As wildlife biologists, my wife and I are called upon to move many venomous snakes each year as a part of our job or as favors to friends and neighbors. As herpetologists we capture snakes, identify them, weigh and measure them, sex them and then release them in a safe area away from buildings and roads. To accomplish this we must use a variety of professional snake handling equipment, always keeping in mind that many cases of snakebite occur when "professionals" or "experts" become complacent. We always attempt to minimize the danger to us by minimizing the actual touch time with the snake and the use of quality snake handling equipment. Experience has shown us the value of having the best equipment available for our job. A snake hook or tong that bends under the weight of a good sized Western Diamondback Rattlesnake is not a good tool to have in your arsenal. The equipment that we use is designed with our safety and that of the snake in mind. Our hooks and tongs are made of aircraft quality aluminum so it would take quite an ordeal to damage them.
We are often asked what the best tool for moving snakes, especially venomous snakes would be. The simple answer would be brains! Inexperienced people should not be moving venomous snakes and if you cannot tell if it is venomous or not, leave it alone. The best course of action would be to simply enjoy the snake in its habitat and when you are done, walk away. If a snake must be moved we recommend a hook and tong combination. Commercial snake hooks range in size from 24 to about 50 inches in length while commercial snake tongs range from about 24 to 60 inches in length. With tongs, shorter is better as far as control, but we do realize that most people are not comfortable getting that close to a venomous snake. The longer the tong is, the harder it is to handle. In order to lift an adult rattlesnake with a 52 or 60 inch tong, most people would have to use a second hand on the shaft which would negate the advantage of the longer tong. Long tongs are better utilized for pulling snakes out from under bushes or buildings. Keeping these things in mind, we recommend the use of a 40 in snake hook and 40 inch snake tong for lifting snakes. The tong should have the widest jaw grip possible as this disperses pressure over a greater surface area of the snake's body, eliminating the possibility of direct pressure between individual ribs and reducing the risk of injury to the snake. The wider, more gentle jaw also allows for faster gripping which is a great advantage for handling or capturing species of water snake or tree dwelling snakes which are notoriously fast and difficult to restrain.
Before you attempt to capture a snake be sure that you have a secure container with the lid off and ready to receive the snake. For this purpose, coolers and open buckets are not good choices. We use 5 gallon dog food buckets with screw top lids which are available in many pet stores. We drill air holes in the lid and and attach a handle which will allow us to screw the lid on tight. Always remember not to put your fingers near the air holes as rattlesnakes and other venomous snakes can strike through the holes.
To move or capture a snake the snake should be grabbed with the tong in the first third of the body behind the head. This allows for control. The hook should then be utilized in the back half of the snake for support. If you happen to grab the snake in the tail half with the tong, you can use the hook to pin the snake's head down until you can manipulate the tong to the correct end of the snake. Several companies now make collapsible snake hooks for easy transport during travel or hiking in the field. Do not use these hooks for pinning snakes down during capture. They are made for lifting and moving the snake, not pinning and they may come loose at the joints if pressure is placed on them during the pinning process with nasty results if the snake is hostile or venomous. After confining the snake in your container it may be taken and released at a safe site away from buildings and roads.
Whether you are working with snakes in the field or with caged specimens in your reptile room, having the proper snake handling equipment is important for both you and the snake. Be smart. Spend a little more for a quality, safe product.
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