Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 386 is a how-to conversation with reptile expert Kevin Pavlidis, the Snakeaholic, on avoiding dangerous snakes in the wild. He explains why every native snake in the United States sees a human as a predator rather than prey, how careful foot placement prevents most venomous bites, how to scan a hunting blind in the dark before you sit down, what to do if a snake is already in your spot, and why a rattlesnake's rattle is a warning born of fear, not aggression.
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Kevin Pavlidis, known as the Snakeaholic, is a reptile expert who handles snakes and alligators professionally. He is a contracted Burmese python hunter for the state of Florida, wrestles alligators at Everglades Holiday Park in western Fort Lauderdale, and shares educational reptile content on Instagram and YouTube.
No. Kevin explains that native U.S. snakes have no reason to chase a person because we are far too large to ever be prey. A snake would only pursue something it could eat, so to a snake we are a predator, which means everything it does toward us is defensive, not aggressive. Leave it alone and it wants nothing to do with you.
Most bites from rattlesnakes and copperheads happen because people simply do not see the snake and step on it. Kevin's main advice is to watch where you put your feet, especially in venomous-snake country. You do not need to be nervous the whole time, but careful foot placement and a habit of looking before you step prevents the majority of bites.
Kevin recommends doing a quick lap with a flashlight before you settle in, shining around the edges and into the nooks and crannies where a snake could tuck up, so you do not accidentally surprise or step on one. As the sun comes up on cooler mornings, snakes often bask, so an area that is warming over cold ground is a likely spot to see one out in the open.
If you can simply work around it, that is the best option. If it is directly in your way and you are not skilled at handling snakes, Kevin suggests using a long stick, ideally a Y-shaped one, to gently lift or nudge it out from a safe distance. Once a snake is moved out, it generally will not come right back because it wants nothing to do with you.
No. Kevin stresses that the rattle is a defensive warning, not a threat. The snake is rattling because it is scared and wants you to know it is there before you step on it. Give it space, back off, and as soon as it feels the coast is clear it will move on, because it does not want to tangle with an animal your size.
If you spend real time outdoors, especially in South Florida, you are going to run into snakes. Turkey hunters and deer hunters bump into them constantly, often in the dark, walking into a blind that is a perfect snake habitat. Kevin handles snakes and gators for a living, so I wanted him to give us the practical version: how to spot one, how to know whether it matters, and how to get yourself out of the situation without making it worse. Press play in the YouTube player above.
Kevin starts from the most useful fact a person can carry into the woods: no native U.S. snake gets big enough to consider you food, so it can only see you as a predator. That means every behavior it shows you is defensive. Once you understand that, the fear drops and the right responses become obvious. He explains how this single reframe should change the way you react to any snake you meet. Listen to him lay it out in the episode.
Most venomous bites are not dramatic ambushes; they happen because somebody did not see the snake and stepped on it. Kevin's prevention is almost boring in its simplicity: watch your foot placement, especially in rattlesnake and copperhead country, and look before you step. He also points out where snakes set up in a homeowner's yard, like a wood pile that draws rodents, and why moving it away from the house matters. Hear his full walkthrough in the player above.
A hunting blind is a near-perfect snake habitat: hidden, undisturbed, often near food. Kevin's routine is a quick lap with a flashlight, checking the edges and the tucked-up corners before you sit. He also explains why cool mornings with warming ground are prime basking conditions, so that is exactly when you are most likely to spot a snake out in the open. It is a thirty-second habit that keeps you a lot safer. Listen to it in the episode.
If a snake is sharing your blind, Kevin's first answer is to leave it alone and work around it. If it is right in your way and you are not a handler, a long Y-shaped stick lets you lift or nudge it out from a safe distance, then he closes the loop on the rattlesnake myth: the rattle is fear, not aggression, a warning so you do not step on a terrified animal. Give it room and it leaves. Press play to hear how he handles it.
▶ Watch on YouTube · 🎧 Listen now
The takeaway I keep coming back to is how much calmer the woods feel once you accept that the snake is more afraid of you than you are of it. Almost everything Kevin teaches flows from that one idea.
This is genuinely useful, low-drama advice for anyone who hunts, hikes, or just spends time outside in snake country. Watch your feet, scan before you sit, and leave them alone. Listen to the whole thing before your next early-morning walk into a blind.
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Kevin Pavlidis, known as the Snakeaholic, is a reptile expert who handles snakes and alligators professionally. He is a contracted Burmese python hunter for the state of Florida, wrestles alligators and runs educational reptile shows at Everglades Holiday Park in western Fort Lauderdale, and shares snake identification and safety content with a large audience on Instagram and YouTube.
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