U.S. Venomous Snake Safety and Handling Courses

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These courses are designed for risk management and tailored to YOUR needs—not our agenda.

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Venomous Snake Safety 

In-person Delivery: This one-day, Venomous Snake Safety course will provide hands-on training and expertise to help professionals safely work with venomous snakes. See below for a sample outline.

• Participants will be assessed with a written and skills test.
  
• Upon successful completion course, participants will receive a Venomous Snake Safety Handling Certificate.
• Take Home: Venomous Snake Safety Manual
  

Additional Topics:

• Research – trapping and removal, measurements, tubing, probing, transmitters, PIT tags, and snakebite emergency planning
• Husbandry – exhibit safety and planning, forceps, hemostats, tubing, probing, quarantine protocols, and snakebite emergency planning- great for zookeepers!
• Wildlife Control Operators – snake identification and natural history, local regulations, trapping and removal, euthanasia/dispatch, museum and research deposition, public
  safety and engagement

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Hybrid Delivery: This Venomous Snake Safety course will be delivered through an online module and an in-person class. We provide hands-on training and expertise to help professionals safely work with venomous snakes. Participants will be assessed with a written and skills test. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive a Venomous Snake Safety Handling Certificate.

Online Course

Thank you for trusting us to help you and your team stay safe.​

General Course Outline*

I. Characteristics of venomous snakes of the USA

• Rattlesnakes
• Copperheads
• Cottonmouths
• Coralsnakes

II. Snake Ecology and Behavior
III. Venomous Snake Safety Techniques and First Aid
IV. Handling Practice with LIVE Non-venomous and Venomous snakes

• Tools, techniques, and manipulation
• 1-hook technique
• 2-hook technique
• 1-hook-and-tongs technique
• Containment and labeling

V. Safety Test Completed By Participants and Certification of Completion

*The outline can be tailored to your organization's specific needs

Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC)

The Venomous Snake Safety Course material was reviewed by PARC and advances the mission of PARC. This specific training would promote the conservation of snakes, educate participants about snake biology, and facilitate snake conservation by minimizing negative human-snake interactions.

Who are our instructors?

Our venomous snake instructors have extensive training from AZA accredited zoos and/or through extensive field research.
See their qualifications here.

Who should take this course?
Professionals who work near or directly with venomous snakes. This may include (but not limited to):

• Wildlife Professionals, Biologists, Ecologists, Botanists, Geologist, Conservation Planners
• Landscape Architects
• Landscapers
• Military
• First responders (e.g. law enforcement, EMS, firefighters, FEMA)​
• Construction/Facilities Managers and Workers
• Energy Workers
• Wildlife Control Operators
• Zookeepers
• Camp counselors
• Land managers

*All participants must be affiliated with a professional organization. Please feel free to contact AES at hello@adaptationenvironmental.com with inquiries.

Our Standard

Our methods for handling and manipulation are not your "Hey, dude- hold my beer" type methods.  We do not teach methods you see on TV, because to be honest- our methods are not for TV. They are boring, they are safe. ​We operate with safety first, always. The tools we use maximize safety while maintaining snake comfort.