According to a reader request, here is some more in-depth information on the timber rattlesnake. Description: Timber rattlesnakes are venomous snakes found in the Eastern United States. They can grow to a length of 36-60 inches, and weigh up to three pounds. Habitat: They are often found in thick forests and rugged, rocky terrain. They can be seen basking in the sun on open rocks. They brumate (a less dormant form of hibernation), often in groups, during the winter. Diet: They mostly eat mammals, but can also eat birds, frogs, and even other snakes. Lifecycle: Rattlesnakes, unlike most other snakes, give birth to live young which are encased in a clear membrane. After about a week, the hatchlings are ready to be on their own, and the mother moves on. Most live to about 25 years in the wild, and 30 in captivity. Venom: The timber rattlesnake is one of North America’s most dangerous snakes, because of its powerful venom. Although it could cause much harm or death, the venom doesn’t come without a warning. Before striking, a rattlesnake shakes its tail which makes a rattling sound (hence the name) to warn predators. This tactic works. Also, these snakes don’t want to attack. They do so only to defend themselves, and will not cause harm unless they feel threatened. Never-the-less, if you find yourself near one, use caution. Here is the link to my post on rattlesnake island.
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Snakes. These reptiles have struck fear into the hearts of men for centuries. You too, perhaps, are afraid of them. Do they deserve it? Although snakes will defend themselves if provoked, they will not attack humans for no reason. However, if you do get bit, you may be perfectly fine, for many snakes’ venom is not harmful to humans. But some snakes are venomous to humans. The Timber Rattlesnake, one of Massachusetts’ two venomous snakes, is dying. The population has been thinning out, and there are now only about 200 snakes left in the state. We are now faced with a question: should we help bring back this species even though they can harm humans? But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Is there even a way to bring them back? There is. Mount Zion, an uninhabited island in Massachusetts, could be a perfect sanctuary for these snakes to breed and succeed in bringing their population up. But the inhabitants of the land around the island have something to say about the idea. They are afraid. Afraid that the rattlers will swim over to the inland, bite them, and spread across the land. There is a very low chance of any of these things happening, though. Watch this video for more information. Humans are the ones who caused these snakes to dwindle by taking their territory and killing them out of fear, shouldn’t we be the ones to bring them back? God commanded us to be good stewards of the earth, so shouldn’t we try to fix our mistake just like we’re doing for the American Chestnut? But, to contradict that, what if a child was bit by one of these reptiles and faced death just because we wanted these snakes to grow in population?
These questions are very difficult to answer. Tell me what you think in the comments below. |
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