'Snake man' hooks a 6-foot rattler
By CAREN BURMEISTER, Shorelines
ATLANTIC BEACH - Richard Stengal chomped down on a toothpick as he reached with a long hook and snatched a 6-foot diamondback rattlesnake recently from a yard in the Hidden Paradise neighborhood.
Long known as "snake man," the 81-year-old Atlantic Beach resident gets a thrill from the creatures, though he's more particular about which species he'll capture these days.
The distinctive diamondback rattlesnake, with a row of large dark diamond shapes down its back and a rattle on the tip of its tail, certainly got his attention. Six feet is a relatively large diamondback. The venomous snake can strike as far as two-thirds its body length.
"It's the biggest one I caught around here," Stengal said.
Tara Sellers was grateful she found Stengal. Last month, she walked out of her garage off Levy Road near the Intracoastal Waterway, and noticed her two cats intently staring at the wheelbarrow.
"It was all coiled up, it was huge," Sellers said. "To have it in your yard like that is very shocking."
She called Atlantic Beach police and they gave her Stengal's phone number.
"I think it's very nice that he does that," Sellers said. "It's nice to have people around like that."
Over the years, Stengal has been called to get snakes out of mailboxes, closets, bathrooms and patios. He said it's getting harder now and that he'll only capture species that are poisonous, pretty or valuable. The rattlesnake in Sellers' yard was heavy and "pretty frisky," he said.
"It was a handful for him," Sellers said, noting the snake didn't get aggressive until Stengal tried to catch it.
Stengal put the diamondback rattler in his freezer. He keeps 40 live snakes in aquariums at his home and feeds them mice. Occasionally, he sells them.
He has a soft spot in his heart for snakes, even rattlesnakes. He said their numbers are dwindling because people often kill them on sight.
Sellers understands, sort of.
"It really is beautiful because of its markings," she said. "It's really cool, but it's cooler to look at in a picture."
Caren Burmeister can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6321.
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Handling snakes
- If you encounter a snake, back away slowly and give it 6 feet of clearance. Many people are bitten because they try to kill a snake or get a closer look.
- Stay out of tall grass unless you wear thick leather boots and remain on hiking paths as much as possible.
- Keep hands and feet out of areas you can't see. Don't pick up rocks or firewood unless you are out of a snake's striking distance.
- Be cautious when climbing rocks.
- If bitten, wash the bite with soap and water, immobilize the area and keep it lower than the heart and get to a hospital.
- Beaches residents who need help with a snake may call Stengal at 246-2105.
