• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Pythons as Venomous Trainers: meet Oddjob

R

Rakshasanyc

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I'm currently using Oddjob as my training snake for hot protocols. He's a true joy to hook and tail: the loving look in his eyes as he lashes out toward my face always warms my heart. He might not be venomous, but by God he sure wishes that he were.

Here are a few shots of our instructor at his baleful best. And in case you were wondering: yes, he bites.


oddjob011807-2.jpg


oddjob011807-3.jpg


oddjob011807.jpg
 
Please do not take this the wrong way. But this "training" you speak oif is not training. That python is not acting like a hot. it is acting like a python.

The only way to get true training is work with a hot keeper that can train.
 
While I fully agree with Gary, my hooking skills improved 100% (if not more) after getting Mephisto here. ;)

spotlight.sized.jpg


Welcome to the D'Alberts club! :)
 
Donnie Smith said:
While I fully agree with Gary, my hooking skills improved 100% (if not more) after getting Mephisto here. ;)

spotlight.sized.jpg


Welcome to the D'Alberts club! :)
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I wouldn't say that handling a White-Lipped Python without getting bitten prepares you to keep Black Mambas. OTOH, I'd say that the same skillset which will help you to avoid a White-Lip's bite will come in handy when working with a hot snake. Oddjob combines the squirminess of an elapid with the strike speed of a viper and the sunny disposition of a rabid Doberman with a cattle prod surgically implanted in its anus. (If he were venomous, I suspect he'd be on his fifth or sixth keeper by now).

To be more precise: I'm hoping to get in the habit of treating potentially dangerous snakes in a way that minimizes danger for all concerned. Once I've picked up those good habits, I'll be in a much better place for hot-training. (And since I have a few friends with extensive hot collections, I'm pretty sure training won't be horribly difficult).

I've already made a couple mistakes with Oddjob that could have resulted in bites. (i.e. When hooking and tailing an arboreal snake, make sure it can't climb up the hook and go up your arm before you can stop it -- and don't let go of the tail even if you get musked while grabbing). I'd rather get out of the habit of making those mistakes now; while Oddjob's bite hurts, it's nowhere near as bad as even a mild copperhead or pygmy rattler envenomation.

BTW: your D'Alberts is a beauty. If you know anyone who has an adult female Gold Phase (or any age/sex Black Phase) they'd like to part with, feel free to send them in direction.
 
I have had a few people ask me to train. The first thing they say is I worked with this so and so nonvenomous. I tell them forget every single thing about it.

You always have in the back of your head. This bite will not kill me.

FWC are fast but I say they do not train for hots. Why you ask.

Every species is different. In many many ways. I will not hook a western diamondback the same I would hook my boomslangs. I will not hook my boomslangs the same as my mangroves. They all show different signs before a bite also. Then you have a tyhe snakes that show no signs of a bite coming.

But I am very glad to see you taking steps in the direction of training before jumping in head first. MANY MORE PEOPLE SHOULD DO THIS!!! So over all................ Thank You
 
I have a reverse trio of black phase, but the female is more interested in trying to eat the male than to breed with him, so... not yet. lol
 
Gary O said:
But I am very glad to see you taking steps in the direction of training before jumping in head first. MANY MORE PEOPLE SHOULD DO THIS!!! So over all................ Thank You
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For the time being the question is moot. I live in an apartment. While I'm OK with taking risks for myself, I'm not OK with taking those same risks for the children down the hall. If Oddjob truly were a hot snake I would be keeping him in a locked room with every crevice and cranny sealed. Until I can provide that kind of setup I don't want to fool around with potentially lethal animals.

There was a kid on the Bob Clark forums who went from keeping Balls and Boas to his first hot -- an albino Monocled Cobra. After that IIRC he got a couple of Formosas and a baby regular Monocled. The adults were being kept in velcro-sealed Rubbermaids; the baby was in a 10 gallon tank with a screen atop it. Oh, and did I mention they were being kept in his bedroom? And in an apartment complex?

So far he hasn't been bitten: I don't know if I'd want to sell him life insurance, though. And I'd hate to imagine what might happen if one of those Najas gets loose and manages to get out. If he winds up taking a cobra-induced dirtnap it's Darwin in action, but it would suck if the old lady next door wound up paying the price for his stupidity.
 
I'd have to agree with what has been said about pythons, boas ect not preparing you for hots. I know from personal experience. I have owned Adult African Rocks, Anacondas, Burms, Retics, Aussie waters, balls, bloods/short tails, and many more(and never been bitten by anything over 4 feet(an adult male ball was the biggest, but I didnt bother to avoid it, they dont do alot of damage).

I got my first hot (Albino Monocled cobra) after only dabbling in copperheads, and a rattlesnake or two. It was a whole new ball game, the speed and agility she posesses and her ability to move up her own body and the hook are incredible. I definately got way in over my head initially(plus she is an adult female). Not to mention, they seem to know the kind of firepower they have and they dont seem afraid to use it. I have had her for a bit now and definately feel comfortable handling her, but I dont think I would get another species of hot without really working with some others. All in all, I recommend finding someone to teach you and let you handle their hots for a bit first. I was lucky to have not been bitten for getting in over my head as I did. All I can say is as much as I do not regret getting her, (she is gorgeous and has a pretty decent temperment) I do regret my initial inexperience, and ignorance thinking that I was ready for such a challenge. I am only saying this in the hopes that you do not make the same mistake, luck runs out, but no one can take experience away from you. It seems all in all you understand and get the point, but if this thread deters one person from making a huge mistake, more power to it. Take care all, Dan.
 
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