JACKSON CITIZEN PATRIOT (Michigan) 17 June 08 Parma man isn't rattled by dozens of snakes
Scott Hasbrouck doesn't mind being known as ``Snake Man.''
In fact, he's rightfully earned the title.
The 20-year-old, who spent his childhood capturing snakes in the fields around his Parma Township home, now harbors more than 50 of the creatures and tries to dispel commonly held myths about them.
``My main goal is to educate the public about snakes and to teach people not to be afraid of them,'' said Hasbrouck, a senior at Spring Arbor University. ``There's a lot of people who are afraid of snakes that don't need to be.''
Some visitors to his home become uneasy when they find out about the number of reptiles slithering beneath their feet in his basement.
Snakes from nearly every continent coil up in clear plastic containers that hold a bevy of breeds including Florida king, corn, Western hognose, Southern copperhead and red-tailed green rat snakes.
But he said many visitors' perceptions change once they see the snakes up close, especially Abigail -- a lovable 12-foot South American boa constrictor that likes to rest in visitors' laps.
Bonnie and Clyde, a pair of albino Burmese pythons, also often draw interest from visitors.
``It's a mind-opener for a lot of people to come and check these things out,'' said Hasbrouck, who does several presentations a year at schools or events locally and statewide.
Although he's had a lifelong interest in snakes, Hasbrouck said he didn't get his first, a corn snake, until his junior year of high school. He said he has added more than 20 snakes to his collection in the last two years.
All his snakes are captive-bred and most have come from private breeders to help cut down on the importation of wild snakes that sometimes make their way to pet stores, said Hasbrouck, who also sells his snakes through his business, SnakeVenture.
``It's sad ... and it's unnecessary,'' he said of importing wild snakes, which often die from stress or disease and are more aggressive than captive-bred snakes.
Many people buy snakes without realizing how big they can get or the level of care they need, he said. That was part of what led to his purchase of Abigail.
Her previous owner, who Hasbrouck met at a reptile show, did not properly care for her, which left her with a respiratory infection and scars on her face from striking at the side of the cage. Hasbrouck said he immediately took the snake, now about 9 years old, to a veterinarian and spent about four months nursing her back to health.
Though he's been bitten about 200 times by his nonvenomous snakes, Hasbrouck said people should understand most snakes aren't dangerous and may only strike when threatened or hungry.
That is important to remember as the state's population of massasauga rattlesnakes has rapidly dwindled after human encroachment on its habitats. The usually shy and nonaggressive snakes are often killed by people startled by their presence, Hasbrouck said. People who spot them should contact the Michigan Society of Herpetologists or the Department of Natural Resources, he said.
``If you stay away from it and don't bug it, it won't do anything to you,'' he said.
He said he plans to give a lecture at SAU this fall on snake myths perpetuated in the movie ``Snakes on a Plane,'' such as that the animals can swallow a human whole. He's already given lectures about snake care on campus.
``He brings a lot of excitement to us at Spring Arbor,'' said Tom Kuntzleman, a chemistry professor at SAU who has helped Hasbrouck coordinate presentations.
Kuntzleman acknowledged that his views on snakes changed after meeting Hasbrouck, who got his children interested in the reptiles.
``You can see his enthusiasm is contagious,'' Kuntzleman said. ``He got me dabbling a little bit in that area.''
Parma man isn't rattled by dozens of snakes