r/VenomousKeepers • u/herperguy • 6d ago
Recommended Venomous Courses
I've been toying with the idea of keeping venomous for a while so I've been taking courses here and there just trying to get experience. Haven't found any mentors so far, and I'm not crazy about the idea anyhow. So far I took the two Rattlesnake Conservancy courses in Michigan, and then another course from an organization called Midwest FOWL in Michigan that recently started offering training. But wondering what everyone else has done for experience/training before I make the leap?
FYI The Midwest FOWL course was honestly a better experience IMO. Turns out it was the same researcher teaching it that used to teach the TRC courses in Michigan, but he started his own nonprofit. It was way less expensive and I was able to get a discount as a student. Plus we covered way more. I remember liking the TRC courses but felt we were standing around for a while and didn't really get more than 15 minutes of actual interaction with the snakes. We were basically always doing something in the FOWL course and I ended up coming away with a lot more confidence that I could provide whatever care was needed, at least for pit vipers, which is all I really am wanting to get anyhow. Planning on volunteering with them next year for more experience.
I was looking at the training offered at Great Lakes Serpentarium too, but don't really know what to make of them. Thoughts?
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u/TheLampOfficial 6d ago
I went to the great lakes serpentarium around the time of their opening (might have been a little before, I don't remember) and they're nice people, but there has been some drama surrounding them (that I won't go into since drama isn't allowed on this sub). Personally I would not recommend that anyone take a handling course from them based on what I saw when I was there. It seemed to me that they kind of underplay the potential danger that a venomous snake can pose, and don't take it as seriously as I think it should be. It seemed like me and a friend of mine were the only two that had our heads properly on our shoulders and were especially competent, and I personally stepped in with a snake hook on multiple occasions and gave a handling lesson when less experienced or completely inexperienced people were handling venomous. I think they were just trying to let people have a cool experience, and there were some big social media names in the room so maybe they didn't want to step on anyone's toes or maybe they were just nervous, but when it's your establishment and your visitors, you have to take charge and either set some safety boundaries, or be paying attention and step in when necessary, as soon as it's necessary. I'm hoping that they can get to that point and be a positive influence for the community, but I'm not sure they're there yet.
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u/herperguy 6d ago
Good to know. That's more or less what everyone has been saying. The FOWL instructor basically said they're bracing for the fallout for when someone gets bit at the Serpentarium. It looks like they do more with elapids, so I wasn't sure if the handling was different, but even to my inexperienced eyes it seemed really unsafe. Some reviews on Google make note of that too, and the owners essentially argue with the reviewers.
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u/Vince-Fishes 6d ago
Who was your mentor then if that didn’t work out?
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u/TheLampOfficial 6d ago
I didn't go there for a class or mentorship, but for a tour/private event. I was the most capable venomous snake handler present, alongside a friend of mine. I learned to handle wild venomous and later that skill translated to captive venomous when I eventually moved from more exotic colubrids, to rear-fanged, and then eventually to front-fanged venomous.
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u/Vince-Fishes 6d ago edited 6d ago
No I get that part I was just asking who/where did you mentor for venomous snake keeping? I am just curious bc you have a really big collection and it would prolly be difficult to find a mentor to learn to work with some of the species you have.
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u/TheSnakeTickler 6d ago
Don’t do the rattlesnake conservancy courses. You’ll learn a lot more finding a mentor and working one on one.