Maybe they are paying attention!

A fellow worker came in this morning with a small snake.  He had it in a tea pricher with a top on it and told me to be very carefull as this snake had tried to bite everyone a  resturant last nite.  He thought it was a "water Moccasin".  I opened the top, reached in and picked up a beautiful Grey Rat snake about 8 inches long.  After everyone in the office stopped jumping around, screaming and commenting on my stupidity, I took the reptile home.  It was cold and very thin.  I put it in a clean plastic box with heat and fresh water and was delighted when it accepted a pinkie without hesitation.  

Maybe there is hope for our wild herps yet.....this is the second snake someone has brought me this year, instead of killing it.

Mike Blackston

my dad is LAFD...when I was living in so cal, I would get a call from him every once in a while after he went out on a snake call to pick up what he managed to keep the other guys from killing. So far the list has included an 8ft albino burm, a night snake, 2 cal kings (one albino), 1 mountain king and a 6 ft redtail boa (guy thought it was a rattlesnake). Kinda makes me wish I was still down there because he started talking about it, and I did get a call or two from other stations that had guys on duty that weren't afraid of snakes and wanted to give them a chance. I hiked into the hills to release the cali natives after giving them a couple of meals and cleaning em up, and found homes for the other two.

It's truly amazing how ignorant people can be when it comes to reptiles...they think it's ok to kill something they don't understand and don't want to understand. I think I'm going to start doing classroom presentations again.

I get calls every now and then from people to come get a snake out of their garage, or whatever.  Most recently, I had a guy bring me a water bottle (the small 12oz. plastic kind) that was stuffed full with a 15 inch prarie king snake.  They're illegal to sell here in Missouri, and I raise corns, so I had no use for the animal.  I cleaned it up, warmed it up, and released it.  The funniest deal was when the people up the road were freaking out over me picking up the six inch ringed neck snake they had boxed up!  At least they didn't kill it.

Nichole and Darin, I appreciate your sharing these stories with me.  I guess being the "crazy" guy or gal has its advantages.  Last year the state probationer who does our grounds keeping at the armory where I am stationed found a nice Eastern King and he brought it to me because he had heard I liked snakes. I examined it and turned it loose where I thought it would be safe.  April of this year, while at Ft Stewart, GA, another soldier came up to me and told me of a snake that was in the tank trail nearby.  I found a beautiful Rough Green snake, showed it to those interested and explained what I could about not killing snakes.  I turned it loose far from the tank trail.  I love my reptiles, both CB and wild.  It gives a a thrill to hold a wild one then turn it loose.

Mike Blackston

Mike...people do listen...we just don't always know they are listening.

Here at work...I talk about snakes so much that three of them mentioned they wanted to get a snake.

I guess all I gotta do now is educate them and make sure they know not to get one until they have done some research.

Had a family come in to our shop with a mangled sinolin last week.  After butchering it with a shovel they decided to find out what kind it was.  I figure by there demeanor they were hoping for something poisons for the heroism of killing a deadly coil snake.  I live in PA  this was some ones escaped pet.
The past month has made me almost sick to belong to the human race.  Sorry to post such a negative in a positive post but I am filling very angry. <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

Don't feel angry.  This is what this thread is all about.  It is so important that we educate everyone possible about reptiles and snakes in particular.  I get that same reaction from people who see my two siniloan and Ruthvin's for the first time.  Everyone thinks they are Coral snakes.  I have discovered that after the shock wears off of someone seeing me handle a snake and a brief explination of their behavior, plus letting them know that is alright not to like snakes, just don't kill them because you fear them, that most people relax a little and become interested in the snake.  I sieze every opportunity to exploit a snakes natural charm. <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

Miker Blackston

I fully under stand that.  We do programs in the libraries every summer and a program in the schools in the fall.  Boy scouts visit our shop in the winter.  I am really starting to believe it is not lack of knowledge but lack of humanity.  Every one in PA young and old know we don’t have Coil snakes.  The only venomous indigenous to our area are timber rattlers, copper heads (rare) cotton mouths.  
The Highway workers  Pen dot, have brought us many Timbers  for relocation from there job sites.  Manley because if the call the Fish and Game   they kill the snakes because of   lack of education  I don’t think so they are a listed species.  Its lack of humanity.  
What bothers me the most is its only the beginning of summer.  Many snakes will dye for no reason other than some ones enjoyment of killing a snake.

not necessarily enjoyment (though some do) just that they don't know any better. Having movie studios use milk snakes as a "poisionous snake" doesn't help either...one only needs to watch The Mummy Returns for an example of this...the poor sinaloan she tosses aside.

My mom called me yesterday to ask me about a snake wandering through her yard...sounds like it was a fat healthy cal king that was close to 4-5 feet. I told her to leave it alone since they go after the rattlers of which more have been showing up around her house. This morning I get an email about how she chewed out her neighbors for trying to kill it! She explained why the snake was good to have around, and they were amazed. Thankfully the snake was left alone and went on it's merry mouse eating way.

Even the people at my work are getting past the "don't know any better" scared phase...anything that I get shipped to me gets to spend the rest of the afternoon at the office with me, so I've had a chance to edumacate them folks (computer geeks&#33<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> here...even setting up a few people with my expected hatchlings later this year  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

I think you are right, people are slowly getting the message.  For a number of years now I've been doing a hands on educational show with my herp society out at the MN renaissance festival.  We bring our reptiles out and give little talks and let people pet them and discuss the wonders of reptiles with people on a one on one basis.  I've noticed over the years that people seem to be getting a bit more knowledgable about reptiles in general, it's actually uncommon these days to find someone who actually thinks that snakes are slimy, whereas that used to be pretty usual.  Also, about 4 or 5 years back, someone found a snake on the festival grounds and fearing that it would get stepped on, brought it to our cottage.  We told her what the snake was (northern brown snake) gave her some info about the species and thanked her for bringing it in to us.  We later released it after all the patrons had gone home for the day.  the following year a couple of more snakes were brought in and the number has been increasing year by year.  Last year on a single day, the public brought in a half a dozen brown snakes and a hatchling milk. None of which had been stomped on or sqashed or mangled.   All of which were then held in our cottage and then released at the end of the day.    So yah, I think there is hope.

Mark   <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>