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Re: NFC: Garter Snakes
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.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> __________________________________________________
> > > Do You Yahoo!?
> > > Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
> > > http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
> > >
> >
>
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