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EFFECTS OF RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUPS ON THE EDB
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by ChuckHurd on September 3, 2009
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CNAH ANNOUNCEMENT
The Center for North American Herpetology
Lawrence, Kansas
http://www.cnah.org
3 September 2009
EFFECTS OF RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUPS ON THE EASTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE
(CROTALUS ADAMANTEUS)
by D. Bruce Means
2009. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 4(2): 132-141
Abstract: I analyzed the data on size and numbers of the Eastern Diamondback
Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) for four rattlesnake roundups in the southeastern U.S.
(Opp, Alabama, and Whigham, Fitzgerald, and Claxton, Georgia) spanning a period of 50
years (1959-2008). Both numbers of snakes and weights of the largest snakes that
participants turned in annually declined in the last two decades. Statements by roundup
officials and rattlesnake hunters support that roundup hunting has depleted local
rattlesnake populations and forced hunters to travel further to collect snakes in recent
years. Declining maximum size of snakes reflects possible age-class truncation, whereby
collectors cull older, larger individuals of this long-lived species. Roundups perpetuate
negative attitudes about venomous snakes and reduce their populations, whose skins and
flesh are subject to high commercial demand. Before the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
becomes threatened throughout its range, state wildlife agencies should either ban the
taking of individuals or regulate their taking by developing bag limits and seasonal harvest
guidelines. The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake would further benefit by refocusing
extant roundups as wildlife festivals in which participants celebrate rattlesnakes and other
wildlife rather than exploit them, or alternatively changing their theme entirely (such as
one roundup that became a Wild Chicken Festival).
*****
A pdf of this article is available from the CNAH PDF Library at
http://www.cnah.org/cnah_pdf.asp
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RE: EFFECTS OF RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUPS ON THE EDB
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by earthguy on September 3, 2009
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Thanks Chuck! It's about time somebody studied scientifically what we all already knew!
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RE: EFFECTS OF RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUPS ON THE EDB
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by jay72 on September 4, 2009
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They have deccimated them in their local communities. That was their idea for the roundups to begin with. Now they bring them in from all over even from Florida. At the roundups they through them in pens and abuse them and have people who can barely speak English (even though they are from Georgia) "educate" the public with improper information.
At least in Fitzgerald GA they realized the situation and discontinued the roundup.
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RE: EFFECTS OF RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUPS ON THE EDB
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by atwageman on September 4, 2009
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It would be nice if a bunch of us could participate in these roundups and bag the snakes, then release them after the roundup is over. At least then maybe what population is left, might have a chance of survival for another year......wishful thanking on my part though.
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RE: EFFECTS OF RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUPS ON THE EDB
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by jay72 on September 4, 2009
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After the roundup is over all of the EDB's and Canebrakes are sold to a guy from Tennessee who is a skin dealer. He takes them back to Tennessee and slaughters them for their skins. He pays the hunters who catch them about $7 a foot for the larger ones. All these simpletons get excited and compete for trophies for the largest, heaviest and most snakes caught. And just because it is illegal in some of these states to use gasoline you can rest assure that they are still using it because its a hard law to enforce. Here is a link to a video of the Claxton
Roundup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6qnHRb-xzo
Here is a link: http://savannahnow.com/node/238310
Link: sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/general/news/story?id=3221977
(take a look a the photo gallery at the end of the last link)
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RE: EFFECTS OF RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUPS ON THE EDB
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by BobH on September 4, 2009
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I am glad Bruce is getting some of his data out for perusal. While I am very much against rattlesnake roundups and I am sure they have a negative effect on some populations, overall habitat destruction, random killings and even road mortality each individually probably have greater effect on EDB populations than the actual roundups. It still would be nice if this organization would rent a table at one or more of the round ups just to sort of balance out the presentation to the public. It is unfortunate that these event are often the only fund raiser for the community.
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RE: EFFECTS OF RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUPS ON THE EDB
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by Cro on September 4, 2009
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Bob,
You bring up a good point about the roundups.
In the past, folks from here, like Karl Betz, did set up information tables at some of the roundups.
And, in the past, folks from the Atlanta Zoo, and the Georgia Herp Society also set up educational tables and exhibits at some of the roundups.
I doubt that the current GA herp Society would consider anything like that, as they are more a Turtle Society now.
Someone like Jason Clark, who now has shows on GA PBS TV, and is known to folks from the Buck O Ramas, might be a good spokesman for something like that. Perhaps enough of the roundup folks would recognize him to listen to what he had to say ?
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: EFFECTS OF RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUPS ON THE EDB
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by Buzztail1 on September 4, 2009
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John,
A few of your comments are incorrect, at best.
"In the past, folks from here, like Karl Betz, did set up information tables at some of the roundups."
I have never been to a roundup.
I begged people from this society to help out with educational tables at each of the first three Fitzgerald Wild Chicken Festivals when they caved to pressure from us and DNR and changed their roundup to the festival. The GA Herp Society showed up, Delton Hilliard showed up, and we (The Boss and I) showed up. Everybody else was too busy to put up. Some wanted to be paid to come and display. BW and Chad showed up at a later festival which we also attended.
"I doubt that the current GA herp Society would consider anything like that, as they are more a Turtle Society now."
I am not sure where this comes from since the President of the GA Herp Society, Mark Patterson, is very much a snake person. I have even bought one of his snakes and have it in my collection.
"Someone like Jason Clark, who now has shows on GA PBS TV, and is known to folks from the Buck O Ramas, might be a good spokesman for something like that. Perhaps enough of the roundup folks would recognize him to listen to what he had to say?"
While I agree with this and wish him the best of luck, these towns depend on the revenue generated by the people who come in to see the spectacle. Why would they give up their roundup if we don't support whatever other venue they come up with. Snakes for good or bad generate interest and revenue. I am just surprised they haven't started breeding them and then pretending to catch them each year.
I do not support roundups in any fashion. But I also don't see the herp community stepping up in any fashion to support these towns' attempts to shift to something else.
R/
Karl
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