Neighbor wont kill snakes anymore

[crpy]

A bunch of children came to my door and said there was a snake at their house. They know me through my daughters and that I have snakes. So I went over to their house carrying some Florida snake ID brochures. By the time I got there, their mom had killed the snake. Of course this type of thing happens over and over across the US, and world.
Also of course according to them it was a venomous snake, Pygmy rattler. I calmly told her what kind of snake it was (baby black racer). She told me that she didn't know what kind it was so rather than "taking a chance" she killed it. So I told her that I understood her fear and handed her the brochure. With this you can have peace of mind what snake is at your house, I explained. I also explained the benefits of snakes (adding some humor)and about the very bad rodent population problem we have.
We talked for 35 minutes, she stated she felt bad about killing the racer and she will not kill them anymore. I knew she was genuinely serious, Successful mission accomplished, many more to go.

Just sharing a story.

 

[ilovebugs]

thats cool, I guess that snake was a martyr then.

keep fighting for the cause! haha

 

[sassysmama]

Yay for education! Now if we could only get them to stop killing the venomous ones, too. One step at a time, though. Good for you!
-Ally

 

[crpy]

Yay for education! Now if we could only get them to stop killing the venomous ones, too. One step at a time, though. Good for you!
-Ally

Yep, that is a tough sell, but I also tell people that I need venomous snakes live for antivenom and that has worked.

 

[Red Eyes]

Great job! Education is the answer! Thanks for sharing your story.

 

[crpy]

Great job! Education is the answer! Thanks for sharing your story.

Your welcome. yeah I think if you love animals ,especially the "less" desirables, then everyone should be an ambassador for them. Its easier to be an advocate for the conservation of the big "warm and fuzzies" because everybody loves pandas and Koalas and such.

A friend of mine was trying to get protection for the Eastern Diamond Back Rattlesnake but was (almost literally) run out of town on a rail. But the EDB is quite possibly in great peril because of the paramyxovirus the has wiped out allot of them.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I just wanna say that's awesome.

 

[crpy]

Thanks Mushroom Spore

 

[OldHag]

Awesome job!! Thats a good idea to get the ID sheets to give out!!

Im working on my neighborhood too, we can work our way across the nation and meet in the middle!!!

So far I have the neighbors for 3-4 blocks around me bringing me snakes they find instead of killing them!! I tell them to bring them to me and let them go under my chicken coop to kill the mice and rats!!

 

[crpy]

Awesome job!! Thats a good idea to get the ID sheets to give out!!

Im working on my neighborhood too, we can work our way across the nation and meet in the middle!!!

So far I have the neighbors for 3-4 blocks around me bringing me snakes they find instead of killing them!! I tell them to bring them to me and let them go under my chicken coop to kill the mice and rats!!

LOL Utah huh, hey I up for it lol, what ever it takes. Yeah I get a case of brochures every 6 months from the FLorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (referred to as FWCC from now on) and hand them out. They are actually a 11x14 inch 16 page color ID booklet, with venomous and non-venomous comparisons. They are great and I believe they are done through a grant.

 

[starmaiden]

I (almost) never kill any critter that wanders onto my property. If it's a pest, I try to eliminate the thing that attracted it there in the first place. (such as wild rats near my bird feeder--they were foiled by greased bird feeder pole .) My neighbors think I'm crazy for not knocking down all the garden/house spider webs. Yet, i don't have problems with hobo spiders and ants like they do.

crpy, that's too bad about the rattlesnakes. They are important for keeping rodent populations from getting out of hand. So are coyotes, another 'pest' species.

 

[crpy]

I (almost) never kill any critter that wanders onto my property. If it's a pest, I try to eliminate the thing that attracted it there in the first place. (such as wild rats near my bird feeder--they were foiled by greased bird feeder pole .) My neighbors think I'm crazy for not knocking down all the garden/house spider webs. Yet, i don't have problems with hobo spiders and ants like they do.

crpy, that's too bad about the rattlesnakes. They are important for keeping rodent populations from getting out of hand. So are coyotes, another 'pest' species.

yeah, thats the truth although EDBs get more grey squirrels around here than rats ill bet, lol there is allot of squirrels, dont get me wrong , I like squirrels too......although not as much as fartkowski does.

 

[davidbarber1]

Hey guys, I am Security Patrol where I live. I see lots of snakes at night. I carry my snake hook with me in the vehicle. I ALWAYS stop to remove snakes form the road, along with lizzards, toads, and anything else that needs it. Most people around here run over these precious animals.
The people out here know me well enough now that I can tell them the difference between the snakes. All striped snakes here were King Snakes according to them. I did my study (since I am new to the area) and let them know that there are also Western Longnosed Snakes and Western Shovelnosed snakes and I told them how to distinguish between them.
I also let them know that rattlesnakes are an important part of the ecosystem and that they should be left alone unless they pose an immediate threat. They are starting to listen to me. A very good thing
Anyways, I owned many, many snakes and other animals since I was a kid, and still do. Thanks for listening.

David

 

[reverendsterlin]

Here in the desert with a large population of rattle snakes we find that folks kill them all the time (even the protected ridge nose Crotalus willardi obscurus that is in a recovery plan). We also have mice carrying hanta virus http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/ so you would think we would know better. As a docent (teacher) at the local zoo I have the opportunity to get the message out to an extent, still seems too many of the ones doing the killing are the ones not coming to the zoo :wall:
Rev

 

[Rochelle]

They are important for keeping rodent populations from getting out of hand. So are coyotes, another 'pest' species.

The Department of Natural Resources here in Michigan has actually released coyotes in East Lansing...of all places! PETA was happy and so were all the one-track-minded city folk who thought it was great that they were releasing more wild life...
Now....E.Lansing is a huge, sprawling college town/city, with little or no habitat for coyotes. So why would they choose to release them there, you ask?
Because they control FERAL CATS......
Now there is some wise management... :clap:

Keep up the good work, crpy.

 

[crpy]

The Department of Natural Resources here in Michigan has actually released coyotes in East Lansing...of all places! PETA was happy and so were all the one-track-minded city folk who thought it was great that they were releasing more wild life...
Now....E.Lansing is a huge, sprawling college town/city, with little or no habitat for coyotes. So why would they choose to release them there, you ask?
Because they control FERAL CATS......
Now there is some wise management... :clap:

Keep up the good work, crpy.

Releasing coyotes lol, just when you think you heard it all lol.

 

[crpy]

Here in the desert with a large population of rattle snakes we find that folks kill them all the time (even the protected ridge nose Crotalus willardi obscurus that is in a recovery plan). We also have mice carrying hanta virus http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/ so you would think we would know better. As a docent (teacher) at the local zoo I have the opportunity to get the message out to an extent, still seems too many of the ones doing the killing are the ones not coming to the zoo :wall:
Rev

Yeah Rev, we now have the hanta virus in FL, found in the cotton rat...yay. But this gives me more ammo, when people think they are going to die , they listen more. I tell people "if you kill a snake, you raise the rodent pop, plain and simple" even people from Paisly Fl (sound of banjos)can understand that math lol.

 

[Nephila Edulis]

Luckily people don't really kill snakes here, at least not often. It's a case of the snake is either a carpet python, or it's deadly venomous and you let the snake catchers take this.

Edit: I have just realised that this is from 2008. Silly me

 

[Leila]

Luckily people don't really kill snakes here, at least not often. It's a case of the snake is either a carpet python, or it's deadly venomous and you let the snake catchers take this.

Edit: I have just realised that this is from 2008. Silly me

No worries. Old threads are revived quite often. I don't see any harm in it, personally.

 

[darkness975]

Luckily people don't really kill snakes here, at least not often. It's a case of the snake is either a carpet python, or it's deadly venomous and you let the snake catchers take this.
Edit: I have just realised that this is from 2008. Silly me

Would you say the average person has more regard for the wildlife in Australia as opposed to other countries? Or does it seem more like a local thing (ie not universal across the country) ?