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RE: Claxton, GA Rattlesnake Roundup
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by FSB on March 7, 2009
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I am not in the least surprised to learn that fruitcakes are the leading industry in Claxton, GA:
"You think I care about a rattlesnake's quality of life?! They crawl on their belly, they're animals, they're the bottom of the food chain! I bet you're one of those who want to "save the animals" yet you believe in abortion. You probably claim the Bible is a fiction book just to accomodate your lifestyle."
"Don't judge and criticize people you know nothing about."
Indeed. Sounds like that's exactly what you have been doing for one entire paragraph. Also, I have never heard of a rattlesnake eating chicken eggs, and, as predators, they are most certainly not "the bottom of the food chain." They have also been on this earth for approximately 5 MILLION years longer than you, Claxton, GA or the Bible, for that matter.
They are also a national symbol. Don't Tread on Me.
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RE: Claxton, GA Rattlesnake Roundup
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by Sassygurl on March 7, 2009
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Thank you to FLHerp, Aquaherp, and JHarrison for the informative and non-offensive facts. I can totally respect you and your cause when it's put that way. I suppose I should have been more specific with my "attitude" because I was aiming at "Cro" who chose to resort to bashing, labelling and name calling. Just because we don't share the same passion doesn't make either of us wrong and certainly doesn't make me southern stupid white trash as he made it sound. As for FSB, yes I was absolutely being critical in rebuttal. Glad you caught the irony in my paragraph.
P.S. The Claxton Bakery (and fruitcake) was founded by an italian pastry-maker who came to NY and worked as a master baker before moving to Claxton. It was then passed to the Claxton-native Parker family who made it even more successful with distribution all over the WORLD (not just Claxton), so make fun if you want.
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RE: Claxton, GA Rattlesnake Roundup
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by earthguy on March 7, 2009
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Serena,
You are on a website called 'venomousreptiles.org', so you should really expect people to get fired up about saving rattlesnakes. As far as the 'treehuggers' label, I am probably one of the few true treehuggers on this site, so I think that you are a little off base with that one. Now as to your original question, how would I feel if my three year old was bitten by a rattlesnake? I would be angry with myself for: 1) not teaching my child to be more aware of his/her surroundings and 2) not keeping a closer eye on a three year old. There are FAR more dangerous things in this world than rattlesnakes, but you don't see me on a rampage out killing dogs (which, incidently, kill more people in the US than rattlesnakes), banning cars, and trying to elimate bees. This is a dangerous world, and killing rattlesnakes does NOT make it any less so. In fact I could argue that killing rattlenakes makes this a MORE dangerous world by increasing the liklihood of a Hantavirus outbreak (or similar emergent infectious disease).
At any rate, I certainly respect your right to an opinion. But I don't think that you, or anyone else, has the right to remove, en masse, any natural resource simply because you are afraid of it.
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RE: Claxton, GA Rattlesnake Roundup
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by Sassygurl on March 7, 2009
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Okay, I did somehow trip and fall into this website and I initially didn't know exactly what it was. I shouldn't expect any different, I'll give you that. But you on the other hand are way off base by implying I'm on some "rampage". I'm not out killing ANYTHING. No one in my family even hunts. And I live in the country where I could be a foot from my child (and I'm never much farther than that btw) and a snake could be in any bush or tucked nicely in the corner of the garage. Does that mean I'm being irresponsible because I didn't see it? Again, I respect your cause, but just because I don't have the passion for it you do, doesn't mean you have the right to put me down as I said in my previous message.
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RE: Claxton, GA Rattlesnake Roundup
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by brandonsthaman on March 7, 2009
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I kind of wonder if making a limit on the number of snakes you can catch would help this problem. I mean it is hunting to an extent. If there is a limited number of deer or turkey that a hunter can take why shouldn't there be a limit for rattlesnakes?
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RE: Claxton, GA Rattlesnake Roundup
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by jay72 on March 7, 2009
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Here are two links of previous roundups at Claxton and Whigham. In these pictures you will see how inhumane the capture of these snakes is. In addition to pouring gas down the holes of gopher tortoise burrows, the hunters also use large fish hooks to gaf them out of the burrows. Usually all the snakes are sold to a skin dealer who comes to the roundups from Tennessee. He pays these imbeciles who catch them about $7 a foot. If you ever have seen videos of any of the Georgia roundups, some of these people can hardly put a sentence together let alone educate people (which is one of the things that they claim to do).
In Rubios book on Rattlesnakes there is a picture of Diamondbacks at the Claxton Roundup that were close to death and one was regurgitating what turned out to be semidigested, putrefying ground meat and sawdust that the snake had been force fed to increase its weight (there are award given for the largest and heaviest snake).
These unregulated roundups are nothing more than cruel, destructive and inhumane. Its amazing that in this day and age they are still legal.
Prior to the roundup the snakes are often kept for long periods of time in inhumane conditions without water.
LINKS:
http://savannahnow.com/node/238310
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/general/news/story?id=3221977
At least one Georgia roundup in Fitzgerald put an end to this barbaric event and hopefully with enough pressure Claxton and Whigham will eventually follow.
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RE: Claxton, GA Rattlesnake Roundup
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by earthguy on March 8, 2009
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Serena,
Please read beyond my next statement. Perhaps you are not on a rampage, but it is difficult to diffeentiate between a murderer and his accomplice. Pehaps that is a little bit harsh, and I certainly don't intend it to be, but that is the best analogy that I can come up with.
You miss my point, which is this: Rattlesnake roundups do NOTHING to make you or your child safer. What they do, however, is stress the natural order of nature. They also threaten to exterpate an entire species from an area, thus taking away future herpetologists right to see them in the wild. Some of these species do NOT have stable populations.
We could aruge for months, but I'm not sure that you would ever see where I'm coming from. Believe me that I understand that there is NOTHING more important than keeping you child safe. I get that. My hope is that if you truly understood our side of the argument you would not only agree with us you would actively seek to have this thoughless action removed from your home town. I mean who knows...your child may eventually grow up to love snakes. And then you would have to explain to him/her why there were none left.
Respectfully,
Josh
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RE: Claxton, GA Rattlesnake Roundup
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by Cro on March 8, 2009
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Disease spread by Rodents kill tens of millions of people worldwide every year.
The CDC says that Rodents spread:
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
Hemorrhagic fever
Lassa fever
Leptospirosis
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCM)
Omsk hemorrhagic fever
Plague
Rat-Bite fever
Salmonellosis
Arenaviruses
Tularemia
What the nitwhits at rattlesnake roundups do not understand, is that are killing one of the few animals that can kill hundreds of Rodents every year. For each Rattlesnake they kill, hundreds of Rodents continue to live, reproduce, and spread disease.
When a Rattlesnake eats a diseased Rodent, the disease dies along with that Rodent. The disease does not continue to spread to other Rodents, or, to your kids. It is distroyed by the digestive process of the snake.
You are killing one of the few animals that can help prevent the spread of Rodent-Borne Disease to your family, all in a misguided effort to protect yourself from a almost non-existant danger.
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: Claxton, GA Rattlesnake Roundup
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by Sassygurl on March 8, 2009
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Okay Josh, I admit I'm learning more and more about this as I go and I appreciate your approach. You might say my mind is even a little more open. Maybe if some of the others would go about it in a way other than referring to everyone involved as "nitwhits" and other choice words, then you could really educate people. These habits are old and only what people were taught over the years--that snakes are bad. Going about it with arrogance, harsh words and cruelty is only going to fuel a fire.
Oh, and believe it or not, Claxton is NOT my hometown. I'm actually about 45 min. away. My father and grandfather used to take me to the roundup as a kid and I loved it. The snakes were fascinating to me. My dad did tell me how he "heard" they were captured and it was pretty accurate, BUT we had no idea it was harmful, nor did we have any thought as to what happened to them afterwards. I've only been back as a grown-up once a couple of years ago.
Most of these profiles I've read say they want to educate people. So do you do that by first telling them what idiots they are? Do you really think they'll listen to what you have to say? Treat people with respect and you will get respect and so will your cause. That's the only way to educate.
Serena
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