The Right First Hot

[MustangRde1]

What is a good first hot is a question I here and read all the time?

Many people say a copperhead makes a great starter. This is something I would say as well but after thinking about it and what happens to many other reptiles when people get tired of them I now find I must change my opinion.

A good first hot should be someone else's! Why simple because as we have seen and heard all to often when a person buys something and then decides to move on to something else the first animal gets neglected. They also can decide they no longer want it and release the animal. This can cause many problems and bad press when they become invasive to an area or region. Also they may not survive and all the person has done is kill an animal, or worse introduced in to a wild population decease that can destroy the wild stock.

What can you expect in training? Knowledge and insight of someone who has kept the animals you want to have. Safety in handling and working with them. Making a good friend who down the years can help you when you need a second set of hands.
{ So you want to get trained http://ivrks.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=17 }

Finding a person who has the species you wish to work with and keep then becomes your best first hot. You can learn about the proper housing and care of the species you want. Not some animal you feel is a starter to work toward that animal you really want.

Lets face it a copperhead is by no means a cobra and a coachwhip is not even close to a mamba. Yes, you may pick up a few ideas and possibly handling skills but is a copperhead and coachwhip what you really want. Probably not!

Finding a keeper that has those species and can take the time to teach you will prepare you for those animal not some animal with similar traits or an animal that has no similar traits but is just a hot.

Venomous keeping is not hard to learn or even do. However it does require skills and knowledge. { See the Elite Myth http://ivrks.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=66 } It should be our goals as keepers to be responsible to our animals at all time. There can never be enough training or interaction with other keepers to continue to further your knowledge. So before you get your first hot why not take the time to find a person who keeps what you want and learn about that species then get the RIGHT FIRST HOT.

How do you find a keeper to help train you? Local Herp societies are a good place to look. Join one it can only help gain knowledge. Websites are another great place to ask around for people to help you. If your willing to spend the money to buy that animal and keep it alive and well why not spend the time to find a keeper.

[BWSmith]

I have heard many opinions on this subject.

I feel that a first personal captive hot should meet this criteria:
- a species that you have experience with through your training
- a specimen that is established, feeding, and healthy
- a species that youcan care for through the duration of its life
- a species where antivenin and emergency care is readily available
- a species with uncomplicated husbandry (i.e. not a specialized feeder or in need of extraordinary environmental requirements)
- a species that has emergency protocols readily available
- a species that is generally considered non-lethal
- a species that is commonly kept by venomous herpetoculturists so information is readily available

I have also heard that argument that a Copperhead is not a good first hot because the keeper knows that it is considered non-lethal so may not treat it with the same respect as a Canebrake (for example). This question is always a catch 22.

[JuliusSqueezer]

I still love my copperheads. The problem with them isn't that people get tired of them so much as when people around town find out you keep them then you suddenly have tons of them dropped off in your lap (figure of speach) or calls to come get them. They are still my favorite vens and likely always will be but I always have extras lol.

	Venomous Reptile A term commonly used to refer to a venomous reptile. Most commonly used in reference to venomous snakes.

[Ed_r]

You really think people are less careful with a copperhead for that reason? k so it probably won't kill you, but that would be one heck of a painful bite, and still a good posibility to lose a finger or something isnt there?

i dont know, but for me yeah id probably chose a copperhead or a pygmie, for the sole reason that it probably wont kill me if i made a mistake. but i surely wouldnt go free handling them cuz i think i wont die.

Course maybe everyone isnt sensible like most of us.

[BWSmith]

The term "It's ONLY a Copperhead" is spoken far to often.

[Ed_r]

true. i always took it as how some people see boas, as in so many of them around that they are considered common. You obviously have more experience with how it is meant.

[lethargiic]

that's a awesome post on hots...thou i know i'll never have one...im just too chicken to do it... pffft.

I just wish ppl would stop going out and buying a snake for show n tell then get rid of them when they cant afford to keep them or get bored with 'em. Its just sad to know that where i live, there are more non-native species of snakes than anywhere else.

I would so love to find out who dumped the 8ft burm near one of the most busiest streets here in melbourne, from a while back..and just strangle them for getting the snake in the first place, because they couldnt afford to keep it. how lame of an excuse can that be??

	Venomous Reptile A term commonly used to refer to a venomous reptile. Most commonly used in reference to venomous snakes.

[MustangRde1]

That burm and all to many more. They have caught roughly 8 in the last 6 weeks in south florida. They are breeding very well down here. You can go to TCPalm.com and seee a few of the ones that have been caught lately just type in Snake in the search engine.

[lethargiic]

holy wow! yeah its a common thing here on the space coast. I hope that when i get the money, resources and space in the future that I can set up a snake rescue of some sorts here, I know that serpent world in kissimmiee will take venomous snakes in but im not sure of the non venomous ones.....
I know the zoo will take rescues but i dunno im kinda indifferent about brevard co.

[MustangRde1]

Unfortunately Zoos as a rule do not take in animals as they are already full or do not want to introduce an animal that may have parasites or decease that could destroy their collections. As bad as it is most the animals that are taken in are quickly put down. There are a few rescues in your area but even they have limited resources.

This is why i get so #$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^& off when i hear pet shop employees selling young cute burms and retics to kids and their unsuspecting parents and not telling them how large they will get in a short time. I have a monacl cobra that is just now 1 year old and is 4 foot 10 inches long. that is nothing in compare to a retic that in the same year could be 8 feet or more.

Just as an example you can look at the FL Invasive list. It needs to seriously be updated but you can see its very long even at its last update

http://www.wildflorida.org/critters/...asp?taxclass=R