Snake vs 410 *beware PETA*

[19th_VA]

To each his own, I guess. I have seen people bitten by a poisonous snake--a copperhead. I've seen worse problems from bees. I have been around many snakes and never had a problem. We have plenty of them here in Virginia, too. Ran into a black racer under a rock I was getting for my wife's garden just the other day. Funny how perspective differs. My wife screams and says, "there's a huge snake under there." Lifted up the rock and it was a two footer--pretty puny for a black racer. He slithered away when given the chance, just like all snakes will.

I can certainly understand killing poisonous snakes to protect loved ones--would never fault a man for protecting his family. I just don't see the necessity of killing a nonpoisonous snake that's just keeping the rodent population down. Dogs, cats and other household pets bite a lot more people than do snakes.

In the end, I guess that's why we all have some land to call our own. It's our castle. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

 

[Bird]

I guess I'm kinda in the middle on this topic. I have been known to purposely avoid harming some varieties of harmless snakes, but usually killed any snakes I encountered, expecially poisonous ones. So you can imagine my astonishment the first time I visited Arizona (1990) and learned that three varieties of rattlesnakes are protected by law. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Taylortractornut]

We ve got a chicken snake to deal with here, not sure if therey take a baby chick but our chicken hose has a 1 inch square wire around the botttom to keep chicks in and 2 were missin las week and weve found wadded up crunched eggs like a chicken snake leaves after digestin the yoke. All he has to do now is let Prissy the fiest dog see him and thats all she wrote. That little dog hates andthing that scurries slithers scampers or runs especially if she can fit her mouth over some part of it lol. I sometime kill a nonpoisonous snake now, had a friend of mine gett bitten by a water snake when cleaning out her paddle boat. She got and in fection from it and lost 2 toes and later almost lost her foot. I cantt hink of what the doctor called it.

 

[bellweather]

Some might say that the most dangerous animal on the planet is a human.

 

[soarkrebel]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Some might say that the most dangerous animal on the planet is a human. )</font>

Kind of sounds like a PETA ad!

I kind of look at these storys of bear attacks and cougars attacks and say we can thank idiot people like PETA folks for this. our ancestors knew we would have a hard time living with such animals. but some think we can live just right . may they be next to be eaten!

Now snakes will continue to breed and multiply even though a few fall to us mean old animal killers so don't you worry we will have plenty for you to play with if you ever get west.

Now to the comment about bee stings worse than snake bites. i am highly alergic to wasp stings and swell up and all that stuff. but my grandmother got only one fang in her ankle. her whole body was swollen and she remained in the hospital for about four days. VERY PAINFUL! and yes due to her age she almost died. what if it was one of my kids?
i find it hard to believe your comparison of the two .
now if you had said spider bites i would agree.

 

[bellweather]

The world is a dangerous place, and there are some very nasty creatures out there. I understand that in Africa thousands die every year from mosquito bites (malaria). I guess I kind of like snakes and don't think of them as big league people killers. Yes, a few Americans do die of snake bite and bear attacks each year, but I don't think it justifies killing everyone on sight. Man, if you can't stand wild animals, move to NY or LA and then see how safe you feel.

 

[19th_VA]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Now to the comment about bee stings being worse than snake bites. )</font> Here's what I actually said:<font color="red"> far more get struck by lightning and more yet die from bee stings. </font> Don't mind having a discussion but please don't put words into my mouth. And here's some factual research, from three different sources about COPPERHEAD BITES (read carefully: not all poisonous snakes--just copperheads, so don't go off the deep end):
"The venom of the Copperhead appears to be mildly toxic and fatalities are almost unknown."
"Copperhead bites are extremely painful but usually are not life-threatening for healthy adults."
"The venom of others, such as the copperheads, is less harmful."
A fact: 100 mg of copperhead venom is a lethal dose. The bite from a copperhead injects less than half that amount.

 

[soarkrebel]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I don't consider myself a snake hugger but I would point out that few people in the United States die from snakebites--far more get struck by lightning and more yet die from bee stings. )</font>

Heres what you said. i see snakes and bees in this comparison. And i get that you said more people die from bee stings than snake bites.
not trying to start an arguement but i just read that you were saying more die from bee stings than snake bites.

 

[Phred]

Folks in the north east probably have less reason to worry about snakes due to the climate. In the south and south west we have more problems.
Even if people do not die a trip to the emergency room and perhaps a few days stay is often required. This justifies avoiding a bite if possible.

On the flip side, I will say that not killing off all snakes has its plus; rodent control. Snakes are very good at this.

Maybe the best path is to learn to identify the nasty varieties from the harmless.
But I agree that alowing a den of rattlesnakes under your deck is foolish.

Same drill with spiders. Most are harmless but a black widow (or similar) can send you to the hospital. You will survive but it can be very painfull.

Fred

 

[wroughtn_harv]

<font color="blue">not trying to start an arguement but i just read that you were saying more die from bee stings than snake bites.</font>

And he's right. About twenty five Americans die each year from bee type insect stings, wasps and bees. And only about five Americans die each year from snake bite.

I don't kill snakes or much else either. We're all in this together.