Elapid relocation

[ElapidSnakeCatch]

ssssnakeman thats ok to use the photos of the Copperhead that was in the bird netting. Here is some more of another copperhead in some more netting from tonight. Very exhausted by the time I got there to cut him out. This one was near Drysdale. My 8yr old Daughter wanted to get it out of the bag when I went to release it. Seeing that the temp had dropped alot and that the copperhead was exhausted and quite relaxed and that I was in arm shot of her, well here are the photos.

 

[Bushman]

There's some beaut elapids in this thread. Thanks to everyone who posted pics up and who do this great work for their communities.
With all due respect ElapidSnakeCatch, I don't think it's wise to let your daughter handle a large, potentially deadly, wild elapid. I know you mention the circumstances put things in her favour and that she's within arms reach of you, but no matter how fast you may be, a large elapid is much faster. http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/member/elapidsnakecatch-27210/

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

Another beautiful copperhead saved by from the net, well done ElapidSnakeCatch. I dont think your kid was in any danger and i applaud you giving her a go and posting the pic here.
You might cop a bit of flack but i think it's great that the shows interest like this, (hope she keeps the interest) and wants to give it a go.
Cheers

@ Bushman, Im sure if either of my kids showed the slightest interest in what I do and asked to help with a release, I would not say no to them.Kids reflexes are generally pretty good and the cold, tired copperhead must have been ok or ESC would not have let his daughter hook and tail it.We gotta learn sometime and what better opportunity than with this snake under the supervision of da.
When I was 8 I kept copperheads and tigersnakes in fishtanks next to my bed.
Im sure you (Bushman) experienced elapids at an early age to.
p.s. Love your input Bushman

 

[Bushman]

Another beautiful copperhead saved by from the net, well done ElapidSnakeCatch. I dont think your kid was in any danger and i applaud you giving her a go and posting the pic here.
You might cop a bit of flack but i think it's great that the shows interest like this, (hope she keeps the interest) and wants to give it a go.
Cheers

@ Bushman, Im sure if either of my kids showed the slightest interest in what I do and asked to help with a release, I would not say no to them.Kids reflexes are generally pretty good and the cold, tired copperhead must have been ok or ESC would not have let his daughter hook and tail it.We gotta learn sometime and what better opportunity than with this snake under the supervision of da.
When I was 8 I kept copperheads and tigersnakes in fishtanks next to my bed.
Im sure you (Bushman) experienced elapids at an early age to.
p.s. Love your input Bushman

Likewise ssssnakeman, I love your contributions here and respect your work and opinions; however on this occasion we'll have to agree to disagree. To say that she was not in any danger is not right. With young budding herpers looking at this it would be remiss of us not to warn them that this is a dangerous activity. At least the obligatory "kiddies, don't try this at home" is warranted.

As you know, I've been catching herps since I was young (~six). In fact I brought my first big elapid home at about this age but it was d.o.r. thankfully. I know that ESC would have assessed the situation carefully and was by no means reckless on this occasion but she was still exposed to the risk of a potentially fatal bite.

I know that I'm a Safety Sam about elapid handling but there's a reason why I've never been bitten despite many years of snake relocation. I don't take unnecessary risks. No offense Baz but can you boast the same record?
I'm sure you'll agree Baz, that as experienced snake handlers, we need to be careful about the message we send to young herpers.

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

No offence taken Bushman, for the record though, Ive never been envenomated by a snake apart from the whitelipped that bit me last month.
When I was about 14 ('77) I was rushed to Echuca hospitol after being bitten on the ankle by a rbb in Barmah forest.
Straight away they gave me antivenom for the bite, which wasn't needed because no venom was injected by the snake, I got nicely sick from the antivenine though

Anyway,

I was called out to another copperhead this morning.
This one was in a shed full of crap,bikes, tools, canoes, tarps, mowers,palletes,
bags o fertiser...kitchen sinks ect,,
you get the idea.
Once again, I get there and there is a guy leaning on a shovel..He had already scared the crap out of this snake, throwing stuff at it and chasing it around and it was quite pissy when i finally caught it.

 

[blakehose]

ElapidSnakeCatch - Where do you usually do your releases around the Geelong area? I'm also in Geelong and it's good to finally see that somebody else from the area!

 

[ElapidSnakeCatch]

Bushman thank you for you comments and I can see what you are saying. By no means am I saying that It is ok for young children to go and play with wild Elapids, but when she ask if it would be alright for her to get it out of the bag I first hesitated and thought it throw fully and took in everything possible before going ahead. I was Just out of the photo shot on the left of the photo. I started catching Elapids at the age of 14 (late bloomer. LOL) and have been catching them for 24yrs and have not been tagged yet. Must be doing something right. The only reason that I allowed her to do so was because of the reasons that I listed above, Had it been a Tiger or an EB them I would have said no at that. Once again, thank you for your comments.

Now , blakehose, I've had my bussiness going in Geelong for the past 13yrs and It all depends on where the call out comes from....
Will need to catch up with you as it is good to hear that there is another contact in the Geelong area.

 

[Braidotti]

It`s a nice change, to see people being civil on a APS thread.

 

[blakehose]

Now , blakehose, I've had my bussiness going in Geelong for the past 13yrs and It all depends on where the call out comes from....[/FONT]
Will need to catch up with you as it is good to hear that there is another contact in the Geelong area.

Yeah definitely, I know a few hotspots for Copperheads if you want to see a few! Not a bad looking little population either...

 

[SnakeyTroy]

Nice one... judging by the file name you got it at St Pauls?? i got a mate working in the ADI site said they are everywhere!

Yeah, It was at St Pauls Grammar.
Is your mate the bloke I was told about that they have employed full time at the ADI site just to remove all the snakes that get in the way of the construction and stuff??
That's what I was told anyway? if so, who is it?

Nice to see your little girl is getting into it and isn't afraid of snakes!

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

A few weeks ago I got a call to remove a tigersnake from a sprinkler box, the caller said it was huge and scary and hissed at him.
When I got there I lifted the sprinkler box and found this old guy surrounded by broken snail shells.
He had been living in there for a while eating snails but the owner of the place said he had to go as he was scared of because it was a reptile.
Got a pic or two and let him go.Not an elapid but it has gone a bit quiet here now as far as relocations go.

 

[ElapidSnakeCatch]

Found this Sign A few months ago on the M1 between Little River and Avalon turn off's. (Geelong bound) The sign was on Melbourne Water treatment feilds near Point Wilson. Could not see it from the road the other day when coming back from Melbourne. Glad that I got a photo of it when I did.

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

There is one of those in Rosebud to, cool huh.
Today i had to go to Frankston again for another copperhead so i took some footage, or rather, the punter took it.
The new freeway work is causing havok with the local wildlife.[video=youtube;SuT8ldhnJQI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuT8ldhnJQI[/video]

 

[SnakeyTroy]

A Yellow Faced Whip Snake I got today.

 

[ElapidSnakeCatch]

WARNING THE FOLLOWING MAY BE UPSETTING TO SOME.
Had a call out for a Tiger in Lara. The resident called “000” and was given the number to the Melbourne Zoo. They were having trouble getting someone to go to the call out down to Geelong. I got the call from their daughter. When I got there (within 15mins) I found a Tiger about 3foot long caught under a clear plastic blinds on the patio, from the roof to the ground. Where the bottom of the blind came down to the ground it was screwed to a board to stop it from being blown around. After removing the Tiger from its predicament, I noticed that there was no movement from its lower back. It had a large open laceration where it was pinned. The residents had two foxy’s that had it bailed up. The wind was moving the base of the blind and was banging against its spine. After checking its spin, I had suspecting that it had broken it back. (Due to that it had been pinned for awhile and had no movement from the point that it was pinned) I took the Tiger Snake to Lara Vets to get it checked out properly. I’ve been there to Lara Vets to do talks to them and to the Lara public. After going in to talk to the Vet, I took the Tiger Snake in to be looked at. As I thought, its spine had been severed and broken. The only thing that we could do was the most humane thing and euthanize it from its pain. After the Vet gave it a ‘Green Dream’ the Tiger Snake was at rest. Took some photos when it was pinned and the laceration.

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

That sux ESC, just a tragic thing to happen. Not to keen on green dream being used on reptiles either, but thats another story.
Nice whipsnake Troy, at least it had a happier ending..
Heres the copperhead from that video, posted it before but Ill put it here to cos I like the pics.

 

[SnakeyTroy]

Sorry to hear that ESC, I hate when they have to be euthanased, but like you said it is the most humane thing to do sometimes.
Thanks ssssnakeman!

 

[ElapidSnakeCatch]

Had a call out to a Child Care Centre at lunch time today. When I got there, one of the teachers had a bucket over it and was standing on the bucket to stop it getting out. What had happened was one of the children was about to pick it up thinking it was a skink. The teacher saw him bending down to pick it up and quickly grabbed him to stop him from picking it up. Then she covered it with the bucket. It was a juvenile Tiger.

 

[pseudechis4740]

Close call. Thank god there was a quick thinking teacher on hand who was obviously not too fazed by snakes. Was it a good season for Tigers this tear? Most of the ones I had to relocate when I lived down in the Latrobe Valley were Lowland Copperheads but they were closely followed in numbers by Tigers.

 

[cement]

This guy from pearl Beach.
You can use my photos Baz. I appreciate you asking.

Last year I relocated heaps of death adders, diamonds and swampies.
This year it is all RBBs and green tree. more golden crowned this year then last too.