Our nearest pet shop currently stocks copperhead vipers (Agkistrodon contortrix). it's the most beatiful snake i've ever seen. and i'd love to buy myself one. They are fairly cheap. AND YES I KNOW IT'S VENOMOUS! and I KNOW I'M NOT YET A PROFESSIONAL SNAKE HANDLER, but i am used to snakes and i know how to work with them. i've owned many snakes before, but none that has lethal venom. what should i know about this copperhead viper? Housing? Feeding? and what size do they grow to? please help me with all you can. i'll apreciate it so very much.
I've added two links with photos, that looks almost like they one i want to buy myself
http://michaelcravens.com/sitebuildercon...
http://www.gherp.com/gallery/new/norther...
Answers:
Copperheads prefer leafy areas with lots of cover and privacy--you might consider lots of real or artificial plants and multiple objects for him to hide in or under. His primary residence should be at least 150% his length at maximum growth, and wide enough for him to turn around in.
Copperhead bites can be serious, but are rarely fatal. Keep an appropriate first aid kit on hand--endothermic ice packs, lots of ice in the freezer, a large basin to put a bitten limb in and cover it with ice and water, a constriction band, saline or peroxide to wash a wound...and the number for local emergency services.
He'll want live food no more than 1.5 times his own diameter--rats and mice are good. Do not give him to many at a time; if they are left alone with your snake, they will bite him, and possibly cause serious harm. Try giving them a light whack on the head to stun them; they need to be alive and moving, though. Use pinkies for a very small snake.
As a pit Viper, he'll be interested in warm objects. Try turning on his heat lamp and dipping your hands in cool water before putting your hands in the cage.
You might also check on licensing or other requirements in your community; many areas require special licenses to own or handle exotic pets.
Don't get a poisonous snake. What if it escapes and bites you or a family member or another pet?
I just don't understand why people have to have things like that. Is it a man thing? Does it make you feel more masculine?
Housing? Something it can't get out of, like an aquarium with a locking, re-enforced lid.
Feeding? Live prey, rodents, small children, etc.
I don't believe they get any bigger than 6-10 feet.
If you are not a skilled venomous snake handler, regardless of the "cool" value, I recommend not obtaining such an animal. Your town, neighborhood, or residence may not permit you to keep venomous animals, particularly without a license.
I had a friend who caught a couple rattlesnakes and kept them as pets. One of them got out and almost killed his dog.
First of all, you should check to make sure that keeping venemous snakes is legal to do in your state and your community/city and county. Keeping venemous snakes is a very big responsibility, and you should be ready for some serious consequences if you or someone else should be bitten by your pet, if it escapes from it's enclosure, or anything adverse resulting from you decision to keep a venemous snake.
Copperheads, Agkistridon contortrix, are indeed a beautiful and wonderful pit viper. They are closely related to rattlesnakes, but their closest relative is the Cottonmouth or Water Mocassin, Agkistridon piscivorous. Of all of these snake species, the Copperhead has the least potent venom.
However, their venom is haemotoxic, so a bite would be very painful, but seldom lethal. Of course, if you had the misfortune to be bitten in an artery, the venom would be brought directly to the heart. Or if you had a particular allergy to their venom, things could be particularly bad for you.
Copperheads actually make wonderful captives, provided you never touch them. They don't get much larger than 3 and a half feet in length, big ones rarely exceed four feet. They are a heavy bodied pit viper, who prefers to wait in place for it's ambush technique.
Copperheads will readily eat mice in captivity, and because of their heat sensing pits, this is an ideal prey for them. Of course, make sure you pick healthy copperhead. If it doesn't want to eat the mouse, then you have to remove the mouse from the cage, because the mouse will eventually make a meal of the snake.
Housing: an escape proof cage with a hide box and a water dish and newspaper substrate should suffice. Neodesha makes a nice front opening cage made of durable plexiglass and plastic. Get the big one, the three foot model with front sliding glass. It's easy for viewing, cleaning, and maintenance.
One note about handling a venemous snake. Don't touch them. Make sure you get yourself a hook and a pair of tongs, either pilstrom tongs or whitney tongs. Always handle your snake by remote control.
Statistics about people who get bitten by venemous snakes show that they are either trying to handle them, or trying to kill them.
One last piece of advice: think of this question: do i really need to keep a venemous snake?
Copperheads are fairly common were I live and I would never in a million years suggest having one as a pet. It is incredibly irresponsible of this shop to be selling them as such. They are not as bad tempered as some snakes, but venomous snakes are more aggressive than non-venomous snakes, especially the boas and pythons that are most commonly kept as pets. If you are dead set on getting one, first get a big aquarium, because they can get to be as big as five feet long, though most won't get that big. They live in the woods but seem to really like living around ponds. It will like to burrow in dead leaves. You can probably feed it live mice. Copperhead venom is not that toxic in comparison to other posionous snakes, but it can make you very sick and potentially kill you, so you should check with your local hospital and make sure they have anti-venom and have a plan in place about how you are going to get to the hospital if you get bitten. And never ever handle the snake. While you can handle boas, pythons and domesticated rat snakes without distressing them too much, copperheads will naturally bite when touched. You are probably better off just getting a ball python or other small boa with similar marking.
First, I don't have an idea regarding the legality of that pet store to stock venomous reptiles, being illegal in most states.
Second, unless you are suicidal, if you just want stunning colors in a snake, look up the morphs of corn snakes. They are fairly harmless, very tame, and can leave you breathless with their color variations!
Also, they leave you alive...
No way should uyou get one. unless you are a proffesional snake handler or keeper, don't. the only reason you should get one is if it has it's fangs removed. i can understand why you would want to get one, but you shouldn't. think of what would happen if you were bitten! and, venemous snakes are very hard to take care of. if you want a cool looking snake, find a corn snake breeder. corn snakes come in hundreds of different colors. I hope i have helped. Just please, please, please listen to me. DO NOT GET A VENEMOUS SNAKE!
Please take a look at this website and read carefully before you decide to purchase the snake:
http://arachnophiliac.info/burrow/copper...
The copperheads can be de-venomed by an experienced herp specialist.
Copperheads are beautiful snakes . Their bite is only fatal if you have a allergic reaction to the venom but can cause serious tissue damage . I would defiantly think about it and read up on owning one .Heres a good web site with venomous snake forum where you can ask questions http://www.repticzone.com
You would never want to have one devenomed.
Copperheads are NOT for beginners.
YOU are a beginner.
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