i watched a guy get bit by a cobra on animal planet

[scottyk]

My favorite was Austin jumping into deep water to grab that Anaconda, and it almost drowning him. Classic

I also enjoy and respect Dr. Brady Barr. He recently did an episode on giant salamanders, and was testing the venom level in thier body slime by licking them. It's worth watching just to see him almost puke on camera after licking a hellbender!

 

[skippy]

i've never heard of barr... was that on ap? there seems to be a dearth of good herp and invert shows on ap lately

 

[davidbarber1]

I would have liked to have seen that one. I remember awhile back when they had a special on the Chinese Giant Salamanders. I remember that big slug did not want to get weighed and tried to bite the guys. Now THAT was an impressive animal.

David

 

[ThomasH]

I miss Steve Irwin...fortunately, they still run re-runs of his show! lol. I was so sad when he died. I remember the exact place I was at his time of death...

I like Austin Stevens, he seems a lot more knowledgeable, and knows what he's doing, even if he brags a bit and is less than careful. Jeff Corwin is annoying, consistently misplaces his facts, and doesn't make me feel confident in that he really knows what he's doing. Austin Stevens at least has a herpetological degree as a concrete base to show he knows what he is doing...something I don't think anybody else has done...

Actually Jeff does have degrees in conservation and other things. He isn't too bad when it comes to saying stupid stuff on camera. All of them slip up at some point.
TBH

 

[DrJ]

Actually Jeff does have degrees in conservation and other things. He isn't too bad when it comes to saying stupid stuff on camera. All of them slip up at some point.
TBH

I think you're right...I heard he has a B.S. in biology and anthropology and an M.S. in wildlife conservation. So, I guess he does have something! Learned something today. lol.

Still, I wish he'd be more precise when talking about different animals. I turned on AP once and there stood Corwin on the lookout for a sidewinder and in the 15 minute period, the most specific thing he said was that its scientific name was Crotalus cerastes. It was pretty disappointing. I thought I'd actually learn something cool about this species. But...no. He just picked it up, put it on some glass, and said it was flexible..."watch as it moves". Well, I've already seen them move, and they are obviously flexible...what else is new? I guess that's my problem. I look for more specific information, or at least a better understanding of the animal in question. And, to each his own, but I also feel that Corwin injects too much dead air space with "comedy" that isn't funny, and doesn't add to the program, but distracts from it. I don't mind lighthearted fun, but there isn't much funny when he almost runs over himself in a truck and calls himself a moron. Or, visiting a vacated resort and spending five minutes looking for somebody like something horrible happened...it's just annoying. He probably spends 10 minutes educating people within a one hour show...but, I've never been able to survive a whole episode.

On the other hand, Steve Irwin and Austin Stevens have a real genuine love of nature and the herps they work with. You can really tell they love what they do, and they are good at it. They spend more time educating, as watching their shows is what originally got me interested in snakes and reptiles; and eventually, tarantulas and scorpions.

 

[Craig]

no joke! i would have thought "crocodile gets too close" or something along those lines.

i never thought a stingray would be able to pierce someones chest and put a hole in their heart(at least it was an original way to go )

Interestingly enough those stingray related deaths or close to death are fairly common in tropical areas. Usually a stingray jumps onto a boat and some how it's stinger pierces the chest. I have no idea why it is so common though. It is strange.

Even though I did not agree with Steve Irwin about some things I thought it was sad he died. And I'm really shocked to hear that about O Shea!! I had never heard that before. He does get bit by dangerous snakes a lot.

 

[Beardo]

I'm sorry, but to say that Austin Stevens is even remotely credible as compared to Jeff Corwin is LAUGHABLE.

Stevens is a careless fool.

Corwin is a legitimate herpetologist who RESPECTS the animals he works with rather than try to portray himself as some kind of Action Movie Star.

 

[skippy]

well craig, i don't doubt you but i would have thought that any deaths would be due to a bad reaction to the stingrays... venom? can i call it that? rather than punctures to the torso. i try to stay IN the boat when i'm in the tropics though so, what do i know

that being said, i enjoy corwin a lot more than stevens. he's a little schmaltzy but his show shoots him as more competent than stevens with the animals he's handling.

i know it's tv so i have no opinion on eithers real world abilities but the way stevens show is shot he looks kinda spastic

 

[dtknow]

Anyone catch Brady Barr getting tagged by the retic in a cave?

 

[Tleilaxu]

Anyone catch Brady Barr getting tagged by the retic in a cave?

Yeah he fricken screamed like a girl as he got what he deserved... could not even take it like a man let alone a professional herpotologist.

 

[davidbarber1]

Anyone catch Brady Barr getting tagged by the retic in a cave?

Did not see that one, but I remember Steve Irwin getting tagged in the face by a python and saying "Son of a B@#ch". Of course, the last word was silenced, but you could tell what he said. And, he was quite relaxed. NO screaming. OH, and my favorite, Steve Irwin was in the Appalachians looking for Timber Rattlers. He had one up on a log and all of a sudden, he froze. He looked between his legs as he was crouching and noticed one there. He looked at the camera and said "S%&t". Which of course they also silenced. It was quite the classic.

David

 

[Atalanta]

It always killed me watching Steve Irwin get chomped by a goanna or some such creature, blood streaming down his hand and arm, and calmly sitting there saying "now that's a naughty lizard." Loved that man.

Austin Stevens - seen that show. In fact, I'll seek out reruns at times just to see him bitten, because he's such a moron about it. Somewhat likable, and probably more skilled than he appears, but it sure looks ridiculous when he is cobra-bitten, curses, almost dies, rides to the "nearest" hospital (miles away), is hooked up to an IV, then goes back a few hours later to tool with the same snake. Heh.

 

[Draiman]

I personally do enjoy Austin Stevens' shows a fair bit more than Jeff Corwin's. The latter is more funny than educational, and sometimes the humour doesn't even work. Austin Steven's shows are a lot more action-packed; also, he talks a lot more about, and does a lot more with the main subject - snakes - than Corwin does.

 

[Aztek]

He wore a hippo costume.

Lulz!!

 

[bhoeschcod]

ha ha he screamed like a girl he he he!

 

[bhoeschcod]

A hippo costume what is this world coming to?NO HIBBO COSTUME!!!

 

[CRX]

I recall this one episode where Austin Stevens was messing with this tiny viper in the desert (I forget what species). The snake bit him, and he flailed his arm around and the snake was killed. So stupid and sad.