Accurate reptile information

Snake information that is reliable.

Reptile information on the internet is often erroneous!

In Australian lingo, the snake man would say “Turn on the bullshit meter, every time you get told things about snakes and snake handling, and this is especially true on the web”.

Unlike pre-internet days, there are now many internet reptile experts.

The reality however is that this expertise is often limited or doesn't exist.

The downside is that there's a lot of false and innaccurate information about reptiles floating around on the web. We call it "Bullshit!"

By way of example, internet “forums” are filled with so-called experts, usually posting under false names and multiple names and often posting all kinds of rubbish.

The problem is that most people who lie, do so in a convincing way and in a manner so as not to be caught.

Typical is the advice that comes from an old “man” with “lots of experience”, who turns out to be a child with little, if any experience.

For those who keep reptiles as pets and have things go wrong, it is even more dangerous.

Wrong advice may mean a dead pet!

Classic is when the common ailments turn up and the person with the sick reptile posts their problem on a chat forum seeking advice.

The result is usually an over-simplified diagnosis, that may or may not be correct and then worse still an over-simplified “cure” that may miss out the all-important elements needed for success.

The best example of this sort of thing is in the posted “cures” for snake mites.

These parasites turn up in collections with alarming frequency.  Even the best quarantined facilities may have outbreaks.

The parasites kill reptiles outright if in large enough numbers, but usually they cause damage well before then via the various highly contagious diseases they carry.

The result of an infestation may be death and destruction within a collection, sometimes running many years beyond when the mites are removed. You see mites often carry viruses that may take years to incubate in terms of serious effects on the host reptiles.

While these parasites are treatable (as in can be killed off and permenantly), common advice and treatments often results in rapid re-infestations and the same problems recurring.

While “Dr. Google” may work for some things.  For reptiles, it is downright dangerous.

Then of course there are those who lie for commercial reasons.

If you do a search for “venomoid snakes” or “devenomized snakes”, you’ll find many websites telling you that these snakes are “butchered” and regenerate their venom glands.

The statements are bare-faced lies told by reptile displayers either lacking expertise to perform the said surgery on the snakes, or unable to source them from elsewhere.

Then there’s the continually false claims about expertise that appears on websites.

Take for example Mark Richmond and his company, Crocodile Encounters, from NSW.  He started in the business of kids reptile parties in 2004, but just 7 years later this blew out to 75 years expertise as claimed on his website!

He’s not even that old!

Similar claims are made by lots of people in the business of reptile parties, so the general advice is that if the claims cannot be independently verified, don’t believe them.

In terms of Snakebusters reptile shows, there are a few easily verified facts worth noting.

The company is owned by Australia’s Snake Man, Ray Hoser.  He was seen on TV and in the print media in the early 1970’s with reptiles.  In the mid 1970’s he appeared in news reports with venomous snakes, including when he had a Death Adder stolen in 1978.  His first published paper on snakes was in a peer-reviewed journal in 1980.

So when in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia the only company with more than 30 years expertise in handling snakes and other reptiles and in snake shows is Snakebusters.