Read testimonials from customers all over the globe who rely on Midwest Tong’s equipment for safe and humane handling of animals. Our snake handling tools are field tested by Mark O’Shea seen on TV’s Animal Planet, and Simon Keys of National Geographic’s TV Series, Snake City.
Simon Keys
SNAKE CITY
“My job of catching some of the world’s most deadly snakes is made easier with the Midwest Tongs equipment. Not only is there a tool for every job or situation, I know I can rely on them as they are so well made. I wouldn’t use anything else!”
Saiyaad Ali
Director R.C.C.T.T.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your kind gesture in sending us your fabulous Gentle Giant snake tongs through the courtesy of our friend Dr. Sam Seashole. This instrument is proving to be the most humane and effective method of handling large and delicate venomous specimens I have ever used.
Our organization, The Reptile Conservation Center of Trinidad and Tobago, is a non-profit entity which is involved in the difficult task of promoting the importance of reptilian species on our tiny island with a rapidly diminishing habitat.”
MARK O'SHEA
BSC., DSC.H.C., FRGS, FLS
“I have used Midwest reptile and handling equipment both in the field, whilst filming “Big Adventure in the Americas”, and in the Reptile House at West Midland Safari Park and I am very pleased with the results. The most important factors being that the reptile can be captured or transferred without danger or risk of damage to either the handler or the animal, I believe Midwest’s equipment is designed with the safety and comfort of both in mind.”
Rob Carmichael
Director of the Wildlife Discovery Center, City of Lake Forest Parks & Rec. (IL)
“First, I just wanted to say a big thanks for getting that order out so quickly. My colleagues LOVED your hats.
As a professional herpetologist who spends a great deal of time handling many captive herps (including venomous) as well as spending considerable time in field research studying herps, I have come to rely on the quality of your various products. Whether I am pulling out my probes for sexing snakes in the field (and at our wildlife center), using your gentle giant tongs to move hard to hook venomous snakes, having a special hook custom made, using your STURDY field hooks for flipping tin and other objects looking for herps, or taking out your field hat to protect my skin from the sun while doing my field research, I have to say that your products are FAR superior than anything else on the market. It is nice to know that you take the needs of professional herpetologists like myself into designing quality products that perform at a very high level of quality AND put your customer first and foremost. Keep up the great work! Thanks!”
Darshan Desai,
Nature Club Surat, Gujarat, India
“Dear Midwest, We are using some of your snake handling equipment and are extremely satisfied with them and your equipment has filled a new boost in our Snake conservation project here in Surat, Gujarat. Just writing to tell you that and keep in touch.”
Rick Curren
TV's Scaly Adventures
“Reptiles, and particularly snakes, became my son’s passion at a very early age. In fact, he hooked his first cobra when he was only 12 years old. So, right from the beginning we knew that if we were going to allow our son to work with dangerous animals, we were going to have to have the best possible equipment available for his safety. We chose Midwest Tongs and we could not be happier with our decision. The equipment we use is professional grade and provides every amount of safety we could ask for in a product. As we began to film our TV series, Scaly Adventures, we found that many of the animal handling professionals we film with also rely on Midwest Tongs for use in their facilities, collections and zoos. As the executive producer, co-host of our series and as a father, it is very important to me that we show our viewers the proper way to handle animals. This is why we insist on using only the best snake handling equipment for on-camera and off-camera use.”
Paul D. Rowley, Herpetologist
Alistair Reid Snake Venom Research Unit, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK
“I put my snake handling gear through an incredible amount of use (and abuse) far in excess of what the average person ever would.
The Midwest gear is holding up very well and is still looking great. I have no hesitation in recommending your products. As a high profile Herpetologist, I do get a lot of questions regarding handling equipment and thankfully your web address of www.tongs.com is really easy to remember and leads to a great website.”
Bob Reed
Post-doctoral Research Associate, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
“Howdy, We received our Midwest hooks and tongs last month, and have been very pleased with them. We currently have five separate ongoing research projects utilizing venomous Southeastern snakes, so the hooks and tongs are used every day of the week. We used the gear extensively during a snake training session for a group of U.S. Army Green Beret survival instructors in late May, and then donated 3 hooks and 2 pairs of tongs to them when they returned to Ft. Bragg. This training received national coverage from Fox News, and I was interviewed on camera while holding a Pro Field Hook. We also used the gear during the filming of a National Geographic TV special on snakes last week, which will be airing in the fall. The Midwest gear has performed flawlessly while handling multiple species of venomous snakes, both in the field and in the lab. We’ve found that the Pro Field Hook is extremely strong, and is able to handle long days of rolling logs and hooking snakes. The knurled end on the hook also helps to prevent logs (and snakes!) from slipping off the hook prematurely. Just wanted to let y’all know that the herpetology researchers here at the Savannah River Ecology Lab give your products a unanimous thumbs-up! We’ve caught about 400 snakes thus far this summer and are aiming for 1000, so the gear will certainly be put through its paces.”
Robert C. Jadin
Snakeman1982.com
“For the last couple of years or so I have been using Midwest field equipment and have thoroughly enjoyed them. I believe that your hooks and tongs are the safest and most effective tools for handling venomous snakes. Midwest accessories are generally light weight, strong, and practical and with the use of proper handling methods are by far the easiest and best devices for snake handling out there. It seems that you can almost distinguish between the amateur herpers and those that are more experienced by checking out who is using Midwest tools.
I recently used my pair of 40″ Gentle Giant tongs, snake bags, and standard snake hook on a two week expedition to southern Arizona and we didn’t miss catching a single snake that we saw while we were there. We caught 5 rattlesnakes in one of our busy nights and our Midwest stuff helped keep us from getting bit. In those two weeks we caught three western diamondbacks that were in excess of three and a half feet and it was so much easier to work with them than it would have been without the hook there. The alternation of using either tongs or hooks during different situations was essential for our species list count and photographic efforts.
Almost all of my encounters with snakes are in the field so I don’t have the time to think whether or not my equipment will act as needed, so whatever I use has to be reliable every time. I highly recommend Midwest gear to anyone handling venomous snakes and will continue to purchase and use Midwest equipment for years to come. It is the best reptile handling equipment on the market by far.
Thanks for making a great product.”
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Gentle Giant Tong
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