Has anyone noticed the decline in snakes. Over the past few years they have just about disapeared. Is this just in my area or all over the south? I've seen about 10 rattle snakes in the past 5 years. One that my cousin and I saw while squirrel hunting was 53in. long and had a whole adult squirrel inside of it.
decline in snake population?
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Once again you are seeing the rersult of habitat destruction. In Minnesota the native rattlers are down drastically in numbers and range; today only a maximum of a couple dozen sightings are reported per year which is down from a couple hundred just a couple decades ago. The other snakes are nearly as bad. I only find a half dozen or so large snakes per year rather than the dozens I found as a kid. Large snakes up here are hognose, bull, rat, and the occasional king snake along with the afore mentioned rattlers. Also missing are racers, skinks, and, in the amphibians, salamanders and, to a lesser extent, toads. Even garter snakes are not as common nor as large as a few years back. I have a "snake mound" constructed and the numbers using it have dropped in the past several years. The difference is there are more houses pooping up in the area and the loss of habitat must be having an effect.
Also traditions like "whacking day" have detrimental effect on snake populations.
`simpsons fans will understand'
The problem is education. Most people assume that all snakes are aggressive blood thirsty creatures who go around killing people (adam and eve gave them the bad reputation).
In reality most snakes would go out of their way to avoid confrontation with humans. So anybody spotting a snake will feel inclined to kill it rather than leave it alone.
Personally if I see or hear a snake (not step on it) i stop walking for a second and the snake goes away, no harm done.
Also the decline in the food sources and habitats of snakes as well as the poisoning of snakes (usually by eating poisoned vermin) affects their populations
`simpsons fans will understand'
The problem is education. Most people assume that all snakes are aggressive blood thirsty creatures who go around killing people (adam and eve gave them the bad reputation).
In reality most snakes would go out of their way to avoid confrontation with humans. So anybody spotting a snake will feel inclined to kill it rather than leave it alone.
Personally if I see or hear a snake (not step on it) i stop walking for a second and the snake goes away, no harm done.
Also the decline in the food sources and habitats of snakes as well as the poisoning of snakes (usually by eating poisoned vermin) affects their populations
:lol:
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Kildux wrote: "Has anyone noticed the decline in snakes."
There is no shortage of snakes in many parts of the country. While I will tolerate non-poisonous snakes, I will kill any poisonous snake that I have the opportunity to do so. Of course, due to some of the idiotic laws that we now have, I now follow the 3 S's (Shoot, Shovel, Shutup).
There is no shortage of snakes in many parts of the country. While I will tolerate non-poisonous snakes, I will kill any poisonous snake that I have the opportunity to do so. Of course, due to some of the idiotic laws that we now have, I now follow the 3 S's (Shoot, Shovel, Shutup).
Dear Budd, I wasn't the one who killed the snake , it was my little 10 year old cousin. I was showing him the basics of squirrel hunting and we came up on it. We looked it over good and then walked off. We then seperated and he got turned around and about lost and came up on the snake again. He says the snake attacked (when he said this I couldn't help laughing) and he shot it. We then cut the snake open and there was an adult squirrel swallowed head first.
G
Guest
·Snake populations boom and bust like everything else, but I agree the public is usually misinformed and even non-poisonous snakes are often caught and messed with when they should BE LEFT ALONE!
I grew up seven years in NW Florida, and never had the experience of coming upon that buzzing noise of a rattler scaring the holy hell outa me. I have however come upon cottonmouths, coral snakes and scarlet kings, and even two copperheads - one in residential Atlanta.
I'll kill any poisonous snake only if its near a camp ground, heavily populated area or where kids are bound to find it and get biten. Otherwise, any "evil Adam and Eve" serpent deserves to be left alone and live its life in the wild.
I grew up seven years in NW Florida, and never had the experience of coming upon that buzzing noise of a rattler scaring the holy hell outa me. I have however come upon cottonmouths, coral snakes and scarlet kings, and even two copperheads - one in residential Atlanta.
I'll kill any poisonous snake only if its near a camp ground, heavily populated area or where kids are bound to find it and get biten. Otherwise, any "evil Adam and Eve" serpent deserves to be left alone and live its life in the wild.
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4,427 Posts
For me, it really depends on the environment. We live in an urban area with lots of rocks and bluffs. Lots of rattlesnakes. With 2 young kids and two dogs any rattler within three hundred yards is going to get killed. The rat snakes and others only if they are in the yard. Only had to kill one this year and he was about 4.5 feet.
Jay Gentry
Jay Gentry
Kildux,kildux said:
We don't get many poisonous snakes around here, mostly in what little woods we have left in the north and west NJ. I wasn't trying to insult you or anything, I just thought it was a little humorous. Would I have shot that snake? Maybe if I could stop shaking long enough :lol: They scare the devil out of me! The last time I ran into a copperhead, while fishing a stream, I looked like I was water ski-ing trying to get out of there!
Go ahead and kill em, I don't care!
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Here in Arizona, they appear to be thriving. Two weeks ago we saw 4 in days. Stepped within 2 feet of one and 14 inches of another.
I am in quite a turmoil about this as we speak. In the case of the 4 we came in which came in contact, we were able to walk away and let them be.
I have been lambasted for not killing them from a number of dog owners who stated that they remain a menace.
While I feel no pitty for anyone (including myself) who goes out beating the bush without chaps on in Arizona, I do worry about my friends dog. The dog has been "snake broke" but is still quite inquisitive.
I read an opinion from a herpetologist which stated that venomous asps, specifically those species that give audible warning either by hissing, vibrating their rattle or tail prior to striking, are being genetically stripped out of their respective species as they give themselves away, thus allowing people to kill them. He believed that as man continues to wipe out the "audible snakes", we will be left with only those snakes that don't give warning prior to striking. I found it to be quite an interesting theory.
I am in quite a turmoil about this as we speak. In the case of the 4 we came in which came in contact, we were able to walk away and let them be.
I have been lambasted for not killing them from a number of dog owners who stated that they remain a menace.
While I feel no pitty for anyone (including myself) who goes out beating the bush without chaps on in Arizona, I do worry about my friends dog. The dog has been "snake broke" but is still quite inquisitive.
I read an opinion from a herpetologist which stated that venomous asps, specifically those species that give audible warning either by hissing, vibrating their rattle or tail prior to striking, are being genetically stripped out of their respective species as they give themselves away, thus allowing people to kill them. He believed that as man continues to wipe out the "audible snakes", we will be left with only those snakes that don't give warning prior to striking. I found it to be quite an interesting theory.
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