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| Ian Norton 31 May 2014 |
Initially, like many a young buck with a keen interest in natural history, I had an optimistic enthusiasm when it came to interacting with reptiles. When I look back, I'm surprised it took twenty-six years for me to get caught on the wrong end of a venomous snake, causing me to occupy a hospital bed and experience the wonderful cuisine that accompanies it. Though aware, I was none-the-less 'casual and relaxed' with my handling practices. My style when demonstrating snakes was fear based, reinforcing prejudice which as anyone realises validates persecution. This was the way in Australia for many years, demonising out of ignorance, to the public, the lethal capabilities rather than the unique personalities of snakes.
You can't generalise that all snake behaviour follows some sort of snake social norm. The reality is that there is and always will be exceptions to the rule. Snakes are individuals, and like all creatures on this planet, subject to the rules of nature. Just as I have days where my perception may be altered, snakes can also have off days and the secret is to be able to define or read the mood of the individual. It is always on their terms not ours as to how we engage in all instances. Like us, they should never be taken for granted.
'Free Handling' as often referred, is not a new phenomenon and has been practised throughout the ages in many cultures around the world. Australia is no exception. The rationale has been based on taming snakes, and I guess in loose terms this would appear to be the case. The assumption being that if you raise a snake from birth or handle it often it will become a pet. Let me say at the outset that I don't agree with this popular misconception.
Thirty-five years of professional snake management and observation sheds new light on the social interactions between snakes and us mortals. An important consideration is the individual personality of any given snake and its behaviour when sharing their space. Just like us, we will cross the road to avoid possible conflict or embarrassment. Snakes likewise will retreat to do similar. It is not in their nature to be aggressive; rather it's defence, resulting from an inherent fear of anything unfamiliar.
If we look at the physiological aspect of a snake (and I'm basing this premise on my knowledge of Tasmanian snakes only) the first consideration is their perspective of an approaching individual, be it man or beast. Movement will trigger a response, and this may be from quite a distance, remembering that a snake's focal capacity is limited to a few metres. Snakes hear only low frequency so airborne sounds are not interpreted or recognised. It all happens at ground level, meaning that we appear as animated giants. If we move we attract attention, however if we remain motionless we are just another inanimate object and attract casual attention that may even offer the convenience of shade on a sunny day.
So it is understandable that snakes will be inherently suspicious of something unfamiliar especially when that leads to persecution. Scientifically this can be corroborated by the findings of snakes on remote Bass Strait Islands. Take Chappell Island as an example. Over the ten years that I co-researched the snakes there with eminent herpetologist Dr T. D. Schwaner, we observed that the snakes were placid compared with mainland Tasmania, and were initially indifferent to our presence. Only when secured under a pinner would they respond defensively. Over the years that the population was sampled their attitude towards capture changed and they became timid when approached.
In another instance during my time at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, I received a call from a lady who lived on a rural property several kilometres away. On this occasion it was a call to see if I could relocate a resident snake, as the lady was certain that she would inadvertently run over it with her lawnmower. Being a reasonable distance to travel, I suggested that the next time she saw it out she should call me and try not to disturb it, offering the best chance of a successful relocation.
I was told that the snake was still out as she had just mown around it half an hour ago. Thinking that surely this would disturb the snake, I reiterated the previous statement, to call me next time it was out. She insisted that it was still there and quickly ran outside to verify the fact. Intrigue best describes my reason to respond to her call. On arrival to the property, my first observation was an old Labrador dog roaming the freshly manicured garden. I was greeted by the lady who directed me to a copperhead snake lying on a patch of un- mown lawn. At first I thought it was dead and perhaps mummified as the condition of the snake was a bit average; however nudging it with my foot quickly changed my point of view. It didn't attempt to escape, but rather turned its head towards me as much as to say “What the hell do you think you're doing?”
After securing the snake in a bag, I enquired as to how long this unusual relationship had been going on. She told me the snake had been there all summer and she had just mown around it on every occasion. It frequented several basking places around the yard, and when I asked about how the dog responded to it, she replied that they both treated each other with indifference. This single event sparked my interest in a new line of research, investigating the social behaviour of snakes.
Let me take you back thirty years where I had previously marvelled at what at the time I had interpreted as foolhardy. At the end of a day at the Museum doing a pit display, an eminent colleague of mine scooped up a dozen or more snakes in both arms and dumped them into a bag. At the time I thought that he must have a death wish, we are talking of a mixture of tiger and copperhead snakes.
My 'Road to Damascus' experience happened years later and would prove to be a life changing experience. I had drawn assumptions out of ignorance, and always collated information from a negative perspective. Even my demonstrations and snake awareness programs vilified snakes and reinforced prejudice, not only in the community, but also in me. Snakes are potentially dangerous and deserve respect less they bite you. I neglected to take in the snake's perspective until like a bolt of lightning it dawned on me that the bite intent from a snake, though instinctive in the main, was a voluntary response largely driven by fear.
Looking at animals we interact with, malicious behaviour on their part can prompt a negative response. A dog may demonstrate unacceptable behaviour around children or a certain gender, typically this will cause alarm and we take steps to alleviate the possibility of adverse outcomes. When threatened, any living creature, whether man or beast, will respond accordingly. Snakes are no exception however they respond out of fear not malice.
So now that I have adopted an alternative approach, how do I prove I am right, and how do I change a community to my point of view without removing caution from the psyche of children who mimic what they see, without necessarily hearing the terms of engagement and the rules that must apply?
Previously in this narrative I have endeavoured to give examples of observed behaviour over several decades. Only approximately fifteen years ago, I made a conscious decision that I would change my behaviour to best demonstrate that snakes were entitled to a rethink on how we interact with them. I state again, this determination applies only to Tasmanian snakes; I cannot base any finding on any other species or subspecies in other states.
My observation of snakes confined in an enclosure approximately three metres square demonstrated a variety of predictable behaviours with both tigers and copperheads. While long held veterans of the pit responded with indifference, fresh snakes reacted fearfully and would posture at the slightest movement to demonstrate their fear. Remember this is typical of how any snake in the wild would respond when feeling threatened. While they retreat to the corners of the pit and try to hide under other snakes, the veteran snakes explore their surrounds and pay casual attention to anyone in their space.
A typical day starts with a variety of snakes being released into the enclosure and allowed approximately 15-20 minutes to settle before any human entry into the pit. The environment is identified as the snakes' we are in their space and all future interactions from this moment on are entirely the snake's prerogative. It will soon become apparent which of the snakes accept you by their indifference to your presence in such close proximity.
Another behavioural observation is the level at which a snake will engage with you. We always have a stool in the pit to avoid having to stand all day. Often the veterans would engage with us by crawling up the stool and exploring the occupier. In these circumstances often the snake will derive an advantage of stealing warmth, and settle on the lap of the person on the stool. On other occasions the snake may simply explore this warm animated object by crawling over the object of interest. There has never been demonstrated aggression, and curiosity satisfied, the snake returns to the ground and continues exploring its surrounds.
In most cases the veterans are the ones we select to demonstrate the newly discovered personality of snakes. Once in the enclosure, it becomes very clear which snakes are comfortable with you in their space, by simply walking amongst them and stepping over them without any adverse response says a lot. Posturing is an indicator that a snake experiences discomfort with your presence. The snakes that do engage are the ones that we identify as 'passive'. This is a term we use when demonstrating that best describes our philosophic approach to snake and human interaction.
A passive snake can be held by simply supporting it with both hands and gently lifting it off the ground while allowing it to do its own thing. As a precaution we will always mask any odour emanating from our hands and forearms with disinfectant gel. This will ensure an unfamiliar scent that can also precondition the animal to being handled and disguise any possible scent that may be associated with prey. Snakes soon identify with the masking agent, and will be relaxed when handled. So it begs the question, are these snakes tame? Not necessarily, they are however conditioned, and this is achieved by the application of human kindness and empathy. Once a snake loses its fear response it will adopt indifference towards human involvement and demonstrate predictable behaviour patterns.
Approximately five years ago we had one of our lady snake wranglers take a bite to her lower leg by a persistent tiger snake that insisted on going up inside her right trouser leg. At the time it was more of an inconvenience than a threat, as it was one of our veteran snakes. Eventually after the last attempts a fang punctured her skin immediately triggering an emergency response, the result of which required a stay in hospital and anti-venom. Given all I have said, what went wrong? As it turned out we believe, human nature caused this incident as the female wrangler was experiencing her menstrual cycle. Given the refined taste/ smell capability, we believe this snake was attracted by the scent. Obviously sock protectors and the application of more antiseptic gel have been used to safeguard the old snake up the trouser leg routine.
So I submit this narrative in the hope that others with similar experiences will tell their story. Passive snake management is now part of the culture in Tasmania. Any animal, including us, will respond to taunting with instruments and experience fear. A soft hands on approach and human kindness changes the rules of engagement. There have been critics along the way, and I'm relieved to say that of those, the majority have had a change of heart after observing this practice in action. It is said that ignorance cannot be used as an excuse for our shortcomings; however the same can apply to those who refuse to open their minds to consider an alternative point of view.
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Ian Norton
Senior Executive Officer Reptile Rescue Incorporated.
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REFERENCES & LINKS
- IAN NORTON: Personal Profile ... CLICK HERE
- IAN NORTON: Snake Handling Equipment ... CLICK HERE
- IAN NORTON: Social Snakes ... CLICK HERE
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