Hit my first real milestone as a reptile relocation specialist last week

I've been doing this gig for about 8 months now, mostly catching little green anoles and fence lizards from people's garages. Last week I got a call about a 4 foot black racer in a backyard in Austin, and I managed to bag it without it getting spooked or biting me. That was the first time I handled something that big solo without freezing up. Before this, I'd only done snakes under supervision during training, so it felt like a real turning point. What changed for me was finally trusting my gear and just moving slow instead of panicking. Has anyone else had that moment where a bigger animal suddenly felt doable?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan_brown3028d ago

Wait wait wait... a 4 foot black racer on a solo call? Those things are wicked fast, I've seen people lose them just blinking. That's a really solid first big catch, most folks would've frozen up or grabbed wrong.

gibson.morgan28d ago

You ever notice how most of our fears are really just about that first step into something bigger? It's like when you learn to drive on a busy highway for the first time, or when you finally give a speech in front of a crowd. Your brain just needs proof that you can handle it before it stops screaming at you. Once you get that one win, everything else shrinks down to size. Sounds like you found your proof with that black racer. Now you know the gear works and your instincts are solid, so next time a bigger snake won't even feel like a big deal.

ray_williams28d ago

Held my breath reading that - those black racers can blur right past you in a second flat.