I kill them too, but actually over time we're doing ourselves in. A small percentage of rattlesnakes don't carry the gene that makes them have a rattle. When we hear a rattling one, we kill it. It can't pass on it's gene, but the one's with no rattle that we don't kill can. So over time, more rattlesnakes will be born without rattles... which gives us another silent venomous snake to worry about.
I've seen hundreds of Easterns and some were big snakes with short broken rattles... but none without rattles... so maybe this percentage is extremely small... I don't snake hunt... but I don't pass up the opportunity to take out a snake where me, my dog or one of the kids might cross paths with it... I also have always worked hard to protect all the good snakes on our properties... even stopping traffic several times and helping big King Snakes across a highway...
I don't kill them if I can help it. Nevertheless, I had one for lunch, way back when I thought I was hopelessly lost in the desert and would have to deveop a palate for ants and dung beetles.
See, God put all of us on this Earth without declaring who's got more rights to live.
Only we, the "smarter ones" claim to own the top of the heap.
I don't kill them if I can help it. Nevertheless, I had one for lunch, way back when I thought I was hopelessly lost in the desert and would have to deveop a palate for ants and dung beetles.
See, God put all of us on this Earth without declaring who's got more rights to live.
Only we, the "smarter ones" claim to own the top of the heap.
@reptileman33 Haha wow I forgot all about this comment... My info came from Joe Slowinski, a herpetologist at the California Academy of Sciences. And you're right, it is a theory. Just one that I agree with. Even if they're not physically losing their rattles, they're slowly losing the behavior of using them.
I belive the snake was angry with duke for catching his field mice and just tossing them aside like old ground moles. The argument was just begining, and I belive it would have come to a truce if Duke promised to stop wasting field mice, and let him get fat so he could hibernate this winter....
It has occured to me, what with my keen grasp of ophiology, that this snake may well have been a female. In this case, Duke may want to thank his lucky stars Dad was there, and let him sleep in a little the weekend. LOL.
I kill them too, but actually over time we're doing ourselves in. A small percentage of rattlesnakes don't carry the gene that makes them have a rattle. When we hear a rattling one, we kill it. It can't pass on it's gene, but the one's with no rattle that we don't kill can. So over time, more rattlesnakes will be born without rattles... which gives us another silent venomous snake to worry about.
kingolaf99 3 years ago
I've seen hundreds of Easterns and some were big snakes with short broken rattles... but none without rattles... so maybe this percentage is extremely small... I don't snake hunt... but I don't pass up the opportunity to take out a snake where me, my dog or one of the kids might cross paths with it... I also have always worked hard to protect all the good snakes on our properties... even stopping traffic several times and helping big King Snakes across a highway...
washblue 3 years ago
@washblue
I don't kill them if I can help it. Nevertheless, I had one for lunch, way back when I thought I was hopelessly lost in the desert and would have to deveop a palate for ants and dung beetles.
See, God put all of us on this Earth without declaring who's got more rights to live.
Only we, the "smarter ones" claim to own the top of the heap.
angelface22322 11 months ago
@washblue
I don't kill them if I can help it. Nevertheless, I had one for lunch, way back when I thought I was hopelessly lost in the desert and would have to deveop a palate for ants and dung beetles.
See, God put all of us on this Earth without declaring who's got more rights to live.
Only we, the "smarter ones" claim to own the top of the heap.
Only, we ain't so smart after all.
angelface22322 11 months ago
@kingolaf99 Shut up, this is unproven untruth you are spreading! It hasnt even been proven by science, you saw it on tv so you think its true!
reptileman33 4 months ago
@reptileman33 Haha wow I forgot all about this comment... My info came from Joe Slowinski, a herpetologist at the California Academy of Sciences. And you're right, it is a theory. Just one that I agree with. Even if they're not physically losing their rattles, they're slowly losing the behavior of using them.
kingolaf99 4 months ago
I belive the snake was angry with duke for catching his field mice and just tossing them aside like old ground moles. The argument was just begining, and I belive it would have come to a truce if Duke promised to stop wasting field mice, and let him get fat so he could hibernate this winter....
Splivins 3 years ago
It has occured to me, what with my keen grasp of ophiology, that this snake may well have been a female. In this case, Duke may want to thank his lucky stars Dad was there, and let him sleep in a little the weekend. LOL.
Splivins 3 years ago