Experts against use of tongs while handling snakes
The Hindu
They say equipment can cause fatal injury to reptiles
The use of tongs to handle snakes has come in for criticism from herpetologists and expert snake-handlers. Snake tongs or forceps are used mostly by amateur snake-handlers to restrict the movement of the snake’s head, by trapping the head of the animal between the pincers. However, the equipment, which came to prominence in North America to capture specific species of snakes, is being used incorrectly by not just amateur handlers but also the Fire Department to rescue reptiles, often causing an injury that could lead to the animal’s death, say herpetologists. “For the price of a few hundred rupees, snake tongs can be purchased online by anyone. However, the use of these tongs is extremely dangerous to the reptiles. If the handler applies too much pressure, it can easily sever the snake’s spinal column, or cause other serious injuries,” said N. Sadiq Ali, founder of the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust (WNCT), and an expert snake-handler who has held training programmes for forest staff on how to safely handle snakes.More Related News
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