Taking care of snakes

By Kath Gannaway
MOST people are about as happy to see Glenn Clapton walk up their driveway as they are unhappy to see the reason for him being there.
Mr Clapton who lives in Healesville and works as a reptile keeper at Healesville Sanctuary is also a privately licensed reptile handler.
He loves snakes, but has the wisdom to accept that not everyone shares his special affinity with the sleek, beautiful, but potentially deadly creatures.
Summer can be a busy time for him, and with a spate of snake bites in the past six weeks, the sight of a snake close to the house, pets or children is enough to get most people running for the phone for help.
Mr Clapton said while there is some truth to claims snakes are moving into urban areas because of the drought, that’s only part of the story. “It’s also about destruction of their habitat,” he said. “With new subdivisions going up in a lot of areas it is forcing them closer to where people are living.”
While he makes a valid point when he says it was their home before it was ours, the reality is, most people don’t want to share.
In fact, if they could take a caveat out on snakes when they receive their certificate of title, most would.
That’s where Mr Clapton is so handy.
“If it’s a case of having a snake or problem reptile coming in to say “hi”, and it’s a worry,” he says “just stay a safe distance away, keep an eye on where it goes and I’ll be more than happy to relocate the critter safe and sound.”
Snakes are protected, and it’s worth remembering that they are most likely to strike if they feel threatened.
Best get Mr Clapton in. Phone 0412 343 505.