Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby matthew.reynolds9 » Sun May 06, 2012 11:49 am

Can anyone give me some advice on choosing a cobra!?
I have a white lip tree viper on display but have been wanting a cobra for along time now and dont know what or where to get it!
Something about the albino monocled grabs my attention but i also love the red spitters!?!?
Should i vere away from spitters?
advice please guys
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby it_bit_me » Sun May 06, 2012 12:57 pm

How old are you Matthew?

If you consider a Shield-nose or Coral -Snake a cobra it would be best to keep those. They will not end up being 1.5 meters long and they have just as much attitude.

If you do end up with a real cobra it would best be a indigenous snake with antivenom being available. Rinkhals are a good to great snake but they spit a lot and you wouldn't' want a snake that makes the cage window dirty all day.

In most cases I like to sway anyone stupid enough to ask such a question but if your mind is made up go for it. Get contacts for an emergency and some proper handling tools.
If I'm gonna be an old, lonely man, I'm gonna need a thing, you know, a hook, like that guy on the subway who eats his own face. So I figure I'll be Crazy Man with a Snake, y'know. Crazy Snake Man. And I'll get more snakes, call them my babies, kids won't walk past my place, they will run. "Run away from Crazy Snake Man, " they'll shout!”
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby matthew.reynolds9 » Sun May 06, 2012 6:11 pm

Okay thanks for the advice...
Im 22 years old and have had snakes since a very young age..
Not rushing into anything but trying to weigh up my options..
Have always wanted a cobra!
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby Whitelipp » Sun May 06, 2012 8:03 pm

Mathew getting a cobra is a not a joke mate, believe me. They are fast, aggressive and smart animals. Im not saying they build rockets but they are not stupid. Before you go any further even thinking of getting a cobra of any kind I would suggest doing a snake handling course. The fact that you have been keeping snakes for long does not say much. And a snake doesn't care if you have 1 or 10 years experience, they dont care if you have a "qualification" they will you any chance they get.

So arm yourself with handling experience and keeping experience of other hots (venomous snakes) before getting something like a cobra. I started off with a whitelip as well. Then went on to horned vipers, then I got a snouted cobra, how ever I did my snake handling course when I got my whitelip and I was working as a ranger at the time so exposure to cobras were regular. I had a good mentor as well.

Once again keeping a cobra is no joke, keeping an exotic cobra as a first cobra is a mistake... People always told me its no if you get bitten its when. I laughed it off cos I was like yea right what ever. And well I have been bitten before and its no fun.
Educate yourself first... Remember knowledge is power.
Dont bite, strike!!!!

Dont keep it real, keep it EXOTIC!!!
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby spinnerak » Sun May 06, 2012 11:44 pm

I-B-M ! Dude, I got rapped on the knuckles for a post about free handling a night adder, I am ashamed at you dude, this kid clearly wants one for the WOW factor. He just wants to impress his friends..... Out of all the snakes he has kept, he only mentioned a WLTV, that has suspect written all over it..... Cobra species are not to be mucked about with..... Dude, if you don't know what you are doing, stay the hell away from any cobra.... Till you know what you are dealing with... Just my 2 cents
"Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac."
George Carlin.
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby it_bit_me » Mon May 07, 2012 1:09 am

The problem is all the petshops and keepers supplying the kids. Seems like most keepers are after the WOW factor these days.

Matthew sorry ,this post isn't meant to be mean. Have you considered keeping a false water cobra?
If I'm gonna be an old, lonely man, I'm gonna need a thing, you know, a hook, like that guy on the subway who eats his own face. So I figure I'll be Crazy Man with a Snake, y'know. Crazy Snake Man. And I'll get more snakes, call them my babies, kids won't walk past my place, they will run. "Run away from Crazy Snake Man, " they'll shout!”
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby shadowfoot » Mon May 07, 2012 8:26 am

I am with it_bit_me, forget about a cobra for now and get yourself one of the Aspidelaps spp.
The Coral snake is a beautiful thing and a great display animal. They also have the attitude to match any cobra.
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second, is better than living a
dull-grey life for eternity - Jing (King Of Bandits)
A life without gambling is like
sushi without wasabi - Gintoki (Gintama)
I have no fear of losing my life - if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it - Steve Irwin
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby michael » Mon May 07, 2012 9:05 am

I'm sorry but if you are asking this question then you probably aren't ready to have a cobra!
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby Jamster » Mon May 07, 2012 9:35 am

Spinnerak you are not very positive and i think actually quite rude. If you were stupid enough to hold a nightie then great, good for you, but dont judge others when you are no better and dont even know the person or their circumstances.

Note that Matthew has said that he is weighing up his options and not rushing into anything...I think his approach is better than others who would just get the snake without asking others who have kept these snakes.

Matthew I work with snouted cobras, cape cobras, rinkhals, mozam spitters, forest cobras including a monster 3m one and i have worked with red spitters(never again, some of them can really be nasty pieces of work) and all of these are on par in my eyes. Yes they may behave differently but they are all fast, aggressive and very dangerous. As a first cobra, never ever get a spitter, or an exotic. There are many people keeping coral snakes and they are easily available, but i think many would agree that they are nowhere near what a true cobra is like. A coral or shield nose can simply be scooced up or tipped into a container. A cobra on the other hand gives you a run for your money and requires experience with a hookstick.

Get a coral snake by all means, they are beautiful snakes, but in my opinion doing a handling course is a must and get your hands on a BIG aggressive molesnake just for you to practice with. I say this because molesnake can be just as aggressive as a cobra, they both have a descent strike range and they are both large and fast moving snakes.

Good luck :D
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby shadowfoot » Mon May 07, 2012 4:21 pm

Thats why he should get a Coral, as it would not "give him a run for his money".
Shining brightly, even for a split
second, is better than living a
dull-grey life for eternity - Jing (King Of Bandits)
A life without gambling is like
sushi without wasabi - Gintoki (Gintama)
I have no fear of losing my life - if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it - Steve Irwin
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby spinnerak » Mon May 07, 2012 4:39 pm

Jamster dude, this is no pissing contest, yes I got rapped for posting about free handling a night adder and I took it as it came.... The point I am trying to make is that a youngster looking for his first COBRA has not had the opportunity of dealing with them first hand... IMHO that is a recipe for disaster, they are quick and lethal.. And just letting the poor dude loose to obtain any species of cobra is irresponsible.
"Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac."
George Carlin.
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby spinnerak » Mon May 07, 2012 4:43 pm

And the concentration levels of dealing wit a Cobra on the first go is a very challengiing and nerve racking experience, you who claims to have dealt with various species should know exactly what I and many others are talking about so don't be so quick to judge me as being Rude.......
"Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac."
George Carlin.
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby Jamster » Mon May 07, 2012 5:31 pm

Just don't be so abrupt and judgemental. Yes he would like to get a cobra, don't assume it is just for kicks, also don't treat him like a child. People on the forum generally get very hasty with telling people not to get a venemous when they ask what would be best, rather than advising with strong caution.

Sorry firefly but its like telling someone to practice for a moto GP race on a tricycle.
1.0-reticulated python (Ripcord)
1.1-burmese pythons
5.5-brown house snakes
1.0-taiwanese ratsnake
3.8-BCI
1.1-corn snakes
1.2-rhombic skaapstekers
1.0-yellow rat snake
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby shadowfoot » Mon May 07, 2012 5:35 pm

Firefly never commented on this topic.
Shining brightly, even for a split
second, is better than living a
dull-grey life for eternity - Jing (King Of Bandits)
A life without gambling is like
sushi without wasabi - Gintoki (Gintama)
I have no fear of losing my life - if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it - Steve Irwin
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Re: Need help on choosing my first cobra!!!

Postby spinnerak » Mon May 07, 2012 5:47 pm

Jamster, read up on SAreptiles just how many people have been bitten just because they wanted a snake but had no experience in handling them.. Its fine and well taking a certain action in enquiring about them but as soon as the people in question get wind of what might be the best starter cobra, they will go out and get it, not knowing the depth of sh!t they are getting into in thje likely event they get bitten...... We were all young and impulsive once..... Its just a sad fact that some people will only ever be impulsive once in their lives..... Thereafter never again
"Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac."
George Carlin.
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