A wildlife handler in New Mexico spent 26 minutes freeing a rattlesnake whose jaw was stuck to a glue board, according to The Cool Down. The handler, described only as a trained professional, used tweezers and vegetable oil to carefully separate the snake from the trap. “I was pulling on the glue, not on the snake’s actual skin,” the handler told the outlet.
Glue traps catch snakes by immobilizing them on an adhesive board, and the same tacky surface that stops a rodent can tear a snake’s scales or break its jaw. The handler first applied vegetable oil along the jaw line to weaken the glue’s hold, then worked the tweezers edge by edge. The entire rescue lasted 26 minutes, and the snake was released unharmed once free.
New Mexico has 46 snake species, and seven are rattlesnakes protected under state wildlife rules. The New Mexico Game and Fish Department does not recommend glue traps for any animal because the traps cause unnecessary suffering and catch non-target wildlife such as birds, lizards, and snakes. Homeowners who find a snake in a glue trap should contact a licensed wildlife handler rather than attempt the removal themselves.
If you live in an area with rattlesnakes, keeping glue traps indoors or in sheds creates a risk for any snake that enters the same space. Better ways to manage unwanted snakes include identifying the snake and guiding it out with a long tool, as described in the steps to safely remove a snake from your garden shed. Making your yard less inviting to snakes, such as sealing gaps in foundations and clearing brush, is covered in a guide to snake-proofing your yard. The New Mexico handler’s rescue shows that even a careful removal can take a long time and requires training.
The notice is published by The Cool Down at www.thecooldown.com.
