Melissa Kaplan's
Herp Care Collection
Last updated January 13, 2013

Venomous Snake Relocators

Compiled by Melissa Kaplan

One of the things I have always sought to do in my public education efforts is to get people who heretofore have had no appreciation for snakes and their role in their ecosystem to come to some sort of appreciation of them. I try to get that appreciation to extend not taking a shovel to every snake they see in their yard.

Be that as it may, some people just don't want snakes under their porches or under-house crawl spaces (go figure!). Others are understanding about innocuous species sharing their immediate environs, but draw the line at venomous snakes living in such close proximity. Thus, the next line of education is to get these folks to call in people who are experienced in the live capture and safe relocation of these animals.

The following list is composed of people I have heard of or been in contact with who are experienced in safely capturing and transporting snakes, including venomous snakes, and releasing them in appropriate unpopulated areas.

If you are going to call any of these folks, please understand that most of these people have real jobs - "real" in the sense that reptile relocation is generally something they do in their free time as service to both the reptiles and to the community (though it is heavily weighted towards the former!). So, if they aren't there to answer your call, and don't call you back while the snake is still sunning itself on your porch step, don't get angry or frustrated - they are either at work or commuting home or doing what you do when you aren't out finding snakes you don't want in your yard. You can be helpful in watching to see where that snake goes and in giving a dispassionate (meaning: accurate) description of the color, markings and length (most "huge venomous snake" calls that come in are actually harmless snakes such as a two foot long gopher snake).

There are actually some things you can do first - check out Snake Getters' suggestions before you make that panicked call to a relocator.

Some relocators charge for their services - and why shouldn't they? No matter how skilled and experienced someone is in handling venomous snakes, there is always the risk that they will be bitten. On top of some pretty expensive hospitalization and antivenin bills, they are also quite likely to drive some distance away from human habitation to release the snakes they removed from urban yards and parks. Ask if there is a fee; if there isn't, consider giving them something anyway for coming out and taking care of matters for you...any way you look at it, it is still going to be cheaper than you ending up in the hospital from a bite, or chopping your own foot with that shovel, or moving to someplace that doesn't have rattlers.

Needless to say, I need input to make this list grow to encompass all states/provinces where venomous snakes are to be found. So, if you do venomous relocation or know of people who do, please email me the state, the name of the county(ies) you service, relocator name, address, phone number, and any other relevant contact information.

Email reminder: When emailing any of these individuals, remember to remove the exclamation point and space after the @ symbol that has been added to their email address.

U.S.A.

ALABAMA

Calhoun County

Neal Pettus
Home: 205-831-2430
Work: 205-237-5352

Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Houston

Charles Ray
334-897-2421

ARIZONA

Maricopa County

Pima County

"Payne"less Rattlesnake Removal Service
Sean Payne & Jennifer Sos
Oro Valley
Phone (520) 219-5525
Fax (520) 229-0838

Pinal County

Yavapai County

CALIFORNIA

Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and Solano Counties, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties (Bay Area)

David Allen
Got Snakes Humane Relocation
925-997-3730

Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lake, Mariposa, Nevada, Sacramento, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Placer, and Yolo Counties

Ramirez Rattlesnake Removal
Licensed, Bonded and Insured
phone: 530-889-2775, pager 916-590-5220
page: 916-201-1524

Calaveras

Debbie Veysey
Reptile Rescue
Tuolome and surrounding counties
209-588-0650

El Dorado County

L.B.'s Rattlesnake Removal
Linda Boyko
916-983-0652; Mobil/Message: 916-799-0895

Kern County

H.F.(Buz) Lunsford
Lake Isabella
760-379-1453

Brad Alexander
Kernville
760-376-6412

Doug Lemmons
Walker Basin
661-867-4312

Del Alspaw
Bakersfield, Ca.
661-324-9728

Lake County

Greg Frost
707-994-4457

Los Angeles County

Mike Gordon
The Critter Getters
818-632-4332

Pasadena Humane Society (city of Pasadena only)
626-792-7151

Jason Magee
OC Snake Removal
949-933-1868

Jason C. McElroy
Southern California Snake Removal Inc.
818-785-9321

Orange County

Jason Magee
OC Snake Removal
949-933-1868

Riverside

Jason Magee
OC Snake Removal
949-933-1868

Sacramento County

Tom Weist
Sacramento & Rancho Cordova Areas
775-622-5983 24hrs

San Bernardino

Jason Magee
OC Snake Removal
949-933-1868

San Diego

Lehman’s Rattlesnake Removal
Curtis Lehman
Alpine 91901
619-445-0747 Cell # 619-368-1539

Nathan Hutcherson
ReptileRemoval.com
Will travel outside of San Diego County
619-905-2524

Jason Magee
OC Snake Removal
949-933-1868

Sonoma County

Tuolome County

Debbie Veysey
Reptile Rescue
Tuolome and surrounding counties
209-588-0650

COLORADO

Douglas and Jefferson counties

Tim Warfel
Front Range Snake Removal
720-472-2751

DELAWARE

FLORIDA

Central Florida

Snake Getters
Hotline when you have a snake in sight 407-467-9976
See website for more information

Alachua and Marion Counties

Bill and Lesley Cope
Micanopy
352-374-4563

Bay

Jason H Troxell
Panama City
850-784-1636

Escambia

Jason Gallagher
850-457-4045, Email

Gulf

Jason H Troxell
Panama City
850-784-1636

Hernando, Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Polk Counties

Manatee and Sarasota Counties

Marin County

Shawn Boorman
Stuart
561-287-3306

Miami-Dade

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue
Venom Response Bureau
Office: 786-331-4444
Emergency: 911 (in Miami-Dade County)

Orange

David Seerveld
24/7 Wildlife Removal
407-729-6946

Pasco

Palm Beach

Greg Longhurst
Loxahatcee
561-793-3274
Greg has written an article on Venomous Snakes in Florida

Pinellas

Angelic Animals Enterprises, Inc.
C. Thomas
Saint Petersburg
727-323-0877; Emergency Pickups: 727-804-7101

Washington

Jason H Troxell
Panama City
850-784-1636

GEORGIA

Burke County

Clarence Belger
Home 706-437-8406
Work 800-729-0642 (Fire Dept)
Pager 706-794-9600

Camden County

Karl H. Betz
St Marys
912- 882-2767

Chatham County

Andrew Jackson
912-786-7489

INDIANA

Jim Paredes
Laporte
219-362-5102
Will travel up to 2 hours for pickup

MARYLAND

MASSACHUSETTS

Essex

Bryan Nelson
978-233-9122

Middlesex

Bryan Nelson
978-233-9122

Norfolk

Bryan Nelson
978-233-9122

Suffolk

Bryan Nelson
978-233-9122

MICHIGAN / OHIO Adjacent

Monroe County

Jim & Sheila Hoag
Snaketamers Reptile Rescue
734-654-0763

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Hillsborough

Bryan Nelson
978-233-9122

Rockingham

Bryan Nelson
978-233-9122

Strafford

Bryan Nelson
978-233-9122

NEW MEXICO

Bernalillo County

Joe Franke
Albuquerque
505-515-8736
    Fee for venomous and non-venomous relocations

Alan Petmecky
505-350-6669

Jason A. Rose
Albuquerque
505-830-3485

Cibola County

Alan Petmecky
505-350-6669

Colfax County

J.C. Haynes
Wild Critters
Raton
505-445-8487

McKinley County

Alan Petmecky
505-350-6669

Sandoval County

Alan Petmecky
505-350-6669

Santa Fe County

Alan Petmecky
505-350-6669

Torrance County

Alan Petmecky
505-350-6669

Valencia County

Alan Petmecky
505-350-6669

NEVADA

John Potash
Wildlife Rescue Association
Sparks
775-356-3909 Office
775-828-8787 Page

Tom Weist
Nevada Reptile & Wildlife
Sun Valley
775-622-5983 24hrs

NORTH CAROLINA

Johnson County

Adam Perry
919-561-8032 or 919-365-7617

Pitt County

Adam Perry
919-561-8032 or 919-365-7617

Wake County

Clayton Metcalfe
Holly Springs
577-6027 or 279-8958

Adam Perry
919-561-8032 or 919-365-7617

OKLAHOMA

Alfalfa

Tandy Keenan
580-824-0744
Emergency/Urgent 580-334-9350

Creek, Tulsa Counties

Barry and Dana Thomas
Tulsa/Mannford
918-865-8294

Major

Tandy Keenan
580-824-0744
Emergency/Urgent 580-334-9350

Oklahoma

Nick Bruha
Total Wildlife Control
Oklahoma City 405-905-WILD (9453)
Tulsa 918-261-4444

Tulsa

Nick Bruha
Total Wildlife Control
Oklahoma City 405-905-WILD (9453)
Tulsa 918-261-4444

Woods

Tandy Keenan
580-824-0744
Emergency/Urgent 580-334-9350

Woodward

Tandy Keenan
580-824-0744
Emergency/Urgent 580-334-9350

OREGON

Richard Ritchey
503-824-6423
800-685-2079 Ext 4272

PENNSYLVANIA

Adams

Jerry Pickel
Pickel's Wildlife Services
Red Lion
717-309-4160

Will Weyant
Harrisburg Reptile Rescue
Dillsburg
717-979-9670

Allegheny County

Mike Granovitz
East McKeesport
412-825-3184

Clarion

McCool's Wildlife Removal
Eric McCool
Franklin
814-437-3137

Crawford

McCool's Wildlife Removal
Eric McCool
Franklin
814-437-3137

Cumberland

Jerry Pickel
Pickel's Wildlife Services
Red Lion
717-309-4160

Dauphin

Will Weyant
Harrisburg Reptile Rescue
Dillsburg
717-979-9670

Cumberland

Will Weyant
Harrisburg Reptile Rescue
Dillsburg
717-979-9670

Harrisburg Vicinity

Will Weyant
Harrisburg Reptile Rescue
Dillsburg
717-979-9670

Mercer

McCool's Wildlife Removal
Eric McCool
Franklin
814-437-3137

Perry

Will Weyant
Harrisburg Reptile Rescue
Dillsburg
717-979-9670

Somerset

Venago

McCool's Wildlife Removal
Eric McCool
Franklin
814-437-3137

York

Jerry Pickel
Pickel's Wildlife Services
Red Lion
717-309-4160

Will Weyant
Harrisburg Reptile Rescue
Dillsburg
717-979-9670

SOUTH CAROLINA

Abbeville, Edgefile, Greenwood, & McCormick Counties

Michael E. Runyan
Associate Prof. of Biology
Biology Dept., Lander University
Greenwood
864-388-8385 or 864-223-1676

Greenville, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Anderson (partial)

Todd Poole
Piedmont
864-787-6758

Lexington and Richland Counties

Matt Elness & Ashley Hiott
Wild Snake Relocators Of South Carolina
West Columbia
Matt: 803-755-2356; Pager: 803-214-0588
Ashley: 803-755-0037; Pager: 803-758-8356

Sumter County

D and S Rreptile Rescue
Wedgefield
Email

Robin Scott Budd: 803-972-0887
Deloris Williams: 803-406-3959

Oconee County

Joel La Rocque
Seneca
All of Oconee County
864-647-9591
    All venomous and non-venomous snakes

TENNESSEE

Dekalb, Jackson, Rutherford, Smith, Wilson

Michael Jones
Lebanon
H: 615-449-0839; Cell: 615-293-1805, 615-207-0958

TEXAS

Bell County

CenTex Wildlife Relocation
254-640-523

Bexar County

South Texas Herpetology Association
San Antonio
Phone/Fax 210-509-6844

Bosque

CenTex Wildlife Relocation
254-640-5232

Dallas County

Snake Encounters
Darryl Sprout
Dallas
972-709-8796

Fort Bend

Clint Pustejovsky
Texas Snakes & More
Scheduling: 713-934-7668
Emergency: 713-253-3787

Harris County

Houston County

Matt Howlett
Houston Herpetological Supply
Messages:    281-446-4366
Pager:           713-810-1065

McClennan

CenTex Wildlife Relocation
254-640-523

Montgomery

Clint Pustejovsky
Texas Snakes & More
Scheduling: 713-934-7668
Emergency: 713-253-3787

Northeast Tarrant County

Gene F. Giggleman, DVM
817-481-6873

South Tarrant County

Eric Talley
817-465-5572

Waller

Clint Pustejovsky
Texas Snakes & More
Scheduling: 713-934-7668
Emergency: 713-253-3787

Wichita

Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue

Other

The Critter Relocator
Randy Hudson
Earth
806-965-2431

Tim Cole
Austin Reptile Service
Austin
512-83-snake

VERMONT

Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, and Windsor Counties

George Heath
Jericho

VIRGINIA

Caroline Seitz
Covers D.C. area
Annandale
703-560-0257

Michael R. Banez
Williamsburg
757-258-1615

Virginia Reptile Removal Servjce
Richmond Area only

William Taylor
Norfolk

WYOMING

Gaylon LeCoy Holmes
Casper
307-262-8282 (24 hours)

CANADA

ALBERTA

Tyler Enfield
-780-437-8120
Edmonton T6E1A4

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