"Snake Man" entertains and educates
Submitted by jcht2010 on
The “Texas Snake Man,” Clint Pustejovsky, brought education and fun to children and adults alike on June 19 at the Jackson County Services Building.
He was accompanied by several friends, six animals that help him spread knowledge about snakes, animals he said are the most misunderstood animals there are.
The presentation was part of the Jackson County Memorial Library’s summer reading program, “Every Hero Has a Story.”
In the United States, there are only four breeds of poisonous snakes – The rattlesnake, coral snake, copperhead, and cottonmouth, but Pustejovsky said they only bite when they have no other choice.
“We are like monsters to these guys,” he said, noting that a venomous snake would rather slither away than engage humans at any time, and don’t really chase humans.
He said when you see a snake, back away and leave. They do not want to hurt you, and they do not want to be hurt.
Pustejovsky also discussed widespread myths about the reptiles, which can be harmful to humans and snakes alike.
One misconception, the “red and yellow, kill a fellow” rhyme, is something he says that he, himself, believed and even taught for some time, before realizing it was, at best, misleading.
While black and yellow do sometimes touch in the pattern of a coral snake, the banding begins at the head with a black band, then yellow, another black, and yellow again. This could lead someone who spots one and can’t see the entire snake to believe it is harmless.
He also brought attention to the Diamondback Water Snake, a nonvenomous snake that has a triangular head, a “well known” trait of venomous snakes, as well as a Pygmy Rattlesnake which is venomous, but lacks a triangular head. Both are examples of snakes that debunk the widespread “if it’s head is triangular, it is deadly” belief.
In fact, while snake bites can be deadly, only one person has died from copperhead bites – a man who was bitten four times, and only 0-3 deaths are reported due to rattlesnake bites every year in the United States.
Children squealed with excitement as they ran their fingers over the scales of the reptiles, and a long line formed waiting to hold Reuben, an albino Burmese python who assists Clint in smashing rumors and myths about snakes as he travels.
Pustejovsky is available for speaking engagements and shows, and can be reached by email at clint@texassnakes.net
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