I like in New York, i want to buy a venomous snake, am unable to unless i have a licence or whatever. How do i get one ? Goal- Gaboon Viper
Have you handled venomous snakes before? Gaboon vipers are gorgeous snakes indeed, one of my favorite species of all time = ) but they are also extremely...extremely dangerous. Don't take this the wrong way, but preparation is vitally important when dealing with Hots. I don't want to sound like your mother, but even the most experienced keepers get bitten and even die from the snakes they have raised. Snake bites in captivity are ALWAYS 110% avoidable, it is ALWAYS keeper error if you get bit. Take the time to find somewhere near you who keeps Hots and ask them to teach you the art of handling and housing them safely...many venomous keepers appreciate the idea of you learning from them and they will gladly take you under their wing and mentor you. Even if its not a Gaboon Viper they have, safely handling other venomous (and non-venomous) snakes is experience you need to keep these guys. Try asking at shows, herp clubs, and forums for keepers who own Hots and see if they will let you check things out in their home/facility. I think a member on here named Klik is from NY, and I know for a fact he owns venomous snakes and I'm fairly confident he owns a Gaboon Viper to boot.... you could try shooting him a message although I haven't seen him post in awhile. It's also important to inform hospitals near you that you have a particular exotic venomous animal along with your information so that they can keep anti-venom in stock for you as a 'just in case' scenario. Don't let this act as a sort of false safety net, though. You can never be too careful - its when people get cocky, take shortcuts, and become over confident in their abilities with snakes that they get bit. I'd consider bringing it up with your insurance too... The reason I mention this is not only for your safety and the animal's safety, but for the sake of the hobby as a whole. The media is our worst nightmare, and everytime someone does something careless or isn't prepared to keep an animal it ends up smacking all of us in the face. When a keeper gets bit by his venomous snake, or god forbid it bites someone else, they eat it up. There are already laws being pushed to ban the keeping of many non-venomous snakes and pythons in the US, we need to keep a steady supply of smart and prepared keepers for every reptile if we want to keep this hobby alive. Now, to your primary question: you need to check with your state and local laws to ensure that they are even legal to keep at all, permit or not. Sometimes they are illegal all together, sometimes a permit/license is required, and in some areas it might even be possible to obtain them without any paperwork (highly unlikey, if possible at all). Give your Fish and Game/Wildlife agency a call and see what the requirements are or if they can point you in the right direction to getting what you need. Often, verification of experience with Hots is required for a permit to begin with, so I'd consider finding someone in your state with venomous and trying to learn from them to begin with...not only for your safety and experience, but also for the permit (they would obviously know permit requirements for the state if they own Hots).
>Lives In New York >Wants to own Bitis Gabonica >Has no Idea how to own one >Can't spell Hmmmm. I smell I troll, but I will give you the benefit of the doubt. My advice is, don't be dumb. Unless you're a Herpetologist (Which you're obviously not) do not attempt to own [death] itself. Think about it, do you honestly think you will be able to hold it...? No. You're going to be too afraid to hold it seeing how Gaboon Pit Vipers will lash out with their 2 inch fangs and kill you. P.S. They named the snake after a "Baboon" because they ambush their prey with ease. -Justin Bunts 15+ years of experience.
Let's not jump to conclusions just yet - no need to scare anyone away if they may legitimately be asking for help. It's possible the OP is simply very intrigued by this species of snake and *thinks* he may want to get one. The best thing we can do is tell him everything he needs to know in order to properly prepare himself for the dangers he is potentially getting into. Experience with Hots is REQUIRED before even thinking about owning one. We have to respect that some people want to keeps Venomous animals... some of us think its wrong but then again, who are we to judge? I could tell you hundreds who have said to me "Why would you EVER want to keep all those snakes!?" Yes, I realize we are talking about something that is now VERY dangerous and truly life threatening, but knowledge is power...the OP is seeking knowledge. My advice: I've been keeping reptiles for a long, long time. I've been keeping a LOT of snakes and have worked with a lot of snakes...and there are still scenarios where I mess up and nearly get tagged due to misinterpreting body language or having too much confidence. These are just non-venomous that have bit or nearly bit me, and I'm very experienced in keeping and handling them. I would never own a venomous snake for that personal reason: they are simply too dangerous and best left for the 'pros.' Experience is everything, and many permits actually require somewhere in the ballpark of 1000 hours of documented apprenticeship under a certified Hot keeper. There are plenty of other non-venomous snakes that are beautiful to keep and make much better captives. My advice is to seek someone with experience, get a lot of experience, and start with non-venomous animals before even considering the idea. It's not worth dying over a 'cool' pet, and these are animals that should NEVER be considered as a first pet snake or reptile...
Oh I know man....That's why I said I would give him the benefit of the doubt. Long story short, If he has no knowledge about venomous snakes, it's not a good idea to own one.
Hey, I am the one who took your nic boa.... message me on facebook and I can go over it with you. Or even call. I can give you the pros the cons and the run down of the steps
