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TONGS advice
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by tigers9 on April 7, 2009
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Some of you know that I own exotic mammals and harmless reptiles (snake, monitors, chelonians), but not venomous. The reason I am here on SHHS is I live in S.Nevada in the country.
I just got inside few minutes ago relocating speckled rattlesnake from near my lion and wolf dog habitats.
I own 3 tongs, just the regular long silver kind everybody hates as not gentle enough from ACES
http://www.animal-care.com/snake_equipment.aspx
short M1 and gentle giant. Today is the 1st time I used the gentle giant and I hated every second of it. In the dry rocky (loose rocks) soil here, it was tough to get such a wide surface under the moving pissy snake.
The ting kept slipping and being unsteady on the rocks.
The narrower tong tip is much more practical in this environment.
Do most of you who use tongs use the giants on your captive snake on smooth surface? Just doesn’t seem like a practical outdoor tong to me.
From now on I am sticking with my M1 and the simply old fashioned ACES one, and gentle giant will be my trash picker.
Well, I better go out to check if here are more snakes hanging around today harassing my pets.
Z
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RE: TONGS advice
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by Rob_Carmichael on April 7, 2009
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Everyone has their preferences. The traditional narrow "Pillstrom" style tongs are still a mainstay in the hobby and field. If used properly, they can be safe and many folks swear by them. If not used properly, they can do a lot of damage (and unfortunately, its hard to tell if anything was done to the snake). Some snakes have been killed by improper tong use. I have used a snake hook with narrow end to extricate venomous snakes and then guide them into the gentle giants. That can be awkward. It might be easier to use the hook and guide the snake into a garbage receptacle with a secure lid to remove snakes. Some folks attach some foam to the tong ends to provide additional protection to the snake once its secure.
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RE: TONGS advice
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by tigers9 on April 7, 2009
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Hey Rob,
I am just back from my long planned eastern and western European trip (bad jet lag) to see my friends and family. Unfortunately, I was in Europe about the same time Obama was, and the press about Michelle Obama’s wardrobe just was enough to almost ruin my vacation, who cares, as long as she is not running naked, who cares what she wears.
Anyway, I guess I will stick with rednecky Arkansas based Pillstorm types tongs. Once I got the rattler inside the gentle tong on loose gravel, a big rock got inside the gentle giant with the snake, which prevented me from closing the tong and get a grip on the rattler. Fortunately I was able to get the grip shortly after and relocate it, so the snake is alive;-)
Maybe I need to finally buy a hook, but then I need more arms and legs to control all the tools;-) Genetic engineering anyone? I need a least 3 arms.:)
Anyway, I don’t press too hard no matter what tongs I use.
Z
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RE: TONGS advice
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by Cro on April 8, 2009
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Zuzana, just get a roll of some soft tape backed foam, a wrap your Pillstrom Tongs, and keep using them.
They will work great after you get used to using them.
And those Giants are great for picking up trash, as many folks have found. On another forum, someone made a great observation. They mentioned that the large, red head and "beak" of the Giants might be viewed by snakes as the head of a large predatory bird trying to eat them ! I think that is a very real possibility, and something that should be studied more. Is it possible that the shape of the tongs causes a fight or flight response ? Who knows, but it would be fun to study.
You mention you might need to buy a hook. I know we talked about hooks a while back. I finally have had a chance to build some, so if you still do not have a snake hook, EMail me your snail mail address again, and I will send you one of my longer graphite hooks to try out on those pesky rattlesnakes. I finally have shipping boxes, will have a online store soon, and with spring, I can start working in my shop again.
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: TONGS advice
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by tigers9 on April 8, 2009
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Hey cro, I will email u privately with shipping info. Maybe I can test the hooks on my pissy albino corn girl snake, she does the best impersonation of a rattler, no idea where she got her attitude, not from me for sure;-)
Z
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RE: TONGS advice
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by tigers9 on April 8, 2009
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As for GG tongs looking like prey to snake, maybe. When i found the rattler, it was already pissy rattling and in strike coiled position, maybe there was some non biting exhangee between the canines and snake already...
When I grabbed it first, I had to let go of it as too many rocks were stuck in the tong 'beak'. then i caught the snake again and it was really pissy turning toward me and trying to attack me, the GG tongs just seem like very easy for snake to slip out. Once I released the snake in correct spot, it turned toward me and wanted to get me, Maybve it just woke up after winter was hungry, maybe it was the tongs that looked like prey, so maybe the snake wanted to get GG and not me, who knows, I was not going to be a guinea pig to see who the snake wanted to bite:)
Z
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