Collecting Snake Venom

When an educational program deteriorates into showmanship and stunts, it no longer serves the purpose of education. On the other hand, a well-done demonstration of a practical, though dangerous, procedure can promote understanding and appreciation of a necessary function.

The Stunt

A recent Discovery Channel program highlighted a suited-up stuntman attempting to force himself into the mouth of a large anaconda in an effort to be “eaten.” Glorifying such outlandish exploits serves no purpose other than fueling negative sentiments and anxiety toward a misunderstood and feared species. The horror of such a display, not to mention the stress to the animal, could only be an attempt to increase weak ratings and snare bloodthirsty viewers.

The Procedure

But extracting venom from a venomous snake, while a delicate and potentially dangerous task, is a legitimate operation and a thrill to observe. We recently visited the Reptile Discovery Center in DeLand Florida, where venom is not only extracted for universities and research facilities, but the event is viewed by school children and visitors to the center while a narration describes the procedures and the snake species involved.

This educational opportunity is a family-run business begun and operated by Carl Barden. Carl’s passion began as a small child and escalated in the 1970s when he viewed the late Bill Haast – Director of Miami Serpentarium – as he extracted venom on an episode of 60 Minutes. “I remember thinking, That’s it!” says Carl, “I’ve got to get to Florida!”

Building the Business

After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree, Carl refined his animal husbandry while a zookeeper at the Sanford Zoo in Florida and then spent 22 years in an aviation career as a pilot while building the Reptile Discovery Center. The center is one of only six such laboratories in the United States.

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“It took 20 years to build this business,” says Carl, “and Bill Haast was my first customer!” Then, seven years ago, the venom business was doing well enough to open to the public and resign from flying.

Reason for Being

“The reason for being here,” says Carl, “is to get people and snakes together and increase tolerance so people can appreciate their role in nature.”

Because the market for snake venom is tiny, making it almost impossible to make a living selling it, the Reptile Discovery Center includes a small viewing area of local and international snakes and other reptiles, as well as an outdoor walking path through native vegetation dotted with large enclosures that house snakes, turtles, lizards, and alligators. After paying the entry fee, visitors can explore the exhibits and are treated to a demonstration of venom extraction that is narrated by a recording while Carl and his assistant, Mara Roberts, work behind glass windows.

School Children

School buses arrive at 10:00 most Thursday and Friday mornings, bringing excited students ready for a reptile experience. Mara guides them to the trail where they first observe alligators gulping great chunks of chicken or whole rats as Mara describes the procedure and presents gator information. They then follow Mara to the African Spur Thighs – the third largest species of tortoise in the world. Here the children are allowed to enter the habitat and touch the huge tortoises after Mara presents their natural history and instructs expected behavior inside the enclosure.

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The visit to the Reptile Center is culminated by gathering in a viewing room where Carl and Mara emerge holding several ball pythons to allow the students to get acquainted with these gentle constrictors by touching and passing them around. After presenting information about snakes and answering a myriad questions, Carl and Mara enter the venom extraction room behind glass to prepare for their demonstration.

Intense Work

Because of its intense nature, their work is presented by the recorded narration as they begin with coral snakes and move on to copperheads, Eastern diamondbacks, and finally monacled cobras. Each snake is restrained by a padded block held at the end of a pole to allow Carl to grasp behind its head and guide its opened mouth to a waiting receptacle. With over 1000 animals in the facility, each snake performs only once every 14 days.

Collected venom is sent to research laboratories, universities, and pharmaceutical companies for research in disease and diagnostics, as well as the manufacture of anti-venom. While Carl does not have the background to perform the research himself, he needs to understand enough to be able to communicate with his buyers. “We know enough to speak the language adequately,” he says. “We have to have some knowledge of the language to sell the venom.”

Educational and Exciting

Carl’s informative and productive demonstration proves that shows can be educational, exciting, and engaging without stooping to bizarre feats created merely to attract attention.

“I’m really a factory worker,” says Carl. “What we do here is production.”

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