# Girls Saved From Rattlesnakes



## Guest (Jul 9, 2004)

> Cell Phone Call Saves Girls From Rattlesnakes
> 
> POSTED: 2:47 pm EDT July 8, 2004
> 
> ...


http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/3507477/detail.html

This is one of the stupidest articles I have ever run across. 
What animal is more undeservedly maligned than the rattlesnake? The media made it seem like a Hollywood adventure movie complete with heros, villians and damsels in distress.

If I were to write this article it would go something like this: First, I would be confounded that a 12 and 13 year old could be pried away from their electronic media entertainment and shopping malls long enought to take a walk in the woods.

Then, I would remark on how lucky these kids were to stumble upon such a spectacle of an active rattlesnake den. Few people ever experience such a site. Living in NJ, I know I never have. I understand the girls' apprehension, but I'm sure the hillside could be easily negociated when they decided to leave.

Finally, I would horrified and ashamed at the other participants' reactions upon seeing the snakes. Instead of assessing whether anyone was really indanger, they referred to their culturally-inherited hatred towards snakes and immediately began to shoot the animals. Then a "rattlesnake trapper", really just a sadist compelled by a dark blood-lust to kill wild animals, is called in to complete the slaughter and destruction of the colony.

I think my article would be far closer to the truth, but it would be poorly received by an indoor society completely ignorant about wildlife and ecology.


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

> This is one of the stupidest articles I have ever run across.


In agreement there. What a ridiculous article.

Bullsnake, why don't you ask them (even though they're far from NJ) if you could write a letter to the editor? It would be good to show the other (and the true) side.


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

I whole -heartedly agree!!!
Write the editor a letter, or e-mail it, bullsnake. The species would have been ( _Crotalus_ _viridis_ ) , the Prairie Rattlesnake, and if you research numbers that were "trapped" out of Montana 100 yrs ago, it will disgust you that the girls only saw the six, and their father and brother the other two.....sad sad sad









without question snakes are one of the media's if not hollywoods favorite evils, and much of it absolute bull, but then reality of needed, fascinating predators who stay to them selves and actually avoid human contact would not sell papers, or movie tickets....


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## Guest (Jul 10, 2004)

That's a good idea. Unfortunately, I probably won't have time to look into writing the news source until next week. I have a rigorous and ambitious drinking schedule to maintain this weekend and I have to focus my energies if I am going to achieve my best.

Besides, I don't feel fully qualified to be speaking publicly on ecological matters because I'm not educated in those subjects.


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## TANK (Nov 18, 2003)

It is stories like this and the one or two that pop up every year about a guy getting injured or killed by a pet python that are making it really hard on us herpers. It is unfortunate that these animals are treated by the general public the way that they are. 
After all how many dog owners are attacked and maimed by the family dog every year compared to how many herpers are attacked or maimed????


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## SerraNBAPygo (Jun 8, 2004)

sadly their are reporters who cant get a decent story so they have to hype up anything they can find.


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## micus (Jan 7, 2004)

well i hate to say it, but if i was in a rattler den that was teaming with snakes and had a pellet gun i would prob start shootin away, i think this is more of an instinct thing, and would probably feel bad about killing many snakes, but, people tend to get really caught up in the moment without realising the effects of there actions untill way later on ,


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## TANK (Nov 18, 2003)

Ive been surprised a couple of times by a snake that I didnt see and never took to killing it. Of course I know my snakes so I know how to react. 
The point here I beleive is that the media LOVES to hype up stories that include herps. Especially the bad ones. It is because of stories like the one here that the general public feels the way they do about herps.
Believe me if it keeps up it wont be to long before they COMPLETELY ban the keeping of large boids and "hot" herps.


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

True.

And the fact that most herpers enjoy alcohol too much makes it hard for us to write rebuttals to editors.


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## TANK (Nov 18, 2003)

acestro said:


> True.
> 
> And the fact that most herpers enjoy alcohol too much makes it hard for us to write rebuttals to editors.


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## TormenT (Apr 1, 2004)

wtf theyre attackin like the rattlesnakes are some evil monsters that cornered them


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## TANK (Nov 18, 2003)

TormenT said:


> wtf theyre attackin like the rattlesnakes are some evil monsters that cornered them


 Unfotunately thats the general publics attitude toword snakes.


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## v4p0r (Aug 14, 2003)

TormenT said:


> wtf theyre attackin like the rattlesnakes are some evil monsters that cornered them


 Of course!!! Cause we all know that any rattler given the chance will surely Kill and eat a poor defenseless 12yr old girl.


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

what an idiot... the stupid girls shouldnt have stumbled on their breeding habitat


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

wish that entire familly got bitten..

stupid idiots.


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