What It Takes: Venomous Reptiles

Shooting venomous reptiles has been the highpoint of my career.  The method I use for photographing poisonous snakes is the most exciting rush I have ever experienced.  There is nothing between me and the serpent besides a Nikon D2X.  My shooting range for these reptiles is 1 to 4 feet depending on their size using a Nikkor 105mm macro lense.  I use salad tongs to move most snakes but with larger subjects snake tongs are required.

Although I’ve been into snakes since age 9, the fact that I had twelve venomous reptiles in my master bedroom at once proved for many sleepless nights.  During this process, I had a Coral snake escape that forced my wife and daughter to move out of the house.  For seven nights, I set my alarm every three hours to hunt this menace which was more active at night.  I still slept in the master bedroom during this time because my chances of finding him were greater being in the room.  I finally found him on the seventh night near the baseboard of my bed.  It was nice to have my family back!

The majority of venomous snakes I photograph are native to America.  The good thing about most native reptiles is that medical attention can save your life although you may have to spend three or four nights in the hospital.  There are a few on this website that if you were injected you would be destined to meet your maker.  No doctor or hospital could prevent your demise.

I got a lot of my snakes from a close friend who had been dealing with venomous reptiles for over 13 years with no problems.  I borrowed a Timber rattlesnake and this one was the meanest I had ever seen -- striking at everything in sight.  When I returned the snake to my friend I warned him of the danger knowing he didn’t own a pair of snake gloves – a must!  Three weeks later, he was in Georgia’s Gwinnett Medical Center with a Timber rattler bite to the finger and a bill of $94,000. His arm swelled up like a balloon.  He also did not seek medical attention for the first twelve hours after being struck. He had become so complacent about his roommates that he stuck his ungloved hand into the aquarium of the Timber rattler to retrieve a shed skin.  He thought since the rattler was facing the opposite direction that he was safe coming in from behind. When he began pulling the skin, which the snake just happened to be laying on, the Timber struck backwards so fast that he thought he was only struck once, when he was actually struck twice.  Only a fool handles venomous reptiles without tongs and snake proof gloves. He admits this was the stupidest stunt he has ever pulled. This very snake is showcased on this website and my friend still owns him to this day.