Re: Gaboon Viper

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: : Hi : : I'm a contributing writer to CSUN's daily the 'Sundail'. Currently I am writing a story related to a woman named Anita Finch, 33, Van Nuys who died of a snake bite from her pet Gaboon Viper. : : Having talked to a professor here at college he has given me quite a positive outlook on this particular snake as he thinks it is one of the most beautiful he has seen. : : This woman also had four rattlesnakes, a hognosed sand viper and two copperhead snakes. Apparently other reptiles included gopher and king snakes. : : Shadowing this death was the fact that she did not have any permits for the snakes and, whether she would have been able to get permits is another matter. : : What I would like is the opinion of snake owners and lovers of the issue of having such snakes as pets. Realistically, how safe is it for a person to keep such a variety of snakes as pets? : : From personal experience how do other people react to you having snakes as pets? : : Does anyone have tips on how to handle Gaboon Vipers? : : Does anyone have any statistics on the number of Gaboon Snake owners in the state of Calironia? : : For anyone who answers my questions I am very grateful and, would appreciate if you left your name, the area you live, and the type and number of snake(s) you yourself own. : : I agree that the snakes Anita Finch owned were dangerous but, she seemed to have a genuine passion for them. : VENOMOUS REPTILES ARE NOT PETS : I knew Miss Finch , though did not know that she had non-native venomous : : snakes. The hognosed snake was not a venomous snake : It is not a good idea to keep venomous reptiles. : People who choose to keep venomous snaked usually get nailed. : I've worked with venomous reptiles for 30 years and : have had many close calls and was really lucky. : Every one that I know that keeps venomous snakes has been bitten. : YOU HANDLE A GABOON VIPER and you will get nailed. : They are a short stuby snake and very muscular : and can pull out of your hand and bite before you can move. They are : just : like a rattlesnake. : you can call the Calif. Fish & Game on how many : gaboon vipers are in the state. : I live in the s.f. valley : I have 5 non-venomous snakes and they are for workshops for : the SWHS. : I have lizards, a mangrove monitor : 4 Rhinoceros Iguanas two types : 1 Green Iguana : 1 Green Basklisk : 2 Red Tegus : Reptiles are not pets like cats and dogs. : The only reptile one could call a pet is a : Bearded dragon. They make good pets : or get one of the TY Beanie Babies they make : great Pets.

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