Another rattler round up:

PA News:
http://www.publicopiniononline.com/n...ws/200887.html

Rusty

*sigh*

"Firefighters say they are expecting controversy and even welcome a visit from animal rights activists."

?!?!?!? What the hell does that mean?

It sounds barbaric. Why don't they just have a **** fight or let some pit bulls go at each other instead of upsetting the ecosystem?

You know, i am not too thrilled about these rattle snake roundups. It seems to me that rounding up dozens of rattle snakes would be very stressful on the animal. I am by no means an expert on rattlesnakes but if i was taken from my home put in a box and have tons of people staring at me through a hole or what ever would stress me out. I dont know about rattlesnake population in Pennsylvania, but here in South Texas we have lots of rattlesnakes. I hear fellow herpers who go out and capture a rattlesnake and keep it as a pet. In the article is says that all the snakes are taken back to where they were found and this is a good thing. But when i go to the flea market and see a hat or belt buckle or boots made out of rattlesnake skins and i am sure these snakes did not die of natural causes. Maybe in Pennsylvania there are not too many of these reptiles around because of the cold climate but there was a survey done in east and south texas and they say there are about 2 rattle snakes in a square mile in the rural areas of the state. In Sweetwater, Texas the worlds largest rattle snake round up takes place and over 123 tons of Rattlesnakes are captured so far. And they even have a "cookoff" where they eat the snakes. Check out the site http://www.rattlesnakeroundup.com/

Maybe here in Texas there are so many rattlesnakes that people view them as pests. I have seen people run them over on the edge of freeways and on dirt roads on purpose. My uncle has 2 Ranches that are about 90 acres each and they have a very healty population of rattlesnakes and i see them all the time. Maybe its because the ranches also have a very healty population of mice, rats, and rabbits. But when ever one comes round the ranch house or something he blasts it with a shotgun. I am not a tree hugger by any sense of the word but all this is just wrong. I do realize that many BP's are captured from the wild for the pet trade but people have been able to successfuly breed BP's in captivity but the wild caught ball pythons should be left alone.


I would like to know what everyone thinks about this.

What's up with only letting women handle nonvenomous at this event, too? At least they won't be killing the snakes and will be returning them to where they found them, but it's still an unnecessary stressor on the snakes.

I wondered about the woman thing too, Marla. I thought we'd made more progress than that.

Apparently not in the world of firefighters or snake round-ups. :sigh: "Better be careful, little lady. Here, let me take that snake and give you a nice, safe worm instead."

the snakes are not taken from pennsylvania, they are taken from all over the nation, from the southeast to the southwest. Probably some from your state of texas also. Its very bothersome to me that they do these types of things. But there are far worse things done in other countries. I dont' know if anyone caugh that Oshays adventure on the spitting cobra. But they went to some tribe where they torment the snake and hit them, and step on them. Or how bout Shock Video HBO where the guy from malaysia eats the heads off of live snakes...Even if people like us or others protested something like this, it's useless. In my opinion anyway. But marlas, right at least they are not physically harming the animal.

In this case, Justin, the snakes ARE taken from Pennylvania...for the roundup part of it. Not just rattlesnakes, but any species of snake they can find within a certain established perimeter, if understood the article correctly. The "bagging" contests will be using Western Diamondbacks...from Oklahoma. :roll:

It's all very useless and I really don't think the benefits of "educating" the public about the glories of reptiles is worth the risk to so many animals. How many of them will actually get put back in the exact spot they came from? How many of them will die in the process before they can be released again? How many will catch some parasite or disease from being exposed to so many strange snakes, and then spread it back into their native habitat?

All that for very questionable "educational" value. Not to mention the poor Western Diamondbacks.....

If people were playing the same games with cute, furry, beloved mammals, the outcry would be immediate and persuasive.

AND...as for the women not being allowed to bag the rattlesnakes...they only made that rule because they KNOW the women could outbag the men any day! :wink:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JLC

In this case, Justin, the snakes ARE taken from Pennylvania...for the roundup part of it. Not just rattlesnakes, but any species of snake they can find within a certain established perimeter, if understood the article correctly. The "bagging" contests will be using Western Diamondbacks...from Oklahoma. :roll:

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That was my understanding as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JLC

AND...as for the women not being allowed to bag the rattlesnakes...they only made that rule because they KNOW the women could outbag the men any day! :wink:

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Judy, you crack me up - but of course you're right. :wink: