Elapid relocation

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

[video=youtube;czhiypnCJvQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czhiypnCJvQ[/video]

I know it's not really an elapid but it"s been a week full of bluetongues, non events and dead batteries.
This was this morning.

 

[r3ptilian]

Haha rrrrubber ssssnakeman, sorry Baz but you seem to get alot of these. At least there was only 1 and not 3 like last time lol.

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

This video was taken today and last night.
So i tried to answer the question about the big bags release procedure.
[video=youtube;kchYwcRSoJQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kchYwcRSoJQ[/video]

 

[r3ptilian]

No worries Baz, I wasn't picking on your hoop bag, Like I said I have seen a similar design and it required pulling apart the bag from the top as it had 2 draw strings, and from your video yours only appears to have 1. As you would know bagging a ven is one thing, but to correctly release it without placing yourself in danger or distressing the snake is another. Keep up the good work buddy.

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

I was on my way the the VHS meeting last night
but got called out to this little guy and by the time we were done it was to late to go.
I really wanted to catch Ollies talk to..Anyway
Enjoy Snakes On a Plane..Terrible quality vid though.
[video=youtube;D9y8EsCxsGI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9y8EsCxsGI[/video]
Cheere

 

[dragon170]

bump this up with mine from today out at Dunkeld, lovely little fella just wanted a room at the local pub lol

 

[longqi]

We just collected our 100th snake in last 4 months
Data is quite interesting
[although some were unidentified]

57 relocated almost immediately
22 euthanised at my decision because of injuries
7 non local snakes rehomed
7 rehabilitated and released
7 rehabilitated and rehomed

27 pythons either retics or burmese
8 wagleri [ven]
20 vine snakes
2 dipong or blood python
4 non local retic
1 corn snake
11 cobras [ven]
2 kraits [ven]
10 boigas [ven]
6 elaphe
7 unidentified

Size ranged from 45cm to 5.1 metres

Potentially most deadly were the kraits as you toss a coin if you get hit as 50% of bites result in death
but they were very slow moving and pretty docile even though I was extremely careful and a bit nervous
Cobras were slower than most aussie vens but still a bit hairy depending on location

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

What is the most common injury Peter. eg, dog, shovel, vehicle ect?
It is very interesting, you must show me around when i get off my bum and get to Bali.

Lol @ dragon170, nice copperhead.

Also have a couple more vids, this one was a no show..

[video=youtube;B2NsQ0NLAvI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2NsQ0NLAvI[/video]

and this tiger snake had beautiful stripes imo.

[video=youtube;Co_noD2sb-4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co_noD2sb-4[/video]

 

[longqi]

Majority of injuries appear to be vehicular
With cats and dogs running close second
Basically if the jaws are badly broken or ribs definitely into stomach cavity I euthanise
There is a good vet here but he charges an arm and a leg when he knows a Bule [me] is involved
So cant waste too much time and effort on something that will probably die anyway
Not easy decisions to make

One very different thing is some of the people here
Madurese in particular
I go out to remove snake
Catch it and bag it
They demand money for the snake because now it is safe they can sell it to a restaurant
[in some ways I cant blame them because a big retic is worth 2 weeks wages to them]
First time I did pay them
But Im not made of money so have to break this quickly
Now I walk inside their house and tip the bag out on the kitchen table
5ft of angry cobra soon changes their minds
[I tell them every snake was a cobra now, makes it a lot easier]

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

When you have to euthanise, what method do you use Peter?
100 snakes in 4 months?
WOW.. im impressed, and the variety youre getting is amazing.
Do you record any of the catches on film ?

 

[longqi]

Not on film because 95% of the time Im by myself or its one of the other guys by themselves
Got lots of photos to put on bali reptile rescue in facebook but only a few there yet
But one day will get a video set up
Whoever is closest gets the job and we release in a national park far from the crowds
Now its bag and release as fast as possible
First few months we got maybe 1 phone call a week
Now bloody phone goes crazy some nights
Most dangerous one so far was a goanna [biawak]
Will have the scars for a long time because I was so relieved it wasnt a huge cobra I dropped my guard

Even though Bali is fairly well populated there are healthy populations of most snakes here and about 18 local types as far as I know so havent seen a lot yet
Euthanising depends on location and obvious pain level of the snake
If it has been badly chewed up etc I kill them on the spot
If I consider they have a chance I treat and observe until its obvious I was wrong
They are the bad ones because you think they are ok and suddenly septacaemia just knocks them over

I have to be a cold blooded myself when dealing with injuries but have no veterinary back-up so can only try my best and hope
Stitching up a cobra while trying to hold its head still and avoid getting getting hit will be something I wont forget
But that one was 100% success even if its got a pretty strange hood now

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

Funny you should mention about the hood,do you find the bones and skin in the hood have greater healing properties than the rest of the snake.i have found a few aussie elapids like this tiger with "hood" damage (healed naturally) and it made me think that the hood may serve a double purpose.
1, to make the snake look bigger, and
2, to take the brunt of the attack ..Just speculating./

 

[moosenoose]

You do some interesting work Longqi. Good read, thanks

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

Yesterday i went to Nyora,
This tigersnake had been overheating in this closed container for most of the day and was happy to
get some air,
not real happy about being caught...
and then very happy to be released.

[video=youtube;jaj3pFA8GU4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaj3pFA8GU4[/video]

I thought there would be more posts by other snake catchers in this thread.
More pics and vids guys.

 

[Nash1990]

I thought there would be more posts by other snake catchers in this thread.
More pics and vids guys.

So far the only recent snake calls that I have been able to attend was a legless lizard and a corn snake lol

I will endeavour to post pics if/when I get to do an elapid rescue, hopefully that will be soon!

 

[longqi]

I use a photo of that cobra on Bali reptile rescues facebook so might be worth a gander
It was a pretty big chunk missing and it wasnt happy about getting stitched up
You are possibly correct about it being a target area
Quite a few we have seen with major hood damage but still pretty healthy

Might also be to look bigger?

There are 6 other volunteers so 100 isnt quite so impressive when you factor that into the equation
Still pretty happy with increasing work load though

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

This tigersnake had been trapped in the holiday house for two months before the ladies came down for the holidays.
It was skinny and dull but perked up nicely when released.
I imagine it was a bit dehydrated to after 2 months with little or no water but I reckon he'll get enough to drink overnight.

[video=youtube;fuxJkobU2Co]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuxJkobU2Co[/video]

 

[richoman_3]

very nice barry!
love watching your vids!
i gotta come watch you release them one day!!!

my house in rosebud is so clean and we only get garden skinks there , but my other house 2 streets away gets a few types of skinks and some cool bugs, but never seen a snake yet there!

 

[Poggle]

Good work baz and Kudo's for giving Snake Catchers a good rep

 

[53ERX]

Yesterday i went to Nyora,
This tigersnake had been overheating in this closed container for most of the day and was happy to
get some air,
not real happy about being caught...
and then very happy to be released.

Fook me, that was one mighty pissed off tiger! Looked like it came close to nipping your arm there a few times.
Thanks for the vids, love your work!