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gator and snake skins
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by cammy on June 2, 2005
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do snakes and gators have to be post mortum in order to skin them, or do they shed and regrow skin? If they shed the skin, is that skin the skin they would use to make bags,shoes... Also is the skin redilly available and legal to import\export into Canada? Thanx so much, cammy.
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RE: gator and snake skins
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by LarryDFishel on June 2, 2005
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The skin that they shed is a very thin, fragile layer of surface skin that ia not really usable for anything other than possibly display. What is used for bags is probably more accurately known as a "hide" and includes everything down to the flesh...not something that most of us would consider taking from a live animal.
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RE: gator and snake skins
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by bush_viper17 on June 3, 2005
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They dont have to be post mortem, but in my opinion it would be extremely wrong to make a live animal suffer like that. It is generally not accepted to kill animals just for the skin. What some people do is find snakes dead on the road and skin them. Snakes have been declining for years and every snake and alligator that is left in the wild is very important and killing one will have a big impact on the ecosystem. That didnt answer your question. Im sorry for babbling on. The skin that is shed is,like Larry just mentioned, very fragile and is of no use except display, personally amusement, or for reference to identify other shed skins found in the future. Im not sure if it would be legal to export/import into Canada. I would say that laws would be pretty strict when it comes to things like that. Are you thinking of collecting and skinning? If so, I would highly recommend doing some studying about the impact on the ecosystem first(I know that these statements sound like "treehugger" words but it is the truth.) I know a guy that collected and skinned wild rattlesnakes in a certain spot in my county. My good friend use to find alot of rattlesnakes out there but rarely finds them now. Also, collecting wild rattlesnakes could possibly have a dangerous side effect. The rattlesnake uses its rattle as a warning to deter predators. It has been observed that rattlesnakes tend to quit rattling when their rattle is ignored and gives them away. Then someone could be walking and the snake doesnt rattle, the person advances and they get bitten. Another thing to think about,(if you are thinking about killing them for their skins) there are alot of other alternatives to make money off of the snake. You could even help them out and give yourself and others a better understanding about these amazing, important animals. You can get into captive breeding projects. You can breed rare color morphs and make big $. You can make you life more enjoyable and live with the pride in knowing that you have a good understanding of the natural world. I am not going to criticize you(because you have done nothing that would call for criticizm) but the time has come for everybody to stop their fears, stop killing,stop destroying animals and their habitats and come to the new way of thinking. The new way is thinking of the future. Thinking of ways to help out the world we all share with the animals and the ecosystems. To better ourselves and our understandings. I know that it would "only be a few alligators and snakes, and that it wouldnt really matter because they will come back over time." but honestly, a just a few...just one is way too many. Our vehicles, bulldozers, lawn mowers,gas,pollution,natural predators etc. already keep the animals in check.
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RE: gator and snake skins
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by bush_viper17 on June 4, 2005
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Thanks. One more thing. I have always heard that "if you kill snakes, the rats will take over..." I have been studying snakes for years and have observed their feeding behaviours but I was still kind of skeptical about how many they can actually eat. A while back, I realized just how true people were when they said that if you leave the snakes alone, they will keep the rodent population in check. All of my neighbors used to kill snakes out of fear. My home became completely over run by dirty mice and rats. It was rediculous.I even found an eastern milk snake under the kitchen sink that had come into the house for a quick meal(of mice of course). I also found a black rat snake under my bed taht had come in for the same reason. To make a long story short, I taught my neighbors, friends,family etc. about the importance of snakes and that it is actually very good to have them around. My grandmother was mowing the lawn last winter(just before spring) and found a king snake, she didnt kill it. She came and got me, well eventually I found alot more in the yard. I found a copperhead and a few other snakes. Noone killed them anymore. I havent seen a mice or rat in the house for going on a year now...not one. I know some of you are thinking, "Well, I would rather have a rat in my house than a snake.." Some are probably also thinking "The snakes will become over populated and overrun the neighborhood." That is false. Two weeks ago, I found a copperhead. I moved it to take some pictures and enjoy its company for a while. I stepped back and saw an Eastern Kingsnake in the grass eating another snake. You see, the natural world can fix it self and all of its problems. Mother nature knows what she is doing.
One thing I would like to tell you if this doesnt change your mind. Also I would first like to say that I still wouldnt agree with this at all and would never think about doing it or supporting anyone else that does it, but if you are still going to skin snakes(if that was what you were planning on doing in the first place.) At least do it with captive born individuals. That would still be very wrong but at least it wouldnt hurt the wild population. Im not trying to preach about this and babble on for no reason. I am very passionate about the natural world. I have a high respect for every plant and animal. I understand their importance. Alot of people blame snakes for coming around and biting every one for no reason...Well, dont you think that with a little knowledge and understanding, you could decrease your chance of getting injured? Most people run away from their fears when it comes to the natural world. They just go on killing and never attempt to learn. I was raised by people who feared and hated snakes...Now look at me. I love them. My chances of getting bitten while doing everyday things are minimum because I understand the nature of snakes and know what to look out for. My family is more safe now that they have an understanding. My friends and neighbors are also safer now. Heres what I tell people to do:Even if you hate snakes and will continue to hate them for the rest of your life, put that aside for once when you encounter the next snake. Dont look at it as being evil. Just look at it as being any other animal. Try to understand it...Notice that it isnt chasing you or trying to eat you. Dont try to mess with it or pick it up. Just stand back at a safe distance and observe. I will guarantee you that the snake will not chase you. Seriously, the next snake that anyone of you see(if you fear them) just look at it. Thats what I did. I am very glad that I dont live my life in fear. That would be very unfortunate. I am very sorry to all of you who have lost someone or have had someone close to you injured by a snake. That is extremely sad when something like that occurs, but dont make your judgement on the snake so quickly. Everyones views are changing now for the better. Not only because it is wanted but because it is needed. There is no way that the world will go on with all of our pollution and destroying. One acre of land to me is worth a million stores and businesses. It is worth more in the long run. Again, I am sorry for babbling on about things that you didnt ask for. Please try to understand where I am coming from and pass it on. You will definetly have my highest respect if you learn to love the plants and animals of the world. Well, I hear the birds out side, so it must mean that it is morning time..Let me go see what I can find. Let me see what adventure lies ahead of me today.............
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RE: gator and snake skins
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by LarryDFishel on June 4, 2005
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Jeremy, the comment I made about skinning snakes alive was a basically a joke, based on one possibly way of (mis)interpreting his question. My interpretation of Cammy's question is that he just wanted to know if you could make anything useful by collecting shed skins. It doesn't sound to me like he is interested in killing and skinning anything.
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RE: gator and snake skins
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by Cro on June 4, 2005
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Jeremy: Keep trying to educate folks about the value snakes serve in nature. Especially young folks, who seem to be able to learn. Older folks set in their ways are way harder to change. Slowly, over time, things will change. Okefenokee Joe has been talking to school kids for years, and it works! He dosn't waste much time doing talks for old farts, as he knows that most of them will never change. But young folks are not yet programmed into bad thinking and ideas, so are able to learn. Best Regards JohnZ
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