Timber Rattlesnake Controversy

Scientist fear that huge 250 pound Burmese Pythons could spread from South Florida to much of the Southern United States. According to a survey report, pythons find ⅓ of the United States to be comfortable for them to spread. Snakes such as Burmese Pythons have shown to be highly adaptable. These snakes can slither at a constant rate of 20 miles, and they never stop moving. The Burmese Python have killed children who were mistaken for food and are unable to stop their instinctive reaction to coil and squeeze. However, Burmese Pythons will have to get past Florida’s alligators first. The absence of predators such as alligators can make these snakes’ journey much easier.

There are many different species of snakes that inhabit Arizona, but the Sonoran Coral Snake, the Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake, the Milk Snake, and the Sonoran Shovel-Nosed Snake are particularly interesting because despite being different species they all look like one another. The red, black, and yellow stripes they share can be attributed to evolution and environment. The four species of snakes have different diets, habitats, and distribution, but they do share one environmental element: primary predators. All four snakes have raptors, long tailed weasels, and badgers as predators. These snakes have evolved to have stripes because raptors, long tailed weasels, and badgers are less likely to eat snakes with red, black, and yellow stripes

The organization found within the passage of “The Rattler” illustrates to the reader how the once calm mood turns into one of hostility. At the beginning of the second paragraph, the reader notices how at first the snake’s body lay “undulant”. This moment shows although the snake is capable of attack, it has no intentions to harm the narrator. The mood seems to remain calm until not the snake, but the man, “dragged him out of it with his back broken.” This action exemplifies the mood only becomes hostile when the man initiates attack. Towards the end, the reader can see regret from the man of the “nasty sight”. Respect can be found for both characters as they are both trying to protect something dear to them – the man his fellow members of

Also according to the Florida’s python hunt newspaper, “Many pets turned loose by their owners when they become too big- threatening the Florida Everglades,”. If people keep letting their snakes go into the Everglades they will overpopulate and spread all over. This leads to the mass spreading as mentioned in paragraph 3. People release these snakes because they never researched how big they are and will get, so they get surprised when the snake gets to be too big, and they can’t take care of it. People could just donate the snake to a zoo or animal sanctuary, which would take good care of them. People also need to do their research before getting an animal first

The Mojave Rattlesnake is found in the mojave desert of california and in western parts in texas southern nevada edge of mexican plateau.Its habitat varies between dry deserts grasslands and bushes. Adults can reach 2 to 4 inches which is a medium sized snake. Some can be greenish, greenish gray ,olive green , and occasionally brownish or yellowish. The diamond back rattle snakes adaptation is that they have a toxic venom the can help kill predators.

The western diamondback has pattern like a raccoon’s tail and when they are young they colors are more distinctive as they older they become blurred and camouflaged. “The western diamond-backed rattlesnake can be found in arid and semi-arid habitats, including desert, plains, rocky hills, grassland, shrubland, woodland, dried river beds and coastal islands” (Arkive, 2015).

"Wildlife managers are concerned that these snakes, which can grow to over 20 feet long and more than 250 pounds, pose a danger to

During their vacation, a family traveled to the Everglades to enjoy and relax in nature, but their trip was interrupted by a 20 feet long snake. It sounds very frightening, as well as uncommon. However, any person that visits the Florida Everglades has a very good change of encountering a snake like that one, called Burmese pythons. Their population in this natural area has increased tremendously because humans adopt them as pets when they’re young and later release them into the Everglades. The presence of the Burmese pythons is having a large effect on the Everglades because they are killing local animals, endangering its ecosystem, and outing people in danger.

When capture snakes are euthanized by USNPS personnel, and the nest is destroyed. Other ways of removing the Burmese pythons are by isolating the chemical cues (pheromones) that pythons use during mating season. Once isolated, pheromones can lure pythons into traps. Trained dogs are being looked at for their effectiveness at sniffing out snakes. A release of an exotic animal in Florida is a first-degree misdemeanor with a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. Regulation went up in 2008 to limit the sale of "reptiles of concern” like the Burmese pythons, African rock pythons, reticulated pythons, green anacondas, etc. microchip implant and identification for reptiles two inches in diameter or greater. Conduct research before purchasing an exotic pet. If someone no longer cares for an exotic pet, call the Fire Rescue Department. (McCleery, 2015) The Burmese python poses challenges to trap. Trapping, a traditional method of snake capture, can include an inescapable funnel device and a drift fence that direct the snake into the trap. It is important that the drift fence is inserted into the so the snakes don’t bypass it. The problem with this is with the hard limestone foundation making construction of the drift fences difficult. Finally, the immense area that the Burmese python occupied will make it hard to utility an extensive trapping. It would be more practical to trap them on

The Jennings prairie is one of the few places in Pennsylvania where the Massasauga Rattlesnake is found. The massasauga is endangered in Pennsylvania and is strictly protected. The massasauga is venomous and may bite if surprised or threatened. The staff at Jennings ask you to please stay on the trails for your own safety and the snake’s protection. Over three quarters of the park is covered by forest (www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/jennings/). Stream valleys, upland forests, and wetlands, provide diverse habitats for wildlife at Jennings. The massasauga rattle snake isn’t like most rattle snakes. It has 9 enlarged scales on top of the head. Stocky with a well-developed rattle, the massasauga s brownish gray with rounded dark

Furthermore, Redondo Elementary had an impeccable partnership with the Everglades, but this incident tainted their record. Therefore, the Everglades Educational Council reviewed the incident report and Redondo received a reprieve allowing the school to remain an active participant in the program. There is no doubt; Jimmy’s irresponsible act violated the park’s regulation, however the other members of Raska’s Rattlesnakes, including myself, were guilty for not being honest. To put it briefly, I learned a valuable lesson about integrity, have a newfound appreciation for animals in the wild, and understand the national park regulations not only protect the ecosystems, but also the individuals who visit the

Rob McCann is a big part of the annual Sweetwater Rattlesnake Round-Up that is held every March in West Texas. This past year, he gathered about 200 rattlesnakes. Many of those captures were done using a "fuming" process. Unfortunately for McCann, not everyone agrees with his method of capturing the snakes.

Once the snakes are caught, they go through a few different processes. First, they have their venom removed from

Ring-neck snakes live in various habitats. However, they prefer areas with damp soil and temperatures between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius. Mostly, their habitats are grasslands, rocky hillsides, coniferous forests, farmland, chaparrals, and mixed woodlands. Ring-neck snakes also like hiding, so most of the time they can be found beneath stones or barks from dead trees.

Mason Neck Park and Mason Neck Wildlife Refuge, officially known as Mason Neck State Park and Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck respectively, are home to a multitude of species, such as the bald eagle, the Virginia pine tree, and the white-tailed deer (“Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck,” 2016; “Mason Neck State Park,” 2016). Critical to the conservation of endangered species, Mason Neck Wildlife Refuge, run by the National Wildlife Refuge System, a part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provides a safe habitat for the various organisms (“Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck,” 2016). On the other hand, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the governmental agency responsible for Mason Neck Park, keeps human’s recreational needs in mind and provides activities such as canoeing and fishing (“Mason Neck State Park,” 2016). The human interference present within the Mason Neck Park may impact the local ecosystem (“Mason Neck State Park,” 2016). Although there are activities available in Mason Neck Wildlife Refuge, they are “wildlife-oriented recreational developments” meaning the well being of organisms living in the Refuge will be the first priority (“Elizabeth Hartwell Mason