To Elapid or not to Elapid?

[jaspy]

Hey I am considering buying my first ever elapid, at the moment i'm only holding one other snake (monty my spotted) but I've always been intrigued with the more lethal side of herps.


would love some advice on a good elapid to start off with especially for someone who hasn't dealt with them before.

also what there habitat and heating requirements might be.

cheers

 

[HerpBooks]

Hey I am considering buying my first ever elapid, at the moment i'm only holding one other snake (monty my spotted) but I've always been intrigued with the more lethal side of herps.


would love some advice on a good elapid to start off with especially for someone who hasn't dealt with them before.

also what there habitat and heating requirements might be.

cheers

G'day Jaspy,

Elapids are one of best families of reptiles you can keep in captivity. I'm guessing you're from Brisbane, so if you've only just got your first snake, you're still a couple of years minimum off keeping your first elapid legally. This gives you a bit of time to get your experience up safely. You've got two main option to get experience...find a local, experienced keeper who will take you under their wing and show you how to safely work with them, or to partake in some training through a training course.

Habitat and heating requirements are variable among species but aren't too important just yet. Start doing some serious reading and get a nice base knowledge of all the elapid species that are represented in captivity. Knowledge is key!

Cheers

 

[Pitttownboy]

Eastern browns are easy to keep always except food, hardy , can handle warm/hot areas as well as cooler climates. Calm down so not aggressive after while in captivity and they can be lethal

 

[Darwin-boy]

Lol eastern browns can be very aggressive hence killing more people in Australia then any other snake so maybe something different I hear the best beginners elapid is the red bellied black plus it will help with experience in handling larger elapids like the mulga as they do get a decent size... as herpbooks has said knowledge first you still have years before you do legally own one and the last thing you want to do is rush into owning elapids and having it die on you or worse get bitten

 

[marcus0002]

Don't take this as an absolute guide but this is what I have read going through the process myself. There should be more experienced people here that can correct what I have got wrong or omitted. I'm in Brisbane BTW

Easiest way to do it is do a couple of courses. I did my venomous snake relocation course with erd in Brisbane. Its a prerequisite to doing the ven husbandry course. I think you may need to do a $100 first aid course as well, I know you need to for snake catcher permit at least. You then need to have a locked snake proof room in your house to house them in. It has to have a first aid kit with pressure bandages and warning signs with the species common and scientific names.
This is the minimum usually you need to please the ranger. The other thing you may be asked to do is get some experience handling elapids. If you know a keeper who's willing to spend some time showing you the ropes and signing a stat dec to that effect your in. Otherwise a great way to meet people who may be willing to do this is through your local herp society. I believe the QLD reptile society has a facebook page under that name.

Good luck. I am hoping to have my first elapid within a year or so but will see.

 

[jaspy]

Okay cool, thanks for all the heads up, I've been digging up some literature on them recently. It's going to be a while before I can actually start thinking about housing one but I'm going to start getting all my training done now I think, anyone got contacts in Brisbane that I could hit up in relation to all the training?

Also if you could be so kind could you just itemize a list of all the training and certificates etc. that I require to be Elapid eligible.

CHEEERS!

 

[marcus0002]

This is who I did my ven relocation course and who I will do my ven husbandry course with Educational Reptile Displays services include Venomous Snake Handling Courses, a variety of Reptile Husbandry Courses, snake awareness seminars, mobile wildlife demonstrations and constructed snake handling equipment.

 

[Snowman]

I recently got the all clear from our governing body to keep vens.... However I did not get the all clear from my wife

 

[Red-Ink]

I recently got the all clear from our governing body to keep vens.... However I did not get the all clear from my wife

Yep I failed on that clearance too.. even easier to keep them here in Vic as well Would love to have a Colletts....

 

[marcus0002]

My dilemma is the snake proof room. I rent out the spare rooms in my house and to fill one of them with vens means missing out on a bit of rental money plus the risk of scaring off the others. On the other hand it wouldn't take much to get a locked door fitted to the walk in wardrobe.

 

[JM1982]

I recently got the all clear from our governing body to keep vens.... However I did not get the all clear from my wife

Thougt it was just me
Did yours wait till a you finished your research as well... :facepalm:

Ah well. I shouldn't complain, got it pretty good anyway.
(^thats there just in case she is listening!)

 

[Snowman]

Thougt it was just me
Did yours wait till a you finished your research as well... :facepalm:

Ah well. I shouldn't complain, got it pretty good anyway.
(^thats there just in case she is listening!)

No after I got my ven license Needed it to keep an olive python where I live anyway.

 

[JM1982]

Just showed her that post, turns out its not as funny as I thought it was...:facepalm:

-Jay

 

[Hamalicious]

Okay cool, thanks for all the heads up, I've been digging up some literature on them recently. It's going to be a while before I can actually start thinking about housing one but I'm going to start getting all my training done now I think, anyone got contacts in Brisbane that I could hit up in relation to all the training?

Also if you could be so kind could you just itemize a list of all the training and certificates etc. that I require to be Elapid eligible.

CHEEERS!

Mate i did my course through Martin Finland. He used to be a park ranger and now runs a company doing all sorts of reptile training, reptile shows and all things reptile. I did my venomous snake handling course through him (which is the one you need to do).

I can't express strongly enough how highly i recommend him. Not only was he outstanding in the course but he has been nothing but helpful in the year and a half since i did it with him.

If you're interested, or anyone else is, PM me and i can give you his contact details.

Hamish

 

[imported_Varanus]

Hey I am considering buying my first ever elapid, at the moment i'm only holding one other snake (monty my spotted) but I've always been intrigued with the more lethal side of herps.


would love some advice on a good elapid to start off with especially for someone who hasn't dealt with them before.

also what there habitat and heating requirements might be.

cheers

A good start would be "A Guide to Australian Snakes in Captivity-Elapids/ Colubrids", published by "Reptile Publications". Wish it was around when I started out.

 

[reptalica]

I recently got the all clear from our governing body to keep vens.... However I did not get the all clear from my wife

Same mate, u r not alone.

Her reply - venomous snake in, I'm out.

That simple.

Anyways back on topic - going on reputation NO - eastern brown, taipans, mulga's, dugite's,

Possible - tigers, RBB'c colletts.

**Remember a very important piece of information - with a python u get bit u live, with an elapid - different kettle of fish - one small mistake and it could be your last.

Oh and death adder's r an interesting one....not one I'd consider for a first either albeit smallish in size they r super quick and will be onto u before u know it.

 

[Cold-B-Hearts]

if I ever get into elapids my first would be a RBB

 

[JM1982]

Yes, RBB was where I was going to start.

 

[Snowman]

Yes, RBB was where I was going to start.

Lucky! I'd love a RBB. These are the elapids we can keep. Adders are probably our best starter snakes...
Southern Death Adder
Desert Death Adder
Pilbara Death Adder
Tiger Snake
Mulga Snake
Spotted Mulga Snake Dugite
Gwardar

 

[junglepython2]

Adders in my opinion are fine for a first ven, though they will teach you little about the other species.