Humane Society Asks Claxton, Ga. Organizations To Halt Rattlesnake Roundup

The Humane Society of the United States
Tuesday, 26 February 2002

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is calling for a halt to the rattlesnake roundup coming to Claxton on March 9-10 and sponsored by the Evans County Wildlife Club and the Claxton/Evans Chamber of Commerce.

Popular as fundraisers and attended by families, these inhumane and environmentally destructive events involve flushing the snakes from their dens with gasoline or other toxic substances; stockpiling them for weeks or months before the event, often in crowded crates or trash cans without food or water; and using the animals in competitions like the "sacking contest," where teams race to fill a bag with as many snakes as fast as possible. When no longer needed to provide "entertainment," the animals are killed, sometimes by decapitating them and skinning them alive.

Though often billed as performing an important environmental service by ridding a locale of dangerous pests and providing antivenin for medical use, a report published by The HSUS titled "The Truth Behind Rattlesnake Roundups" finds that these events actually disrupt the balance of ecosystems and increase the chances of people being bitten while sanctioning cruelty to animals.

Dr. Teresa Telecky, HSUS wildlife trade program director, outlines some of the report's findings. "Rattlesnake roundups are patently inhumane and adversely affect the environment in a number of ways. First, the gasoline or other toxic substances used to drive the snake from its den renders that den uninhabitable, potentially for years, to the many other animals that make their homes in rattlesnake burrows. Second, the gasoline leaks into the soil and can contaminate groundwater. Third, rattlesnakes play an important role in their ecosystems by preying on rodents and keeping their numbers in check and by being prey themselves for raptors and other animals." She adds that because there are strict federal regulations for the collection of venom and because it degrades quickly, no U.S. producer of antivenin would knowingly purchase venom from rattlesnake roundups.

Rattlesnake roundups also contribute to the unregulated trade in rattlesnake skin and parts. Dr. Telecky notes, "This trade, which includes the sale of skin for boots and belts, meat for consumption, organs for use in traditional Asian medicines, and heads to make curios, is part of commerce that could be contributing to the endangered status of certain species of rattlesnakes just as we are learning the important roles they play in their ecosystems."

The HSUS has presented this information to organizations sponsoring rattlesnake roundups. To date, no organization has responded to The HSUS or canceled its roundup.

"There is much misunderstanding concerning snakes," said Dr. Telecky. "They feel pain, and inhumane treatment of a snake is wrong in the same way inhumane treatment of a dog is. Organizations sponsoring rattlesnake roundups need to ask themselves if they really want to fund their charitable causes through an event that passes on a tradition of cruelty to animals, destruction of the environment, and exploitation of wildlife."

For more information, or to contact The Humane Society of the United States, see their website at: www.hsus.org