Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ive seen some pretty big snakes out here in the AZ field, but its never until we get a couple good rains until the big guys come out and its finally that time of year.
The first is a sonoran gopher and the second is a red coachwhip... neither one would stay stretched out all the way but in the picture the racer is touching the ground with its tail.

No offense, but please do not hold a snake like that! The way you treat a newly caught snake has a great effect on the way it treat's you!! As for the Masticophis your holding, thet bite like a baby! By holding him correctly, and letting him glide through your hand's , he may only bite you 2 or three times at the most during your inspection of him or her!

Sorry! they

I rarely handle them at all, and as a matter of fact I actually do not really believe in handling them for the most part. The snakes are only in the position that they are for a quick picture that is why I did not stretch them out. The gopher snake was a gentle giant and the coachwhip calmed down after a minute, but I was not willing to accept another bite so I was holding his head.

Since the subject of proper handling has been brought up, consider these thoughts;
While improper handling is obviously psychologically disturbing to the snake, the physiological effects, perhaps not as obvious, have to be taken into account. Most terrestrial snakes have no mechanisms to prevent pooling of their blood (and its subsequent raising or lowering of blood pressure) when held in a vertical position. For example, when held vertically by the head only, such a snake experiences a drop in blood pressure to the brain and a pooling of blood in its anterior body.(The opposite obviously occurs when held by the tail) In more heavy bodied snakes the same effects occur with the internal organs as well. (Hold a heavily gravid Nerodia, and you can feel the mass of young shift depending upon the orientation of the females body) Even terrestrial snakes that do, on occasion, climb usually don't do so vertically. Typically they climb at less than a 45 degree angle from horizontal. Tree snakes have a variety of mechanisms to combat these problems ("check" valves in their circulatory systems, tight skin, posteriorly located hearts, etc).
Consider this; if someone were to restrain YOU, that alone would be disconcerting. Now consider how much more distressing it would be to be restrained by your feet upside down in a vertical position!
Holding a snake in this way is no less inhumane than carrying your dog around by its rear legs.

well first of all, He was draped across a branch and was indeed pretty vertical, which if you are at all familiar with red coachwhips you would know that they do this because my entire life I have seen them do this even on a cholla cactus.
Second of all, As I stated above, I DID NOT hold him like that for a long time he was held for a quick picture and then let back down, thats why if you look closely you can even see his body is not straight. As I set him down to let him go, he shot off like nothing happened straight up another tree.
Obviously I do not go around just holding snakes like that for long enough to hurt them in some way that you are referring to.

I don't think any offense is meant by any of the posters, but rather just encouragement not just for you but for everyone here, to avoid suspending an animal's full weight by holding it close to its head or its tail. that is good care I think we can all agree on.
cheers and peace.
terry
great animals, btw.