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Many of the older snake handlers only know one way to handle them – I believe it is what you call free handling. I have watched them bend down and pick up Tigers, Browns and many other types.
Red Bellied Backs are one of the more placid snakes. I have seen one guy who while driving somewhere with his girlfriend (Who is terrified of snakes) spotted a red bellied back on the side of the road. He stopped picked it up and placed it on the floor (Between girlfriend’s feet – she left him soon after) and drove home with it. He released it in his shed to reduce the mice population or something.
What I am trying to say is you really have to aggravate a red bellied back if you want to get bitten.
Copper head is a little more likely to bite. I have heard of one guy showing the snake for a documentary and it bit him on the thumb nail (Venom flowed down both sides of his thumb).
Eastern Brown shake can be a little more excitable – I have seen them striking at me when I was well over 20 meters from him. That was a nasty snake – but easy to catch and was released about 100 meters – relocated from the back door.
If you know what you are looking for – it is easy to free handle nearly all the Aussie snakes. If you lift an Eastern Brown, Tiger or Red Bellied Back off the ground from around the tail – it will not be able to strike at you. If you do the same with a python – you will get bitten. That is why they say it is easier to get bitten by a python.
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