On Friday, you stabbed a rattlesnake eight times on a nature preserve. You used the stake holding a sign asking you to avoid disturbing the rattlesnakes to kill her. You ignored pleas from other hikers to leave her alone. You cut the rattle off the still-living snake to take as a prize.
The adult female rattlesnake was at least ten years old. She lived peacefully in what is now the preserve for all those years. You left her severely injured, where she suffered for two days until I rescued her. Emergency surgery failed to save her life or those of her twelve babies.
There is no good reason to take the life of a rattlesnake. They only bite when they feel threatened. Rattlesnakes eat many rodents, thereby protecting plants and helping limit the spread of Lyme and other diseases. Rattlesnakes experience fear and pain, they learn and remember, and they can live for over 60 years, forming complex social networks with family and friends. In August the snake you killed would be giving live birth to her pups, complete with little umbilical cords and placentas, and she would protect them until they went out on their own.
Please treat wildlife with respect and compassion.
Sincerely,
Emily Taylor
Owner, Central Coast Snake Services
Professor of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly
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| Two Coronado Island Rattlesnake (Crotalus caliginis) photographed by Jeff Lemm |
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ReplyDeleteFuck whoever did that. Fucking hicks.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree completely with the message you were trying to convey.
ReplyDeleteAs a herpetologist I must point out the errors represented in the above article.
There is no scientific evidence to support rattlesnakes being self-aware, and a female rattlesnake is a rogue, as soon as the babies are born they are on their own. The only documented social behavior rattlesnakes have exhibited is sharing den sites.
If you believe I am incorrect please cite articles from peer reviewed literature.
Hi Kim, I am glad that Anonymous posted a link to "peer reviewed" work for you. I deeply appreciate Dr. Taylor's writing here, which demonstrates great empathy, a rare thing in our world today. One big thing that discouraged me in pursuing biology in academia was scientific tunnel vision. I was so glad to read Dr. Jane Goodall's words in Through A Window, regarding animal sentience --her statement that ALL animals possess sentience to a greater or lesser extent. Try reading Sy Montgomery and Dr. Temple Grandin on animal sentience and emotional awareness. (Though Grandin writes primarily about mammals and birds, she makes a solid case regarding emotions and the role they play in survival for ALL creatures.) And if you care to, try reading my own essay titled, "Nobody Loves Rattlesnakes," which can be found at Talking Writing, a small on line publication with a superb editor. http://talkingwriting.com/nobody-loves-rattlesnakes
DeleteAnd my 2015 essay called The Gift of Connecting With Animals, describes Dr. Eric Gangloff's work with box turtles, and his defense of writing about his subjects with love. "Ardor is the impetus for science," he says. As a former writing professor, I will tell you a common thing we say: No tears for the writer, none for the reader. If we want the public to care about the snakes and lizards and wildlife we love, then at least some of us need to write outside the peer-reviewed box and reach the public and their conservation votes and dollars. "People protect what they love."
Hi Kim,
ReplyDeleteSee the linked blog post....peer reviewed references are at the end. Also, FYI, Dr. Taylor is one of the world's foremost experts on rattlesnake biology; she knows of what she speaks.
http://snakesarelong.blogspot.com/2015/11/snakes-that-are-good-parents.html
Here is perhaps the best known paper regarding parental care in rattlesnakes
ReplyDeletehttp://eaglemountainpublishing.s3.amazonaws.com/PDF/Biology%20of%20the%20Vipers/CH%2012_greene_.pdf
Respecting and protecting the animals, plants, and ecosystems in our local areas, as well as globally, is so important. Thank you for trying your best to save this mama, Emily. I hope that this letter somehow finds the attacker. He of all people should read this and reflect on what he did.
ReplyDeleteIt's that old "human nature" thing that they talk about in sci-fi B movies: what we fear must die.
ReplyDeleteI hate to be the bearer of bad news here; there are some mean people in the world who just do not give a dayum...
ReplyDeleteLove this blog! Keep up the good work...
Greetings, respectfully, from Southwest Texas...
Unfortunately for both humans and wildlife, some individuals are haters. These types will exercise their hate on any likely target. Seems they were raised to hate and that is one of their major emotions. The end result is destruction. I really don't know how we can fix this problem...because it is a threat to the future of life on this lovely planet.
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Hello Dr. EMILY TAYLOR ! I am from Burkina Faso,a west African French speaking country.I fail to understand reason why I have a tremendous love for snakes.I am a student in Master degree and I enjoy watching your explanation on NAT Geo wild.Very interesting .I invite you in my country to discover new snakes that I am sure no one has ever discovered or classified.
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