Flaviemys purvisi
Very Well-Known Member
By FRANCESCA MCMACKIN
25th May 2018
MEET Russell. He's five years old, has a placid "puppy dog" personality, and loves to snuggle around his owner's neck.
He also happens to be a venomous red bellied black snake.
Noosa snake catcher Luke Huntley sent social media into meltdown when he posted a video of his pet snake Russell lazing about on his hand, as the pair enjoyed some sunshine on a cool day.
He said the response to his video had been about 85 per cent positive, but some insisted he was encouraging dangerous behaviour for young people.
Noosa snake catcher Luke Huntley often posts videos and photos of remarkable snake catchers, but the internet went into meltdown after he posted a video of him holding his pet red belly black snake, Russell. Picture: Warren Lynam
"They're like, 'My God, what are you doing?'" Mr Huntley said.
Mr Huntley stressed that residents should by no means take the video as encouragement to pick up snakes.
He hoped the video would show the public that snakes are not aggressive unless provoked, and that anyone who saw one in their backyard should either call a snake catcher or wait until it moved on, rather than trying to kill or move it.
Mr Huntley described Russell as a "funny little guy" and a "puppy dog" of a snake.
"I could never say a snake is affectionate, but I don't see him as one of my reptiles, he's one of the family."
While the idea has long been debated among the snake owner community, Mr Huntley is confident Russell recognises him.
"He comes out of his hide and he's up on the (enclosure) glass as soon as I'm there," he said.
He said in captivity, red bellied black snakes tended to become tame quicker than other snake species.
"I trust Russell more than most of my pythons," Mr Huntley said.
"I can leave him wrapped around my neck and everything."
He said red bellies were much more likely to flee humans, and if they were cornered and did strike, any bite was unlikely to be fatal.
"People have a lot of fear for red bellies because they think they're aggressive," Mr Huntley said.
"You really have to annoy a snake for it to get riled up."
If you still think Russell is intimidating, wait until you see some of the other snakes in Mr Huntley's reptile room.
The 25-year-old, who lives on a rural property on the edge of Doonan, owns about 30 animals including about 11 venomous snakes.
That includes an inland taipan, the most venomous snake in the world, along with two coastal taipans, two death adders, a king brown, a copperhead and another red belly black snake.
An eastern brown and rough-scaled snake are next on his wish-list.
