 61 and my right hand is arthritic and getting worse. I think it's because of two bites; Southern Copperhead and Eastern Diamondback. My reflexes are also shot. I can barely get out of my own way. These days, I simply don't handle unless I have to and then I use all due caution. But as I do venomous presentations with a small conservation society and problem snake removal that occasionaly involves venomous, I still handle a fair amount. But never unecessarly.
As you've been out of it for a pretty good while, you might be amazed at how many breeders of different species there are. You can purchase almost any rat snake, king, gopher, and others including exotics, that you might want. And unless you want some weird color morph, the prices aren't bad. I've even seen ads for hognosed, mainly westerns. I'd deal directly with a breeder rather than a pet shop. You'll get a better price, and it is a rare pet shop that knows much about herps, although there are a few and some are excellent, if pricey.
I always reccommend a captive bred snake over a wild caught because you will get a healthy animal with no parasites and it will take a tiny bit of pressure off wild populations.
Wishing luck,
f
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RE: collecting trip
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by CAL on April 17, 2001
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Thank you. That sounds like good advice. That diamondback bite must have been something, I remember the Pigmy bit until this day and that wasn't that bad compared to other snakes.
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RE: collecting trip
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by filthy on April 17, 2001
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Yes.....
That bite was a screaming bitch that could well have ended in slow walking and sad singing. Worst part was the happy discovery that I'm sensitive to horse serum. Since then, I've feared AV even more than venom. The new CroFab is supposed to be a vast improvement, but I'm not in any big yank to try it out.
The Copper bite, on the same hand, went untreated. Very nasty and painful, but I managed to keep everything with only a little loss of function in the thumb. I still have effects from it all in that my right arm is weaker and gets tired quickly.
Both of these bites were recieved while heading the snake barehanded. Talk about stupid, eh?
I see no reason why you can't get back into venomous if you should wish to, assuming there are no other factors. Simply be careful in your choice of species and observe all due caution.
Anyhow, wishing the best of luck.
f
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RE: collecting trip
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by CAL on April 17, 2001
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Thank you. Too many kids always around to keep anything with venom. Glade to hear about the new AV.The guy I talked to after being bitten by that Pigmy, suggested to me not to go to the hospital, because at the time, doctors would just give the AV. He had a couple of bites with mocassins and had the AV once. Probably allergic to it and described going through something worst then the bite.He died at few years back when he was well into his 80's and the last time I talked with him he mentioned that after 50 years, he still had a numbness in the tip of a finger.
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