Can I have a deadly snake as a pet?

It depends on where you live and what the laws are regarding this sort of pet ownership.

What kind of deadly snake?

I would check with your state (US) or Provincial (Canada) Laws then see if your municipality has any By Laws against it, but if you do get the green light better up your liability insurance just in case the little dear gets out and hurts someone.

1st….follow the above advice and check with your local Fish & Game or other Wildlife regulation agencies.
Secondly, the question is, WHY would you want to keep a potentially dangerous animal?
To be cool, unique, or because you genuinely have a passion for reptiles?
If you really want to be involved with venomous snakes I’d suggest taking a Herpetology course and working with experienced snake handlers.

Novice animal keepers of any kind are just asking for trouble, be that buying a horse or a Rattlesnake.
I am strongly opposed to keeping wild animals of any kind by Joe Citizen. Foolish, and usually results in human injury and the death of an innocent animal because of human ego.

I highly doubt it

People have boa constrictors and pythons as pets all the time but I would advise against it.

I never understood the appeal of a venomous snake as a pet.

There’s no answer anyone can give you here because laws and regulations vary not only on the state level, but local as well. Essentially you would have to check with your local authorities or the game commission to find out what your state’s and local regulations are.

Maybe you would want to read this article to find out what you’re potentially dealing with concerning the event you would happen to get bitten, and even best case scenarios suck, are extremely painful and are very expensive. The site tells you what to do, and what laws pertaining to venomous animals are on a federal level.

I used to keep venomous snakes as pets myself, usually ones I would catch in the mountains behind my house. Personally I didn’t see the appeal of keeping snakes on hand that I couldn’t safely hold, so I eventually released them back into the wild. I had decided to stick with snakes I could hold.

If you are going to acquire a venomous snake I would avoid black mambas at all costs. They’re among the most wiry and nervous snakes that exist, and their bites are almost always fatal despite not being in the top 10 venomous snake group. Even zookeepers and experienced snake handlers fear these snakes, and many zookeepers actually get rid of them because black mambas are that dangerous.

Personally I’d go with a coral snake or other more docile venomous snake. Coral snakes are highly venomous, but their venom rarely penetrates into the skin, or at high enough doses to be dangerous most of the time. Copperheads don’t have powerful venom, but it’s still a hemotoxin, and thus is still a very painful bite that can cause permanent skin and muscle damage. Copperheads are more aggressive when compared to many other snakes too, though they prefer to avoid conflict against bigger foes and flee when they can.

It’s only illegal if you get caught. If and when it gets out of its cage, do you really want a poisonous snake wandering in your house? Not to mention, you will be liable if it bites someone….

Be my guest. I’m all for culling the herd.

@Espiritus_Corvus My sentiments exactly, but, ya know, trying to be diplomatic. haha

I wouldn’t recommend such a move. I live near the Everglades, and the Burmese Python is killing all the native animals.

@Rolfadinho Is the rumor true that black mambas are living in the wild as well?

@Paradox25 Based on what I know, I don’t believe that rumor is true.

I tripped over a Bamboo Viper in the mountain jungles of Taiwan in 2010. Man…scared the s—t out of me. I had to drink a lot of Taiwanese beer that night. lol