THE SNAKEBUSTERS TEAM
When people think Snakebusters, they think of Australia's best reptiles education, Australia's ONLY hands on reptiles education and of course “the snake man Raymond Hoser”
and yes most of the time he’s the front man.
Forget unverified claims by new reptile-show imitators,
the fact is that the snake man alone has been at the leading of edge of
Australian reptile science for three decades!
Snakebusters staff are either also experienced in their own
right or trained the right way the first time, by the master of Australian
herpetology himself.
So who are some of the key people?
Pete Whybrow – The Snakeman of Taggerty! Decades of keeping a massive collection of
all things reptile, including deadlies, both kinds of crocs and the like, his
expertise is known across Australia.
His main personality defect is that he breeds lots of rodents, but
fortunately that helps us out quite a bit!
His other half, Judy is a wonderful woman with expertise in
all things wildlife, running a state-of-the-art wildlife shelter for birds,
wombats and the like. Their large-headed son James, had free-handled a snakebusters Inland Taipan before his first birthday! He gets his first “snake safety” lesson
after he learns to say more than “Adda”.
Andrew Wilson – Keen snakie, whose favourites
include Blackheaded pythons, Red-bellied Black Snakes and just to prove he’s
sane Death Adders!
His personality defect is that he likes motor bikes.
Dylan Mullins – To us, he's relatively new to the reptile
game (but that puts him several years ahead of a number of new "reptile handlers" who falsely claim years of experience). Dylan's as keen as mustard and switched on to his audience whoever they
are. All the experience in the world is
useless unless you are a good communicator and Snakebusters people have the
perfect mix of all!
Tom Cotton – Tom's house is like a frog motel! If you buy a frog in a pet shop, chances are it may be one of his babies. On the first day he worked for us an inland Taipan (the world's deadliest snake) gave him a love bite. But because the snake was one of the devenomized Snakebusters ones, nothing happened. Yes, only Snakebusters can guarantee zero risk with our "deadly snakes".
Michael Smyth – He's been with Snakebusters for a long time and yet he's never been bitten by "anything!" (as of end 2009). Must mean he tastes like crap!
Jarrod Bingham – Numerous claims to fame, including past positions at several major zoos and crocodile farms across Australia as well as the second hairiest feet in the reptile business. Jarrod was first trained by the Snakeman Raymond Hoser so is an asset wherever he goes. Also with expertise in plumbing, building reptile pits, tree felling and demolition, the last two usually done at the same time! PS. Also good at rebuilding houses with trees on top!
Michael Laidlaw – Trained by the best, his reptile shows are always the best ... as they are for all Snakebusters staff. Never been bitten by so much as a lizard, maybe it's the fear of getting too much energy that stops the reptiles from tasting him! He's also the brains trust when it comes to cars and keeping our fleet on the road!
Shireen Hoser – Dedicated wife and trainee
snakie. Before she married Raymond Hoser
she ran from anything with scales … including Children’s Pythons. Now she picks up deadlies like
sphagetti! It was nearly divorce when
choosing the name of the children, finally settling on Adelyn (Adder-lyn), like
the snake and Jacky (as in lizard).
Adelyn Hoser – Also known as snake girl
one. Like her younger sister Jacky
(snake girl 2), she was handling the world’s five deadliest snakes by age
6. By the same age Bindi Irwin hadn’t
got past the Black-headed Pythons, but somehow she made more money out of her
reptiles!
Because the kids aren’t old enough to be licenced to do
snake shows, any handling they do is “audience participation”. So far Adelyn’s worst bite was from Arnold
Schwartzenegger the girl Shingleback (she deserved it). Jacky’s worst experience was when Paris
Hilton the Tiger Snake defecated on her (she didn’t deserve that). After that, Jacky confined herself to
playing with Taipans and the Crocs.
By the way, the kids are told to run from any
non-snakebusters snakes!
Jacky Hoser – Had to give her a line or else
she’d crack the sads. Like her big sister, her expertise includes African Black and Green Mambas, Cobras, Puff Adders, Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Broghammerus, and other world famous snakes, including all the big name Aussie species.
Wondermutt – Also known as Poo Mutt or
Oxyuranus. The 64 kilo Harlequin-like
Great Dane that everyone except Shireen loves.
Famous for licking, slobbering and being ridden by kids at parties and
events, Wondermutt doesn’t think he’s human … he knows he is. Shown somewhere on this webpage, he's good with snakes, but his bad habits include
vomiting in the car after parties (can someone stop the kids feeding him pies?). He's also into climbing into bed with the kids and then
kicking them out.
