Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[johonny]

[Peter Parrot]

Whether on the forum or not, there is absolutely no need to tail a grass snake like that, dangling the animal with no support. A very bad example to set people also as has already been stated. The last thing that anyone needs, particularly the animals themselves, is hoards of attention seeking instant snake experts abusing (which is exactly what tailing a grass snake like that uneccesarily is) native herps. Unfortunately, videos like this will inspire people to do just that. Someone will suffer an adder bite as a direct result of this. Adders will then recieve an even worse press than they currently do.
I have handled countless grass snakes over the years, and know of plenty of people that have done so a great deal more than I have. I am currently actively involved with a study of grass snake diving behaviour which entails regular surveying of a number of sites and the capture and recapture of certain individuals in order to retrieve information. This happens to be about as intrusive into the animals lives as it can get yet I have not ever recieved a single bite. Swinging an animal around by the tip of it`s fragile tail unneccesarily in the manner that this individual in the "video" does is nothing more than bravado and attention craving behaviour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ6TiPFcRm8&NR=1

The accompanying narration is far from accurate also. "Adders have no natural predators". Complete and utter nonsense! Hedgehogs have been documented as predators of the european adder. I have also seen with my own eyes corvids killing an adder on two occasions. I very much doubt that the list ends there.
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[MJ]

[brettmarcwebb]

think he trying to get a job on the TV think he needs to work on it bit more thou lol
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[MJ]

http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2585&PN=1


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Paul

For all your Tropical plant and Naturalistic Vivarium needs please enjoy Urban Bromeliad

[King of Snake]

Flinching from a grass snake?



He evidently isn't a snake-keeper.

Predictable forum hysteria aside; I don't think the animal suffered too much from being tailed. I just hope he knows the difference between one of those and a British Adder.

[Peter Parrot]

[Scott W]

[slippery42]

If he does use the forum the best thing for him to do would be to make a public apology for being an idiot and then its over?
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[Drymarchon32]

The video of him handling the juvenile adder is simply reckless, not impressed.

Jersey has some massive grass snakes, some well over 4 feet long and I have heard of specimens in the 5 foot range, and I have never even seen one angry, let alone strike at anything. Just shows how upset he managed to make it.

Surely we have moved on since the days of sensationalist herp stuff. I think it is far more impressive to get photos of snakes sitting still and allowing the intrusion, that is real skill. Molesting them in front of a camera in this manner is just for Kudos, and it appears even that wasn't achieved.

I'm pretty sure the attitude on camera was completely tongue in cheek but maybe I'm giving credit where it isn't due.

Please stop posting sh**e vids, or they will have to call it Idiottube.com

Al
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Complacency killed the keeper