Reddit mentions of Tom's Reptile Supplies Gentle Giant 52 Inch Snake Tong

I'd like to add a little to this. (edit: I really did intend to just add a little, but then I got on a roll.)

This is the ONLY snake bite kit on the market that's cheap that's worth a shit. The other kits are absolutely useless.

It uses a heavy duty spring to create a massive suction to remove venom from a bite wound. Also works on spider bites and other insect bites. It has to be used immediately though so you'll need to have it on your person and easy to access. Don't bury it in a backpack, have it in an easy to reach side pocket and know how to use it already.

I've spent a lot of time out 'herping' and I absolutely love to find and handle snakes. I've been doing it since I was a kid and never really stopped. I can't resist a log, rock, pile of sticks or anything that looks like a good snake habitat.

So here's what my methodology that's worked well for me.

I never touch a snake until I've verified it's non-venomous.

I live on the east coast and far too north for coral snakes. This leaves rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and copperheads. These are all pit vipers. Pit vipers have cat-like pupils. Even if I can't immediately ID the species, I can immediately rule out pit vipers by observing the pupil shape before handling.

Two rules of thumb when traversing areas that could have venomous snakes.

• Don't step where you can't see unless you are wearing proper protective gear. As I wear shorts/half the time barefoot or in barefoot style shoes I just don't step where I can't see.
  
  
• Don't put your hand/fingers where you can't see either. This primarily involves wood piles. Copperheads and rattlesnakes love to climb up into wood piles and snooze. Sticking your hand into one blindly is an excellent way to get bit. My neighbor got bit picking up firewood out of a box right next to his porch last summer.
  
  Grab whatever you're grabbing by the edges that what's around and under them is clearly visible and pull TOWARDS you instead of lifting away from you. If you do find yourself face to face with a coiled 6 foot timber rattler and you just lifted the board/log away from you, you're now face to face with it and within striking distance. You've also just pissed it off. This is a bad thing, don't do it. By lifting towards you, you have a board/log in between you and mr snakey and you can back away safely.
  
  So for those of you who want to catch a deadly snake and for the record I do not recommend it. You might as well know how to properly do it for your own good and the snakes. That whole "use a stick to push it's head down" often crushes their spine/ribs and can kill them. It also isn't reliable and can kill you.
  
  There's three acceptable methods that I'm aware of.
  
  
• 1: Snake tongs. If you go this route ensure the tongs have a soft rubber pad or something, the metal ones will often injure snakes. Copperheads are actually pretty fragile and using a metal tong will often crush their delicate bones. Grab snake, put snake into container. Good to go.
  
  
• 2: The snake bag stick thing. Not sure of the proper term for this but it's a bag on a stick. Like a giant butterfly net. You set it on the ground and use another stick to guide/chase the snake into it from a safe distance.
  
  
• 3: The slip knot walking stick method. Find a walking stick and wrap the handle with some thin rope kinda like this. About 4 feet is plenty. When you encounter a snake, unwrap the cordage and create a slipknot loop like this. Slip the loop over the snake's head and gentle lift up. Once there's weight on the knot it'll pull tight and you now have a captured snake. Often the snake won't sit still for this initially, so take your walking stick and lay it on the ground in front of the snake as it moves, once it's partially over the stick lift it up and set it back where you want it, repeat this process until it stops moving. I've seen this take 10 minutes so be patient. Once it's still, use the loop to capture it then set it down into a bag or container. Be gentle during this process. Once the weight is off the loop the snake can just slide through it and then you close the container.
  
  I typically use the 3rd method because I just take a walking stick with me when I hike and I really don't encounter venomous snakes very often, nor do I have any real need to catch them out on a hike. I offer to remove/relocate any snakes my neighbors find though so they don't have to kill them.
  
  Hope someone finds this info useful :-)