Kentucky Reptile Zoo

Atractaspis sp.

Was this species on exhibit?

Yepp

That's cool. Some of us had been talking about these a while ago on this (rather diverse!) thread: Gerald Durrell's African Golden Cat

I was actually close to obtaining one for WdG, but the seller withdraw his offer in the end, for no apparent reason. Stiletto snakes randomly pop up on the exotic pet market. They're hard to handle, and a friend of mine who got bitten during venom extraction still stresses how painful and mean the effect of their venom can be.

@Batto Is there a safe way to handle them at all with their fangs even with gloves?

@lintworm: Iet's say that I have seen experienced snake handlers have a hard time handling them. Their defense mode is really odd. ^^It is possible to handle them, however, and the original Hexamor 3180 model gloves seem to offer a certain protection (yet not 100% foolproof) against their fangs.
I wonder whether more ZooChatters would visit me if I kept one...

For those wondering, this is Atractaspis microlepidota, according to the zoo’s sign. Sadly I didn’t get as great a view or photo as above!