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Re: NFC: Garter Snakes


sorry jake, hope you didn't get offended by my addition of the legal 
issues...I have a tendency to throw out information like that under the 
assumption that if one person states a given level of dislike about ANYTHING 
there a at least a couple folks keeping mum who have much more extreme 
opinions.  Just my experience, but then I work for the US Fish & Wildlife 
Service so I'm used to getting hammered on.  (next time I volunteer to work 
at the Sportsman's Show booth for three days, somebody just hit me over the 
head with a 2X4 please!)

-k

>From: jake levi <jlevi_us at yahoo_com>
>Reply-To: nfc at actwin_com
>To: nfc at actwin_com
>Subject: Re: NFC: Garter Snakes
>Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 13:27:34 -0800 (PST)
>
>Some remedial reading is indicated here.
>
>I SPECIFICALLY said that I DONT stomp garters.
>
>What part of that didnt you get??
>
>I did say I have killed rattlers, cobras and mambas
>and other venomous ones, when they decided to cohabit.
>I
>would challenge you to share quarters with one of
>them,
>I have no intention of ever doing it. Havent, wont.
>
>I have transported a coral snake to an uninhabited
>area from an inhabited one. On a Florida fish farm.The
>others are aggressive, quick, and deadly. They died
>where they were encountered. Close to people. It may
>be that their deaths are the acts that doomed the
>species to extinction. I couldnt care less.
>
>My best friend in South Africa collects these, Mambas
>both black and green, Egyptian Cobras, Pit Vipers etc
>etc, he is welcome to them, not my cup of tea, out in
>the boonies I will give them a wide berth if I can,
>unfortunately none of them give warning as a rattler
>will, you usually become aware of them when they are
>in your face, or pants, literally. Thats why most
>folks in SA walk through the grass or forests with a
>panga(machete) in front of them, to give the snake
>something to strike before they are in range.
>
>Its one thing to wax lyrical about conservation of
>herps from a US temparate clime, its another to live
>in the tropics with them on a daily basis. Especially
>if you are  hours away from medical care and serums.
>
>I watched a worker lose most of the flesh from a leg
>after being bitten by a puff adder, it rots and
>putrefys the flesh, literally, he lost his leg after
>they couldnt stop it, there is NO antivenom for a puff
>adders bite. This is a young man with a wife and 4
>kids, trying to feed them by farm work. He took the
>bite just 15' from the edge of a tilapia pond where he
>and others were trying to learn how to farm tilapia.
>The grass was just 6" high there, the snake was coming
>to the pond to feed on the fish. The young man never
>saw him. This is the rule, not the exception. This
>happened last April btw.
>
>Here in the US, King Snakes, Bull Snakes, Garter
>Snakes, etc all get consideration from me as soon as I
>get over the encounter, I will never offer the same to
>the others, and offer no aplogies, I have been too
>close to the reality of living with them, whether it
>is South Africa, the Israeli Arava Desert, Mindanao or
>Samar in the Philippines or the Highlands of Vietnam.
>
>Its a real world out there.
>jake
>
> > >
> > > Jake,
> > >
> > >
> > >   I can understand your dislike of snakes, I have
> > it to.  But do me one
> > > favor friend.  Please don't stomp 'em just cause
> > you don't like them.  If,
> > > as you say they are were "they don't need to
> > be"...as in pose an immediate
> > > threat to life and limb, I can understand having
> > to remove them.  But
> > > otherwise, the snake is only doing his job, you
> > may not like him, but
> > > would you like to be over run with rodents
> > instead?  Mr. Snake, however
> > > much he gives me the 'creepie crawlies' needs his
> > space too...as does all
> > > our wildlife, aquatic or not.  Please consider
> > that.  Thank you.
> > >
> > >  And btw, if you know someone who can wrangle
> > snakes, even if Mr. Snake is
> > > somewhere he don't need to be, he can be removed
> > without it costing him
> > > his life.  This is especially necessary in the
> > U.S. where many snake
> > > species (venemous and non-venemous) populations
> > are crashing.
> > >
> > >  ...for more information on this visit the Center
> > for North American
> > > Herpetology,  formerly known as the Center for
> > North American Amphibians
> > > and Reptiles.  I believe it is a link on the NFC
> > links page. (and if
> > > it ain't, it should be!  hint hint hint)
> > >
> > > Thank you,
> > >
> > > Luke
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >  On Sat, 24 Feb 2001, jake levi wrote:
> > >
> > > > I amnot a 'snake-friendly' person, not ever.I
> > have
> > > > killed too many rattlers where they didnt need
> > to be,
> > > > cobras in the far east, mambas in SA and their
> > cousin
> > > > in Israel. I will never get warm fuzzy feelings
> > about
> > > > them.
> > > >
> > > > But, one that I see that is pretty enough to
> > take a
> > > > 2nd look at is the tiny little greens ones I see
> > in
> > > > the grass etc, I dont stomp garters, but, I dont
> > > > cuddle them either :-(
> > > >
> > > > these little green guys are nice to look at
> > though,
> > > > jake
> > > > --- Lehmanwell at aol_com wrote:
> > > > > In a message dated 2/22/2001 2:53:51 PM
> > Central
> > > > > Standard Time,
> > > > > robertrice at juno_com writes:
> > > > >
> > > > > << I am particularly looking for some Texas
> > and
> > > > > western species but am
> > > > >  always on the lookout for a pretty snake. >>
> > > > > Have you ever seen the Texas garter snake?
> > Black
> > > > > head, yellow and deep blue
> > > > > banding.  Usually catch two or three a year in
> > the
> > > > > backyard.  Could never get
> > > > > them to feed in captivity (Son keeps pythons,
> > so we
> > > > > kinda know what we're
> > > > > doing) so we always let them go, but you may
> > have
> > > > > better luck.
> > > > >
> > > > > Jack
> > > > >
> > > > > p.s. Found my NFC dues renewal on my desk
> > today, so
> > > > > its finally on its way.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > __________________________________________________
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> > > >
> > >
> >
>
>
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