BURLINGTON COUNTY TIMES (Pennsylvania) 19 January 05 Palmyra Cove hosts program on timber rattlesnakes (Todd Mchale)
Palmyra: Kill them first and ask questions later is often the first reaction of most humans.
When it comes to snakes there isn't much empathy for the species, which is part of the reason the Palmyra Cove Nature Park has planned an educational presentation on the endangered timber rattle-snake tomorrow at 7 p.m. inside the park's Environmental Discovery Center.
"There are quite a few (timber rattlesnakes) in the Pine Barrens in Burlington County and in North Jersey," said Ed Sanderson, an environmental educator at the nature park. "Unfortunately, the first reaction by most people when they see a snake is to kill them."
The secretive timber rattlesnake, which once thrived in New Jersey until the loss of its habitat and wanton kill-ings, is now considered endangered here by the state Department of Environmental Protection and throughout the Northeast, meaning that its prospects for survival are in danger.
While none of the venomous snakes have been spotted in the nature park, the presentation is an opportunity to learn more about a snake that has been the subject of recent court battles.
The presence of timber rattlesnakes has been a ongoing issue in the Sanctuary development in Evesham, which is in the protected Pinelands, a million-acre reserve that covers portions of Burlington and six other counties in South Jersey.
Construction was curbed and then reduced in the Sanctuary development after the snakes were found there. Ultimately, the developer and the Pinelands Commission settled the case after reaching an agreement to preserve the snakes' habitat.
"That (Sanctuary case) ended up being quite a problem," said Eloise Douglas of the state's Division of Fish and Wildlife, who will show participants how to identify a timber rattlesnake, their habitats, how they move and why they are an endangered species.
"I believe if you can identify the snakes and determine where their habitats are, may-be we can head off some of these problems before development starts," she said.
Terri Zinn, assistant to the director at Palmyra Cove Nature Park, said the presentation also reminds people that the park is open year-around.
"We try to do environmental education presentations once a month, especially in the winter, on nature-related topics to bring awareness to the nature park," Zinn said.
Anyone interested in the free presentation can call Terri Zinn at (856) 829-1900 ext. 262, or e-mail her at tzinn@bcbridges.org.
Palmyra Cove hosts program on timber rattlesnakes