Changing how people view and treat snakes
This article was written by Emily Taylor, PhD, a member of the ASP Board of Directors. 2020 has been a rough year. COVID-19, unemployment, natural disasters, and cancelled travel plans have wreaked havoc on our health and psyches. Snakes haven’t been spared, either. With so many people on lockdown or out of work, there were …
Here’s the final installment in our series of five inspiring stories to celebrate ASP’s fifth birthday (read them all here): 40 Rattlesnakes Discovered in Couple’s Shed! Usually headlines like that are followed by a story detailing how miraculously no one was hurt before the snakes were inevitably removed or killed. This is not that story. …
To celebrate ASP’s fifth birthday, we’re sharing five inspiring stories with you — a new one each week through the end of 2019. Read them all here. Snakes are threatened by the same issues that affect all wildlife (e.g., climate chaos, habitat loss), but negative attitudes may be the biggest barrier to their conservation because …
To celebrate ASP’s fifth birthday, we’re sharing five inspiring stories with you — a new one each week through the end of the year. You’ve probably heard that Facebook is matching $7 million in donations today for Giving Tuesday. While we don’t expect to get that match (it goes fast to the biggest organizations), we …
Stopping Snake Slaughter at Rattlesnake Roundups Read More »
Be aware of your surroundings, and there’s no need to beware of snakes. Snake season is here, but that’s no reason to avoid the outdoors. Enjoy nature, wildlife, and stay safe with our Top Tips for a Safe Snake Season: Do not approach, handle, move, or kill snakes – most bites happen in these situations! Use …
Gassing rattlesnakes in Texas A proposal to ban gassing in Texas (one of the few states where it is still legal) was introduced in late 2014 and has been debated ever since. Pouring gas into the ground to collect wildlife probably seems a little crazy and hardly controversial, but rattlesnake roundups depend on this method …
Don’t Let Fear Drive Wildlife Management in Massachusetts Thanks to everyone who took action on this issue, we’ll provide updates as they become available. We have a sad, embarrassing history of persecuting animals we fear, often driving them to the brink of extinction. Timber rattlesnakes are one of many victims; they have been nearly extirpated …
Don’t Let Fear Drive Wildlife Management in Massachusetts Read More »
WARNING: the following video is graphic and violent – it shows what happens at a rattlesnake roundup. Each year, tens of thousands of rattlesnakes are taken from the wild to be displayed and slaughtered for entertainment and profit at rattlesnake roundups. Professional hunters, not bound by ‘bag’ or ‘take’ limits, remove snakes from their native …
Science does not support claims that roundups are required to prevent rattlesnake overpopulation. Each year, tens of thousands of rattlesnakes are taken from the wild to be displayed and slaughtered for entertainment and profit at rattlesnake roundups. Promoted as folksy, family-friendly fun, these events foster disrespect for native wildlife and the natural world, and the …
Wildlife Slaughter Persists at Rattlesnake Roundups Despite Conservation Efforts Read More »
Mohave Greens have a notorious reputation in the West — but is it deserved? In short, NOPE. Read on to learn more about Mohave Rattlesnakes. Skip to: How to Identify a Mohave Mohave Rattlesnakes are easily confused with Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnakes, who are more widespread and (often) abundant. Here’s how to tell them apart. However, …