what would be a good path for a soon to be high schooler...

[neubauer geckos]

...that wanted to milk snakes for a living?first of all,is this even possible,or is it more like a hobby?second,i am 14 in 8th grade,almost going to high school,and i was wondering what classes i should take and what colleges i should try to get into and what classes for when i am in college?is there anyone here who is does this,or something similar?thanks,any help is greatly appreciate!

 

[BGalloway]

Hi,

I don't know how much help this will be; it isn't advice for "soon to be venom milker" but more general advice. Let me preface this by saying I'm graduating from college in two weeks so I've been through this, but lack the real world experience of some older members of this forum.

You can make a living out of just about anything. You just need to find your niche, network, and be willing to put in the effort it takes.

What classes should you take? Well, probably sciences. I mean if you want to look at venom from a chemical, biological, and physiological perspective. A lot of colleges want you to be well balanced, so don't neglect your other classes. Also, take some just-for-fun classes if you can fit them in, “all work and no play" is not a good idea.

What colleges should you try for? Well, you have four years to figure that out. You need to find the college you want to go to on your own, don't go to a college just because someone on the internet told you to. Talk to your school advisor and your teachers, and get their opinions on what makes a good college and where they went. As we tell prospective students, college is what you make of it; you need to be the one to take advantage of the resources offered at your school wherever you go. Honestly though, four years is a long time, don't stress over it now; you can start looking at schools and tell your advisor about them, but don't obsess over it.

What classes when you're in college? Probably some strong chemistry and biology courses, try and get a herp class, if you like venom in general maybe take some invertebrate bio courses. Most colleges make you take classes in different departments so, again, look for some fun classes.

This is for college and high school years, volunteer! People you work for know other people, and the people you work for may write you letters of recommendation, to the people they know! This is networking, it is a vital tool. They might also know that so-and-so is looking for people to work on project X but hasn't advertised this job opportunity yet; they also know you are competent and hard-working and might recommend you for the job.

The above being said, you're 14, even if there was a local opportunity working with venomous animals you probably wouldn't get it due to liability reasons, do not be discouraged, start "small", just work with reptiles. Then as you gain experience and age more opportunities will be available to you.

Also, related to the above, you're interests might change, so keep your education general and well rounded so if one door closes another opens. Basically keep your grades up and do your best.

Good luck.

 

[blazethegecko]

if your 14 you should not get a venomous snake your not old enough what if you got bit i say stick to constrictors

 

[rickmoss95]

i have kept 17 species of venomous reptiles, so my opinion should hopefully at least show you that im not just someone trying to talk you out of this. first off, in my opinion you are a little too young to work with any hotts...anyone letting you do so before you turn 18 will get into serious trouble if you are bitten. i think you need to get a few years experience with non venomous animals first! it is not a matter of "if" you get bitten, but "when" you get bitten! google some snake bite photos and look really hard at them. this is not something to do just to be cool! this is a VERY SERIOUS endeavor! if you really want to do this, do it right and get alot of experience with other snakes first. i worked with alot of species for twelve years before i got my first venomous snake. once you do have some experience, get with a PROFESSIONAL venomous keeper and have them mentor you and teach you how to do this RIGHT!!! i wont tell you "dont do this"....but i WILL tell you "dont do this untill you are ready"...i have known people who have worked with venomous snakes for twenty years, and they made one mistake and got bit! you cannot lose consentration for ONE SECOND or you are nailed. just realize how serious this is before you jump right in.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

As a minor, there are a multitude of legal issues, which may very well include jail time for anyone who would even allow you to handle any venomous snake. As Rick said, spend years keeping other snakes and gain experience, which includes being bitten by boas, etc.

It's not a matter of if, but when........... just one careless mistake made when one is so comfortable handling hots..........

 

[rickmoss95]

fl_orchid hit it on the head in his last statement! once you get comfortable, you can get careless. i know i almost got lulled into a false sence of security once with my gaboon vipers, because they are just so mellow and slow moving...untill a friend of mine brought over a small rabbit (live) to see how potent the venom really was in these guys. i didnt really want to feed live, but after some begging and him saying, "dont you wanna know how long it will take" ....and some bribing, i gave in and tossed it in there. that rabbit no more than hit the ground and that gaboon nailed it (WAY further away than i thought it could!!! AND LIGHTNING FAST!!!!) and he hung on!!! chewing the venom into the rabbit for what seemed like forever(probably only a second or two)...and when he let go...the rabbit didnt hop away, it pretty much dropped where he let it go and lay there twitching. it was dead in under a minute! it was a real eye opening moment for me! i have always been very professional and careful, always use the proper tools...but after seeing that, just say i was even MORE careful!!! and i never fed another live feeder to a venomous either, or anything else for that matter(never have since i was about fourteen)...i knew they had an incredible strike speed, but it was soooo fast, it was just a blur, LITTERALLY! they never struck at frozen thawed, not even when babies, my gabbys always just kinda opened their mouths and gently took the feeders(almost pollitely) so let me tell you from experience, never get comfortable!

 

[M_surinamensis]

You guys are aware that the first two posts in this thread are over a year old, right? It was dormant until Blaze there popped it back up a month and a half ago... and then dormant again until Rick bumped every damn thread in the venomous section this morning, writing responses to old topics. Some of them even directed at members who haven't logged into the site in over a year.

 

[rickmoss95]

oops! didnt pay attention, but i will respond on any forum i feel like posting on...buddy

 

[Alex G]

if your 14 you should not get a venomous snake your not old enough what if you got bit i say stick to constrictors

One of the most meticulous, careful venomous keepers I know just turned 17 this year, and has been keeping hots since he was 13. He doesn't allow anyone into his snake room except him because he's so paranoid of people messing with or getting too comfortable around his crotes.

One of the most frequently tagged venomous keepers I know is over 30. Age is not necessarily reflective of experience or cautiousness.

That said, I think the first response to this thread should have been the end of it. Excellent advice for anyone just beginning their "real" education, regardless of their intended major.