Melissa
Kaplan's
Herp Care Collection
Last updated
May 7, 2008
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 reptile 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 year old 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 of these folks 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, 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. | ||
| IN
MI MD NM NV OR OK |
PA
SC TN TX VA WY |
|
|
Canada |
||
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
|
All
Animals Rescue & Transportation, LLC Arizona
Herp Society |
J&J
Reptile Rescue & Relocation Jeff Almond Cave Creek/Scottsdale 480-585-0148 |
Pima County
"Payne"less
Rattlesnake Removal Service
Sean Payne
& Jennifer Sos
925 West
Annandale Way
Oro Valley,
Arizona
Phone (520)
219-5525
Fax (520)
229-0838
Pinal County
|
All
Animals Rescue and Transportation |
Jesse
Shaw
|
Yavapai County
All
Animals Rescue and Transportation
Robert &
Heather Young
POB 26954
Phoenix 85068-6954
623-869-7899
24hrs a day 7 days a week
CALIFORNIA
Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and Solano Counties
David
Allen
Got Snakes Humane Relocation
San Ramon 94583
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
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
Pasadena
Humane Society (city of Pasadena only)
626-792-7151
Jason
C. McElroy
Southern California
Snake Removal Inc.
818-785-9321
Orange County
Jason
Magee
OC Snake Removal
949-933-1868
Sacramento County
Tom
Weist
Sacramento & Rancho Cordova Areas
775-622-5983 24hrs
San Diego
Lehman’s
Rattlesnake Removal
Curtis Lehman
Alpine 91901
619-445-0747
Cell # 619-368-1539
Sonoma County
|
Judy
Fireman (Lizard Loft) Chris
Inman |
Danny
Mello, Jr. Al
Wolf |
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 FL 32667
352-374-4563
Bay
Jason
H Troxell
Panama City 32404
850-784-1636
Escambia
Jason
Gallagher
850-457-4045, Email
Gulf
Jason
H Troxell
Panama City 32404
850-784-1636
Hernando, Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Polk Counties
|
Angelic
Animals Enterprises, Inc. |
Reptile
Rescue of Tampa Bay
|
Manatee and Sarasota Counties
|
Tom
Holmes Jerry
Mathis |
Reptile
Rescue of Tampa Bay
|
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
|
Reptile
Recovery |
Reptile
Rescue of Tampa Bay |
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
P.O. Box 10124
Saint Petersburg, Florida 33733
727-323-0877; Emergency Pickups: 727-804-7101
Washington
Jason
H Troxell
Panama City 32404
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 31558
912- 882-2767
Chatham County
Andrew
Jackson
912-786-7489
Cobb, Fulton, Douglas, Dekalb, Paulding
Joel
La Rocque
Atlanta
770-438-1900
24 Hr/7 Day Service
INDIANA
Jim
Paredes
Laporte
219-362-5102
Will travel up to 2 hours for pickup
MARYLAND
George
Heath
Salisbury
410-546-0074
William
Taylor
Salisbury
Work: 410-543-8400
Home: 410-334-2269
MICHIGAN / OHIO Adjacent
Jim
& Sheila Hoag
Snaketamers
Reptile Rescue
Monroe County MI
734-654-0763
NEW MEXICO
Bernalillo County
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
1265 Tyler Way
Sparks 89431
775-356-3909 Office
775-828-8787 Page
Tom
Weist
Nevada Reptile & Wildlife
Sun Valley
775-622-5983 24hrs
NORTH CAROLINA
Chatham County
Melissa
Lowell
Carolina
House of Slitherin'
Pittsboro
Cell # 1-919-827-2594
Johnson County
Adam
Perry
919-561-8032 or 919-365-7617
Orange County
Melissa
Lowell
Carolina
House of Slitherin'
Pittsboro
Cell # 1-919-827-2594
Pitt County
Adam
Perry
919-561-8032 or 919-365-7617
Wake County
Melissa
Lowell
Carolina
House of Slitherin'
Pittsboro
Cell # 1-919-827-2594
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
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
Deschutes County
Joe
Franke
Bend
541-318-0707
Adams
Will
Weyant
Harrisburg Reptile Rescue
Dillsburg
717-979-9670
Allegheny County
Mike
Granovitz
East McKeesport
412-825-3184
Bedford
Brian
Nelson
814-262-0060
Cambria
Brian
Nelson
814-262-0060
Clarion
McCool's
Wildlife Removal
Eric McCool
P.O.Box 846
Franklin PA 16323
814-437-3137
Crawford
McCool's
Wildlife Removal
Eric McCool
P.O.Box 846
Franklin PA 16323
814-437-3137
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
P.O.Box 846
Franklin PA 16323
814-437-3137
Perry
Will
Weyant
Harrisburg
Reptile Rescue
Dillsburg
717-979-9670
Somerset
Brian
Nelson
814-262-0060
Venago
McCool's
Wildlife Removal
Eric McCool
P.O.Box 846
Franklin PA 16323
814-437-3137
York
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, SC 29649
864-388-8385 or 864-223-1676
Greenville, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Anderson (partial)
Todd
Poole
Piedmont, S.C. 29673
864-787-6758
Lexington and Richland Counties
Matt
Elness & Ashley Hiott
Wild Snake Relocators Of South Carolina
3130 McTavish Avenue
West Columbia, SC 29172
Matt: 803-755-2356; Pager: 803-214-0588
Ashley: 803-755-0037; Pager: 803-758-8356
Dekalb, Jackson, Rutherford, Smith, Wilson
Michael
Jones
Lebanon
H: 615-449-0839; Cell: 615-293-1805, 615-207-0958
TEXAS
Bexar County
South
Texas Herpetology Association
PO Box 682003
San Antonio 78268
Phone/Fax 210-509-6844
Bosque
Todd
Becker
Waco 76710
254-755-8211
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
|
Wayne
& Kim's Reptile Rescue Clint
Pustejovsky |
Matt
Howlett |
Houston County
Matt
Howlett
Houston Herpetological
Supply
Messages: 281-446-4366
Pager:
713-810-1065
McClennan
Todd
Becker
Waco 76710
254-755-8211
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
940-704-8827
Other
The
Critter Relocator
Randy
Hudson
Earth TX
806-965-2431
Tim
Cole
Austin Reptile
Service
Austin, Texas
512-83-snake
VIRGINIA
Caroline
Seitz
Covers D.C. area
Annandale
703-560-0257
George
Heath
Norfolk
757-630-3237
Michael
R. Banez
Williamsburg
757-258-1615
Virginia
Reptile Removal Servjce
Richmond Area only
William
Taylor
Norfolk
WYOMING
Gaylon
LeCoy Holmes
848 South, Spruce Street
Casper 82601
307-262-8282 (24 hours)
CANADA
Tyler
Enfield
-780-437-8120
10819-72nd Ave.
Edmonton T6E1A4
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