Modern Day Tragedy

I have seen a Diamond Back Rattlesnake only 2 times in the last 5 years on my trail, both times it was during the winter, basking in the afternoon warmth of the sun. I walked around him and viewed his beauty like I was stepping on an ice covered lake. Yesterday, I found him again, his life was taken away by a rock propelled from a human to the back of his head.

Taken by camera phone on 7/28/08

Taken approx. 24 hrs. later

When a nature preserve is clustered throughout a community the decision as to what species lives and which dies is not always left up to the preserve itself. Encountering a rattler can lead to many different outcomes, the right choice would be to turn around and re-route your hike. If you have time to search out a rock or a stick to strike the snake then you were really in no immediate danger. If you felt it was your obligation to kill the snake to protect someone from a future encounter then its short sighted but understood. You are in a preserve were animals of all kinds are to be protected, however with homes close by, your first thought is watching out for your fellow neighbor.

This particular snake was found about 30 feet from a backyard making it more understandable but disappointing. In 2000 a young boy approximately 2 years old was bitten by a rattler in Manatee County Florida, and unfortunately died as a result. The consensus at the time was encroachment rearing its ugly head, but thats no consolation for the parents of the boy.

This rattlers’ territory was encroached upon with new construction and in this instance the rattler lost. Gone before him the Indigo Snake and Barred Owl.

With its life ended he becomes a meal for vultures, beetles, and fly larvae. A closer look at the bottom photo reveals fly larvae working its way through the carcass.

Statistics show that between 10 to 12 people die each year, due to snake-related deaths in the U.S. This includes people who work with them on a professional basis, people who keep them as captive pets, people who actually do get bitten and people who are so afraid of snakes, they have a heart attack at the sight of one. If you use common sense, and are bitten and get help immediately, then you have a good chance of surviving…you’ll be in pain for awhile, but you’ll be alive! (source: South Florida Herpetological Society)

National Safety Council Statistics for 2004 on Accidental Deaths revealed that 700+ people died from falling off a bed, chair, or other furniture and only 6 people died from snake bites. Next time your walking through your house pick up a rock and smash your favorite chair, your odds of survival will shoot straight up.

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