Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I caught a episode with Austin Stevens and the Amethystine python. The man is clumsy as hell but his info and technique seems about right anyone else have any comments?

I just caught an episode with him and man, is he pissing me off. What the episode where he is searching for an anaconda. They film his show as if he is being attacked by these beautiful creatures. But what really bothered me was when he was trying to catch a boa constrictor from a tree and he fell out of the tree with the boa in his hands and the both fell into a flowing stream. He is struggling with the snake's back end as the snake's head is trying to stay above water and he's struggling trying to get it into a boat. I've never seen such a clumsy guy. It's like he's trying to make his work look harder than it is. I know its difficult work catching snakes in the wild, but this guy is too much. Does anyone else out there feel the same about this clown???

I hate that guy. I'd watch Jeff Corwin and Steve Irwin any day over him.

Yes!! I am so sick of "Snake Master" Austin Stevens!! I was watching an episode where he caught an 8 foot green anaconda female. She was just sitting there, not caring what he was doing, and he's in the water jumping around, going under like she is trying to constrict him. (and all the dramatic adventure music in the back round) He had her head and he was pulling it towards himself, like she was trying to strike. Then he pulled her out and she just sat there. What a fruad. He says good facts and takes great pictures, but he shouldn't have his own show in my opinion. Jeff Corwin Rules!!
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Alone, alone, all, all alone. Alone on a wide, wide sea.
-Rime of the ancient Mariner

Steve Irwin is my favorite, but I agree with you all on him being an idiot and a fraud. Nut in my opinion Corwin is a bit of a sissy.
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1.1 Albino Burmese
0.1 Normal Burmese
1.0 Veild Chameleon
Waiting for more reptiles of any kind

Sorry, but I wasnt very specific on who I was calling an idiot, that was directed at Austin Stevens.
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1.1 Albino Burmese
0.1 Normal Burmese
1.0 Veild Chameleon
Waiting for more reptiles of any kind

but jeff corwin is attractive and funny, so that kind of makes up for the wussy factor

Except he called the 8 foot snake a 17 footer. He is a fraud (stevens) and makes herpers look like wreckless fools that love to make animals stressed just to see what they'll do/to get a pic.

I didn't care for his theatrics in the Anaconda episode. Seemed very amateurish. What puzzled me was his comment about the tree boa. He said he'd never seen a yellow one. It was small, so couldn't it be a yellow juvinile that will turn green? He went on about the fact that it was probably yellow because it lived in the top of the trees and that the green ones came from the bottom of the trees. I'm not very knowledgeable about this species but that seemed like a load of bull to me.

I haven't seen the Anaconda episode, but Stevens is right on. The nominate form of the Amazon Tree Boa [Corallus hortulanus], does in fact come in a wide variety of colors. It has been seen that C. hortulanus does occur in lighter colors the higher up in the canopy you go. The same thing also occurs with the Eyelash Pit Vipers [Bothriechis schlegelii]. As for the Austin Stevens programs, I would have to say a couple things in favor of them. The music, and cinematography while a bit overdone, remind me of the more adventurous fun animal shows of the past such as 'Wildlife Safari' and 'Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom' [not the current version]. Those were shows that while they dispensed the information they did so with some flair that made it all somehow more dramatic and exciting, or maybe it's just me being an old fart waxing nostalgic. However, I would have to agree the 'reenactments' of Stevens being strangled, bitten, savaged, etc. are ridiculous and unneccessary, however sensational T.V. sells and that's obviously the way Animal Planet is going with a lot of their programming. As for who's the better show host, this is my ranking in order of best among those I like and why they are on my list. You'll notice the conspicuous abscence of a few personalities and it's because I don't agree with their presentation or training or some other aspect. Now number 1: Mark O'Shea - nothing is staged on his show - if they don't find the animal they don't find it, that's life and that's field work - also O'Shea is a respect herpetologist and author of many professional articles. Number 2: Jeff Corwin - I don't know whether some encounters are staged on Jeff's show, but I suspect to a certain extent some might be - however, Jeff is also a herpetologist and an educator first and foremost - he cut his teeth doing the nitty-gritty work that a lot of us have done [and still do!] - also, you may not like Jeff's delivery or his slapstick routine, but that is the kind of thing that helps draw in the younger audience which is important in it's own right - also there's a certain guilty pleasure to knowing what Jeff's talking about when he's quoting scenes from old 1960's Star Trek episodes. Finally Number 3: This guy has only been seen on Animal Planet/Discovery on a couple occasions: Jules Sylvester - Jules is yet another consumate professional when it comes to handling herps and knowing his stuff when it comes to their natural history. However, I think Jules may have been a casualty of Animal Planet's desire to push their more sensationalist offerings - ie. Austin Stevens and others. That's my take, take it for what it's worth.
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Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois

Well, my other list still applies if you're only watching Animal Planet/Discovery Channel, however if you stray over to Outdoor Life Network then one of the absolute best nature show hosts out there is Rob Bredl of 'Killer Instinct'. Rob is the real deal, and before you mention that he runs around barefoot as some kind of 'Crocodile Dundee' gimmick let's set the record straight on that - 'Dundee' was based in large part upon some real-life characters from Australia, and it just so happens that in Queensland where Rob hails from apparently LOTS of people go around barefoot. Crazy Ozzies - go figure! Anyway, Rob truly has a way with animals and his shows are chock full of great natural history and photography, and I have it on the authority of one very well known venomous snake expert from Australia that Rob is a consumate professional to work with and truly has a great respect and devotion to the animals he works with both in captivity and in the wild. Okay, off my soapbox for now.
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Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois

I stand corrected on the yellow tree boa.

>>I caught a episode with Austin Stevens and the Amethystine python. The man is clumsy as hell but his info and technique seems about right anyone else have any comments?
>>

I agree with all on the “Snake Master” Austin Stevens being overly dramatic. My boyfriend isn’t very fond of snakes and I am trying to get him used to the idea of snakes b/c I am planning on getting a Ball python in the next 6 months or so and that show made him think the snakes are evil and just out to kill. When Austin was trying to capture the Anaconda in the river all I could think about was the stupid movie Anaconda that came out who knows when. Majority of all these shows and movies make people hate the snakes even more instead of educating them. I must say my favorite now is Steve Irwin when I was in Australia I wanted to go to his zoo but unfortunately ran out of time I will travel back to Aus in a few years just have to save up.