Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just finished watching an episode of "Nature's Nightmares" on the National Geographic Channel

Despite interviews with some very familiar names, Sean Bush, Lawrence Van Sertima, Al Cruz, Ernie Jillson, Jim Harrison, etc., the show cast a positive light on rattlesnake roundups. They even called the roundup a "festival to celebrate the local rattlesnake population."

They even interviewed the idiot that founded the festival for about ten minutes and talked about how she did such a good thing for the community.

They then showed "Professional snake handling demonstrations" that included tapping bare feet onto coiled prairie rattlers, freehandling, and kissing rattlesnakes on the back.

They also interviewed a guy in Louisiana whose preferred method of dealing with the "infestation of cottonmouths" that was on his property when he moved into the bayou was to "shoot every snake he sees, no questions asked" and the show dealt with this method as though it were a perfectly legitimate endeavor.

Throughout the entire show, the common theme was how people got hurt by being stupid and keeping "pet rattlesnakes."

(Sorry Al & Ernie, but the segment where you went to visit the local hot keeper.. it was as if you were making fun of him. I hope you realize that is IS possible to keep these animals in a professional manner and also possible to keep the chances of a bite to a minimum. Not everyone is a thrill-seeker and not everyone is an idiot.)

The entire focus of this program was one of making anyone who keeps venomous snakes to look like a moron. I was offended.

The ONLY redeeming factor in the entire program was the segment on Joe Slowinski, and it nearly made me cry.

National Geographic definitely dropped their morals around their ankles on this one and mooned the entire hotkeeping community.

Granted, there are stupid keepers, and stupid dealers selling to them. You have to face it though the majority of cases that get to Venom1 or to Dr Bush are the bad ones. The greater majority never cross their path. And sometimes even the best handlers get tagged -- accidents happen.

It's like the cop who only runs into bad guys over and over again through the course of his job who begins to see everyone as a criminal...

I was disgusted.

Chad Minter
Author
Venomous Snakes of the Southeast
http://www.envenomated.com

Here is my challenge to National Geographic...

Come here, I will take a week's vacation. I will take you on a tour of half a dozen or so private collections. I will show you the side of the venomous keeping community that does it right. I will show you the side of the venomous keeping community that rarely ever sees the emergency room or the life-flight helicopters. I will show you the hot keepers that aren't tatooed thrill seekers with a death wish and a love for kickboxing.

I will show you the good side of this hobby.

What say ye, publishers of the little yellow book? What say ye National Geographic?

Come hither, I beseech thy presence.

Chad Minter
Author
Venomous Snakes of the Southeast
http://www.envenomated.com
swampy@bellsouth.net

Chad,
The good folks at NGeo probably find responsible private keeping (few or no envenomations) too boring for one of their telecasts. I'd be utterly shocked if they take you up on your offer.
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Venomous snakes---best hobby on earth!
Bill Huseth

I think a show about private keepers, and the methods and techniques they use to stay bite-free would be very interesting.

Show them good hooking, tubing, pinning, probing, cage maintenance, etc...

Heck in that show they followed a guy around who was shooting buckshot at swamp lillies, how uninteresting is that? I can show them hands-on snake handling without the stupidity of kissing a viridis on the back.

Not only that, I can show them some of the most impressive collections of venomous reptiles in the world.

Who knows what's in your neighbors basement? hmmmmm?

I was referring to NGeo's probable opinion. To private keepers, a show about them (in a positive light) would be great.
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Venomous snakes---best hobby on earth!
Bill Huseth

This show has been around for YEARS. I am surprised you just saw it. I have watched it quite a few times and I do nitice different things each time. I have come to the conclusion it really is a pretty good documentary. I did not see it putting the roundups in a spotlight and I thought they actually made them look pretty foolish. Allowing uneducated people to speak for themselves did the trick in itself. Granted, they did not cast a highlight on private keeping but this really is our job. I am not so fond of a television promoting people having venomous snakes either. It is not for everyone. People who really care about what they do will usually take the time to show their community how important these animals are and the great lengths you do to in order to ensure safety.

Now as someone with an interest in kickboxing myself, I think your blow at Jim Harrison was not necessary. However, I do not have any tatoos as I find individuality in not having any. Especially if I walk into a reptile swap : ) But I certainly do not disrespect people who do have them. Nor do I assume they are incapable of being responsible and mature about keeping snakes...or anything for that matter.

To be completely honest, I think we all have some thrill seeking qualities. It is a lie if you say you do not. Maybe you are not jumping motorcycles or throwing kicks in a ring (both being former hobbies of mine) but working with snakes surely gets your heart pumping.

It just takes a mature person who can be responsible about their risks. I respect people who jump 100 ft on a motorcycle, kick people in the head, jump off buildings, and keep venomous snakes while sober. A low risk taking person who had a few too many drinks before entering their ford taurus is a bit harder to respect.

I would not say national geographic gets an F for the documentary. Maybe a C or a B.

>>This show has been around for YEARS. I am surprised you just saw it. I have watched it quite a few times and I do nitice different things each time. I have come to the conclusion it really is a pretty good documentary. I did not see it putting the roundups in a spotlight and I thought they actually made them look pretty foolish. Allowing uneducated people to speak for themselves did the trick in itself. Granted, they did not cast a highlight on private keeping but this really is our job. I am not so fond of a television promoting people having venomous snakes either. It is not for everyone. People who really care about what they do will usually take the time to show their community how important these animals are and the great lengths you do to in order to ensure safety.
>>
>>Now as someone with an interest in kickboxing myself, I think your blow at Jim Harrison was not necessary. However, I do not have any tatoos as I find individuality in not having any. Especially if I walk into a reptile swap : ) But I certainly do not disrespect people who do have them. Nor do I assume they are incapable of being responsible and mature about keeping snakes...or anything for that matter.
>>
>>To be completely honest, I think we all have some thrill seeking qualities. It is a lie if you say you do not. Maybe you are not jumping motorcycles or throwing kicks in a ring (both being former hobbies of mine) but working with snakes surely gets your heart pumping.
>>
>>It just takes a mature person who can be responsible about their risks. I respect people who jump 100 ft on a motorcycle, kick people in the head, jump off buildings, and keep venomous snakes while sober. A low risk taking person who had a few too many drinks before entering their ford taurus is a bit harder to respect.
>>
>>I would not say national geographic gets an F for the documentary. Maybe a C or a B.

Hey Chad, my collection is up for inspection.Bring them on!I am so tired of the media making our hobby look bad.I have been keeping venomous for over 20 years and not once have I been bitten or have an animal escape.Its the machoo yahoos that are bringing this hobby down.Lets show them the good side.Trey