# Miscellaneous Herp Interests > Venomous Animals >  Walking Dead kills Rattlesnake

## kilopular

So what do you guys think, think this was a real live rattlesnake that they killed for television?

Warning: Possible snake death:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/videos/the-...ke-that-snake/

Interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIuTiCfK3Fg

Source:
http://comicbook.com/blog/2014/02/23...snake-is-real/

This is absolutely disgusting.

----------


## Slim

A real snake up to the cut edit where he strikes with the knife.  Fake mechanical snake after that.  Couple reasons.  A show as popular as this one, on a network as large as this one, does not want to run afoul of animal rights groups.  And, I don't care how bad ass an actor portrays themselves to be in their roles, you are gonna' be hard pressed to find one who's gonna' straight up take out a rattle snake like that.

----------

wolfy-hound (08-25-2015)

----------


## kilopular

> A real snake up to the cut edit where he strikes with the knife.  Fake mechanical snake after that.  Couple reasons.  A show as popular as this one, on a network as large as this one, does not want to run afoul of animal rights groups.  And, I don't care how bad ass an actor portrays themselves to be in their roles, you are gonna' be hard pressed to find one who's gonna' straight up take out a rattle snake like that.


i hope you're right, i've been watching it up to that but it doesn't look fake for the cut. i've been told they're not the best at their CGI/props

sure hope it wasn't real but i know tons of people don't really care for snakes; especially rattlesnakes =\

----------


## Pansnake

It was just confirmed on The Talking Dead that it was an actual Rattlesnake and not a prop. I am thoroughly disgusted with the show and the channel and will no longer be watching it anymore.

----------


## Slim

> It was just confirmed on The Talking Dead that it was an actual Rattlesnake and not a prop.


I'm not sure I choose to believe that...The Walking / Talking Dead people, that is...

----------


## sunshinenorcas

Yeah, they are opening themselves up to a lot of legal trouble if it was a real snake. I can believe that it was a real rattler up until the pin, but then a prop afterwards- he might have even given the prop rattle away. Also, don't rattles shed/come off?

----------


## Raven01

> So what do you guys think, think this was a real live rattlesnake that they killed for television?
> 
> Warning: Possible snake death:
> http://www.tvfanatic.com/videos/the-...ke-that-snake/
> 
> Interview:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIuTiCfK3Fg
> 
> Source:
> ...



Not sure how this isn't common knowledge but, you have cannot injure animals for television or movies.  You would risk losing your licence to film and face some hefty fines not to mention the bad press.  You will see info regarding the measures taken to ensure animal safety and comfort right in the credits.
That does not preclude a humane and, legal harvest of the animal after filming.
I've never understood the reaction of some reptile keepers when reptiles become food and clothing.  Provided of course the animal is not being killed out of pure ignorance and irrational fear.  And, that it is done quickly and humanely.  
We are directly responsible through the keeping of the animals we do, whether we feed live, P/K or, F/T the deaths of many times the number of semi-intelligent creatures.  That is nature and, as breath takingly beautiful as it can be there is at its' core a primal harshness.

----------

KMG (05-01-2014),NH93 (03-03-2014),_sorraia_ (03-03-2014),wolfy-hound (08-25-2015)

----------


## MisterKyte

I'm certain that a lot of reptile keepers actually do not have issues with reptiles being used for food or clothing, Raven01, however I would like to believe that a lot of should have issues with animal exploitation which is actually very prevalent in Hollywood . Exploiting animals in this manner is unnecessary as it's purpose is for entertainment to make money which is not ethical and should not be promoted. 
It has been heavily implied by one of the actors in the TWD that the snake was real and in one of the interviews that a piece of the snake (later confirmed to be the rattler in the after show for TWD) was given so from what I have seen and read, it seems pretty clear that the snake did not leave that set unharmed.

----------

_Bluebonnet Herp_ (03-04-2014),_Shann_ (03-03-2014)

----------


## angllady2

Well, if it was an actual rattlesnake, and they did kill and eat it, what is wrong with that?

How is it any different than a squirrel, a rabbit, fish, a deer or any other animal they have killed on film for the purpose of a similar scene?

As long as it was done quickly, and the snake didn't suffer needlessly for a long time leading up to the scene, then so be it.

I know as snake lovers, and in particular when it comes to things that even resemble mistreatment of snakes, like Sweetwater's Rattlesnake Roundup, we tend to be a little less forgiving and a little quicker to jump to battle.  But be honest with yourself, do you feel the same way when a scene showing people fishing and then cleaning and eating the fish comes on ?  

I know I've seen squirrel and rabbits hunted, killed and eaten on television before.  The deer thing might be faked, but it might not be every single time, I think it's possible actual deer have been hunted and killed once or twice.  

Now please don't get me wrong, I am not condoning making any animal suffer needlessly, just for a stupid television show or movie.  But I don't think going off the deep end over something like this is a good thing either.  

Gale

----------

Adroit (05-20-2014),ballpythonluvr (04-30-2014),_I-KandyReptiles_ (03-03-2014),KMG (05-01-2014),wolfy-hound (08-25-2015)

----------


## I-KandyReptiles

> Well, if it was an actual rattlesnake, and they did kill and eat it, what is wrong with that?
> 
> How is it any different than a squirrel, a rabbit, fish, a deer or any other animal they have killed on film for the purpose of a similar scene?
> 
> As long as it was done quickly, and the snake didn't suffer needlessly for a long time leading up to the scene, then so be it.
> 
> I know as snake lovers, and in particular when it comes to things that even resemble mistreatment of snakes, like Sweetwater's Rattlesnake Roundup, we tend to be a little less forgiving and a little quicker to jump to battle.  But be honest with yourself, do you feel the same way when a scene showing people fishing and then cleaning and eating the fish comes on ?  
> 
> I know I've seen squirrel and rabbits hunted, killed and eaten on television before.  The deer thing might be faked, but it might not be every single time, I think it's possible actual deer have been hunted and killed once or twice.  
> ...



We'll said, Gale.

Totally agree.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## jason_ladouceur

Am I the only one that noticed the eastern diamond back that was shown in this clip changed colour when the scene cut to it being pinned and killed? Do you really think a Hollywood actor would agree to kill one of the most potentially dangerous snakes in North America with a knife?  The insurance liability alone is more then enough for the shows producers to never let that happen. The snake without a doubt was a real living eastern. But there is no way it was killed and eaten on the show.

----------

_Slim_ (03-03-2014),wolfy-hound (08-25-2015)

----------


## Craigaria

They kill all kinds of snakes and reptiles on the survival shows for food. It doesn't bother me that they do it, either. I have been interested in cooking rattlesnake. I have heard they are good. A ton of rattlesnakes get shot during deer season in GA and I have asked my friends to bring me one if they shoot one. I'd rather eat it instead of it going to waste.

----------


## TurkeyPython

I'm thinking they probably used a pre-killed rattlesnake for that shot. It looked very real but I'm pretty sure you can't show things actually being killed on fictional shows and they wouldn't want to risk it killing their stars.

----------


## DeadLegs

There are NUMEROUS threads about this  in other places where people are simply assuming that just because Norman Reedus has stated that the dead snake he held was indeed real, that they KILLED a snake on  camera. This is just crazy to me. if you were to stab/cut off the head of a living snake, before the camera could cut away there would be a physical reaction from the remainder of the animal's body. In the scene, there is NOTHING. That animal was dead well before they ever shot this.

My thought, they used a living rattle snake up to the point where Daryl pins it down with a forked stick, then cut away and he stabs a snake that was already very dead.

Hollywood exploitation of animals is an obvious commonality and a huge problem, that's not the debate here. The debate is did they KILL an animal on purpose, on camera. I strongly believe they did not.

----------


## jclaiborne

As someone already mentioned if yoy watch you can see two diff snakes...also on talking dead they said they were eating eel not snake during the filming.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

----------

Jons2012pied (03-05-2014),wolfy-hound (08-25-2015)

----------


## cheaversg

*lets say* it were real and he killed the rattlesnake and really cooked it and ate it.... 
would yall be as mad. I personally have eaten rattlesnake before and maybe others of you have.
Its good. Do some of you not like that fact that it was killed in general or the fact that *if it were* real, it was on tv.

----------


## J.P.

the live snake they used for the scene could easily have been venomoid, or even defanged.

----------


## sho220

The only thing that should be killed off is this series...and that should have happened half way through season 1... :Bolt: 


 :Very Happy:

----------

Jeffco (09-28-2015)

----------


## Najakeeper

> The only thing that should be killed off is this series...and that should have happened half way through season 1...


I actually like the series. And I don't mind too much if they have "humanely" killed a non-endangered snake and ate it. I don't like it but I consume other types of meat so I cannot complain too much.

----------

wolfy-hound (08-25-2015)

----------


## sho220

> I actually like the series. And I don't mind too much if they have "humanely" killed a non-endangered snake and ate it. I don't like it but I consume other types of meat so I cannot complain too much.


I liked it too...until it turned into a soap opera...with an occasional zombie stumbling around here and there...

----------


## Michelle.C

http://comicbook.com/blog/2014/03/03...-walking-dead/

"Comicbook.com reached out to AMC and asked, Was a real rattlesnake actually killed in the Still episode of The Walking Dead? AMC responded, No."

----------

wolfy-hound (08-25-2015)

----------


## Tarzan152

After watching the clip over and over again, I'm convinced that was a pre-killed snake that was stabbed.  On a quick side note, there is no evidence (on that clip) that the actor did the stabbing.  One scene is of a live rattle snake slithering away and someone approaching with a forked stick.  The scene cuts to the actor approaching with the stick and a knife ready for the strike.  Then it cuts facing the live snake while it gets pinned but no shot of who is doing the pinning.  And the last scene is a side shot of (what I believe is a) pre-killed snake being stabbed.  I dont think the actor himself did the stabbing; pre-killed or not.

Upon being stabbed, the snake has no reaction to getting stabbed.  Also, the mouth was partially open before being stabbed which leads me to believe they were dealing with a dead snake.  The pressure from the forked stick on its neck forced the mouth to partially open.  Was it a real snake that was stabbed?  I'm going to go ahead and say yes.  Killed live for cinematic purposes?  Seriously doubt it.  Too many liabilities that the studio would have to deal with.  So technically, the actor isnt lying when he is asked if that was a real snake during the interview.  He wasnt asked if it was a live snake being killed or if he did it.  

Thats my 2 cents.

----------

wolfy-hound (08-25-2015)

----------


## Darkbird

Never having seen the show, I would highly doubt they killed any snake there. Not because of any respect for the animal, but because of the legal issues they would face. And as long as it doesn't suffer, I have no problem with people killing them. I would eat them myself if I got hungry,  but hamburgers are easier to catch :Very Happy:

----------

sho220 (05-01-2014)

----------


## davidalberd

This stylish mens fashion jacket is an exclusive recreation inspired from the American films series The Walking Dead. David Morrissey played the character of The Governor has worn this jacket.

----------


## Mr Oni

How did this last so long??

You can't harm animals in shows and movies.  :Wink:

----------


## lpaulgib

http://comicbook.com/blog/2014/03/03...-walking-dead/


No US made movie/tv show is going to kill an animal larger than an ant. They will have PETA and a dozen other regulatory agencies all over them for it.

----------

