Poisonous snake-free zone  
Red Deer Advocate - Tuesday, May 9, 2000 - by Cameron Kennedy

Look-alike reptiles get bad rap, says Olds man.

        OLDS - There might be rattlers near Medicine Hat, but Central Alberta residents can rest easy  Red Deer and area is a poisonous snake-free zone.

        Dean Harper, Owner of Wrappin About Reptiles in Olds, said he has received over 30 calls from concerned residents since emergency crews and zookeepers removed a 45-cm saw scaled viper and 19 other poisonous snakes from a Toronto apartment last week.

        Common throughout Asia, Africa and the Middle East, the viper can be aggresive and is extremely poisonous.  "It only takes one bad thing to start a steamroll effect," said Harper, who keeps about 80 non-poisonous snakes for educational programs, special events, television and movies. "It doesn't take long for panic to spread. It's kind of nerve wracking."

        Harper said some snakes get a bad rap because they look like one of their poisonous cousins.
For example, the harmless milk snake, a "good starter snake" for first time owners, looks a lot like a coral snake, an extremely toxic species found in Central America and the southern United States.  "People see us and they get concerned," said Harper. "We have some snakes that look poisonous, but they are not."

        The laws governing poisonous snakes vary from province to province. Snake lovers in Ontario can own poisonous species, but Toronto has banned the beasts.

        Owners in British Columbia must have antivenin on hand, store their animals in special cages and handle them with the proper safety hooks.

        Under Alberta law, zoos are the only ones allowed to own poisonous snakes, while people who want a python or constrictor must have a permit.  But even zoos shy away from the venomous varieties because they are so difficult to handle. Reptile World in Drumheller is the only zoo in the province that keeps poisonous snakes.

        Harper said one man did call to ask where he could buy a poisonous snake, but he doesn't recommend it.

        "The safest, tamest rattlesnake can still turn around and grab you," said Harper. "Until they come out with a 110 per cent fool proof way of removing the venom from them, it's like playing with a loaded gun - you're just waiting for it to go off."

        He has a simple rhyme he says will help you decide if a snake you encounter is poisonous' "Red touch black, friend of Jack. Red touch yellow, kill a fellow."

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