The Venomteacher

Fear of Venomous Creatures

Sometimes people ask, “why the name Venomteacher?” When I was young I was deathly afraid of spiders, especially black widows, which were unfortunately common in and around our home in Arizona.

One night I woke up screaming after dozens of black widows started climbing the bed posts of my bunk bed and all at once they swarmed all over my body biting with searing pain. It felt so real I was convinced spiders where all over me even after I woke from the dream. Years later the dream and genuine fear remain vibrant in my mind. My dad who was very knowledgeable about animals calmed my fears by teaching me facts about black widow behavior. He explained that black widows don’t travel in packs but they are solitary hunters that live in webs. He taught me how to identify black widow webs and stay clear of them. He showed me how they are scared of us and want to be left alone. The more I learned about how the spider behaves the less fear I had. I soon learned that it was easy to stay safe around black widows and to this day I have never been bit by a black widow.

This is shocking considering the level of fear I had as a child but I eventually started keeping black widows in captivity as educational animals to help show other people how to stay safe around them. I was intrigued to discover that black widows would curl up in a ball and hide in terror when I tapped on their container.

They are definitely more afraid of us then we are of them.

Rattlesnake Educational Programs

I used that same strategy my dad used with me to teach people how to stay safe around rattlesnakes.

I believe education is the answer. Since I am a science teacher the name Venomteacher was a good fit. I have taught hundreds of rattlesnake outreach programs using live rattlesnakes. Many people fear rattlesnakes, to the point they are afraid to hike and enjoy nature. I love teaching people how rattlesnakes are not aggressive and they don’t chase people. It turns out that rattlesnakes are very similar to black widows.

Here is a photo of a rattlesnake that I caught during my research.

I had him in a cage before I tagged him and every time I walked into my venom room he hid his head under his coils. Once I left he would slowly lift his coils and peek out to see if I was still there. As soon as he saw me again he hid under his coils. Rattlesnakes are more often than not scared and more concerned with escaping and getting away than having a confrontation with people. When trapped and harassed they can become defensive towards humans which they simply perceive as predators.

Love of Reptiles

I have always been fascinated with reptiles from a young age. My parents supported my interest and let me keep all kinds of pet reptiles. My dad also worked with rattlesnakes and taught me how to safely work with them.

As a child I was so excited about catching snakes my dad worried that I would pick up a rattlesnake by mistake thinking it was a nonvenomous snake. He taught me not to catch any snakes unless he could identify them for me first. I was seven when I found my first snake while on a family camping trip. It was moving so fast through the grass I knew my dad would not be able to get there in time to identify it for me before it got away. Without thinking I grabbed the snake by the tail and while it thrashed around violently I screamed for my dad. We were both relieved to find out it was a harmless garter snake. This close up from a family photo was taken shortly after I caught the snake. I was the only one in my family of six not looking at the camera.

Over 30 years later and I still haven’t grown up.

Venomteacher Blog and YouTube Channel

I have been blessed to be part of numerous remarkable experiences relating to wildlife; from capturing alligators in Arizona with the Phoenix Herpetological Society to stepping on rattlesnakes for research. Come along for the ride as I share my experiences through my blog and YouTube videos. I love how I can follow in my dad’s footsteps and teach people about venomous creatures. It is such a joy to see fear transform into wonder and respect. We can coexist with these amazing animals and it only takes a tiny bit of your time to learn how.

Thanks for reading my blog!

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You can also learn more about the Phoenix Herpetological Society at www.phoenixherp.com

Cale Morris

The Venomteacher

July 3, 2018