Listerine

[Greg'sGarters]

What worries me here is:
Your occupation:Head of Reptilian Department at Wild Discoveries.

But you are 15? Shouldn't you be at school?
I know it sounds like everyone is on your back, but they want you to be safe, I am 45, been keeping snakes for nearly 30 years and I still make mistakes, with some snakes there is no room for mistakes!

Yeah I gotta change that. I used to be the head but the place got shut down. Probably because of legal reasons. I actually ran the reptile, amphibian, arachnid, avian, and mammal departments. I would work on weekends by the way. Plus, some people just learn by self experience, I am one of those people.

[guidofatherof5]

"Hots" are not a self educating thing. Learn from others because one mistake on your own could mean death.

[Greg'sGarters]

I can learn some stuff from someone else. My friend used to keep rattlers, gaboons, copperheads, etc. He is the best I will get. He's the one who said that if I wanted a hot, copperheads were the way to go.

[guidofatherof5]

I question anyone who suggest to a young person as yourself to get a "hot".
I'm not trying to start an argument or cast any disparaging words on your friend but come on....
The only words you should be hearing right now in your life is "No hots", period.

[Greg'sGarters]

Honestly, I'm not sure why this topic is being discussed, I don't have any hots right now, and I'm not getting anymore until I'm at least 18 (More likely 25).

[guidofatherof5]

I can learn some stuff from someone else. My friend used to keep rattlers, gaboons, copperheads, etc. He is the best I will get. He's the one who said that if I wanted a hot, copperheads were the way to go.

Only responding to your post.

[Greg'sGarters]

Only responding to your post.

I honestly think that it is an outdated thread, it is not anyone's fault but mine. But I think that it is apparent where everyone stands with this topic.

[chris-uk]

Yeah I gotta change that. I used to be the head but the place got shut down. Probably because of legal reasons. I actually ran the reptile, amphibian, arachnid, avian, and mammal departments. I would work on weekends by the way. Plus, some people just learn by self experience, I am one of those people.

So you're only not the head of reptiles because the shop was shut down? No wonder the shop shut when they employ a 15 year-old weekend boy to head up a department... And by my reckoning the only animals that you weren't responsible for would have been fish? The shop's website looked quite professional when I looked yesterday. I'm not saying that youngsters can't have some knowledge about snakes, but a decent shop giving that responsibility to a teenager?

As for learning by experience, there are some things which should be learned with hands-on mentoring. And on this I'm with Steve - the guy that told you to start with a copperhead, as opposed to advising you that you shouldn't even be thinking about keeping a hot snake is too irresponsible to mentor anyone.

The reason this thread is still going is because as responsible reptile keepers we owe it to the hobby to make it clear to people who read the thread that there's some stuff in this thread that other youngsters shouldn't think about emulating. In the UK and incident with a minor being bitten by their venomous pet would be reported so negatively in the media that it would certainly tarnish reptile keeping as a hobby (which doesnt have a sparkling image anyway).

[Stefan-A]

And with those words, we end this discussion.