rear fanaged colubrids

[DavidD]

I will be getting my FWC in november

[JuliusSqueezer]

I guess eventually if you keep posting, you will hear what you want to hear You should keep an open mind that there is a chance that they were right. Maybe you aren't ready? I don't really know enough about you to have an opinion....but... How old are you? Please don't take it personally, but I get the impression that you are young...maybe early teens? I wouldn't necessarily discourage a youngster from keeping a rear fanged snake like maybe a hognosed snake but FWCs and Mangroves can be challenging...especially mangs. Mangroves are tricky to feed...often difficult to feed, typically eat live prey. Both can have fairly volatile tempers at times and stress easy. Stress kills. Neither is a good choice for an inexperienced keeper that likes to handle their snakes a lot. As far as husbandry goes, you should be able to find all you need from google searches and care sheets. Here's a tip for you though, it's a red flag when someone asks for husbandry rather than take the time to look stuff up..or perhaps you have but are giddy about tackling this particular niche and are bragging? In any case, it's a common red flag that any experienced keeper would cringe about. The same goes for any dangerous animal. People that happen in and ask..."What's a good first venomous?" Or..."What's a good first croc?" People who have researched or have put in time with a mentor would already know these things and wouldn't ask such a thing. So...though I may be wrong, I'd err on the side of caution and assume like the others that you probably aren't ready. Not that it's going to bite you and cause you great pain..I couldn't care less if you have a swollen hand for a few days. I'd be afraid you couldn't keep one alive at this point. I'd need to know a lot more about you before I ever gave husbandry advice that might encourage you to go get one. Again, nothing personal. I know every keeper wants to be thought of as the end all be all expert but that mentality undermines those that have put in the decades so if I hurt your feelers, maybe mine get hurt when someone that's had a cornsnake for a few months figures they are as capable as I am after keeping them 35 years Anyway, the only feelings I care about are the ones in the cage. Yours...Mine...They mean nothing to me. The only one that really has anything to lose big is the snake.

[JuliusSqueezer]

I type too slow. I see Owen came along. They are all correct. You can't handle a FWC nor a Mangrove...and God forbid a boomslang lol. Sorry that's not what you want to hear but it's the truth.

[DavidD]

I need to lay down the facts about me.
Im 15
I have been keeping snakes for 4.5 years
I voulenteer at Luray Zoo
I work with Mark Kilby a well renowned hot keeper (43 years keeping hots)
I am used to working with hands off animals
I am a mostly hands off keeper. (of my collection I handle 3 snakes when im not cleaning or showing them)
I belive im ready for a FWC and am pretty sure I could keep it successfully

[DavidD]

I am getting tips as we speak from a member

[DavidD]

I have also studied the history of them. I ask people questions tosee if theres anything i missed.

[Masahiko]

I told you what I know. That doesnt mean you are ready to keep one. JS said it perfectly. You don't paint a pretty picture, so far.

I don't really think a minor should be keeping one, to be honest.

But I guess you aren't here for approval, though.

See, the problem for me is that right now they are not known as deadly. All it takes is one person to be allergic to the bite and now the FWC is a deadly snake, put into a whole new grouping. Maybe that would be best, though. I think as it is now, too many people want a FWC for their rear-fanged status, to look cool, or to "practice for keeping a hot."

[JuliusSqueezer]

Let me lay down some facts.

You have an uncertain future ahead of you. Committing to an animal that you can't pawn off on just any old friend or your parents in a few years when college or military rolls around isn't fair to the animal.

"Hands off" does not apply. It's a myth that inexperienced keepers think is a way of keeping but it's not. Even if you have a nasty 14 foot king cobra, there are times when your hands have to be on. just like anything else, they get stuck eyecaps, mouth rot, worms etc and need medications or treatments. Assuming you can just look at it through the glass and throw a rat in now and then again isn't fair to the animal.

4 1/2 years of keeping the snakes in your sig is not impressive enough to assume you are ready for a feisty, strung out rear fanged snake.

You won't get a quality animal. No ethical breeder will sell you one. This leaves you with basically one option. That's to buy from some unethical sleezy slimeball that doesn't care about the fate of his/her animals.

Being acquainted with and name dropping a hot keeper does not add to your experience level. If he's letting you actually work with his venomous snakes, he's not a very good mentor.

[DavidD]

I am a minor.......with resources im gonna ask mark. see what he says. I am a experienced herp keeper

[DavidD]

He does not let me work with his hots he teaches me things and tells me what a good idea is. I trust him alot