The most common snake catcher tool is a set of snake tongs, which let you grip and lift a snake from a safe distance without harming it. Snake hooks, snake bags, and tube restraints round out the essential equipment, each suited to different situations. Choosing the right tool and knowing how to use it properly protects both you and the snake.
Snake Tongs: The Primary Catching Tool
Snake tongs look like oversized, pistol-grip pliers with a long shaft and wide jaws at the end. You squeeze a trigger on the handle, and the jaws close around the snake’s body. They come in lengths from about 24 inches up to 60 inches or more, and that length is what keeps you safely outside a snake’s strike range. Most snakes can strike roughly one-third to one-half their body length, so a good rule of thumb is to stay at least six feet away from any snake you suspect is venomous. A longer set of tongs makes that easier.
Quality tongs are built from aircraft-grade aluminum or similar lightweight metals, keeping them sturdy enough to control a large snake without exhausting your arm. The jaw design is the single most important safety feature. Wide, paddle-style jaws (around 5.5 cm or wider) spread pressure across a larger area of the snake’s body, which prevents damage to individual ribs, skin, and internal organs. Narrow or pincer-style jaws can pinch skin, break bones, and puncture blood vessels. Some higher-end models have a rubber coating on the top jaw that creates drag against the snake’s scales, making escape harder without increasing squeeze pressure. Certain tongs are even engineered with a pressure limiter so that no matter how hard you grip the trigger, the jaws won’t clamp down with enough force to injure the animal.
Tongs come in several tiers. Professional-grade models offer the widest jaws and best pressure control. Standard and value-series options work for lighter use. Collapsible tongs fold down for storage in a vehicle or field bag, which is useful if you’re a property owner in snake-prone areas and want to keep a tool accessible without dedicating a lot of space.
Snake Hooks and When to Use Them
A snake hook is a metal rod with a smooth, rounded hook on one end and a handle on the other. Rather than gripping the snake, you slide the hook under its body and gently lift or guide it. Hooks give the handler more finesse than tongs and are the preferred tool for relocating non-venomous species or for situations where you need to coax a snake out of a tight space, like under a porch or inside a wall cavity.
Hooks come in a wide range of styles. Standard hooks work for general handling. Narrow hooks fit into tighter gaps. Double hooks have a hook on each end (different sizes) for versatility. Mini hooks and “pinners” are designed for smaller species. Like tongs, collapsible versions exist for portability. For venomous species, many experienced handlers use a hook in combination with tongs: the hook positions the snake, and the tongs secure it for transfer into a container.
Bags and Bagger Systems
Once you’ve caught a snake, you need somewhere to put it. Snake bags are made from tightly woven cloth (usually cotton or a cotton-polyester blend) that allows airflow while preventing the snake from biting through or escaping. They typically have a drawstring closure.
A snake bagger system takes this a step further by mounting the bag on a rigid frame or tube so you can hold the bag open with one hand (or set it on the ground) while lowering the snake in with tongs or a hook in the other. This eliminates the moment where you’d otherwise need a second person to hold the bag open, which is exactly the moment when things tend to go wrong. Bagger kits are especially valuable when dealing with venomous species, because they keep both of your hands and your body well away from the snake during the transfer.
How to Use Snake Tongs Safely
Before you approach any snake, test your grip pressure. Place one of your own fingers between the tong jaws and squeeze the trigger with your other hand. This gives you a physical sense of how much force you’re applying. Too much pressure causes the snake to thrash, bite at itself, and potentially injure itself against the jaws. Too little pressure lets the snake slide right through.
Grip the snake at mid-body. If you grab near the head or within the front third of the body, the snake will panic, thrash violently, and often try to reverse out of the tongs. Mid-body gripping keeps the animal calmer and gives you better control of its weight distribution. Also pay attention to where the snake sits within the jaw: you want the snake positioned toward the front of the jaw opening. Grabbing it toward the back of the jaws concentrates more pressure on a smaller area and increases the risk of injury.
Use your non-dominant hand to help support and lift the tong shaft while your dominant hand controls the trigger. Snakes are heavier than most people expect, and a large species can put serious torque on your wrist if you’re holding the tongs one-handed at full extension. Once you have the snake lifted, move smoothly and place it directly into your bag or container. Jerky movements cause the snake to swing and writhe, making it harder to control.
Choosing the Right Length
Tong and hook length should match the situation. For most backyard encounters with small to medium snakes, a 40-inch tong provides a good balance of reach and control. If you’re dealing with larger or potentially venomous species, 48- to 60-inch tongs give you more distance but are harder to maneuver precisely, especially in tight spaces. Shorter tongs (24 to 36 inches) are easier to handle but reduce your safety margin.
The same principle applies to hooks. A longer hook keeps you farther from the snake but feels less precise. If you’re only planning to guide a garden snake out of a shed, a 24-inch hook is plenty. If you live in rattlesnake country and want peace of mind, err on the side of a longer tool.
Protective Gear
Tools are your first line of defense, but they aren’t the only one. Snake-proof boots or gaiters protect your lower legs during outdoor encounters, which is where the majority of snakebites occur. Thick leather gloves add a layer of protection for your hands, though they reduce dexterity. Some handlers also use clear face shields when working with spitting species. None of this gear replaces proper technique and distance, but it provides a backup if something goes wrong.
Legal Considerations for Snake Removal
Wildlife laws around catching and relocating snakes vary significantly by state and country. Many jurisdictions protect native snake species, meaning you cannot kill, capture, or relocate them without a permit. In Texas, for example, possessing certain non-native venomous snakes or large constrictors requires a specific permit (starting at $20 for recreational possession), and releasing a regulated snake into the wild is a criminal misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $4,000 or jail time up to one year.
Even where native species aren’t heavily regulated, most wildlife agencies recommend calling a licensed snake relocator rather than handling the situation yourself, particularly for venomous species. If you do handle snakes regularly on your own property, check your local wildlife department’s website for species-specific protections and permit requirements before purchasing equipment. Owning a tool is legal everywhere, but what you do with the snake afterward may not be.