Rbb

[imported_Varanus]

One of the blokes over here uses tongs on everything "for safety" and swears the RBB's over here must be more aggressive than those in NSW....go figure! Not sure how safe tongs really are? If it just makes snakes angry, how is that safe??

 

[Darlyn]

That's a ripper IV, not as good as the Lobethal parade but pretty good nonetheless.

 

[imported_Varanus]

That's a ripper IV, not as good as the Lobethal parade but pretty good nonetheless.

If you liked that one, next year's is s'posed to be even better, though how (or why, or what for) I can't fathom.

You're both welcome again, well worth the 32 hours and 40C+ heat in a car with no aircon...maybe we could drag Steve along this time?! Better still, when's the Arafura Cup on this year?? maybe I'll come up there instead.

 

[Darlyn]

If you liked that one, next year's is s'posed to be even better, though how (or why, or what for) I can't fathom.

You're both welcome again, well worth the 32 hours and 40C+ heat in a car with no aircon...maybe we could drag Steve along this time?! Better still, when's the Arafura Cup on this year?? maybe I'll come up there instead.

Do you mean the Arafura Games? Sadly the new government up here has cancelled them because we can't afford it. Can't see Steve ever, ever going to a parade

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

One of the blokes over here uses tongs on everything "for safety" and swears the RBB's over here must be more aggressive than those in NSW....go figure! Not sure how safe tongs really are? If it just makes snakes angry, how is that safe??

He sounds like a right loser.
Tongs tend to scare snakes as they resemble the beak of a bird (my theory, especially the red tipped ones).
also, they are a lot more cumbersome and heavy than a hook and tail method.
A scared snake is a dangerous snake.
Ive never needed to use them but im just a snake catcher, what would i know
They also have great potential to hurt and damage the snakes
A snake in pain is a dangerous animal.
Unfortunatly, in the wrong hands, (newbs and inexperienced hands) the snake in the tongs will usually die after release as the fine rib bones have been broken causing death by septacemia in approx 2 weeks after being roughly tonged.

 

[imported_Varanus]

Do you mean the Arafura Games? Sadly the new government up here has cancelled them because we can't afford it. Can't see Steve ever, ever going to a parade

WHAT THE ??!! Guess that's governments for ya! He'd rather perfect his blurry bird pics, eh?.

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Unfortunatly, in the wrong hands, (newbs and inexperienced hands) the snake in the tongs will usually die after release as the fine rib bones have been broken causing death by septacemia in approx 2 weeks after being roughly tonged.

I'll mention that Baz, any ammunition's a good start. Can't be to good on the backbone either? "Gentle Giants".....how ironic! He's not a bad bloke on a personal level and been doing relocations a few years now, but mostly with tongs.

 

[BIGBANG]

He sounds like a right loser.
Tongs tend to scare snakes as they resemble the beak of a bird (my theory, especially the red tipped ones).
also, they are a lot more cumbersome and heavy than a hook and tail method.
A scared snake is a dangerous snake.
Ive never needed to use them but im just a snake catcher, what would i know
They also have great potential to hurt and damage the snakes
A snake in pain is a dangerous animal.
Unfortunatly, in the wrong hands, (newbs and inexperienced hands) the snake in the tongs will usually die after release as the fine rib bones have been broken causing death by septacemia in approx 2 weeks after being roughly tonged.

hey mate i used for the first time ever a pair of those gentle giants the other day, i had a call out and i went to get my hook out of the back of my landy (as i had a mate here and his car was parked behind mine so we were gunna take his) and the back door wouldnt open and i have a cargo barrier in is so couldnt reach over the back seat, anyway my mate is into snakes and had one of those tongs with him, so we headed out to the property to catch this snake. With a bit of poking around a shrub an eastern brown came shooting out of it and across the lawn, i gently grabbed him with the tongs as i dont like them at all and he went bloody mental. Thrashing around and biting the tongs, after i caught him i stuck my finger in the tongs and squeezed as hard as i could, they dont actually apply that much pressure to a slender snake but i think with all the thrashing around the snake does it is more than likely where all the damage occurs. I think a heavy bodied snake would suffer injuries in the tongs tho

 

[SteveNT]

I've got a dozen Aboriginal Rangers (and me) doing a ven capture and removal course next week. Talk about apprehension Some wont show for sure.
Should be fun. I will post pics.

 

[imported_Varanus]

hey mate i used for the first time ever a pair of those gentle giants the other day, i had a call out and i went to get my hook out of the back of my landy (as i had a mate here and his car was parked behind mine so we were gunna take his) and the back door wouldnt open and i have a cargo barrier in is so couldnt reach over the back seat, anyway my mate is into snakes and had one of those tongs with him, so we headed out to the property to catch this snake. With a bit of poking around a shrub an eastern brown came shooting out of it and across the lawn, i gently grabbed him with the tongs as i dont like them at all and he went bloody mental. Thrashing around and biting the tongs, after i caught him i stuck my finger in the tongs and squeezed as hard as i could, they dont actually apply that much pressure to a slender snake but i think with all the thrashing around the snake does it is more than likely where all the damage occurs. I think a heavy bodied snake would suffer injuries in the tongs tho

I bet you're finger has larger, more solid bones than most elapids, though?! And you're only grabbing the tip of an appendage, so no organs (lung, heart, liver, kidneys), ribs or backbone. Elapid bones seem very similar to those of fish.

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I've got a dozen Aboriginal Rangers (and me) doing a ven capture and removal course next week. Talk about apprehension Some wont show for sure.
Should be fun. I will post pics.

Yes please! Don't forget to get some facial close ups,. Always a laugh to see Countrymen and snakes.

 

[Venomous_RBB]

Thanks...it was a nice animal, but there is a problem with free handling, especially amongst the "experienced"...complacency; not something I normally do in public.

Agreed, I certainly wouldnt free handle any wild snake, especially the venemous kind, no matter how cute they look.
I just htink some of the posts, one in particular was a bit too... over the top.

 

[BIGBANG]

Fair point IV although they were very easy to use I won't be going out and buying a set, I much prefer my hook

 

[imported_Varanus]

Fair point IV although they were very easy to use I won't be going out and buying a set, I much prefer my hook

I rarely use a hook (unless I've got an itch somewhere), except to search/reveal coils from some snakes in hard to get at places, which I then gently tail (or lift). I mostly tail ( lower body) and always try a hands off approach with the textys first, where they just dissapear into one of Baz's "big black bags"; failing that.... tailing it is for them aswell. I've also found that if you keep sudden movements to a minimum and tail gently (more like gentle lifting really) you are often lucky and get very little reaction out of even textillis. Another reason why I hate tongs...tongers tend to feel like they're totally safe (Superman Syndrome) and go in all gung ho. I've seen a few terrible vids on facebook pages where people even transfer captured texty's from one to another with tongs?! Funnily enough, almost every elapid I've had to pin or use a head restraint on has remained unsettled through the whole process...and even for days after if rehab has be required. All just my take on it, I'm sure others more experienced have far greater insight.

 

[Firepac]

I do own a pair of tongs but wouldn't have used them in several years.

With EB's I agree with i_V, if they won't go into the bag on their own with a bit of gentle persuasion then I tail them usually allowing them to keep their head on the ground and keeping the hook between them and me. I find that even on a hot day they settle quickly when handled in this manner gently but surely allowing a simple lift into the bag.

 

[imported_Varanus]

I find that even on a hot day they settle quickly when handled in this manner gently but surely allowing a simple lift into the bag.

HA! Confirmation from another relocator at last, thanks Firepac!! I keep getting into this one way argument with both other relocators and the general public that textillis gets crankier on hots days (infact, elapids of all persuasions). Like you, I haven't found that to be the case at all.

 

[lizardjasper]

HA! Confirmation from another relocator at last, thanks Firepac!! I keep getting into this one way argument with both other relocators and the general public that textillis gets crankier on hots days (infact, elapids of all persuasions). Like you, I haven't found that to be the case at all.

I agree. They don't get crankier, or more dangerous. They only get more active.
Great pic!! He's a stunner, so beautiful!
I have a friend who owns a rrb, and he handles him. You know, not a lot, but sometimes.

 

[moosenoose]

Great hearing opinions on the EB's. I've had very little experience with them. Great photo also

 

[imported_Varanus]

In rehab it's been my experience that younger texty's settle alot quicker into captive life than more mature animals. Many younger animals have accepted defrosted rodents within the first hour of capture, while larger animals have always required more alone time before feeding.

Some accept within the first few minutes after capture.

 

[Firepac]

HA! Confirmation from another relocator at last, thanks Firepac!! I keep getting into this one way argument with both other relocators and the general public that textillis gets crankier on hots days (infact, elapids of all persuasions). Like you, I haven't found that to be the case at all.

There was a study by Shine et al on wild EB's that showed that above a certain temperature thy actually became less reactive. I'll look it up tonight when I get home if you like.

 

[BIGBANG]

I used to use bags but now I use a 55lt clear plastic tub, as long as you are co-ordinated enough to place the snake in and close the lid at the same time it all works fine. The only real reason I do this is because it give me a chance to show the person that called ( which are usually scared out of their minds) the snake and explain things to them and they can see that the snake is not the devil. They usually end up saying they are actually a really beautiful creature but I still don't want them here.

 

[Stuart]

The tongs I got with my kit are still in the plastic covering I got them in as well. Im fairly sure I would be injured if someone came along and grabbed me with a fancy set of BBQ tongs so why would I use them on a snake?