Can we visit the Snaketuary®?
Normally, yes, by appointment only. Currently, we have temporarily suspended visitations. Please email us to see when we will resume! Please review our Release of Liability Waiver and Hold Harmless Agreement.
Will you come to our school, do you do birthday parties, etc?
Steve's Snaketuary® is available to do educational presentations for schools, libraries, First Responders, homeschool groups, scout groups, etc. We also do birthday parties, photo shoots, and we are available as a snake wrangler on movie sets, or provide snakes for movie sets, etc. We tailor our presentations for our audience. We are available throughout Louisiana and surrounding areas! Contact us to set up an event!
How do I keep snakes away from my house?
Snakes won't make your home its home, unless there is a constant food source. As long as you don't have a problem with mice and rats, the snake will keep moving. And, just because you see one, doesn't necessarily mean you will see another one. They don't run in pairs or groups. The best thing to do is keep your grass cut real low and get rid of any hiding spots in your yard.
Snakes are ectotherms, which means they can't regulate their own body temperature. They use the outside temperature to warm up and cool down. If it gets too hot, they look for a cooler spot. If it gets to cold, they look for a warmer spot.
Also, if you have a pond or creek, especially if you have fish, that creates a water source and a food source for snakes.
See our other answer about "snake repellents."
Do "snake repellents" work?
Lime, sulphur, moth balls, and even Snake Away do NOT work. Those are not toxic to snakes. Plus, those products have a chemical in them called Naphthalene. Naphthalene is extremely harmful for people to breathe in and can make people very sick. It's actually a carcinogen, so it can cause cancer. So don't put any of that out.
How can you tell if a snake is venomous or not?
A few non venomous snakes can mimic venomous snakes.
You can't go by the head shape. NON venomous Rat Snakes and Water Snakes both can and will flatten their heads into a diamond or triangle triangle shape.
You also can't go by the eyes. Even though the pit vipers (Water Moccasins, Copperheads, and Rattlesnakes) do have a cat slit pupil, their eyes will dilate in low light situations, just like people's eyes, so they will look round. Plus, you don't want to get close enough to look.
We also have venomous Coral Snakes, which have round pupils and do not have a diamond or triangle shaped head.
Rat Snakes and King Snakes sometimes rattle their tails against things to sound like a Rattlesnake.
You also cannot use a popular rhyme "Red and yellow, kill a fellow. Red and black, good for Jack." A lot of people confuse the rhyme or forget it. And, there can be snakes that break that rule. There are photos of different snakes online that have color or pattern anomalies.
In Louisiana, we only have 6 venomous snakes, so once you learn what those look like, it becomes fairly easy to tell which ones are venomous.
Does Steve's Snaketuary® deal with other animals or just snakes?
Steve's Snaketuary® is mainly snakes, but we also have other reptiles and can take in certain pet reptiles. We have our permits and certifications for snakes and reptiles, including venomous and large constrictors. We do NOT deal with cats, dogs, birds, or other warm-blooded animals.
"The only good snake is a dead snake!"
Please do NOT kill snakes. ALL snakes are good snakes, even the venomous ones! They are beneficial to the environment. They eat rodents, which can spread diseases to people. Even the venom from venomous snakes is now being used for medicine to cure Cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and help strokes victims. Please contact Steve's Snaketuary® if you need a snake safely removed from your property.
Do you adopt out your reptile rescues?
We do not adopt out the reptile rescues we take in for several reasons. When someone surrenders a reptile to us, they are expecting us to take care of it, so they then become our new pets. People who surrender reptiles to us do not expect us to rehome that reptile to someone else. Also, we do not always know how well someone took care of their pet reptile. We do not want to adopt out an animal that is unhealthy. If you are looking for a pet reptile, we do have contacts that we can refer you to.
Will you babysit or temporarily house my reptile?
We can't temporarily house pet reptiles. That falls under a Care, Custody, and Control exclusion, and that is not something our insurance covers.
Training and Professional Inquiries, and Mentorships and Internships
Snaketuary® is always glad to encourage people who want to learn more about snakes, safe coexistence, and wildlife education.
However, Snaketuary® does not provide individualized training, mentorship, ride-alongs, business setup guidance, removal methods, equipment recommendations, pricing guidance, client contacts, or operational procedures. Those systems have been developed through more than 20 years of training, investment, field experience, and professional responsibility.
Requirements for permits, insurance, training, and reptile rescue/removal work can vary based on the services offered and the location. Anyone considering that type of work should confirm current requirements directly with Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, the appropriate parish or city authority/Animal Control office, the relevant training provider, and an insurance professional familiar with reptile-related work.
Information on this website is general educational information only and is not legal, insurance, business, or professional wildlife-control advice.
