Sad 3rd Party Herping

[guidofatherof5]

Yesterday I received an email from a good friend. He was out herping in the residential areas of Des Moines Iowa.
He reported finding 24 dead Plains garter snakes. Apparently killed by property owners. He also found 34 alive and well snakes.
This news of the dead snakes disturbed me as he wasn't herping a huge area.
Seems the plight of the snakes in his town is no better than in mine.
I've made some big gains in my neighborhood switching people over to not killing them but.....
Last week I found a large female(probably gravid) dead in the street in front of my residence. It was obvious the snake had been killed and thrown there.
I came to find out that the elderly lady across the street had gotten some yard work help from her daughter, who doesn't like snakes.
It's such a shame that these snakes are killed without a second thought.
I wish more people knew what a nice animal they were killing.

[RdubSnider]

That's very sad Steve. Last fall while I was out working I caught this group of teenagers beating a small eastern with sticks. It was to late for the little Guy. Unfortunately I'm not sure that the nasty and cruel nature of some people will ever change

[ssssnakeluvr]

thats sad..... I got a call from the reptile rescue here night before last..he was out on a call... bunch of wanderings came out of an area, possible den inder sidewalk. kids called police and were told to kill them! he told the kids it was a $750 fine for each snake they killed! got their attention and they wont do it again!

[RedSidedSPR]

Snakes are so misunderstood. It's insane.

[Sonya610]

So odd that here in Georgia animals are nothing, as in beat/kill a dog in order to show humans are superior.

Yet at the same time harming ANY native non-venomous reptiles is a crime. Wish I had known that 3 years ago when a boss beat a black racer to death in the parking lot, I mentioned "beautiful snake in the bushes" and then things turned ugly (I didn't know until after). I quit, that was the last straw, but if I had known the law I would have called the authorities.

[Jeff B]

It's sad from a conservation stand point, that kind of behavior can completely wipe out pockets or sub-populations, and in some cases even a small isolated sub-species or species. It's one thing to manage an overpopulated game species like snow geese or whitetail deer, where there are huge fiscal, and enviromental, aggricultual, and other finacial impacts, and at the same time providing sport and providing food on the table, as well as donating meals for the hugry, but to just kill out of fear or pre-concenved emotions or judments is just weak mindedness that needs intervention.

[ConcinusMan]

I have personally seen much loss in the past 25 years in my county. The last remaining population of ringneck snakes was wiped out in the late 1980's. It's a transit center now and there's no habitat left. Many places that used to be teeming with garter snakes, rubber boas, and racers are now shopping centers and parking lots.

[ssssnakeluvr]

I've always said everything on the planet has a purpose (although I haven't figured out a good purpose for mosquitos, other than irritate us). ours is to mess up the planet, and boy are we good at it!

[Didymus20X6]

Hey Steve:

Do you think that one left in front of your house was meant as some sort of message?

[RedSidedSPR]

Time for your ancient cop skills