local pet shop.

[Lulu Bennett]

sorry guys but im going to burst if i dont tell you. I saw and stroked a cobra the other day when i went to the pet store lol it was great it was a very pale colour and absolutly beautiful lol i also held a hog nose looked ugly and quite wierd face but was really chuffed. i also held another snake but i cant remember the name...it was about 3foot long and had very cool eyebrow shape i fell inlove with it and really want it but i cant :( but i really enjoied it lol :D

[Stefan-A]

Well congratulations! :D Describe the mystery snake. Venomous or non-venomous?

My local pet shop is lamer than ever before. One corn and one "kitty". I think they had a leopard gecko as well. But most of their terrariums are empty. They have good service, though. :)

[Lulu Bennett]

the mystery snake was as i said about 3ft with a pale belly but black spots about an inch diameter the top of it was dark with pale blotches on it. the face was quite more like a garter than a python it was quite slender body with the eyebrow scales quite thick and raised.
if i remember rightly it was a ....forrest..... well it had forest in it lol

[Serpentine99]

How did you stroke a cobra? Was somebody holding it?

[adamanteus]

Lulu....your local pet shop allowed a complete novice to walk in off the street and stroke a cobra?:rolleyes: Are you sure? I think someone might be kidding with you there!:)

[Thamnophis]

I cannot imagine why someone who works in a pestshop would allow someone else to stroke a cobra.

[Stefan-A]

the mystery snake was as i said about 3ft with a pale belly but black spots about an inch diameter the top of it was dark with pale blotches on it. the face was quite more like a garter than a python it was quite slender body with the eyebrow scales quite thick and raised.
if i remember rightly it was a ....forrest..... well it had forest in it lol
Was the head anything like the one on Malpolon monspessulanus?

[Lulu Bennett]

stefan the face is very similar to that but there wasnt the hood over the eyes but the forehead was the same.

the cobera was in a box. it belonged to someone but they were on hols so they took it in for the store to look after. apparently with this type the venom was not strong enough to cause serious damage. and also that a licence wasn't needed to keep one. same with the hog nose. he said that the bite from that would be like a bee sting.

[Lulu Bennett]

Lulu....your local pet shop allowed a complete novice to walk in off the street and stroke a cobra?:rolleyes: Are you sure? I think someone might be kidding with you there!:)

i dont know but i was quite chuffed! :(

[enigma200316]

I'm not an expert but I didn't think there was a Cobra or a snake in the Cobra family that didn't pose a danger if bitten:confused:

[drache]

I'm not an expert but I didn't think there was a Cobra or a snake in the Cobra family that didn't pose a danger if bitten:confused:

from what I understand, those snake charmer guys in India get bitten all the time and develop tolerance pretty quickly
I'm assuming they only have opportunity to develop immunity, because the first bite doesn't kill them
so I imagine, it's not the most deadly venom there is
of course this sort of occupation runs in families and perhaps there is some genetic immunity as well

[Stefan-A]

from what I understand, those snake charmer guys in India get bitten all the time and develop tolerance pretty quickly
I'm assuming they only have opportunity to develop immunity, because the first bite doesn't kill them
so I imagine, it's not the most deadly venom there is
of course this sort of occupation runs in families and perhaps there is some genetic immunity as well
Well, in addition to the usual tricks of cutting out the fangs on a regular basis and sewing the snake's mouth shut. :mad:

[adamanteus]

apparently with this type the venom was not strong enough to cause serious damage. and also that a licence wasn't needed to keep one. he said that the bite from that would be like a bee sting.

Then it wasn't a Cobra Lulu, all Elapids require a Dangerous Wild Animals Licence, and all Cobras are dangerously venomous. Sorry, Lou, sounds like it was something else!:o

[Stefan-A]

Maybe it was a Coluber najadum. ;)

[adamanteus]

from what I understand, those snake charmer guys in India get bitten all the time and develop tolerance pretty quickly
, it's not the most deadly venom there is
of course this sort of occupation runs in families and perhaps there is some genetic immunity as well

An immunity to snake venom cannot develop in humans, quite the opposite.... numerous 'minor' bites over a period of time actually make us more vulnerable. As Stefan says, the 'trick' is to rip the fangs out, sew the mouth shut and, more recently, to surgically remove (or laser) the venom glands. Nice.:mad:

[Stefan-A]

An immunity to snake venom cannot develop in humans, quite the opposite.... numerous 'minor' bites over a period of time actually make us more vulnerable.
I had completely forgotten about that. :)

[CrazyHedgehog]

it wasn't a 'false' cobra (Malpolon moilensis) was it? looks the same, venemous but harless to humans?

[adamanteus]

I suspect it might have been Hydrodynastes gigas. You do see those in the pet trade occasionally. Despite the 'common name' they are not related to the cobras.

[enigma200316]

I just wanted to say sorry Lulu, it sounds kinda like an attack against you, but don't take it that way, its more like an education......:D

[adamanteus]

It certainly isn't an attack! Why would we? We're merely pointing out a few facts. Anyway, I've met Lulu...trust me, she can stick up for herself!:eek:

[enigma200316]

I didn't mean it was an attack! I was just saying how it kinda sounded like it, the way we (myself included) started questioning the idea and stuff...
nothing against any one I just wanted to say sorry for it sounding that way, thats all.....:(

[drache]

An immunity to snake venom cannot develop in humans, quite the opposite.... numerous 'minor' bites over a period of time actually make us more vulnerable. As Stefan says, the 'trick' is to rip the fangs out, sew the mouth shut and, more recently, to surgically remove (or laser) the venom glands. Nice.:mad:

okay
I'm confused
I do remember seeing a documentary that indicated that some of these guys are genuine and do develop tolerance
also there was a guy who milks snakes (venom for anti-venom) and he acquired tolerance for a large number of snake venoms by systematically injecting himself with small doses, starting with a relatively mild venom and adding in others over time
he said that it doesn't give him immunity, but a lesser severity of response when he does get bitten
I wouldn't venture to guess what sort of side effects a regular administration of mixed venoms would have on one's liver and renal system, but he looked pretty healthy

[adamanteus]

I haven't seen that documentary, Rhea. But I'm pretty sure I'm right about this, that we humans cannot build up a resistance to snake venom, and in fact numerous bites actually lower our ability to recover from subsequent bites. I presume this is species specific, as different species produce such widely differing venoms.

[Stefan-A]

I definitely remember hearing somewhere what James is saying here, that we can't build up a resistance. But I tried googling for some answers and it seems indeed to be possible to build up a resistance. Maybe it's more a question of amounts injected. Artificially building up a tolerance seems to happen through injection of very small amounts, and that shouldn't be nearly as big a shock to the body as being injected with the amounts of venom associated with a bite. If somebody has more info, I would definitely like to hear about it.

[Lulu Bennett]

lol Rhea that sounds pretty messed up if you ask me lol
it could have been a false cobra i guess and i have just heared cobra lol sounds like something i would do but i was still pretty chuffed i saw a hog nose lol.
Oh and as james said if i thought i was being bullied i would have bullied back lol as you have probably noticed i can bite back and sometimes just because i have taken it the wrong way lol but i know you guys are just trying to educate me so i am not as gulibule next time lol :o :rolleyes: :D

[adamanteus]

I would also like to hear more, if this is the case.

If it is true, it begs the question "why use horse serum, which is potentailly as dangerous as the venom itself, if serum could be derived from an animal more closely related to ourselves?"

[Stefan-A]

False cobra.. does it belong to the genus Pseudonaja, James? ;)

[adamanteus]

False cobra.. does it belong to the genus Pseudonaja, James? ;)

Mmmm, sounds likely!:rolleyes:

[Stefan-A]

Well at least it sounds logical. ;)

[drache]

I would also like to hear more, if this is the case.

If it is true, it begs the question "why use horse serum, which is potentially as dangerous as the venom itself, if serum could be derived from an animal more closely related to ourselves?"

the animal whose tissues are most closely related to ours would be pig
I'm not sure whether that's true for their serum as well
and as to whether that's safer than horse . . .

I'll try to remember what documentary that was
but I bet when Rick comes back, he'll know all about how it works

[adamanteus]

He probably will. He's studied toxicology.

[drache]

He probably will. He's studied toxicology.
precisely my thinking

[KITKAT]

the animal whose tissues are most closely related to ours would be pig
I'm not sure whether that's true for their serum as well
and as to whether that's safer than horse . . .

I'll try to remember what documentary that was
but I bet when Rick comes back, he'll know all about how it works

The animal whose tissues RESEMBLE ours most closely is the pig. But the animal whose tissues are most closely related would be the Chimpanzee. The Chimpanzee shares 99% of the same DNA as a human. That mere 1% makes the difference!

[drache]

The animal whose tissues RESEMBLE ours most closely is the pig. But the animal whose tissues are most closely related would be the Chimpanzee. The Chimpanzee shares 99% of the same DNA as a human. That mere 1% makes the difference!
it seems they have found that pig tissue is compatible with human tissue for transplant purposes with very low rejection problems
apparently it works better than the tissues of our closer relatives
don't know much more about it than that

[KITKAT]

it seems they have found that pig tissue is compatible with human tissue for transplant purposes with very low rejection problems
apparently it works better than the tissues of our closer relatives
don't know much more about it than that

OINK!:rolleyes:

[enigma200316]

hahaha!! thats what I say too............:D