#rattlesnake roundups

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

Are rattlesnake roundups legal? My town holds one every year (it's absolutely disgusting, they hold "best kill" contests and everything) and I just don't see how something like this can be legal.

Appallingly, they're not only legal, but in my experience they usually have law enforcement in attendance. Rattlesnake roundups are disgusting displays of animal cruelty, and they're only legal because so many people believe rattlesnakes are evil, unfeeling animals deserving of cruel, painful deaths.

Here's my longer post on rattlesnake roundups, it includes links to some great factsheets and conservation websites. Obvious TW for very upsetting animal cruelty, but no graphic details in the post itself.

[fatehbaz]

Rattlesnake roundup events in the United States.

The “World’s Largest Rattlesnake Roundup” occurs in Sweetwater, Texas, held annually in the month of March since at least 1958. Texas government agencies estimate that, each year, up to 24,000 pounds or more of rattlesnake will be “harvested.”

[fissions-chips]

Mundane sort of ‘magical creature AU’ thought but- a sad notion.

Y’know how urban wildlife is typically viewed? Like… seagulls. “Trash birds”, heavily loathed, often chased away despite the fact that they are only trying to adapt to a human, urban world. Or coyotes, widely hated and hunted when they encroach upon human settlements for the risks they pose- despite the fact that they were there first.

Idk. That happening with mythical creatures- again, it falls back into that idea of something that was once respected or revered (moreso in the case of magical creatures than true wildlife, but still) now being reviled and ‘common’ for the crime of being simply inconvenient.

[babylonbirdmeat]

Anyone else ever grieve how the word "speciesism" could've been a useful academic term for the dangerous biases based in fear and misunderstanding that endanger animals like wasps and venomous snakes but instead ended up being used by people who think that using any animal products whatsoever is a grave and unforgivable sin?

[bee-a-ts]

both the tattoo artists I want for my Texas tat expansion aren't available right now so I'm gnawing at the bars of my enclosure aka messaging someone else who has very open books for a big ol snake piece

[bugbuoyx]

its kind of funny how being in certain groups can warp your perception. im so used to people online loving my pet bugs that i forget most of the population hates them and kills them for fun.

[toasty-bat]

I’m not saying he deserved it, but that’s exactly what I’m saying actually

[buckarooranch]

Howdy, friends! 🤗

Well, well! It's already day 5 of our advent roundup. Time sure flies—just a couple more sunsets, and it'll be Christmas, quicker than a rattlesnake's strike! As you spied from the last post, we're talkin' tack! We're very excited to rustle up this surprise and hopin' it puts a grin on your face as wide as a prairie horizon.

Naturally, today's gift keeps in line with the Christmas tune. We've created some leg wraps for your trusty steed, matchin' up real nice with that pad you got yesterday. We're downright thrilled to see how your ridin' getup will shine this Christmas!

Now that you know we're in the 'Tack Territory', reckon you can take a guess at the next gift? Gotta round out that set, don't we? So, don't go dawdlin', keep your peepers peeled for tomorrow and crack open a new gift. 🤠🎁

Details:

3 swatches

For Adult/Elder horses

Horse Ranch DLC needed

Website (Free!)

[haveyoureadthispoll]

From the acclaimed author of such novels as "Blood and Grits" and "Childhood" comes a wildly weird and breathtakingly original visit to the rural South that reveals the exotic subculture that erupts in all its glory at the Rattlesnake Roundup in Mystic, Georgia. "No number of adjectives in the thesaurus can do full justice to the dazzlingly bizarre nature of Crews' creations".--"Washington Post Book World".

[theprofessionalpromptmaker]

Rattlesnake Roundup Day

Person A has always liked snakes but gets brought to rattlesnake roundup by their date who gets them special access to a more exclusive part of the show, where Person A sees a naga, Person B, who is set to be killed like all the other snakes at the event. Person A decides to sneak in and help them break out and the two go on the run together.

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

is goodwill allowed to sell rattlesnake skins? are they something you can just buy or is it unethical? heres one being sold in AZ

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/169900500

Link for everyone - this is a shed rattler skin for sale.

Exact legality will depend on your area - in some states in the US, it's illegal to sell parts of native reptiles. The ethics are another question and a bit more nuanced.

In this example, this is a shed and not a full skin. This is 100% ethical to collect and own - the snake's gonna shed it anyway, and stress to the animal actually messes up the shedding process, so there's no risk of unethical actors bugging snakes to get sheds like this. This shed was probably just found out in nature and collected.

Full skins, though, are a different story. Most full skins for sale have been collected from rattlesnake roundups, which are sickening celebrations of cruelty against rattlesnakes - you can read about them and what you can do to help here (nothing graphic in the post but tw for animal cruelty). Even if it's legal to buy a full skin in your area, I would strongly recommend against it simply because most complete skins are collected from roundups and it's unethical to support that.

You can identify shed skins because they tend to look and feel pretty flimsy. They're kinda translucent and they're very fragile. Nothing wrong with owning these, and you can make lots of cool crafts with them if you're so inclined.

An actual full skin will look more like this. Steps will have likely been taken to preserve it, as with any other animal hide. I don't think it's ever wise to risk buying these because I've rarely seen any sourced from anywhere other than rattlesnake roundups.

[fatehbaz]

Since at least 1958, the “World’s Largest Rattlesnake Roundup” occurs annually in the month of March in Sweetwater, Texas. The event can attract up to 40,000 visitors each year.

Between 1959 and 2013, Texas land management agencies estimate that the roundup at Sweetwater alone has “harvested” 304,588 pounds of rattlesnake.

As an example of the number of snake deaths per year, at the Sweetwater even alone: Previously, the record for the most harvested rattlesnakes at Sweetwater was achieved in 1982, when 18,000 pounds of snakes were “harvested”; however, a new record was set in 2016 when over 24,400 pounds of snakes were “harvested”.

Children are encouraged to participate in the killing, skinning, and cooking of snakes. The carnival-style events include a flea market, longest beard competition, “snake-eating competition for who can consume the most fried rattlesnake in the shortest time”, and a beauty pageant for “local young women” (competing for the title of ”Miss Snake Charmer”).

Sweetwater organizers estimate that between 1,000 and 4,000 pounds of rattlesnake are “butchered” and “skinned” or “cooked” on the spot at the aptly-named “Nolan County Coliseum”.

Many rattlesnakes are collected for the Sweetwater roundup with a process called “gassing” which is legally allowed by Texas land management agencies. The process involves targeting rodent burrows, caves, rock piles, and crevices with a long tube attach to a garden sprayer full of gasoline, which is then pumped underground, where the toxic fumes flush snakes out of their dens. Snakes are targeted during colder months or early spring when snakes are vulnerable, slower, and congregating.

At the roundup in the Oklahoma town of Magnum, an estimated 3,000 pounds of rattlesnake might be killed annually.

For about four decades, the Georgia town of Whigham has hosted a rattlesnake roundup that can attract 10,000 or more visitors (according to local volunteers).

Also occurring in the month of March, the Alabama town of Opp has hosted an annual rattlesnake festival for about 60 years; this event features the killing of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, which are significantly declining in population.

[fissions-chips]

I’m already writing a fic ft. Butler in a happier ‘magical creature rehab’ setting, but because I am thinking about darker AUs atm (especially ft. Butler as of late idk why), and I had that previous thought-

AU ft. Hitman Butler (or some other kind of criminal- why not crime lord Butler for once?) wipes out an Extinctionist hideout and comes across two very unhappy gorgons. One black-scaled, one white-scaled, both seemingly close with one another and not doing too hot. The dark-scaled one is covered in just-healing burn scars, looking about blankly- in shock, perhaps. The pale-scaled one is clearly enraged, tail buzzing madly, but his venomous bite has been subdued by painful looking stitches, so all he can do is growl.

And Butler has no sympathy for humans, not anymore- but he does feel a little bad for them. It’s not their fault they’re here, and it must be miserable to be surrounded by the pelts of your kind, the others already dead. And he’s already dealt with the people responsible- why not take them with him? Perhaps they would make good bodyguards of his own.

[jazzcathaven]

It's not a witch hunt, it's more like a rattlesnake roundup.

[molochka-koshka]

On top of having tried all the meat in that prev poll, I've also had raccoon and rattlesnake which like I thought was normal. Like rattlesnake roundups were a huge (but wildly inhumane) thing in Oklahoma when I was a kid and people would 100% have fried rattlesnake at least once a year.

[sillypinkboy]

Dear mutuals I want to take you all to rattlesnake roundup