NEWS & OBSERVER (Raleigh, N Carolina) 18 August 06 SSSo you're flying soon? Consider thisss (Matt Ehlers)
When it comes to dealing with snakes on a plane, preparation is key. That's why we sought advice from David Cooper, living collections herpetologist at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.
Cooper cares for about 40 snakes, including venomous rattlesnakes and copperheads that are native to North Carolina. His first, best piece of advice on dealing with snakes in midair?
"Don't panic."
For those who need to know what to do instead, here are a few ideas.
* To avoid inadvertently bringing a snake on a plane, check your luggage for serpents before boarding. This can be particularly important if your travels take you to a place such as Guam, which is infested with brown tree snakes. Cooper describes these snakes as "mildly venomous."
* Since not everyone will follow the above rule, look around the plane before taking a seat. If you spot a snake, alert a flight attendant and calmly exit the aircraft.
* Because exotic-animal traders will sometimes hire passengers to sneak snakes into the country, it is possible that a reptile could be stuffed inside a passenger's trousers. Try not to worry if you see a strange slithering, as the snake most likely is nonvenomous. Couriers are smarter than that.
"You don't want to put a snake in a sock in your pocket that's going to bite you," Cooper says.
* If you find yourself on a plane filled with snake smugglers whose stowaways have escaped, remain calm. Cooper recommends lifting your feet and scrunching them on your seat. Keep still. Snakes see movement as a threat or a meal possibility, but in this kind of chaotic situation, they probably won't strike. "They like to eat on their own terms," Cooper says.
* Keep an eye on them, however. And it's a good idea to procure a snake shield. A piece of luggage would work, or maybe a laptop computer. With the adrenaline pumping, you could even rip off the tray table from the seat in front of you to help block a striking snake.
The way Cooper sees it, you'll probably never need to.
"If I were a terrorist, snakes would be the last thing I'd be using," he says. "They're not a very reliable weapon."
SSSo you're flying soon? Consider thisss