by Kim Doner | Photos courtesy of Alexander England
Today I’m advocating on behalf of the most misunderstood, maligned,
abused, and unfairly despised vertebrate in history, and no, I’m not talking about a character from Succession.
I’m talking about snakes.
First, let me clear up a terminology issue on behalf of all herpers (i.e., shorthand for someone who’s passionate about herping, or likes to hunt reptiles and amphibians). Learn the difference between poisonous and venomous. Granted, either one can kill, but remember this: “If you bite, and you die, it’s poison; if it bites, and you die, it’s venom.” Nuff said.
So snakes can be venomous, although only about 200 of the more than 3,000 species of snakes on the planet can kill humans with their bite. The rest snag a victim with backward-curved teeth, wrap and squeeze until the victim suffocates, and then eat it whole. Neither way is especially pleasant to consider, but humans are rarely victims of snakes — it’s usually the other way around. Snakes are by nature extremely shy. They show up for a meal, so a good question is, “All right — what do they eat?”
What and How Do Snakes Eat?
All snakes are carnivores. Baby snakes start small, and depending on the species, they escalate from chowing on ant eggs or worms to ingesting a 150-pound hyena, as
recorded in 2017 by National Geographic. (Talk about putting the “graphic” in “geographic,” right? Although it does fuel incentive for staying plump if you’re hanging out in python territory.)
Snakes have the phenomenal ability to unhinge their jaws and stretch their mouths around dinner — then swallow it whole. It can take days to digest a meal; some snakes eat only six times a year.
Some people might be thinking, “Nuhuh, no way I want one of those around!” But let me offer a fresh perspective on the how and why of keeping snakes in your life.
A Different View of Snakes
Alexander England, of England Exotics, is a former Oklahoman now living in Texas. His passion for reptiles began at the age of six; he has had snakes for nearly 30 years. He got serious about breeding snakes in 2006, and his career escalated in 2015 into almost 30 species. He is the first to breed several species of snakes in the United States.
As a kid, England’s favorite pastime was chasing lizards and snakes while playing in the woods. Supportive parents insisted that he learn about those animals, and he dove into every book he could find, idolizing heroes such as Steve Irwin.
England has some interesting answers to my questions about snakes.
Question: “How many enclosures do you keep right now?”
Answer: “I have about 50 planted bioactive enclosures. That means they have living plants and various insect species living in the soil and leaf litter. The insects act as a cleanup crew for waste and organic matter from the plants and snakes. This creates a mini ecosystem and really helps with the snakes’ health and natural behavior.”
Question: “How many eggs are about to hatch? How long does it take? How big do they grow? How old do they get?”
Answer: “I have three clutches of eggs cooking, roughly 20 eggs. If it’s a species that lays eggs, we say ‘clutch.’ If they give live birth, we say ‘litter.’ Most incubate for around 60 days. Once snakes hatch or are born, they’re placed in a holding container/cage styled specifically for the babies’ needs, then offered water and food.
“Snakes and reptiles have an indeterminate growth gene, meaning they grow their entire lives. When young, their growth rate is really fast; as they age, it slows down. My oldest snake is about 25 years old. He is an old man! He’s mostly blind, with visible cataracts in both eyes. Luckily, his keen sense of smell still guides him to his water and food. He was a gift from an AZA zoo I work with.”
Question: “What’s your favorite snake?”
Answer: That’s tough; I love them all! I have favorites in every category, I think. I could list so many, but I’ll just hit the highlights. My favorite nonvenomous snakes are bullsnakes and North American black rat snakes, as well as Chinese beauty snakes. My favorite venomous snakes (and the stuff I’m known for producing) are most certainly the arboreal vipers that spend their time living in shrubs and trees in tropical rainforests. I love the variable bush vipers (atheris squamigera) from the Congo. I am also very fond of several species of Asian pit vipers. If it’s bright colored, delicate and small, and likes to climb, I like it!”
Question: “Do you save the skins?” Answer: “No, I don’t save the sheds.
However, they can be used for DNA testing and determining the sex of the snake if needed. Some folks create beautiful art with them.”
Question: “Got any cool snake info to share?”
Answer: “I think of breeding snakes as creating living pieces of art. You take one animal with an interesting color and pattern, then pair it with another that’s equally unique. If all is right with husbandry and seasonal cues, they reproduce. Then you’re gifted with tiny little bright colors, and you get to watch and help them grow as they change into healthy, strong, living gems. Such beautiful living things! Very rewarding!
“There are so many interesting things about snakes. A big one I find fascinating is that the venom from several species of snakes is currently used in a wide variety of medications we all depend on in our daily lives, from blood thinners to lupus medications to a copperhead’s venom used in breast-cancer medication.
“People often ask why you would want venomous snakes. What can you do with them? It’s like keeping saltwater fish. You don’t play with your fish. You don’t hold them. You enjoy building their reef tank and try to give them a beautiful piece of the ocean. You cater to their needs, getting water quality and temps and chemicals all correct. You provide their needed diet. In doing that, you get to watch their beautiful shapes and colors move effortlessly through their tank. You use tools to clean and feed and interact with them.
“This all applies to keeping venomous arboreal vipers. They require skill, patience, persistence, and vigilance. You use tools to safely interact with them, reducing or removing the risks of injury to yourself or the animal. You observe their routines
and see their natural behaviors. It’s the best!
“In being a responsible keeper of these animals, I stock all antivenins needed for the species I have. This is something zoos do for their collection and staff. This way, in the event of a mistake, I’m covering my own backside and am not reliant on the local zoo.
“Snakes are beautiful, beneficial, and fascinating creatures. You don’t have to
love or even like them, just respect them as a key part of the ecosystem on our planet. They only want to live their best snake lives in peace. If you see one outside, admire it from a distance. Let them live and go on their way. Don’t kill them because they’re scary to you.
“They deserve life on our planet just the same as the pretty red cardinal or the
chubby-cheeked chipmunk.” Or you.
