Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. health secretary, drew attention online after posting a video showing him handling two black racer snakes with his bare hands at the Palm Beach, Florida, home of Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In the clip, Kennedy, dressed in a shirt, tie and slacks, crouched on a patio, grabbed the nonvenomous snakes near their tails and lifted them away as they tried to wriggle free. The video quickly spread on social media, attracting millions of views within hours and adding to a series of unusual animal encounters associated with Kennedy, including previous interactions involving snakes, a raven, a dead bear and a whale carcass.
Snake experts who watched the video said Kennedy appeared to know the difference between the black racers and more dangerous species. Bruce Ireland, a snake wrangler from the San Diego area, said Kennedy’s handling was effective, though not ideal. He said Kennedy should have crouched lower and supported the snakes more fully, but gave him relatively high marks for managing to control both animals without obvious injury. Sara Ruane, an associate curator of herpetology at the Field Museum in Chicago, said the moment helped reduce the fear that snakes are automatically something to kill. She praised the fact that Kennedy did not panic, but added that the snakes seemed stressed when he grabbed them by the tail and that a better approach would have been to support their bodies.
Both experts stressed that most people should not try to handle snakes themselves. Ireland said people bitten by snakes are often those who tried to move or hurt them, and recommended leaving snakes alone whenever possible. He said trained professionals use tools such as snake tongs and hooks to move animals safely, especially if there is any chance the snake could be venomous. Ruane suggested contacting wildlife officials if a snake needs to be removed.
The video also sparked confusion about whether the snakes were dangerous. When Kennedy was asked what kind they were, his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, appeared to think they might be moccasins, a venomous species also known as water moccasins or cottonmouths. Kennedy said they were not. Experts said black racers are common in Florida and look very different from water moccasins. Ireland said the two species resemble each other about as much as a black racer resembles Brad Pitt. He noted that a water moccasin bite can be serious and potentially require intensive care, while a black racer bite is usually far less severe.
The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately comment on the video, which Kennedy posted to his personal social media account. Despite the lighthearted reaction online, experts said snake handling can still be dangerous and should be left to people with experience.
