{"product_id":"zoo-med-adjustable-snake-hook","title":"Zoo Med Adjustable Snake Hook","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLift a snake without ever gripping it.\u003c\/strong\u003e The Zoo Med snake hook (Zoo Med item TA-25) telescopes from 18 cm out to 66 cm and collapses back to pocket size. It is the tool for guiding a small snake out of its enclosure, steering a food-motivated animal away from your hand, and lifting a hide to check underneath without reaching in. Zoo Med rates it for small snakes and states plainly that it is not for use with venomous reptiles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA hook works because it supports a snake across the body instead of restraining it. Nothing grips, nothing pins, and the animal is not startled by a hand appearing overhead — which is the single biggest cause of a defensive strike during routine enclosure work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eKey features\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTelescopes 18 cm to 66 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e — enough reach to work the far corner of a 60 cm enclosure from outside it, then collapses to 18 cm for a drawer, a bag or a pocket.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmooth, ungripping hook\u003c\/strong\u003e — the snake rests across the hook and can move off it freely, which is what keeps the handling session low-stress.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEasy-grip handle\u003c\/strong\u003e — the shaft is deliberately slim, so the handle is what gives you control at full extension.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMade for hook-training\u003c\/strong\u003e — a light touch with the hook before every non-feeding interaction teaches a food-motivated snake that an open door does not always mean dinner.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDoubles as a furniture tool\u003c\/strong\u003e — lift a hide, cork tube or branch to inspect the animal underneath without putting a hand into the enclosure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eZoo Med item number\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTA-25\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eOur SKU\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eZM364\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBarcode\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e097612622508\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCollapsed length\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e18 cm (7.25 in)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eExtended length\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e66 cm (26 in)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eAdjustment\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTelescoping, adjustable anywhere between the two lengths\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eHandle\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMoulded easy-grip\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eRated for\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSmall snakes; terrarium furniture\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eNot rated for\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVenomous reptiles\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePower\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNone — hand tool\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWill it reach into my enclosure?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWork from the reach you actually need, not the enclosure's outside dimensions. At full extension the hook gives you 66 cm of reach from your hand, measured along the shaft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eEnclosure\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eReach from the door\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eVerdict\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUp to 60 cm wide\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFront to back corner within 66 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eComfortable — you can stay outside the enclosure\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e90 cm wide\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFar corner beyond 66 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWorkable for the near two-thirds; you will lean in for the far corner\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e120 cm and larger\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWell beyond 66 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUse it for lifting and guiding at the door, not for retrieving from the back\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collapsed length matters as much as the extended one. At 18 cm it fits a maintenance kit, so it travels to a vet appointment or a show rather than living in a shed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSuitable for, and not suitable for\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSuitable for:\u003c\/strong\u003e children's pythons, spotted pythons, woma and other small to medium Australian pythons, corn snakes and similar colubrids, juvenile animals of larger species, and moving hides, branches and water bowls during a clean-out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNot suitable for:\u003c\/strong\u003e venomous species of any size — Zoo Med excludes them, and venomous work needs a purpose-built long hook and appropriate authorisation. Also not the right tool for large, heavy-bodied adults such as a full-grown scrub or carpet python, where the animal's weight exceeds what a pocket hook is built to carry. Not a restraint device, and not for lifting a snake that is in blue or mid-shed unless you have to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSafety\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNever hook a snake by the neck or head. The hook goes under the middle third of the body, where the animal's weight balances, and the snake is lifted rather than dragged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSupport long-bodied snakes at a second point with your free hand or a second hook. A snake supported at one point only will twist to find purchase, and that is when it falls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCheck the telescoping joint is locked out before you take any weight on it. A section that slides under load will drop the animal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCare and maintenance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWipe the hook down with a reptile-safe disinfectant between animals. A hook that moves between enclosures is a realistic route for mites and for respiratory pathogens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCollapse it dry. Storing a telescoping shaft wet is how the sections seize.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGoes well with\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zoo-med-stainless-steel-feeding-tongs-10\"\u003eZoo Med Stainless Steel Feeding Tongs 10\"\u003c\/a\u003e — keeps your hand away from the strike zone at feeding time, which is the other half of hook-training.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zoo-med-creatures-feeding-tongs-15cm\"\u003eZoo Med Creatures Feeding Tongs 15cm\u003c\/a\u003e — a shorter, lighter option for hatchlings and small colubrids.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zoo-med-aspen-snake-bedding\"\u003eZoo Med Aspen Snake Bedding\u003c\/a\u003e — the substrate you will be raking over each time you lift the furniture out.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zoo-med-reptile-hut-half-log\"\u003eZoo Med Reptile Hut Half Log\u003c\/a\u003e — a hide light enough to lift on the hook itself.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zoo-med-repti-rock-water-dish\"\u003eZoo Med Repti Rock Water Dish\u003c\/a\u003e — the other item that comes out at every clean.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarranty and delivery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eZoo Med does not publish a warranty term for the TA-25 hook. Any manufacturer warranty is in addition to your rights under the Australian Consumer Law, which apply to this product regardless of what the manufacturer offers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStandard freight. The hook collapses to 18 cm, so it ships as a small parcel item with no oversize or dangerous goods handling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow long is the Zoo Med snake hook?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Zoo Med TA-25 snake hook collapses to 18 cm (7.25 inches) and extends to 66 cm (26 inches). It telescopes, so you can set it anywhere between those two lengths and work at the length that suits the enclosure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eCan it be used on venomous snakes?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. Zoo Med states the TA-25 is not for use with venomous reptiles. Venomous handling requires a longer, heavier purpose-built hook and, in Australia, the appropriate state licensing — a collapsible pocket hook is not that tool.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhat is hook-training and does this hook do it?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHook-training means touching a snake gently with a hook before every interaction that is not feeding, so the animal learns to distinguish handling time from food time. It substantially reduces feeding-response strikes in food-motivated species such as pythons. Any smooth hook does the job, and the TA-25's short collapsed length makes it convenient enough that people actually use it every time, which is what makes the training work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow big a snake can it lift?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eZoo Med rates the TA-25 for small snakes. As a practical guide, if you cannot balance the animal's mid-body on the hook and lift it in one controlled movement, the snake has outgrown this hook and you should move to a full-length hook with a heavier shaft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWill it scratch or damage a snake?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hook is smooth and lifts rather than grips, so it does not abrade scales in normal use. The risk is not the hook, it is a drop — always support a long snake at a second point and never lift from the neck.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ZooMed","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54773930918179,"sku":"ZM364","price":21.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/7236\/5347\/files\/zoo-med-adjustable-snake-hoo-10135110713635-1-dq.webp?v=1790372897","url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/zoo-med-adjustable-snake-hook","provider":"Nicks AOT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}