The correct approach and handling techniques for snakes?

Question

Please help me to describe the correct apporach and handling techniques including any specialist or personal protective equipment. Also including specific precautions required for a hazardous species of snake and any consequences of failing to follow these precautions?

please help me anyone out there (for an assignment - am studying BTEC in animal management and just was a bit stuck) many thanks XD

Answer 1

For any snake that you're not used to handling or you don't know the temperment, you should use a thicker material glove. That way you're not going to be jumpy or freaked out, which can cause the snake to react in a more hostile way towards you. Some people are more comfortable using snake hooks to keep the snake's head away from them while they're handling it, others simply pick up the snake using one hand behind the head and the other on the body. As long as you're using even-speeded, non jittery movements when handling, the snake, if not overly prone to biting, will be fine. If it is in strike position when going to handle it, you probably shouldn't, because nine times out if ten it will strike at you.

Without proper knowledge of venomous snakes, however, one shouldn't handle them. Even with thick protectant gloves on, the fangs could go through the gloves and puncture your skin.

Hope that helped! :]

Answer 2

This is a pretty big area, but some basics are:

Never handle a species that is in any way venomous with bare hands, or alone. Never handle a species that can inflict harm by deep bites with bare hands. Never handle big constrictors alone.

A basic average-sized non-venomous, even-tempered snake can generally be handled by:
- a gentle tap on the cage as a warning or to wake it up.
- Use a scooping motion from the side to get your hand under the snake. Grasp gently, lift, and use the other hand to support the backbone.
- The scooping motion is designed to prevent the snake thinking you are a predatory bird. The 'reach and grab' often triggers a defensive reaction.
- Follow proper hand-washing before and after handling any snake.

Biting snakes and venomous snakes are usually best handled with tongs and tubes.
- Open the locked cage per facility policy
- Using the right-sized tongs for the job, carefully grip the snake near the head.
- Either with another set of tongs, a helper, or bare hands, graps the snake further down its body.
- Place the snake in a safe handling space (often a large tub) and position the proper sized tube in front of it (often being held by another person with tongs)
- Get the snake to crawl part-way into the tube (this is a natural instinct, so it goes smoothly).
- Hold part of the snake to keep it from going more than about 3/4ths into the tube.

Failure to follow polices result in bites (duh!), escaped snakes (which can endanger others) or injury to the snake.

Answer 3

In addition to Madkins007's post, here are a few things.

If you are talking about snakes you find in the wild, it is best to leave them alone unless you are a trained snake handler/herpetologist. Even the non-venomous varieties will cause injury if disturbed in their homes.

Additional equipment used in snake handling would be hooks, tongs, cloth sacks (like pillowcases) and heavy work gloves.

Captive constrictors (which I am most familiar with) should be hook trained, which is they get used to the idea of a hook being what gets their attention and helps them get out of their cage if they need to be removed for bathing, health care and cleaning of their cage. Regulations on keeping them as pets vary from state to state.

The handling of venomous species should be restricted to those properly trained to take care of them. Most states do not allow them to be kept as pets, though many are found in zoos. Most facilities that handle venomous snakes also have the antivenoms necessary on hand in case something does go wrong.

Lots of information can be found on the Bob Clark forums (www.bobclark.com), which has a search feature to look up specific topics. He generally deals in constrictors, but there is a section on venomous snakes (known as hots).