I am sooo mad right now, ok so I was at my grandma's house this afternoon cuz she always cooks for the family on sundays. After we finished eating my sister took all of the leftovers and was going to throw them out into the woods. Well, two seconds later my sister runs back to the house screaming SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE!!!!!! so I was like WHERE?!? she was histericle. Immediatly the whole family ran for the garden hoe and the shovel so they could kill it. IT WAS A HARMLESS RAT SNAKE! omg and they killed it. I started begging and screaming for them not to kill it and to let me just take it somewhere else. But they said OH IT'S GOING TO BITE THE BABIES AND IT'S GOING TO KILL US ALL. it just wanted to get away. So my mom started to yell at me and made me go home. OMG I got sooo mad. And then I found out that they killed it. This was it's home first! and it's not like killing that snake will do any good either. Just b/c you saw that snake doesn't mean that there are not thousands of others that you can't see! MY MOM WAS ****ED! but so was I. sry I had to tell ya'll that story, it makes me so mad that people could be so ignorant about these kinds of things.

__________________
-Adam

"Help Protect our Planet from Overcollection, Purchase Aquacultured Livestock and Captive Bred Herps"

Adam, i am sorry you had to witness this tragic event. Thats what happens are not educated about reptiles.

__________________
MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

i went tried to find the body, a burial was the least I could do. I couldn't find it, which probably means that it didn't die right off from the chopped off head so it's body wriggled away. This burns me up more than anything.

__________________
-Adam

"Help Protect our Planet from Overcollection, Purchase Aquacultured Livestock and Captive Bred Herps"

Yep, This kind of incident happens often being many people are uneducated about reptiles in general. If the head was chopped off clean the body would not have moved but a foot not even unless on a hill etc.. I have seen burms here that have had a pistols emptied in them and they took off in the brush and I am sure would have done fine if any major organs were not hit. Snakes are tough and it takes allot to kill them ( quickly). I am sorry aswell that you had to be put in this situation and see this event.
-Jason

Adam, I'm sorry you had to witness such a horrific event. But rather than to dwell in anger.....put together a presentation (a slideshow that can be played via dvd, or a project board) so you can educate your family in a possitive way, at your next family gathering. It's a true fact that people fear most what they don't know.....so make this your mission.....TEACH them.

Great advice, Herpmom!!!
Geckoguy: Although it may seem that some people will "never learn", you can still try and maybe something will seep in.
I totally share your infuriated frustration. You have every right to be angry. But Herpmom is right, turn it around and make something positive out of it for your family, school whatever... it's something you can do for the snakes that have been lucky enough to avoid your relatives' property so far!

__________________
Andrea

I like Herpmom's idea, I once got called to remove a snake from a shopping center parking lot, a woman was running around screaming "It's a copperhead" over and over. After catching the 6 foot Rat snake I stood in the parking lot and explained to everyone about snakes and what their best course of action was. Leave it alone or call someone who can remove it safely. How many of those people actually listened? Well if I got through to just one, it was a good day.

__________________
Answers are great. But I prefer questions!

Visit me at www.jaysreptiles.com

Well done and well said Jay. And great advice Herpmom,. Adam why don't you try that? Sorry your family had to take such silly and drastic action, but try and teach them rather than just stay mad at them. Hopefully they will learn that most snakes are harmless (and even the dangerous ones don't just kill people for no reason), and will learn to respect life. Good luck.

__________________
"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

**blushes**....lol

I agree with Rachel....well done Jay!

I really think....that once people understand animals are more afraid of them and that they can call someone if they really aren't comfortable, they would be less likely to react with such haste.

Adam, show your family, your knowledge and that you could be the go to guy. I want to stress though...know your limits!! If it's a herp outside your expertise (aka: venomous) do your research and have someone lined up for just that situation.

exactly. I really can only identify the garters, copperhead, cottonmouths, eastern diamondbacks, corals, kings, and rat snakes around here. I was begging for them to just let me have a 5-gallon bucket and a shovel. I could have coazed it into the bucket and took it to the end of the woods BUT NOOOOOOOO they had to kill it.

I think a presentation is a good idea, but my family believes in killing snakes just as much as I believe in leaving them be. Plus, my mom threatened to give away all of my herps if I speak about it anymore. It's a battle that will NEVER be won but I think once they realize that I am NOT stupid when it comes to reptiles, it will eventually work up to the point to where they call me when there is a snake and NOT kill it first.

Keep your fingers crossed. and thanks for the support.

__________________
-Adam

"Help Protect our Planet from Overcollection, Purchase Aquacultured Livestock and Captive Bred Herps"