COMAL COUNTY, Texas — A video of a venomous snake caught in New Braunfels this week, is getting a lot of attention.
The guy behind the tongs is a snake removal expert.
Brett Parker with Hill Country Snake Removal has been receiving multiple calls each week about snakes found around homes in the Hill Country.
His mission is to kill the fear, not the snake.
The thrilling video shows a face-off between a 5-foot, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake and the snake removal tongs. Parker, who was wielding the tongs, clearly won the match. The footage shows him place the snake in a clear plastic box and crawl out from underneath the home.
“I was able to get under the house and locate the snake pretty quickly and record the catch,” Parker said. “That's probably the most dangerous situation I put myself in. I don't suggest anybody without any experience at all, even remotely try that.”
He’s been doing this professionally and busting myths about snakes for about four years.
“Most of the time, people call me for a property inspection or removal,” Parker said. “I spend more time educating them than I do looking for snakes or removing them.”
Along with the big catch in New Braunfels Tuesday, recently Parker also took care of an Eastern Hognose snake in Spring Branch, another ‘rattler in Canyon Lake and a few Copperheads in La Vernia.
The snakes he removes are relocated, finding new habitats in the wilderness.
“I try to give them a chance in other places,” Parker said. “They have a purpose. Rodents wreak more havoc than snakes do in multiple ways and that's their primary source of food.”
The rattlesnake mating season is approaching this fall and hot temperatures means more energetic reptiles, so Parker warns all Texans to keep an eye out.
Resolute Health Hospital in New Braunfels also tends to see patients with snake bites during these warmer months.
“Watch your surroundings and never try to pick up a snake, even if you don’t think it’s venomous,” Brittany Ray, the Trauma Program Manager at Resolute Health Hospital in New Braunfels, said. “If you are bit by a snake, please get to the emergency department as quickly as possible.”
Parker encouraged Texans to be cautious and to call the professionals to handle any snakes you spot around home or businesses. He also said learning more about the reptiles can come in handy for anyone.
“If you just educate yourself in anything it reduces your fear,” Parker said.
Snake removal fees start at $40, but can reach $400 for complex jobs or those requiring travel. The charge depends on distance from Canyon Lake, the amount of risk and other factors.
Parker conducted snake education classes prior to the coronavirus pandemic with future offerings pending. He also works as a firefighter/paramedic for Canyon Lake Fire/EMS.
Families with questions about snakes or needing a reptile removal around their home or business can call Hill Country Snake Removal at (325) 260-2782.