Group Aims to Save Rattlesnakes in New York Park

The Center for North American Herpetology ^ | 7/22/05 | CNAH

[Zacs Mom]

Interesting map! Incredible, actually! I'd hear about this but hadn't actually seen the map before - thanks for posting the link to it.

Hmmmmmm - I see they plan to shut down Salem.

[Cindy]

Ditto.

[Marauder]

It's true these critters reproduce very slowly and take a lot of time to recover from decimations in its population, but I still have a problem choosing rattlesnakes over people.

Well, OK, it depends on which people; if I have only terrorists to choose from, give me a rattlesnake any day. At least I know what it's going to do.

[Marauder]

here in my area we have festivals solely for the purpose of rounding up and killing them.

I know about the Rattlesnake Roundups in Freer and San Patricio; where else in Texas does that happen? Abilene? Sweetwater?

I know there are plenty of rattlers around here if Noo Yawk wants to come get some.

[hispanarepublicana]

Sweetwater is the one I'm familar with, although there are small local roundups in just about every town off the Caprock.

[zip]

Whoooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[Zacs Mom]

lol - that's a real "Fear Factor" challenge, huh?!

[Cate]

NITWITS!!!! Before we were married, my husband worked for the county weed dept. and they would catch,kill and freeze rattlesnakes all summer long. Then at the end of summer bbq, they would cook the stupid things. Yup, he tried to tell me they taste 'just like chicken'. That piece of meat didn't get close to my lips. Yuck.

[tang-soo]

Anytime someone uses the word sprawl I know which side of the fence they're on.

[zip]

Eons ago (1963) I was stationed at Ft Bragg, NC and we had a king snake named George. who we fed small Cottonmouths. Sometimes it took two or three trips to the river to find one but was worth the effort. Poisonous snakes never bothered me BUT OMG, a den like that would have me running a 4 minute mile away from there. lol

[Trteamer]

I haven't seen too many snakes getting killed at the Tour de France.

[Smartass]

SAVE ALL SNAKES

[Zacs Mom]

lol ~ I've never been afraid of snakes either but I agree ~ a sight like that would be enough to inspire me to break the four minute mile!

[GreenFreeper]

It's true these critters reproduce very slowly and take a lot of time to recover from decimations in its population, but I still have a problem choosing rattlesnakes over people.

There really is no need to choose, as rattlesnakes do quite well in 'disturbed' habitats. The problem comes when people kill them for being rattlesnakes.

[Smartass]

I'M A SNAKE - SAVE ME

[Marauder]

I was walking the trail at my cousin's ranch last April, and on the way out from the house we saw a rattler and just stepped around it; didn't see any reason to kill it.

By the time we came back it was dark, so I was using my flashlight to check where they normally coil up and wait for prey. I still didn't see it, but my nephew jumped and stepped back. I thought he probably had a damn good reason for doing that, so I did the same.

He said the rattler missed my knee by about 1/2". I was wearing my boots, but the tops don't go past mid-calf, so boots or no boots, I'd have been hit. I was lucky that time, but if I do that again, I'll have some real anti-snake gear.

[sergeantdave]

I woud add grizzlies, mountain lions, buffalo, tigers, pythons, cobras, skunks, piranas, polar bears and alligators to any park heavily used by New Yorkers.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[potlatch]

[Looking4Truth]

Freakin' idiots!

I've logged thousands of miles off-road in the mountains, plains, swamps and beaches on dirtbikes, ATV's and mountain bikes in the last 30 years and have NEVER run over a snake.

I ran over a squirrel once riding an on/off road bike home from work on PAVEMENT!

That dumb*ss pony-tailed dork will get his face bitten off if he keeps up his current snake tracking methods. Isn't it funny how the 'sophisticated' city liberals are so good at telling rural folks how to live?