Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was flipping through the channels and came upon a show on Animal Planet where these people were catching Rattlesnakes in Texas to sell, stuff, kill, eat, use, etc. I can't understand how Animal Planet can promote such a show ... but the people catching them tried to make it seem ok because they were only keeping the males. They said they could tell the males from females by how many bands they have on their tails. Is this true or was it only bull and the real reason he threw back the one he used as an example was too small/young and wouldn't fetch as high of a price. I say this because I didn't see any of the other people who were catching them throw any back. Then too, I've never heard of sexing snakes in this way.

Did the show seem to promote this behavior or shed light on it?

I've never heard of sexing rattlers this way and prefer to use tail shape rather than color as the initial method. Then use tools if there really is doubt.

Idiots like this guys are speeding up evolution 10x by killing the noisy rattlers.

Only the quiet ones will be left to breed and give birth to more quiet ones.

Eventually, well get a rattler that's just like its tropical cousin, no rattles same snake.

No warning.
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The way to get started is to quit talking & begin doing. It's kind of fun to do the impossible. -Walt Disney