# close calls with big snakes



## Jungle_Fever1 (Mar 16, 2011)

Has any one had a close call with a big carpet or olive python. As in constricting a pet,child or even your self.coud an aussie python kill a human? Im in the usa atm and held a retic around the size of a adult olive.and that thing had some strength.and that made me wonder about the question above


----------



## Hooglabah (Mar 16, 2011)

I imagine a large Aussie python would be capable of killing a human, as far as it ever happening, I don't know.


----------



## abnrmal91 (Mar 16, 2011)

I think if you annoyed a large angry scrubby I think you could possibly become a issue.


----------



## saximus (Mar 16, 2011)

I heard a story of a guy in SA who died because he got complacent with a scrubby. Not sure how long ago that was


----------



## 85Hickey (Mar 16, 2011)

The way i see it - "Now with knowledge and anti venom, its not the venomous snakes that can kill you. Try getting a 12 foot scrub or olive off you that wrapped you and you have no one to help. Constriction is a deadly weapon


----------



## saximus (Mar 16, 2011)

Yeah if they grab you right you're a goner in a few seconds. Definitely wouldn't like to experience it


----------



## Nighthawk (Mar 16, 2011)

abnrmal91 said:


> I think if you annoyed a large angry scrubby I think you could possibly become a issue.



I like the way that was put  
@ saximus: I heard the same story, apparently that's why DEH put them on the class 3 license-holder list. The version I heard was he was drunk at the time and had no back-up which just goes to show, true or not there's a lesson there.
Had a bit of one myself with my in-laws big Olive girl, she wasn't even squeezing, just trying to hold on and I'm not large. She wrapped her coils around my chest and I started to see spots lol, wicked power in her! I had to get my mother-lin-law to unwrap me like some sort of macabre present.


----------



## cadwallader (Mar 16, 2011)

wouldn't be a great way to die the strength of a large scrub olive or even a water would be absolutely insane :|


----------



## Joemal (Mar 16, 2011)

Three of my 7 snakes weigh 10kgs and are getting bigger .Out of the 3 the Scrub is the one i have to watch as she changes from good to bad at the drop of a hat .I made the mistake of feeding the coastal wrapped around my arm one day by the time i got him off, my hand was blue plus pins and needles and the veins sticking up .Bigger snakes mean they bite harder and squeeze you alot harder so rule of thumb is if you are not confident handling the bigger breeds make sure you keep them away from neck and chest areas .


----------



## pythons73 (Mar 16, 2011)

I would suggest ANYONE with larger snakes to atleast have someone close by incase the unthinkable happens.As Joel said,scrubbies in particular can change from good to Satan in a blink of a eye.Pythons have extreme power and are more then capable of killing someone.It has happened many times in the US,a retic-burmese escapes and goes into a room,and unfortunately a young child-baby is sleeping..


----------



## crikey (Mar 16, 2011)

well people in usa have been killed by there boas so dont see way a scrub or olive or any large carpet couldnt kill some one


----------



## Ozzie Python (Mar 16, 2011)

i have been told the story of the guy in SA who was killed by a scrub, he was one of Jonno's mates (and a few others on here no doubt). Not sure on all the details and not my place to tell, but it does go to show the old rule of having a second person around when handling large snakes is for a good reason.


----------



## scorps (Mar 16, 2011)

Yeah to the people saying he was careless and drunk, I am pretty sure they have the story wrong,


----------



## -Katana- (Mar 16, 2011)

Perhaps I'm going to get flamed for this but wouldn't it help if you had a cattle prod with you in case the worse came to the worse and you couldn't get unwrapped?

Those things give a huge boot when discharged and are easier to get hold of (purchase) than a tazer.


----------



## Joemal (Mar 16, 2011)

Yes agree with the 2 person thing when handling large snakes and in a nasty situation an extra pair of hands would help and it got me to thinking what would really happen if you did end up with the snake squeezing your neck .Most of us have had that love squeeze and yes i bet there was a tinge of panic there as snakey was happy to give a little more .The 1st thing is panic and try and get the snake off which in turn alarms the snake which in turn squeezes tighter .With the bigger pythons it takes a fair bit of effort uncoil them even with 2 people doing it .By the time the panic really sets in the person with the snake around the neck is on the way to passing out and is of no help so the 2 person rule has now gone back to one .You now have one person on the ground and one person now in total panic left with trying to remove a very aggitated snake .What do you do ....


----------



## dale1988 (Mar 16, 2011)

thats why i only have 2 darwins and a woma i feel i could comfortably handle either of those at full size alone as none of my house mates family or friends would come near me even if i where to be choked as they are petrified of them lol


----------



## sarah_m (Mar 16, 2011)

I read somewhere that you shouldn't handle snakes over 8ft if there isn't someone within yelling distance, which I think sounds reasonable.


----------



## ezekiel86 (Mar 16, 2011)

saximus said:


> I heard a story of a guy in SA who died because he got complacent with a scrubby. Not sure how long ago that was


 
Yeah thats spot on from what I have hurd from a person who new the guy....SCRUBBY + NO FOOD for months = DO NOT WALK INSIDE THE TANK TO FEED HIM ( thats what I Hurd happen..

My Big Darwin has MAD constricting power...once around your neck could stop blood / air flow but you could get him off easy but you would have to really hurt him ...so I dont hang the big boys around my neck anymore coz all it takes is them trying to get some heat around neck and you dont think twice about it ( being complacent ) then b4 you know it your in the poss of pulling the Python off and hurting him or blacking out ....
BEING COMPLACENT with anything is how you will get your self into trouble..
Pets/job sites / power tools and the list goes on ... 
Cheers 
Zeke


----------



## abnrmal91 (Mar 16, 2011)

I was up at the Austrlian Reptile Park at Gosford just before christmas and they had a photo from the 70's of a scrubby attack. The photo was of a keeper who had been swimming with a scrubby to help it get some retained shed off, as you can imagine the snake had better plans so started to constrict the keeper. 
You would have to be really careful with anything large.


----------



## saximus (Mar 16, 2011)

I'd be interested to hear the true story Scorps. I understand that it was a tragedy and there were people on here who were close to him but after searching for the news articles I've found it happened five or six years ago and still the "true" story hasn't been told. If it wasn't plain complacency (or drunkenness as some news stories said) then there may be a chance to learn something so people don't get in the same situation. However if we are just told "that's not what happened" with no further explanation we are forced to believe the information we actually have.
I'd also like to point out that I see a difference between complacency and carelessness. Complacency comes from not having any issues over a period of time and slowly letting your guard down. This is easy for anyone to do in any situation like Zeke pointed out. Carelessness is a total lack of forethought about the possible consequences. Careless owners have no business owning big snakes but I'd say almost every keeper has become complacent to some extent at some point in time.
Just my two cents...


----------



## turtle (Mar 16, 2011)

A good friend of mine got constricted around his neck by a very large coastal which he almost lost consciousness. He had to run into the house for his mum to get it off. When they are in this state the only way you can get them off is from the tail. It was an accident and is still his favourite snake.lol
After he told me this story i only ever handle my large coastals with another person nearby.

Cheers,

Dan


----------



## REPTILIAN-KMAN (Mar 16, 2011)

I got dropped by my massive scrubbie once and i am a big bloke !!!
instantly around the neck and i was on my knees for a while it had a good hold of my neck it let go and i untangled her but i have never been dropped like that before !!
yeah and i agree you do need two people around just in case they dont release like mine did ! 
pic of me so you can imagintion the power of my scubbie !!!


----------



## Red-Ink (Mar 16, 2011)

I think people should be aware in general putting any constrictor around their neck area... large or small. Even _Antaresias_ can constrict quite considerably around a delicate human throat. If this happen without anybody around the scenario might be break the snakes bones to save yourself. No one should put themselves in a situation were they may have to make that choice. My little mac constricts around my hands and arms when I'm handling her... quite substantially I might add.. would'nt want that kind of pressure around my neck. There's anti-venom for vens if you get tagged... unfortunately there's no solution for lack of oxygen, to put it into perspective.


----------



## ezekiel86 (Mar 16, 2011)

Keep the storys coming ...
Best way to learn...from other keepers mistakes etc... we have all done it..
Saximus is on the ball....would love to hear the " true story " so we can all learn from it...
but dont forget ..
Complacency Kills..


----------



## ingie (Mar 16, 2011)

I was told by someone that claimed to know a swedish person working in a venom research centre in SA I think a few years ago and he was handling a large Scrubby or Olive (I can't remember which one it was) while he was on the phone to his family or friends and he said something like "I have to go the snake is getting a bit crazy"... and by then it had a good hold of him and he didn't make it


----------



## saximus (Mar 16, 2011)

That's the guy we are referring to. None of the news articles refer to him handling the snake while being on the phone though. More Chinese Whispers...?


----------



## guzzo (Mar 16, 2011)

When I bought my first snake quite a while ago in Qld, the fellow who sold it to me only had one arm. He showed me a large olive python and told me that he was feeding it a rat one day and it grabbed and constricted his arm by mistake. He said that he was stuck there with the phone ringing but could do nothing as his only arm was all wrapped up. I think in the end it let him go when it realised but he was there a while and that would have not been a good situation to be in..


----------



## sarcastocrat (Mar 16, 2011)

Do big constrictors ever constrict humans with the intention to consume, or is it merely an attempt to obtain warmth/ hang on? I couldn't imagine a scubbie would consider making a meal of an average adult (could they? I've only got a little spotted).


----------



## Nighthawk (Mar 16, 2011)

sarcastocrat said:


> Do big constrictors ever constrict humans with the intention to consume, or is it merely an attempt to obtain warmth/ hang on? I couldn't imagine a scubbie would consider making a meal of an average adult (could they? I've only got a little spotted).



Even little antaresias have a good feeding response and hang on for a bit, just imagine it with something with a bit more power like a scrubbie. Whether the end result is consumption or not, the original intent when actual bite and constrict occurs is usually to eat the prey.


----------



## Joemal (Mar 16, 2011)

These are my 3 .They are by no means monsters but at some point i have been on the receiving of a bite or a love squeeze from them . The Scrub is the worst one because of the way she can change in a split second .So long as you don't take handling them for granted having a big snake/snakes in your collection is not a problem .


----------



## ezekiel86 (Mar 16, 2011)

The last shot is great..shows how stong it is 
When I came Face to Face with my 1st scrubbie it was behind glass...and all it was doin was sizing me up thinkin hmmmm can i eat that...And this was a F N MONSTER scrubbie !!! It was not worryed about me at all..when it started head butting the glass trying to get out and strike at me when i was not moving ..I was like Damnn This big girl is not playing around.
two people standing dead still infront on glass and it could tell their was to of us... even thou we where standing next to each other the Scrubbie could tell their was to people ....looking at me...then moving a little and looking at my dad ..then back to me in a second..and thought yep your the right size then SMASHHHHHHHHH on the glass ...everyone jumped back...then put a sheet over the tank so she would relax...
BUT DAMNNNNN ...Would not like to take her out on her own....
The owner said its a 4man job or they dont take her out


----------



## Joemal (Mar 16, 2011)

Yep the scrubs seem to be very smart .My girl watches you as you walk past the cage as if sizing you up .She would love to get the cat .The cat walks past the cage and scrubby is right beside her following .If there was no barrier between them the cat would have been gone long ago .


----------



## sarcastocrat (Mar 16, 2011)

Joemal said:


> Yep the scrubs seem to be very smart .My girl watches you as you walk past the cage as if sizing you up .She would love to get the cat .The cat walks past the cage and scrubby is right beside her following .If there was no barrier between them the cat would have been gone long ago .



What does the cat think of this? Is it scared at all?


----------



## Joemal (Mar 16, 2011)

No the cat teases the snake i think .A case of " You want me you but can't have me ".As soon as i get the scrub out the cat runs and hides .She even knows not to muck round with a Scrub hahaha.


----------



## Danger_Mouse (Mar 16, 2011)

Joemal said:


> View attachment 191005
> 
> 
> These are my 3 .They are by no means monsters but at some point i have been on the receiving of a bite or a love squeeze from them . The Scrub is the worst one because of the way she can change in a split second .So long as you don't take handling them for granted having a big snake/snakes in your collection is not a problem .


 
Bet you don't have any issues with door to door salesmen lol


----------



## scorps (Mar 16, 2011)

I am not sure of the story, you would need to speak to someone that is more closer to the situation


----------



## Donkey_Kong (Mar 16, 2011)

i think the best thing i've heard regarding big snakes is that there is no anti-venom for asphyxiation...

i think most accidents or close calls happen when people get lazy or careless, that isn't just restricted to snakes though, i think it applies to everything..


----------



## ezekiel86 (Mar 16, 2011)

Complacency


----------



## robwilco76 (Mar 16, 2011)

A few years ago I was called out to fetch a scrubby out of someones chook cage. When I arrived, I seen that it was a medium sized snake, about 12 ft, with a chook in its gut. As I got a bit closer to it, it took a defensive stance (I think the chook owner had been harrassing the snake), so I had to distract the snake from me, kinda thing. So, here I am waving one hand to the side of the snake to distract it, and BANG I reached out and grabbed the snake bahind the head. Unfortunately, my timing was a bit off, and I ended up with my hand about three inches from its head. Needless to say it turned and lamped me, so now I've tried to pry its many teeth out of my hand with my free hand, and hey presto... its thrown a coil and handcuffed me.
Instantly its thrown the rest of its coils around my neck and chest and SQUEEZED. Man oh man did it put the pressure on... I had no chance whatsoever... the chook owner bolted away, luckily I had an offsider with me, and we were able to get the snake off. But it had me, and it wasn't a big snake by any means. Just goes to show... 2 people minimum for these bigger snakes lol.


----------



## Snakewoman (Mar 16, 2011)




----------



## Jonno from ERD (Mar 16, 2011)

Tahlia, can you delete that please - I'm typing a reply at the moment. Cheers


----------



## saximus (Mar 16, 2011)

Tahlia thanks for the link. 
Jonno I/we appreciate your input as I'm sure this isn't exactly a subject you enjoy reminiscing about


----------



## Jonno from ERD (Mar 16, 2011)

I will reply to individual comments first, and then explain the real situation at the end.



Nighthawk said:


> @ saximus: I heard the same story, apparently that's why DEH put them on the class 3 license-holder list. The version I heard was he was drunk at the time and had no back-up which just goes to show, true or not there's a lesson there.



Erik was not drunk. The media tried to sensationalise the story, including taking footage of about 12 months worth of cans ready to be recycled. Of course, they concentrated on the alcohol cans, not the soft drink.

Erik's death was part of the reason for Scrub Pythons being elevated in the permit system...the other one is just common sense. They are an incredibly dangerous snake that are underestimated by a lot of keepers, particularly those that sell them to novices or kids.



saximus said:


> I'd be interested to hear the true story Scorps. I understand that it was a tragedy and there were people on here who were close to him but after searching for the news articles I've found it happened five or six years ago and still the "true" story hasn't been told. If it wasn't plain complacency (or drunkenness as some news stories said) then there may be a chance to learn something so people don't get in the same situation. However if we are just told "that's not what happened" with no further explanation we are forced to believe the information we actually have.
> I'd also like to point out that I see a difference between complacency and carelessness. Complacency comes from not having any issues over a period of time and slowly letting your guard down. This is easy for anyone to do in any situation like Zeke pointed out. Carelessness is a total lack of forethought about the possible consequences. Careless owners have no business owning big snakes but I'd say almost every keeper has become complacent to some extent at some point in time.
> Just my two cents...



If you do a search on APS, you will find my account of what happened, which couldn't be any more true considering I worked with the guy and was holding on to the snake while the police took DNA swabs from it's face.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to take everything in the media with a very large grain of salt. At best, what you see in the media is based on a true story. Just like a movie, they will freely embellish parts of the story to make it more interesting...they have one motive, and that's to sell newspapers.

I don't enjoy rehashing the story of what is ultimately the gruesome death of a good friend of mine, but people continue to bring it up and I feel obliged to defend him when he isn't in a position to do so. 



ingie said:


> I was told by someone that claimed to know a swedish person working in a venom research centre in SA I think a few years ago and he was handling a large Scrubby or Olive (I can't remember which one it was) while he was on the phone to his family or friends and he said something like "I have to go the snake is getting a bit crazy"... and by then it had a good hold of him and he didn't make it



I'd love to know who you spoke to. There's an element of truth to that story, in that he had called me and left a voicemail to see if I wanted to come over. I had checked my phone, but was about to go to bed so I didn't call him back. 

*What actually happened...

*Erik was a highly experienced keeper. He owned a reptile zoo in Sweden, and had published and presented multiple articles on the captive husbandry and reproduction of several species, including Burmese Pythons and Red Spitting Cobra's. He had kept all of the large pythons and boa's - Burmese Pythons, Green Anaconda's, Scrub Pythons, African Rock Pythons, Boa Constrictors, Reticulated Pythons etc. 

He was employed at Venom Supplies as a curator, where his abilities were amazing. He had tremendous success in the captive reproduction of nearly all of the species we kept, some of which hadn't been bred before in Australia (and haven't been bred since his death...). One of his most outstanding achievements that I witnesses was successfully triple-clutching Inland Taipans, with three clutches of viable eggs in 5 months. I know of only one other person who has done this.

On the weekend that Erik died, we had changed our work schedule around. We generally worked Monday - Saturday, with Sunday being a day off. This particular week, we were taking Saturday off and working the Sunday, as we had important visitors on the Monday. Erik had called me on Friday evening, to see if I would like to come over (as mentioned above). I missed his call, and when I listened to the voicemail message, I was going to bed so didn't call him back. That was the last time I heard from him.

I wasn't working on the Sunday, but my best mate/house mate was. She called me and let me know that Erik had died...he hadn't turned up at work, which was highly unusual as he lived for that place, so they went down and checked. He was dead on the lounge room floor, and the snake was on the opposite side of the room, coiled up. I got to his place pretty soon afterwards, and assisted with a few different things, including restraining the snake while they took DNA swabs from it. 

From what we can ascertain, it seems the snake has bitten Erik on the face...he has reached up with both hands to pull it off, and it has wrapped its coils around his arms and pulled them tight into his chest. This was a BIG snake...over 5 metres long, however it could have happened to anyone.

The situation that unfolded was Erik's fault. He should not have had the snake out, but his only mistake was complacency (which he very rarely showed). He was not drunk. There was a shed skin in the enclosure, which seems to be the reason he had it out. 

I hope this clears some things up. Erik's death was the biggest waste of ability and knowledge I have ever witnessed, and he is sorely missed.

*Attached below is a press release by Peter Mirtschin, the owned of Venom Supplies.
* 
The Death of Erik Attmarsson

We have been advised by the Nuriootpa police (Sgt. Bernadette Zimmermann),
that we will not be furnished with any information from the coroner's report
which means we will not learn the cause of death for some time, if ever.

We would like to correct some issues distributed by the media.

1. Generally pythons do not crush their victims as claimed in the Advertiser
2/05/05. This sensational reporting is highly misleading and unwarranted.
Pythons generally constrict their prey causing asphyxiation. Only in the
case of large pythons and very small prey items do any broken bones occur.


2. Snakes were never located outside Erik's place. There was an empty
aquarium on the veranda at some stage which was awaiting transfer elsewhere.


3. There were only 3 snakes kept by Erik. All were non-venomous. They
were 2 scrub pythons and 1 file snake. 

4. As far as I know, snakes were never allowed free range of the house.

5. At times snakes had to be removed from their cages for management
reasons.

6. The incident was not a Venom Supplies Pty Ltd matter. Linking Venom
Supplies Pty Ltd by association is both misleading, mischievous and
unsympathetic to a small business that has spent years developing a good
reputation in a difficult field. At the time, we requested all media to
limit our exposure but it was not observed.

7. Efforts to film parts of our business from adjacent private properties
and from the front of our block were without any concern of the hurtfulness
it could cause in spite of our objection to it. The use of file footage,
photographs and statements linking our business was not authorized and was
without due concern for the hurt or damage it could do to our business.

8. Efforts to taint Erik's character by all Adelaide media was despicable.
Erik was a model employee with incredible knowledge. He was responsible in
all aspects of his work. He was a totally safe worker. He was highly
regarded at work and outside work and as a supervisor. He was
scientifically motivated. What he did in private was exactly that -
private.

9. At least one section of the media illegally broke into his house and
filmed within his house. They moved items around to suit their script. It
was a case of manufactured evidence.

10. It was myself and my wife who discovered the body after he failed to
arrive at work on Sunday. My wife became distraught and required
hospitalization. Our staff have been devastated by the matter and one has
required stress leave and medical supervision. The media did not respect
this and hounded us intensely on Sunday night and Monday.

11. A scrub python was noticed in the room just after the police arrived
and it was immediately placed back in its cage and later transferred to the
National Parks in the afternoon. There was never any threat of snakes loose
in the surrounding area. The Advertiser unnecessarily caused community
alarm in this regard. We had members of the local community ringing us
concerned that there was a large python on the loose.

12. At the point of writing this response, I still am unaware of the
official cause of death. All the media focus has been totally absorbed in
the python as the cause. It may well be the cause but surely waiting for
some official finding would have been prudent. In the absence of an
official finding is no excuse to manufacture a case.

13. The media always claim they have a responsibility to the public to
inform them. I have no problem with that. I believe they also have a
responsibility to be accurate and truthful and in this case it appears
little attempt was made to observe this principle.

14. I hope that there is some national media body that can investigate this
matter and take some action to limit the actions of the media in the future
to ensure they do not repeat such behavior. I also hope the media have a
long hard look at themselves and take some responsible action to achieve
more responsible reporting and behaviour.

Peter Mirtschin
Tanunda
South Australia


----------



## Chris1 (Mar 16, 2011)

what a sad story.


----------



## abnrmal91 (Mar 16, 2011)

It's sad as it seem like such a waste considering his talent. It shows that you can never underestimate snakes, even those with a great deal of experience.


----------



## saximus (Mar 16, 2011)

Wow. Thanks again for sharing Jonno. Sorry for your loss


----------



## Snakewoman (Mar 16, 2011)

Thanks for clearing this all up Jonno, it must be very difficult for you to have to confront this again. The media have a lot to answer for, and unfortunately I can't say I'm surprised at what they did. It seems there is no low they won't sink to to get what they want, and everyone else has to suffer for it. I'd heard about your friend before, but didn't know what to think since I didn't have a source other than a few different articles about it and I wasn't going to place much importance on what those bottom feeders had to say. I'm very sorry about your friend


----------



## Nighthawk (Mar 16, 2011)

I'm sorry for your loss Jonno, I didn't mean to offend, was merely relaying what I had been told which I was taking with a grain of salt as it was considering how rumours tend to balloon in this hobby. I really am truly sorry you had to bring it back up, and that I was one of the people who caused this to happen. He sounded like a very commendable person, and I will be sure to correct any falsifications I hear in the future.
Again, I'm sorry.


----------



## ingie (Mar 16, 2011)

Hi Jonno - I don't know the man who told me the story - he was at my work and we somehow started talking about snakes which led to me talking about my olive python and he then told me that terribly sad story as a warning that I shouldn't become complacent with her when she reaches full size. He did say he had known Erik and now that I read your account - I remember that he told me something very similar to what you wrote but it has been several months so I forgot the details... Sorry for your loss


----------



## BLACKY75 (Mar 16, 2011)

I think it would be pretty wise to understand what these snakes prey on in the wild, Olives, Coastals and especially Scrub's all prey on pretty large animals. A good size scrubby can easily account for wallabies up around the 60 - 70cm tall mark , compare that to the size of your kids. I am not trying to be a scare monger, but understand your animal and assess the risk. Constrictors of all types have evolved powerful bodies and can inflict serious damage. Whilst they can seem placid etc they are not as benign as we can sometimes assume. My personal experience is that I nearly lost a 15kg bull arab pup to a scrubby in FNQ after being careless, completley my fault both animals recieved minor injuries but the pup was out cold and needed kick starting.


----------



## robwilco76 (Mar 16, 2011)

A fair dinkum 5m scrubby... 3 people to catch this one for both the snake's health, and our safety.


----------



## Joemal (Mar 16, 2011)

Damn Blacky what size was the snake to take on a 15 kg dog .


----------



## guzzo (Mar 16, 2011)

Wow, shocking sad story....Our local paper is so bad for bending the truth to suit itself...but if by telling the true story people who have big snakes listen and just one life is saved then at least some good has come.


----------



## -Katana- (Mar 16, 2011)

Rob..what the hell did that scrubby eat?


----------



## Joemal (Mar 16, 2011)

robwilco76 said:


> View attachment 191070
> A fair dinkum 5m scrubby... 3 people to catch this one for both the snake's health, and our safety.


I know that smile i have seen that end of my scrub on quiet a few occasions .I have had mine launch from one end of her cage with her mouth open like in the pic and only just pull up inches from my face .Now that makes you think twice about doing anything in her cage without arming yourself with something .


----------



## arcy11 (Mar 16, 2011)

Hi, speaking of large aggressive snake, back at home when we handle reticulated python and burmese python, we follow a certain rule, "for every 3 feet of snake 1 person should handle" specially with reticulated pythons, any way just wana share with you, =)


this my pet "copper" a 12 foot male burmese python, the last time i weight him, he was 26 kg, 

thanks and happy herping


----------



## Dipcdame (Mar 16, 2011)

There's a coastal here, not fully grown, who is so scared of being handled, she constricts whatever she can wrap. She grabbed my son's arm and hung on till his hand was going beyond the blue phase! took two of us to get her off, such was her strength!!
If she makes it up to the neck, I wouldn't fancy my chances!!


----------



## camspeed (Mar 16, 2011)

Have had my olive grab my arm once before, and he's only 6ft at the moment. Damn they are powerful. Running him under the tap made him let go straight away though


----------



## BLACKY75 (Mar 17, 2011)

Hey Joemal, scrubby was only around the 8 - 9ft mark (not real big for a scrubby). I had removed it from in side a roof cavity the previous afternoon. It took a while so rather than letting it go immediatley I left it in a bag on my verandah, the pup must have gotten curious and tore open the bag, I had 2 other dogs at the time that were used to snakes and couldn't care less. Long story short, snake gets out , not happy with pup and gave it a hiding. Scrubs of that size are commmon in Port douglas, but got the occasional fella up around the 14 to 18 ft mark. I was definately more careful from then on. On a brighter note the pup took its first pig 6 weeks later in the forest next to the daintree river..............tough little prick


----------



## robwilco76 (Mar 17, 2011)

Akwendi said:


> Rob..what the hell did that scrubby eat?



A big buck agile wallaby, on the front lawn of a friends place haha


----------



## atothej09 (Apr 15, 2011)

This has been one of the best and most interesting threads I have read in a long time. Some real good stories here.
I will leave further educated, and aware.
Thank you to all contributors.


----------



## longqi (Apr 15, 2011)

We have a fixed rule that nothing over three metres is ever handled unless two staff are present
Nothing over five metres without three staff present

Scrubbies are strong but nothing compared to the same length retic/burmese
That is simply because of the length to weight ratio
Wild caught retics above four metres are just so powerful it is almost unbelievable
I have had to train a few now and I must admit to being very very conscious of what could happen by accident
I had one with three coils around my arm and the bruising took two months to go away and hurt like a mongrel
One good thing about a big retic is that they really tell you they are going to bite so you can usually avoid it
In virtually every case it is self defence on the snakes part
I honestly dont think they were ever trying to eat me

I have to go to Kalimantan next week to play with a big wild caught one
Will try to get some photos or video to show you the power of these guys


----------



## Snakewoman (Apr 16, 2011)

Here is a man who is lucky to be alive after an encounter with a reticulated python:

Watch Anatomy Of A Snake Bite: Python Tactics Online - VideoSurf Video Search


----------



## Tassie97 (Apr 16, 2011)

wow that is an interesting vid does that mean he killed the snake?


----------



## mje772003 (Apr 16, 2011)

We have a fixed rule that nothing over three metres is ever handled unless two staff are present
Nothing over five metres without three staff present

That is a great rule to follow longqi


----------



## Snakewoman (Apr 16, 2011)

Tassie97 said:


> wow that is an interesting vid does that mean he killed the snake?


 
It sounds like the maintenance man killed the snake with the hunting knife. Lou must have panicked before he grabbed the snake's head, most times when you grab their heads they coil, its the last defense they have, and a very powerful one at that.


----------



## longqi (Apr 16, 2011)

99% of predators attack snakes from behind and to the head neck area
That is why we never attempt to touch the head of any wild caught retic
[if he is going for you hard it is a different matter]
{but they seldom really try to bite, it is usually just the open mouth 'tag' that they use]
They just hit with open mouth and try to get away most of the time


----------



## Fantazmic (Apr 16, 2011)

after reading your reply Jonno i am so sad so sorry for your loss....... such a sad sad story and the sad thing is the snake would ahve had a 'moment' and such a sad accident to have happened

i have been sharing the stories from this thread with my sons....especially this idea that the scrubbies coil hands first and then squeeze the chest.

Something my sons asked and I am wondering if someone with experience could answer....they wondered if you threw yourself to the ground.....with the full force of your weight....could you injure the snake enough to make it let go of you ? Or does it happen so quickly and you are so shocked that you wouldnt have a chance to do that or think to do it ?

we have atherton and tully jungles here and still have a rule....not near necks....even so I have said to my sons their lives are more important than the snakes.........though i doubt my jungles would ever get big enough to give a life threatening squeeze.....like the scrubbies or olives

Thanks in advance such a sad but interesting thread


----------



## Jonno from ERD (Apr 16, 2011)

G'day Fantazmic,

I highly doubt that falling to the ground would stop a snake the size of a large Olive or Scrub. They specialise in eating large, strong prey items.

Prevention is better than cure. Your jungles wouldn't pose much of a risk (although even a small Morelia could easily cause someone to black out if it wrapped around their neck, but this would be highly unlikely), but it's always good to be safe.


----------



## Fantazmic (Apr 16, 2011)

Yes my son just realised the snake is trying to 'take you down' so that probably wouldnt work.


----------



## ToadCountry (Apr 16, 2011)

Joemal said:


> Yep the scrubs seem to be very smart .My girl watches you as you walk past the cage as if sizing you up .She would love to get the cat .The cat walks past the cage and scrubby is right beside her following .If there was no barrier between them the cat would have been gone long ago .



That made me laugh......could just see your scrubbie sizing up the cat !! 
Up here in Cairns.....cats go missing alot. 
They are such stalkers, and have a primal food-driven intelligence that amazes me. 
Nice Snakes Joemal !!


----------



## Norm (Apr 16, 2011)

A bloke I know had a big python, I think it was a coastal, tighten up around his neck. Luckily he had a couple mates there and they got it off just as he was blacking out.
He told me when I first got interested in getting a snake, no matter how much you think you know your snake don`t ever put it around your neck.


----------



## Fantazmic (Apr 17, 2011)

this is what i have told my boys.....never around the neck....we tend to get the snakes out in the evening when they are awake and as a family while we are watching telly......and I think that is the safest way.....


----------



## newbie1991 (Apr 18, 2011)

first of all i am very sorry to hear about your loss Jonno and thank you for sharing.
i recently bought my first coastal python, it is only a yearling but it did not take me long at all to realise the power and strenght it has, i once had trouble unwrapping it off my arm after it turned my hand blue and gave me pins and needles, i would hate to imagine the strenght of a full grown python no matter the species. It definatelly taught me to be causious and be safe and not to let my guard down.
Its also great forums like this that educate newbies like me and others on how to safely care for their reptile/reptiles so thatks guys  .


----------



## HypnoticSlither (Apr 18, 2011)

sarcastocrat said:


> Do big constrictors ever constrict humans with the intention to consume, or is it merely an attempt to obtain warmth/ hang on? I couldn't imagine a scubbie would consider making a meal of an average adult (could they? I've only got a little spotted).



the other day while looking at pics on the net i found a site and it shows a ascrubbie eating a kangaroo !! so i would not be surprised. i was shocked


----------



## HerpMad (Apr 18, 2011)

Akwendi said:


> Perhaps I'm going to get flamed for this but wouldn't it help if you had a cattle prod with you in case the worse came to the worse and you couldn't get unwrapped?
> 
> Those things give a huge boot when discharged and are easier to get hold of (purchase) than a tazer.


 
lol, sounds like a reasonable idea.. but cattle prods and jiggers send electrical impulses thru the muscles tensing them even more... wouldn't want to boot a scrubby that was wrapped around my neck and make it pop my head off... plus the added bonus of the current flowing into me aswell


----------



## kawasakirider (Apr 18, 2011)

This video is AMAZING. I am in the middle of it at the moment, so I don't know what happens the whole way through, but this HUGE retic let go of Austin Stevens just because its bottom jaw was hooked on his pants, he should have bought a lotto ticket.

[video=youtube;79fND0COYlA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79fND0COYlA&feature=related[/video]


----------



## longqi (Apr 19, 2011)

This will give you some idea of what a decent size retics head looks like
This one was a relocation near Palangkaraya in Kalimantan


----------



## Snakewoman (Apr 19, 2011)

That's one massive snake! Very impressive.


----------



## saximus (Apr 19, 2011)

kawasakirider said:


> This video is AMAZING. I am in the middle of it at the moment, so I don't know what happens the whole way through, but this HUGE retic let go of Austin Stevens just because its bottom jaw was hooked on his pants, he should have bought a lotto ticket.


 I've seen that before. Call me sick but I kinda would have liked to see it grab him properly so we could see how he dealt with it


----------



## longqi (Apr 19, 2011)

The retic in that video is around 6metres probably a female from Sulawesi going by the size and colour and is in very very good condition for a wild retic
It is virtually impossible for one man to 'grab her properly and deal with it'
Wild retics of that size can spring your ribs while only trying to get away
To move them we use a minimum of a five man crew
This ensures both the health of the snake and the relocators
Their power is absolutely unbelievable
I have never seen one attack like that
Usually they just try to get away

The green anaconda was a classic example of what usually happens
Notice that it never even tried to strike him
It is usually only if you restrain their heads that they try to bite


----------



## saximus (Apr 19, 2011)

Yeah Longqi I meant I wanted to see the snake grab Stevens properly instead of catching his pants. As much as I love seeing these documentaries I would just like to see these crazy guys humbled a little every now and then so they calm down and stop agitating the snakes so badly all the time. Anyone seen the one where Brady Barr gets bitten on the *** by a small/medium size python? He screamed like a girl and I was in tears from laughing so hard (I hate him so much).


----------



## Torah (Apr 19, 2011)

Wow!


----------



## longqi (Apr 19, 2011)

Torah if you are in Bali drop into the display
Ubud is pretty close to us
Just picked up a four metre retic from a restaurant there


----------



## Nathan_T (Apr 19, 2011)

longqi said:


> Torah if you are in Bali drop into the display
> Ubud is pretty close to us
> Just picked up a four metre retic from a restaurant there



Out of curiosity, is that the Rimba Reptile park? I stumbled across that by accident last year while I was over there (the driver didn't say anything about snakes, just mentioned birds, so I mainly went to keep the wife happy, glad I did now). Absolutely jaw dropping some of the animals there.


----------



## abnrmal91 (Apr 19, 2011)

kawasakirider said:


> This video is AMAZING. I am in the middle of it at the moment, so I don't know what happens the whole way through, but this HUGE retic let go of Austin Stevens just because its bottom jaw was hooked on his pants, he should have bought a lotto ticket.
> 
> [video=youtube;79fND0COYlA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79fND0COYlA&feature=related[/video]


He is a bloody idiot he wonders why he almost died. How dumb to you have to be to take on something that big by himself.


----------



## imported_Varanus (Apr 19, 2011)

"Nailed by a giant snake", "I was pulling and pulling"; What a goose!!


----------



## longqi (Apr 19, 2011)

Nathan_T said:


> Out of curiosity, is that the Rimba Reptile park? I stumbled across that by accident last year while I was over there (the driver didn't say anything about snakes, just mentioned birds, so I mainly went to keep the wife happy, glad I did now). Absolutely jaw dropping some of the animals there.



No Its not the reptile park
although I must admit they do have some wonderful reptiles there including Komodos etc and I highly recommend people to drop in there as they have lots we dont have

Our one is right in the heart of Kuta
Just a display where you play with chondros burmese and retics etc
Nothing too special but lots of fun


----------



## Nathan_T (Apr 19, 2011)

longqi said:


> No Its not the reptile park
> although I must admit they do have some wonderful reptiles there including Komodos etc and I highly recommend people to drop in there as they have lots we dont have
> 
> Our one is right in the heart of Kuta
> ...


 
Thanks, if I've ever back there I'll look you guys up. Definitely recommend Rimba as well. I knew king cobras were big, but nothing quite compares to seeing one six inches away from your face (thankfully behind glass).


----------



## Cockney_Red (Apr 19, 2011)

saximus said:


> Yeah Longqi I meant I wanted to see the snake grab Stevens properly instead of catching his pants. As much as I love seeing these documentaries I would just like to see these crazy guys humbled a little every now and then so they calm down and stop agitating the snakes so badly all the time. Anyone seen the one where Brady Barr gets bitten on the *** by a small/medium size python? He screamed like a girl and I was in tears from laughing so hard (I hate him so much).


 
Brady getting his bottle ripped by the Retic in the cave, was priceless!!!!!:lol::lol::lol:


----------



## Morelia4life (Apr 19, 2011)

I think since the 90's, 12 people here in the U.S. have been killed by large constrictors. I am sure a large carpet could kill a child and a large scrub could kill a man.


----------



## sookie (Apr 24, 2011)

Whew.i sometimes do think that the guys who jump on the backs of wild animals,grab huge snakes and wrestle them etc must have small ding a lings.so to make up for that lack of manhood they do the tuffest stuff they can think off.drive the big 4x4's,wear the cowboy boots or the rossi's,akubra in place..........crikey,he was the only one i respected and enjoyed learning from.


----------



## longqi (Apr 24, 2011)

sookie said:


> Whew.i sometimes do think that the guys who jump on the backs of wild animals,grab huge snakes and wrestle them etc must have small ding a lings.so to make up for that lack of manhood they do the tuffest stuff they can think off.drive the big 4x4's,wear the cowboy boots or the rossi's,akubra in place..........crikey,he was the only one i respected and enjoyed learning from.


 
In 99.99% of cases it has zero to do with bravery
It is stage managed stupidity arranged to make snakes etc look like dangerous animals
Any wild snake grabbed by the head will react as if it is being attacked by a predator
Notice that in almost every case all the snake does is try to escape???

Snakes are scared stiff of people because they know that we kill them
The same snake could probably be gently picked up
I have watched an older Indonesian man near Bandung pick up wild cobras in the jungle after talking to them first
Hes been a snake catcher all his life
He even stroked one for a while and gently kissed it under the chin
Anyone can kiss a cobra on top of the head because of their limited strike range
But this one was very very tolerant and it was something that I never expected to see even with a tame one
as it could have hit him at any time
He admitted afterwards that he normally doesnt do that but was just showing off for the bule [me]
I consider him to be a much braver man than these TV idiots because he removes dangerous snakes almost every day
under the most primitive of conditions and usually just with a piece of cloth over his hands so the touch of human skin doesnt freak the snakes out


----------

