Friend wants to get a rattler

Drax · #1 (**permalink**) 09-10-2003, 03:39 AM

hey yall,

i'm going to go to the Columbia hot show this weekend and a bunch of friends are going with me. one of these friends wants to get a rattler.

he already has a copper which he takes pretty good care of. the copper's cage isn't incredibly clean and he feeds it in cage. he's not afraid of the snake, he respects it but he just well...for lack of a better phrase, wouldn't take care of the animal like i would. i'm trying to disuade him from getting a rattler just because he has other herps that aren't kept very well. for example he has a 40gal breeder set up with dirt (yes just ordinary dirt), branches, and philadendrons with 3 species of frogs, a crocodile gecko, a golden gecko (which is starting to thin out), and it used to have 2 other frogs and a crested gecko. in the 3 years i've known him he's lost a pac-man frog, a pistol crab, baby corn snake which shared a cage with a trans-pacos which died shortly before, 2 leopard geckos (or sold them i didn't find out which, i just assumed they died), a crested gecko, a couple frogs, a small colony of fiddler crabs.

as with his other pets, i just don't think he will keep the rattler as it should be kept. any suggestions about how i can convince him not to get a rattler?
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BWSmith · #2 (**permalink**) 09-10-2003, 03:46 AM

Rattlers get MUCH larger and most of the Cortalus sp can be fatal. I would assume he would get an atrox since they are the cheapest and most readily available. Very nasty temperment on many and VERY potent venom. It is late so I will just add this quickly:

Can he house a highly agressive, deadly snake this large?

Is he willing to take this risk?

(photo property of the victim at venomousreptiles.org)
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eddie · #3 (**permalink**) 09-10-2003, 03:48 AM

If you haven'talready, show him this article and let him see what he is looking forward to on a 'bad' day.

Bit by the big one.

Let him cruise around for a while on that site and learn what he can from the articles.

The biggest thing will be himself.
If he is dead set on a rattler,then by golly he will have one no matter how much you talk to him..
You can always try to get him to run out of money before he decides on the rattler.. not too many dealers just give them away. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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Drax · #4 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 04:44 AM

just an update here for anyone who's interested. my friend did get a rattler. a very pretty, very small canebrake. he's put it up in a 20gal tall until he can clean out a 55gal for it. i told him he should keep it in the 20 tall until it got big enough for the 55. but again i don't know if he's gonna listen.

trinitywolf · #5 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 06:20 AM

Man...a canebrake. Nice snake...but I hope your friend doesn't die b/c of his new "pet". Does he realize that the canebrake may have the most potent venom of the rattlers? I guess if he was going to get an timber, getting a canebrake should not be a big step. Dead is dead.
I'm not putting your friend down here, but it sure doesn't sound from what your posting that he has any business with hots. Good luck to him, seriously. I hope he takes great care of his snake and that no one gets hurt by it.

BWSmith · #6 (**permalink**) 09-21-2003, 07:29 PM

Holy Crap! A Canebrake. Talk about jumping in head first and hoping ya dont hit a rock! Since he already has one, I will avoid the melodramatics and get to the point.

Fist off, a Canebrake is one of the largest Rattlesnakes. It can get up to 6 feet and is generally larger than a Timber Rattlesnake. It's venom also varies geographically. So depending on the locale, it could be 24% MORE neurotoxic than a freaking Mojave!!! So what then, use standard Crotalid bite protocol or do you treat it more like an elapid? Very dangerous snake indeed. If I had to choose between a Canebrake or a Diamondback to take a bite from, it would be a Diamondback, that is how hot Canebrakes are! Also, I have personally been on the wrong end of a Canebrake that struck about 110% of it's body length. Not a third. OVER its full body lenght! And this one was over 3 feet! That is a long strike for a 5 footer.

Then for caging. Aquariums are never suitable housing for venomous. Tell him to get a custom cage with vents on the rear. I use Precisions and use a hook to open them. Proper caging is of upmost importance.

Does he have the proper handling equipment? Does he have bite protocols and medical historyon hand? Has he located the nearest AV? Figure a bite from a Canebrake will run about $100K - $200K, hope he has good insurance.

On the upside, most Canes are good feeders, that reduces one risk of force feeding. And they are magnificant creatures.

Since he has one, there is nothing we can do. Just get him active on this forum. We cannot discourage him from getting one at this point, but we can do our best to keep him alive and not becoming a greater danger to himself, others, or the venomous community.

faze · #7 (**permalink**) 09-21-2003, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drax

... for example he has a 40gal breeder set up with dirt (yes just ordinary dirt), branches, and philadendrons with 3 species of frogs, a crocodile gecko, a golden gecko (which is starting to thin out), and it used to have 2 other frogs and a crested gecko. ...

hmm this sounds familiar i think his friend is already on the site lemme see if i can track down his post

RevMojo · #8 (**permalink**) 09-22-2003, 05:52 PM

Yeah, I remember someone posting something like that too Faze. But I agree with BW. It's probably too late now. I hope he does everything he needs to and listens to the advice the experts have to give. And best of luck to him.

hostensteffa · #9 (**permalink**) 09-23-2003, 02:39 AM

I'm not a "hot" guy, but really all that I can say, is you seem like a smart herper with a lot of knowledge and your head on straight. Do your best to at least educate your friend and hopefully he will be okay. You may not beable to persuade him to get rid of it, but you can teach him to properly care for his animals and save his life. Good Luck.

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