 | market - home |
|
| market - home |
|
 |
 |
News & Events:
|
Posted by WW on November 27, 2002 at 03:00:47:
In Reply to: N. pallida venom and danger posted by Kevin on November 26, 2002 at 21:10:02:
:Hi,
:I have been looking in to hots for about 1 1/2 years and almost bought a copperhead but backed out. I own boiga's and have caught hots in florida and costa rica ( like water moccasins and bothrops sp.) and was wonering if a red spitter would be easy to keep. Besides its spitting action are these docile? are they easy to keep in captiviy and how dangerous are they who has been bit
:whats the symptoms?
I wouldn't normally recommend a cobra of any description as a first hot. In your case, that would depend on exactly how much hot experience you really have. If you have substantial (i.e., not just prodding one with a hook a couple of times while on holiday) experience of larger Bothrops asper going totally nuts on you, then a cobra probably would not pose any unsurmountable problems.
Naja pallida are variable in temperament, I have seen totally tame captives, whereas others are much more irritable. You might want to consider getting a half-grown specimen that remains quiet and peaceful with its present owner.
How dangerous are they? Very poorly known, surisingly, there are very few cases in the literature. *In general* African spitters have venoms which, in man, have a primarily necrotic mode of action. You are very unlikely to die, but you will have the pleasure of watching large patches of skin rot away, and spending a few weeks or months having skin grafts. Of course, the same could happen with any pitviper.
As to the best beginner cobra, it depends on how much you hate wearing goggles. Something like a N. kaouthia, that does not normally spit, might be a better choice, in that you will be abel to deal with it in a less encumbered manner, but then, a bite is far more likely to land you in a respirator (as well as with the same horrendous necrosis), or, in the basence of a respirator, in the morgue. One of the secrets of working with spitters is to cool down your reptile room before playing with it - the snake will be calmer, and you will sweat less,a nd thus your goggles won't mist up. Being blind while playing with a cobra is seriously maladaptive.
Just a few thoughts.
Cheers,
Wolfgang
