Who wouldn't want some of these cute little creatures in their garden?
Posted on 02/21/2016 9:02:00 PM PST by BlatherNaut
Outrage at 'snake island': Massachusetts residents' anger at rattlesnake colony planned for uninhabited island but wildlife officials insist there is no risk
Plans to establish a colony of venomous rattlesnakes on an island in Massachusetts have been met with outrage due to fears that the animals could escape.
Timber rattlesnakes are indigenous to the New England state, and with only about 200 left, wildlife officials are fighting to save the endangered species.
Tom French of the state's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife hopes the snakes, which currently inhabit five scattered pockets throughout Massachusetts, can come together on Mount Zion, the largest island in the Quabbin Reservoir.
But people are concerned about their own safety - especially since rattlesnakes can swim and the island is connected to the mainland by a pair of narrow causeways.
French, who is directing the project and representing the state at a public meeting on Tuesday to address concerns, said people are driven by irrational fears. He said: 'People are afraid that we're going to put snakes in a place of public use and that they are going to breed like rabbits and spread over the countryside and kill everybody,' he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Massachusetts can only be improved by Rattlesnakes.
Let’s not be hasty, here. It’s the perfect relo for all of those wonderful Islamic rapeugees.
Hey.
I live in NYC and I never advocated re-releasing wolves to prey on peoples' livestock. Besides, I know they are releasing the much-large Canadian wolves, not the original type of wolf. I think whoever thought of releasing rattlesnakes on that island is nuts. What if someone boated over there and was unaware of the snake colony? And, as some FReeper here pointed out, rattlesnakes can swim just fine. What happens when they run out of mice and chipmunks on the island to eat? Typical ill conceived govt. plan.
That's a great idea!
There must be a lot of poisonous or dangerous monsters that could thrive in the sewers of New York.
Man - he’s gotta he almost 7’. Biggest one I killed was almost 6’. Fat girth, sitting in palmettos - big a pine tree branch. I got another on the water abt 4ft up on Lake George. However, the real meanies are the little rattlers!
I killed a five footer swimming across a canal in FL back in ‘80
Civilization on one side of the canal, Everglades on the other. I wasn’t much into having him on my side.
Naahhhh .... we have a small rifle range here in Texas that “was” infested with rattlesnakes and the guy who’s property it was on put about 100 guinea fowl on it and snake problem was / is over...... now if we can just keep the coyotes off the guinea fowl .....:o)
Circle of life per se ...
Who wouldn't want some of these cute little creatures in their garden?
I*’m surprised there are any left...
the East Coast were teeming with them at one time...
Then the white man came and cleared the forest, chopped down trees to build cabins and grow their crops....
the snakes migrated West before the settlers until by the 1800s there were types of snakes in mid western states where they had not previously been...
Now that there’s some good eatin’.
Impressive beast... Where was that photograph taken?
That is a big snake but notice he is holding him way out front using “fish hands” or in this case a pole.
If you look at my first picture, I am holding it beside me.
If you replace the word rattlesnake with Muslims, sounds like the idiocy threatening Europe and the US...
Why not send a few thousand to Washington DC!
Cottonmouths for Flannelmouths!
Fine respected Hound!
Named?
We have plenty around here. Luckily, timber rattlesnakes typically give lots of warning, and are not particularly aggressive. But, like any animal, temperaments vary, and in areas where they are common, you don’t want to be wandering around in shorts and hiking shoes...
Found more than a few washed out on an outgoing tide several miles offshore. Swimming fine and pissed off.
I was about 12 on a nature trail in Oklahoma, buddy and me had been warned so we had shovels.There were snakes of all kinds, sunning on the path, twined around trees, everywhere.
We came across a troop of Brownies, terrified.
With me on point and him on drag we managed to get back to the car lot.
I still get the willies thinking about it.
Oh yeah, and little prairie rattles caug in bailing twine, so you hook a bale and buck it—and it is no happier to see you ...
“However, the real meanies are the little rattlers”
Meeting up with a hunting buddy in the southern New Mexico desert, i was approaching within talking distance as he sat on the tailgate. I stepped on a little 2 foot or smaller one. Instantly rattled and wrapped on my boot.
I let out a girl sound I didn’t even know I could make. The soles of my boots suddenly were about 3 feet in the air, and 5 feet sideways. Somewhere along the flight, we parted ways. Little bastard vanished into the grass.
We couldn’t find a bite.
Makes me sick to remember it. My buddy says it was the best experience of his life.
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