Handling non Identified snakes

[Elapidae1]

Just want peoples thoughts. There is a thread at the moment where someone has been criticized for heading a snake he couldn't identify, he appeared to have at least some knowledge in handling snakes, I have some experience in handling, mainly spotted brown (dugite) and Western Tigers these are the only elapids I'm likely to come into contact with that are considered dangerously venomous besides the common Adder I am licensed to relocate snakes though am far from what I would consider experienced, I believe that I had to start somewhere and if I ever felt out of my depth I would call for assistance from someone with greater experience. there are plenty of snakes that I could come across that could be considered extremely unpleasant, how important is it for me to be able to identify these animals in order to handle them? If someone has experience in handling some highly venomous Elapids does it qualify them to handle the others that he hasn't yet come across and possibly can't ID? Is snake behaviour that variable that a positive ID needs to be made before any attempt at handling it?
For the sake of this thread lets exclude an example of death adders.

Steve

 

[Nighthawk]

Personally, I reckon if you can't identify it to the point where you know if it's venomous or not don't touch it. If however, you know it's vemonous, know how to handle elapids etc, then not knowing the variety of the elapid in question is rather moot as long as you can tell which part is the dangerous bit isn't it? All I know is that if I saw something other than a python in the wild I'd call someone who knows how to handle them. In my case my husband lol.

 

[Guest]

yes snake behavior is that variable

but for something like a very common and easily identifiable snake such as a hemiaspis signata if you dont know what it is then clearly you dont have much experience!

 

[waruikazi]

yes snake behavior is that variable.

but for something like a very common and easily identifiable snake such as a hemiaspis signata if you dont know what it is then clearly you dont have much experience!

Couldn't have said it better.

 

[Wookie]

Just want peoples thoughts. There is a thread at the moment where someone has been criticized for heading a snake he couldn't identify, he appeared to have at least some knowledge in handling snakes, I have some experience in handling, mainly spotted brown (dugite) and Western Tigers these are the only elapids I'm likely to come into contact with that are considered dangerously venomous besides the common Adder I am licensed to relocate snakes though am far from what I would consider experienced, I believe that I had to start somewhere and if I ever felt out of my depth I would call for assistance from someone with greater experience. there are plenty of snakes that I could come across that could be considered extremely unpleasant, how important is it for me to be able to identify these animals in order to handle them? If someone has experience in handling some highly venomous Elapids does it qualify them to handle the others that he hasn't yet come across and possibly can't ID? Is snake behaviour that variable that a positive ID needs to be made before any attempt at handling it?
For the sake of this thread lets exclude an example of death adders.

Steve

If you know how to do it safely then sure. I'm sure if people know the risk and if you are prepared to risk being bit then go for it. Positive ID is not really essential so long as you treat all unidentified snakes like something as deadly as taipans :lol:. But I personally wouldn't risk it just for ID. And being unable to identify a snake doesn't at all mean you don't know how to handle a snake (talking about people who have handled before not people who have no idea what they're doing). I've seen ID threads on here and self proclaimed experts sometimes have trouble identifying a snake through close up pictures so i'd imagine occasions would arise where it'd be much harder to ID without catching it.

 

[spiderdan]

yes snake behavior is that variable

but for something like a very common and easily identifiable snake such as a hemiaspis signata if you dont know what it is then clearly you dont have much experience!

I don't total agree with that as there distribution range is very small and people in WA, NT and SA may never have encounted them so unless they have studied up on all the snakes in oz them may not be able to id that perticular snake.
Just because you can not id that snake dose not mean you don't have much experience it means you don't have much experience with the hemiaspis signata ( Marsh snake).

 

[Kalashnikov]

Not the smartest thing you could do

 

[Elapidae1]

I don't total agree with that as there distribution range is very small and people in WA, NT and SA may never have encounted them so unless they have studied up on all the snakes in oz them may not be able to id that perticular snake.
Just because you can not id that snake dose not mean you don't have much experience it means you don't have much experience with the hemiaspis signata ( Marsh snake).

Agreed I'm in WA so wouldn't confidantly ID it, lets say for arguments sake I am very experienced in dealing with WA's, in particular Perth's common elapids P. affinis, P. nuchalis N. scutatus P. australis. These are the most commonly encountered in the Perth and surrounding areas Also considered common are Bardicks, Whips, Crowns, however these are rarely encountered and I personally haven't encountered any of them myself. Would my extensive knowledge of our highly venomous species equip me to deal with these less commonly encountered species even if I couldn't ID them?

 

[Elapidae1]

Not the smartest thing you could do

What isn't

 

[Echiopsis]

Agreed I'm in WA so wouldn't confidantly ID it, lets say for arguments sake I am very experienced in dealing with WA's, in particular Perth's common elapids P. affinis, P. nuchalis N. scutatus P. australis. These are the most commonly encountered in the Perth and surrounding areas Also considered common are Bardicks, Whips, Crowns, however these are rarely encountered and I personally haven't encountered any of them myself. Would my extensive knowledge of our highly venomous species equip me to deal with these less commonly encountered species even if I couldn't ID them?

Yes.

 

[Snakelove]

Steve1 do you do the same 'routine' or procedure when relocating snakes? I don't exactly know how it goes but I'm guessing if you have the experience to know how to bag a snake safely then it shouldn't matter if it's a venomous or a python. Or maybe I'm missing the whole point here.

 

[Kalashnikov]

Handling a snake which you can't I.D.
Secondly I can't see any reason to handle a wild snake unless you are relocating it.

 

[-Peter]

I ask myself, do I have the right to deny others the same experiences that I had growing up with reptiles?

 

[Guest]

I don't total agree with that as there distribution range is very small and people in WA, NT and SA may never have encounted them so unless they have studied up on all the snakes in oz them may not be able to id that perticular snake.
Just because you can not id that snake dose not mean you don't have much experience it means you don't have much experience with the hemiaspis signata ( Marsh snake).

well to me thats just a load of rubbish trying to justify something that just shouldnt be done in the first place!
the hemiaspis signata was the example i used in reguards to the thread I think steve1 is refering to, clearly if the guy caught one then he wasnt in WA and if he doesnt have any knowledge of common and easily identified local species to his area then again i stand by my comment that he doesnt have much experience!
if its so hard for you people in WA to relate the message I was putting forward in my post then here I can change it just for you

"yes snake behavior is that variable

but for something like a very common and easily identifiable snake such as a Demansia Psammophis if you dont know what it is then clearly you dont have much experience!"

 

[Elapidae1]

Snakelove I'm just trying to guage other peoples opinions on what constitutes enough experience when dealing with elapids, just because I can't Identify a species does that make me less capable of dealing with it?

 

[Elapidae1]

Farma I can identify D psammophis yet I have never seen one in the flesh and I'm unlikely to receive a callout to relocate one, hypothetically though with all my experience in dealing with other Elapids if I did come across on would I be equipped to deal with it.

 

[Guest]

I ask myself, do I have the right to deny others the same experiences that I had growing up with reptiles?

-Pete im in no way trying to deny others of the experiences I had growing up as a kid, but can I ask when you were a kid and you brought home a venomous snake that you didnt know what it was did everyone pat you on the back and tell you how brave you are or did they tell you you were stupid? because i still remember what they called me!
Im not denying these people of the right to do anything thats DEC's job but im not denying them the right to be told either!

 

[Guest]

well steve1 I dont know you so I wouldnt be able to say weather on not you would be equiped to deal with one!
the fact that you have stated you are on callout would suggest that you have some form of experience?
but in saying that would you with the experience that you have class handling a shovel nosed snake and a gwardar in the same basket? they are both elapids

 

[moosenoose]

I found this cute little jungle python in my backyard the other day...I know it's a little further south in Victoria for it...but hey, here it is!

 

[Nighthawk]

i found this cute little jungle python in my backyard the other day...i know it's a little further south in victoria for it...but hey, here it is!

lmao :lol: