i have been wandering for a while about the snakes at places like australia zoo and dreamworld,reptile shows etc.how can they tell 100% without a doubt there snakes will not bite while being handled.i asked a handler at aussie zoo and he says because there bred for temperment!all my snakes are extremely placid but i would never trust them with a kid,just incase something did happen,i have seen how some kids are with cats and dogs and i wouldnt want them to squeeze my snake like they do the dogs and cats tails,most likely a bite is going to happen then
???
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not when there taking pics,i was at aussie zoo not long ago and a family stepped up for a pic with a burmese,family sits down,bloke puts the snake on them then steps out of the shot,the stupid young kid grabbed its head and sqeezed,luckily for him and the park the snake just ripped its head out,it was obviously not happy but didnt bite,and the bloke just says dont grab his head?
WombleHerp
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how old are you?
Obviously all snakes bite. But some have been 'conditioned' so to speak from a young age, handled and handled over a period of time until of course the animal finds that if something pats it on the back or touches its head, it isn't a threat, and if it finds something uncomfortable, it will simply get out of the situation.
Plus the handler is there as a precaution, watching the snakes behaviour constantly, if the snake looks to be getting agitated, the handler will step in by saying something or even taking the snake away to be put back in its enclosure. I'm not saying accidents don't happen, i've witnessed animals 'acting up' with public. But this is reduced greatly by the life of the snake and the way it has been handled.
Snakes and other reptiles such as crocodiles used for photos or pats are ONLY taken out to the public for short amounts of time as well. This minimizes stress, and if the animal has been handled a fair few times, it would simply be routine, so again, not a threat.
-Nat
Obviously all snakes bite. But some have been 'conditioned' so to speak from a young age, handled and handled over a period of time until of course the animal finds that if something pats it on the back or touches its head, it isn't a threat, and if it finds something uncomfortable, it will simply get out of the situation.
Plus the handler is there as a precaution, watching the snakes behaviour constantly, if the snake looks to be getting agitated, the handler will step in by saying something or even taking the snake away to be put back in its enclosure. I'm not saying accidents don't happen, i've witnessed animals 'acting up' with public. But this is reduced greatly by the life of the snake and the way it has been handled.
Snakes and other reptiles such as crocodiles used for photos or pats are ONLY taken out to the public for short amounts of time as well. This minimizes stress, and if the animal has been handled a fair few times, it would simply be routine, so again, not a threat.
-Nat
redbellybite
Almost Legendary
Have to beg to differ on that ....I put it down to sheer LUCK ....it might not happen now it might not happen next week ....but nothing is 100% and they at the zoo's take a huge huge risk ,yes I agree that these seem very quiet and settled snakes ...but I wouldnt give it the fool proof credit ever ...look at some of the docco's that even Steve has done where he is holding one of his own snakes explaining to the girl it wont bite its tame and quiet and just as his famous words left his mouth it bit him on the neck!....
chondrogreen
Well-Known Member
Nah its their diet.
Feed a snake non meaty products and then they have no desire to bite the human flesh.
Hasn't anybody else tried turning their snakes into vegos?
Feed a snake non meaty products and then they have no desire to bite the human flesh.
Hasn't anybody else tried turning their snakes into vegos?
Lewy
Very Well-Known Member
Nah its their diet.
Feed a snake non meaty products and then they have no desire to bite the human flesh.
Hasn't anybody else tried turning their snakes into vegos?
ROFL I'll have to start making vegetarian rats for my scrubbys
Lewy
redbellybite
Almost Legendary
well lewy if it works for ya scrubs then it should work for anything ...scrubs seem to have a facination with human skinROFL I'll have to start making vegetarian rats for my scrubbys
Lewy
mayhemmatt
Not so new Member
Have you asked how much public liability insurance they pay a year?? when you do then you'll realize there not 100% either!!
AM Pythons
Very Well-Known Member
getting the snakes out would probly get the tourists in the gate aswell, i know i would rather go to a zoo/park were you can interact with the animals..
yes plz let me know if it works!!!well lewy if it works for ya scrubs then it should work for anything ...scrubs seem to have a facination with human skin
No-two
Very Well-Known Member
"Conditioned" ? Sounds like a load of bull to me, I have plenty of snakes and many of them are rarely touched, theres about two that I wouldn't trust completly with others and young kids (such as my neice and nephew) the others were never handled as hatchies, or juvies, yet none would bite.
Lewy
Very Well-Known Member
If i danced around in frount of a snake at the zoo and got bitten (possibly stinking of rodent
Don't no!! But make sure you get it on video...
I would love to see it....:lol:
shamous1
Very Well-Known Member
Conditioning
To say a snake is conditioned, trained, bred for temperament etc etc etc does'nt wash with me.
Scenario : You are in Australia Zoo. You are walking around all the lovely animals. You WILL no doubt pat a kangaroo, perhaps even venture into the children's petting Zoo. You pat guniea pics, rabbit's, goats etc etc etc.
You then go and get your photo taken holding a snake. I'm pretty sure all this could instigate a feeding response. Not saying it is 100% but a snake will not say "Hang-on. I recognise that smell as food but I won't bite as I've already eaten today".
A feeding response is exactly that. Snakes do not have the thought process that enables us to say with 100% proof or accuracy that the snake will not bite if it smells food. It just won't happen.
If you were bitten by a snake in a Zoo during handling you would be able to take legal action. It's only Herpers that most likely would'nt..............the general public would expect not to be bitten because it is a Zoo and the animal are trained...................bit like a circus.
JMHO
I also remember Steve Irwin and one of his snakes. It might have been at the Logies years ago. There was one of the channel 10 news readers in the audience.....front of stage. Not sure exactly how it happened but the Python Steve was holding bit the guy in the thigh/crutch..................and did some damage. (No I am not joking.......Tim Webster http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/12/1052591731950.html
To say a snake is conditioned, trained, bred for temperament etc etc etc does'nt wash with me.
Scenario : You are in Australia Zoo. You are walking around all the lovely animals. You WILL no doubt pat a kangaroo, perhaps even venture into the children's petting Zoo. You pat guniea pics, rabbit's, goats etc etc etc.
You then go and get your photo taken holding a snake. I'm pretty sure all this could instigate a feeding response. Not saying it is 100% but a snake will not say "Hang-on. I recognise that smell as food but I won't bite as I've already eaten today".
A feeding response is exactly that. Snakes do not have the thought process that enables us to say with 100% proof or accuracy that the snake will not bite if it smells food. It just won't happen.
If you were bitten by a snake in a Zoo during handling you would be able to take legal action. It's only Herpers that most likely would'nt..............the general public would expect not to be bitten because it is a Zoo and the animal are trained...................bit like a circus.
JMHO
I also remember Steve Irwin and one of his snakes. It might have been at the Logies years ago. There was one of the channel 10 news readers in the audience.....front of stage. Not sure exactly how it happened but the Python Steve was holding bit the guy in the thigh/crutch..................and did some damage. (No I am not joking.......Tim Webster http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/12/1052591731950.html
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gunny
Active Member
My four year old son has a jungle carpet that has never bitten he walks around with it at home all day. The kangaroos can do just as much if not more damage than a snake bite and happens alot more often. yet there are rarely keepers in with the public while they are petted.
JupiterCreek
Active Member
Not the clearest pic, but this is me at Alas Kedaton, the good monkey forest on Bali. The temple grounds are a big parkland and a couple of the locals have some pythons, an eagle and a mongoose for the tourists to hold and have their photos taken. I'm a fairly big bloke but those 3 pythons were heavy!
Back to the topic... I was talking to one of the guys as he was putting the snakes back in their box and I noticed water seeping out of the bottom of the wooden crate they were kept in. I asked him if they kept the snakes cool to quieten them down and the guy just smiled and winked.
Back to the topic... I was talking to one of the guys as he was putting the snakes back in their box and I noticed water seeping out of the bottom of the wooden crate they were kept in. I asked him if they kept the snakes cool to quieten them down and the guy just smiled and winked.
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PhilK
Very Well-Known Member
The same reason why when you go to kids birthday parties the animals don't go bonkers and attack everyone. They are used to it so can handle/tolerate more. Even grubby little kids grabbing at them and squeezing.
When I was in Africa there was a bloke who had a boa at the uni who went to every uni party.. it was a bombproof snake and you could do absolutely anything with it without it being bothered in the slightest.
Snakes can be conditioned if they are exposed to situations over and over
When I was in Africa there was a bloke who had a boa at the uni who went to every uni party.. it was a bombproof snake and you could do absolutely anything with it without it being bothered in the slightest.
Snakes can be conditioned if they are exposed to situations over and over
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