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Great essay about sharks. Here’s an excerpt. Make sure to read the whole thing.

Four things EVERYONE needs to know about sharks

1) Sharks do not represent a serious threat to human beings. Yes, some people have died as a result of shark encounters, and any human death is a tragedy, but it is important to keep in mind the relative risk of a shark attack. Of the over 500 species of sharks worldwide, fewer than a dozen have ever been known to kill a human. In an average year, over 650,000 Americans die as a result of heart disease, giving me a 1 in 5 chance of dying of heart disease in my lifetime. In an average year, over 550,000 Americans die from cancer, giving me a 1 in 7 chance of dying from cancer in my lifetime. In an average year, over 40,000 Americans die in car accidents, giving me a 1 in 84 chance of dying in a car accident in my lifetime. In an average year, 1 American dies from a shark attack, giving me a 1 in 3,748,067 chance of dying from a shark attack in my lifetime.

Again, any human death is a tragedy, but when you have a 1 in 5 chance of dying from heart disease and a 1 in 4 million chance of dying from a shark attack, should we really be so concerned about the threat to us that sharks represent?

Millions of Americans spend time in the oceans each year. Sharks have been evolving incredible sensory systems, part of what makes them such incredible hunters, for over 400 million years. They can also swim a great deal faster than we can. If they wanted to attack humans, a lot more than one American a year would be killed by a shark.  Sharks are simply not a serious threat to us.

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The Ocean’s Most Fearsome Predators Written By Jim W. Harper    NO, IT’S NOT SHARKS — IT HOMO SAPIENS   What’s the one word you don’t want to hear at the beach? No, it’s not what you think. “Police!” In 2003 a police SUV ran over and killed a French tourist sunbathing on Miami Beach. If you were thinking “shark,” you should know that no tourist in Miami has ever died from a shark attack. In fact there has never been a confirmed death by shark in Miami.  Peter Benchley, the creator ofJaws, spent his later years fighting to save sharks. I saw him speak about shark conservation at the University of Miami shortly before he died in 2006. Sharks had become the victim, he realized, and man had become the jaws of death. Every year some 100 million wild sharks are killed by man. How many men are killed annually by sharks? About ten. The real difference, however, is that the human population and its capacity to harvest the sea is rising, whereas the shark and other fish populations are shrinking. It’s the same sad story in the sea as on land: Man is taking too much and caring too little. Global studies on sharks estimate that their populations have shriveled in the past century by 90 percent. Moreover, those that remain are being pursued more relentlessly than ever. But why care about such a dangerous animal? The answer is essentially the same as the answer about insects and snakes and bears. People may find them terrifying and inconvenient, but their existence is linked to everything that humans depend on. Balanced watersheds, including their inhabitants from the microscopic to the intimidating, provide clean drinking water. Insects pollinate our crops; animals are our main source of protein. It’s the simple circle of life that makes each species valuable. Sharks are valued for their fins. Shark-fin soup is a delicacy in Chinese culture, and demand for shark fins has skyrocketed as East Asian countries have gained wealth. Check out the 2007 documentary Sharkwater to gain insight on this international market and inhumane fishery. The most barbaric fishers will slice the fins off of live sharks and dump the living bodies back into the water to die a slow death. They don’t want to carry the extra weight of the shark’s body, which is much less valuable than the fins. Shark-finning is illegal in the U.S. and many other countries, but the practice is nearly impossible to regulate on the high seas. It requires a correction from the marketplace. One guy in Miami could care less about the fate of sharks. “Mark the Shark” runs a popular charter-fishing operation and claims to be the world’s leading shark fisherman. Sportfishing is not the main enemy of sharks (industrial fishing is), but killing sharks for sport gives the impression that there are many to spare. At the other end of the spectrum are shark conservationists, and South Florida is home to many of the world’s best. The granddaddy of shark conservation is Sonny Gruber, a Miami Beach native who founded the Bimini Shark Lab and retired not long ago from the University of Miami. Following in his flippers is current doctoral candidate at UM and great-white-shark fanatic Neil Hammerschlag, who has led several groups of South Florida high school students on shark expeditions to Africa. Check out his conservation Website and awesome shark photos at neil4sharks.org. At the University of Florida is the International Shark Attack File. It runs one of my favorite Websites, which attempts to answer the question on every beachgoer’s mind: How long will it be before I’m attacked and killed by a rouge shark? The data tells us that Florida leads the world in shark attacks. The good news is that the vast majority of attacks are not deadly, and they are concentrated in the state’s northeastern quadrant (be careful in Daytona Beach). According to the International Shark Attack File, the Florida Keys has not had a fatal shark attack since 1952 and Miami-Dade since 1961, although Broward registered a fatality in 2001. Both of these fatalities involved scuba divers, as did a fatality last year in the Bahamas, where diving expeditions feed sharks. Shark-feeding is banned in Florida. What’s the total number of shark attacks in Miami-Dade during the past century? Ten. Fatalities? One. What’s the number of attacks in Florida from the great white, the shark portrayed in Jaws? Zero. More facts: Most attacks occur on surfers. Alligator attacks in Florida are less common but more deadly. More people are killed annually by dogs, but those attacks don’t make the news. Simply put, sharks are not out to get us, but they do bite. If they taste a surfer, they usually spit it out. They much prefer turtles and seals. Humans, on the other hand, are definitely out to eliminate the shark, although most people remain ignorant of the pillage. Instead of adding ignorance to fear, be aware of this situation and study it. You will find that sharks deserve more than just respect. They need protection — like the wolf and the polar bear and the sea turtle. Add this bumper sticker to your collection: Man Attacks Shark. Save the Shark.

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Four common myths about rattlesnakes

Myth: They always rattle before striking. Reality: Rattling behavior is unpredictable. Cal Poly assistant biology professor Emily Taylor has handled dozens of rattlesnakes, and their behavior when confronted by a human varies from lots of rattling to passiveness. The best way to avoid getting bitten is to watch where you step when in rattlesnake territory and never reach anywhere before checking to see if a snake is there.

Myth: You can tell a rattler’s age by the number of rattles it has. Reality: Rattlesnakes form a new rattle every time they shed. A snake can shed several times a year and older rattles can break off. The number of rattles a snake has only indicates if it is young or old.

Myth: A baby rattler’s bite is more dangerous than an adult’s. Reality: This is based on the fact that, drop for drop, a baby rattlesnake’s venom can be more toxic. However, an adult rattler has much more venom than a baby. So a bite from an adult rattler is almost always worse than one from a baby.

Myth: Rattlesnakes are aggressive. Reality: A rattler uses its venom to incapacitate and digest its food. The last thing it wants to do is waste its venom on a person, something that’s way too big for it to eat. Just about the only ways to get bitten by a rattler is to step on one or pick one up. “Most rattlesnake bites are on the hands and arms of young men with alcohol involved,” Taylor said.

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This is basically how I feel, too. I especially find the fact about our willingness to live with dogs – who injure and kill far more people per year than mountain lions ever do – compelling. It’s a point I’ve made here a number of times already.

As I See It: We can live with cougars (April 27)
By JEFF PICTON

With all of the attention being given to the case of the wayward cougar, I thought it might be appropriate to share a few facts about cougar biology and behavior, and perhaps offer a different perspective.

Cougars are the top predators in the ecosystems in which they live. Their primary prey is deer, although they will prey on other smaller species of animals. They typically are most active at dawn and dusk.

Cougars are mostly solitary animals, except when females are raising young or when adults are mating. The home range of a single cougar varies according to season, habitat quality and prey availability, but may range from 50 to 100 square miles.

A female cougar will give birth to from two to four young, and they will stay with her for 18 to 24 months. The young disperse to find a territory of their own when their mothers begin the breeding cycle again. These young cats are called “transients,” and they are the ones most likely to be involved in depredation incidents or conflicts with humans. I suspect that this cat is a dispersing youngster just trying to figure out where to go.

These youngsters often are quite curious and will sometimes follow other animals or approach human habitations. They prefer retreat as opposed to conflict, but will attack when cornered, as will any other wild animal.

The risk of actually being attacked by a cougar is relatively minor. That isn’t to say it can’t happen, but statistically speaking it is highly unlikely. In the last 100 years, there have been approximately 20 people killed by cougars in the United States and 80 or 90 nonfatal attacks. Statistically speaking, your chances of being attacked by a cougar are somewhere in the neighborhood of 1:100 million.

During that same time period, 1,300 people have been killed by rattlesnakes, and 4000 have been killed by bees. Every year, more than 20 people are killed by domestic dogs and over 40,000 people die in car accidents.

I find it interesting that we walk through our neighborhoods with a dog in every other yard, and hop in our cars on a daily basis, all without a second thought, yet some of us become terrified at the idea of a 60-pound cat roaming around. It all comes down to risk acceptance. Is it worth killing this cougar when the risks of letting it live are so small?

I am biased. I freely admit it. But I believe that there are things people can do to co-exist with wildlife, such as educating themselves about the wildlife around them, and learning what to do when you encounter any wild animal.

We teach our children how to behave around strange dogs, and to buckle-up in the car. We can teach them about how to live with wildlife, too.

Cougars probably have been moving through this area since before people were here; they just haven’t been as visible as this one. However, the same risks have always been there. We might as well learn to adapt now to this situation, as it is likely to reoccur.

I may be naive, but I like to believe that people are capable of a shift in paradigms that will allow them to peacefully co-exist with their wild neighbors. Our new president seems to be doing just that and is going out of his way to attempt to establish peaceful relationships with many of our former enemies. Shouldn’t we consider doing the same thing with the wildlife that we share this planet with? Isn’t it time?

Jeff Picton is the executive director of the Chintimini Wildlife Refuge north of Corvallis. For more information, see www.chintiminiwildlife.org.

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Success and Survival Tips From An Alligator Wrestler

Posted by: lance in Dog Swimming Pool

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In the film ‘The Waterboy’, a teacher asked: “Why are alligators so aggressive?”

The waterboy replied: “Momma tells me alligators are ornery because they have all those teeth but no toothbrush!”

Nigel Marven, the wild life expert, was not content with what his mother told him about alligators. He spent a year in Southern Florida in 2002 studying their ways and making films about them.

A collection of his experiences on film are called ‘Nigel Marven’s Alligator Adventure’. Nigel, back in England, had noticed an advertisement which read:

“Wanted! Alligator Wrestler. Must Be Brave and a Risk Taker!!! No Experience Needed.”

The ad described Nigel exactly. Alligator wrestlers were needed because Southern Florida was in its second year of drought. Nigel commented:

“One and a half million alligators are getting desperate and have started coming into town in search of water causing big problems. That’s where my special mission will come in – dealing with nuisance alligators.”

Nigel realized that some kind of training would help him to survive and to succeed in his job. He chose to train with an experienced alligator wrestler, a Miccosukee Indian, called Kenny.

The Miccosukee have lived and hunted alligators in this area for centuries.

An alligator’s jaws have a crushing power of 3000lbs per square inch. Their teeth are not as sharp as crocodiles so they do not chew their prey. They thrash their victims around till body parts are ripped off and can be swallowed whole.

Another difference is that crocodile snouts are narrow and pointed whereas alligator snouts are broad and round.

Kenny waved his hat in front of the eyes of a ten foot alligator to get it to open its mouth. He tapped above its snout several times with his hand

He then put his hand close to its mouth. When it snapped its jaws shut and then opened them, he moved in fast and closed its jaws with his left palm underneath and his right palm on top. He finally gripped its jaws with his thumbs on top and his fingers underneath.

He moved closer bending the alligator’s neck back with his left knee. He then moved anticlockwise round the left side of the alligator stepping first with his right leg, holding its jaws shut with his left hand alone until he could sit on its back pulling its head back with both hands. Again his thumbs were on top and his fingers underneath.

It was Nigel’s turn next. He had a go at a five foot alligator. What it lacked in size, it would make up for in speed. He approached it from the rear. It took him a while to get his courage up for his first move.

He then moved in fast squatting on its back just behind its front legs and covering its eyes with his left hand which also slammed its head towards the ground. This closed its mouth so Nigel could grab its jaws with his thumbs on top of its upper jaw and his fingers underneath the lower jaw.

To tie up its jaws he would have to bend its neck back until the alligator’s closed snout could be held in a clamped position under his own chin! The alligator did not enjoy this experience:

“I can hear that hissing. It’s going all through my body.”

He got off by putting its head down and then moving quickly away from its jaws.

Nigel decided he had learned enough grappling techniques and headed off to see the creatures in the wild. He was, after all, a wild life scientist as well as an alligator wrestler!

That evening he travelled to a small pool packed with alligators. He could see orange red eyes and feel the tension in the air. It would have been suicide to try and swim in this pool so he punted his way in.

One alligator came right up alongside his boat:

“They are curious about anything new and it is clear they are really hungry. 
This is magical. You can see them gliding through the water. Some are hunting.

“They’ve eaten all the turtles and the fish and all there is left is each other. The smaller alligators try to keep out of the way of the bigger ones by sticking to the shallows but sometimes there is no escape.”

One huge alligator attacked an adolescent alligator:

“It is shaking it like a dog shaking a rat. They can’t chew. They can only grip so they thrash and crash until they dismember the bodies of large prey.”

Later in daylight, Nigel moved close in the shallows to a large alligator and started tapping it on top of its nostrils until it opened its mouth wide. It clearly enjoyed having its snout rubbed.

Nigel put one hand in its mouth to point out the stubs of teeth that the alligator grips with. He was at the same time talking to and looking at the camera!

He then put his head in its mouth to give viewers a closer look at the throat! A camera was attached to his forehead. An alligator has no lips to seal its mouth from water so it has a false palate which seals its throat instead.

Nigel was determined to show a close up of this amazing design feature. He moved his head further and further in. Suddenly, the alligator lost patience and snapped its jaws twice.

Nigel narrowly escaped without losing his head or his arm not to mention the camera!

“Wow! Wow! I had to be fast there, didn’t I really? Pheaw! That nearly spoiled my weekend!”

Alligators cannot survive for long outside water so, in times of drought, they create their own ponds or ’swimming pools’. They push mud back with their front legs and then sweep it away with their back legs and tails. These pools help other species to survive as well.

Nigel decided to explore a pool ‘owned’ by a large female alligator. He entered the pool while the alligator was recharging her energies at the side of the pool in the sun. He estimated this would take about half an hour.

He managed to unearth a salamander and an aggressively vicious snapping turtle that was only too keen to attack both him and the cameraman! Its jaws are designed for cutting and not grinding. A bite could snip off a finger or thumb.

Throughout the program, Nigel was full of enthusiasm. He was delighted to discover some of the most horrendous looking creatures that most people would pay good money to avoid.

He only just escaped the pool before the ‘owner’ reached him.

His next ‘adventure’ was to swim with huge bull alligators and female alligators during their mating rituals. He was told by an expert to keep at least twenty feet away from the bulls, to keep low in the water and to splash water towards an alligator if it moved towards him.

He ignored some of this advice and got within six feet of a huge bull alligator. The bulls lift their heads and tails high out of the water and bellow as part of the courting ritual.

They vibrate so much with the sound of the bellow and a deeper sound below the level of human hearing, that the water ‘dances’ in the air above their backs.

Female alligators bellow too but at a higher more ladylike pitch. The water does not dance on their backs.

Nigel entered the water, as planned, to get closer to the sounds and sights of this magical scene.

He was so absorbed in watching the amazing mating ritual of one bull that he failed to notice an alligator stalking him. Fortunately, he turned and saw it in time. The water was shallow and this helped him get out unscathed.

During mating the female is submerged underneath and if the pair gets carried away she may even drown. Normally, however, her eggs are fertilized and she lays them within two or three weeks and then after two or three months the little alligators emerge.

Nigel next swam with some manatees. These peaceful mammals can be fifteen feet long and weigh 3000 pounds – as much as a car or a rhinoceros.

They eat a hundred pounds of green stuff a day and have 150 foot long intestines to process all the plants they eat. Water hyacinths are their main diet in Florida.

They are so large that they do not need to fear the alligators. They usually come up to breathe every four minutes or so but can stay submerged for over sixteen minutes.

At one point an American crocodile joined the swimming party. There are only about 500 American crocodiles left – all in Florida. Nigel’s reaction was typical:

“For me swimming with one is a privilege indeed.”

In the next ‘adventure’, Nigel drew away an eight foot mother alligator from her hatching eggs so that he could get close enough to do some research. He was thrilled to hear the babies chirping as they hatched.

As he came close, she turned and snapped at him with stunning speed. But he backed off with equal speed. Maybe she was just snapping her jaws together to frighten him away. She snapped again.

He encouraged her to come towards him once more and tripped over some tree roots on his left. Luckily, he kept on his feet and survived yet again!

“Cor! That snap really got my heart beating. If they run at you they can run at twelve miles an hour. I should be able to out run her. Wow! Come on, Mum! Wow!” Each time Nigel said ‘Wow!’ the alligator came at him.

Eventually, Nigel lay close and low on the ground watching entranced as she helped the baby alligators to hatch by rolling the eggs around in her mouth:

“Astounding animal behaviour – this is what I live for. This gets the blood coursing through my veins. The baby alligators walk towards their mum. They know that she’s the best way to get to the water.”

When she went off to take one of two of her babies to the water, he examined the others to see what sex they were. Their sex is determined by the temperature they are incubated at:

“This is ridiculous! These are reptiles but I feel like a proud father. This is the first day of these little hatchling lives. They could live to fifty.”

Nigel also found some baby turtles in the alligator nest. He carried these to the water in his hands.

Alligator hatchlings stay together as a family for two or three years but only a few will make it to adulthood.

From day one they catch food for themselves but they are also hunted by predators like otters. The Mother alligator can’t be everywhere at once especially when she has about forty baby alligators to protect.

There is one alligator for every ten people in Florida. They can be tempted by different kinds of food like dogs. They take about a hundred a year but it is not just pets that are in jeopardy. Alligators can turn up anywhere. Fortunately attacks on humans are extremely rare.

Nigel met fourteen year old Edna Wilkes and her friend Amanda. They were swimming at night in a lake when Edna was attacked by an alligator. She had never seen alligators in that lake before and wasn’t scared about swimming there.

She thought her friend Mark was squeezing her arm and said: “Mark! Stop playing around!” Then she saw a snout. Her arm was in the alligator’s jaws.

She was pulled underwater before she had a chance to scream and the alligator started to spin. Alligators drown their prey and spin to tear off chunks of flesh.

Her friend could not ‘bear to see her die’ and handed her a board that Edna got her upper body onto. Edna used her free right arm to try to open the alligator’s mouth and to ‘mess’ with him:

“I guess I irritated him and he let me go!”

Edna kept her left arm although it had multiple fractures.

Now it was time for Nigel to put his skills and knowledge to the test.

A nuisance alligator had been spotted in a swimming pool. It was large and on the bottom of the pool. Nigel would have to swim underwater to capture it with his bare hands.

He was, not surprisingly, nervous. He asked for advice from Joe, an expert friend.

Joe advised: “Be slow, careful and deliberate. Cover the eyes and make sure the mouth is closed before grabbing its snout. If necessary, push its head to the bottom of the pool to close its mouth.”

Nigel’s swam up behind the alligator along its back His first attempt to grab its closed snout failed and he came up gasping for air. On the second attempt:

“His jaws just missed me!”

Third time lucky – he swam above the alligator and grabbed the snout with the jaws closed with his left hand. He brought the alligator in near the steps into the pool. His friend Joe helped him tape the mouth shut and then lift it out of the pool

As usual, Nigel saw the positives of this terrifying experience:

“This bloke gave me a beautiful ride in the swimming pool.”

Florida laws said that a nuisance alligator over four feet long should be killed but Nigel made sure that this one was released into an Everglades sanctuary where it could live on for many years to come. He commented:

“I just hope that the people in Florida never lose patience with their prehistoric neighbours. I have enjoyed my alligator adventure so much.”

My step brother emailed me this poem which shows that alligators are not necessarily the guilty party when it comes to attacks on human beings! It is called ‘The Purist’ by Ogden Nash:

I give you now Professor Twist,

A conscientious scientist,

Trustees exclaimed, “He never bungles!”

And sent him off to distant jungles.

Camped on a tropic riverside,

One day he missed his loving bride.

She had, the guide informed him later,

Been eaten by an alligator.

Professor Twist could not but smile.

“You mean,” he said, “a crocodile.”

Several success and survival tips can be learned from Nigel’s ‘adventures’.

Get training from the best in the business. Nigel sought advice from at least three experts. He also applied their advice although not all of it.

Maintain your enthusiasm for what you are doing even if you make mistakes. Churchill defined success as going from one failure to another without losing your enthusiasm. Nigel did not give up in the swimming pool.

Follow your passions. Nigel had bathed at home in his bath with young caymans from an early age. He later swam with alligators. He loved finding out about animals and reptiles.

Keep your childhood curiosity and sense of wonder so that you can enjoy your experiences on this amazing planet.

Chrissy Ogden wrote: ‘Keeping in touch with childhood memories keeps us believing in life’s simplest pleasures like a rainy afternoon, a swing set, and a giant puddle to play in.’ All through the film Nigel was playing in giant puddles.

Knowledge and fascination can lessen fear and panic. Nigel’s mind was so filled with his curiosity about the creatures he met up with that it did not have room for too much fear. Keep learning new things and your life will be less anxious and less fearful.

Don’t give up even if you feel your life is in the grip of an ‘alligator’ like debt or illness.

Be willing to take risks although I would not advise taking Nigel as your role model. I just checked on the internet to see if he is still alive. He is!

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I would have to agree. I hate when people just automatically kill a rattlesnake out in the wild. Interesting that lightning poses so much of a greater threat.

Don’t let snake rattle you

I recently received an e-mail I thought I would share with you. It was written by Marsha, a Desert Sun reader from the Coachella Valley.

“Today I had an incident on the Bump and Grind Trail that really disturbed me. I was at the bottom of the last hill when I encountered a rattlesnake, maybe 2 feet long. My instinct was to watch this beautiful creature. I felt honored at being in its presence.

“Then this horrid man came along the trail and wanted to crush the snake with a rock. I said you are not going to throw a rock at this rattlesnake. He said ‘I am going to kill it with a rock.’ I said ‘You are not.’ I stood in the way of this man and guarded the snake. He was insistent he was going to kill the snake with a rock. I told him the snake had a right to be there, and he should be grateful to see it.

“Basically, he shouted that I was nuts. I stood guard over the snake until he finally left with his three boys. I was so grateful to see the snake and save it from this awful man.”

I can’t remember how many times I have heard such accounts from friends, relatives and people I have just met.

I commend Marsha for her willingness to confront a man who was eager to kill the rattlesnake. For those who might wonder, I would have followed Marsha’s lead.

Rattlesnakes are one component, one living part, of our desert environment. Most rattlesnakes spend their lives hunting and eating rodents and other small mammals. This time of year, they are also searching for mates.

Rattlesnakes do everything in their power to avoid detection by large animals, particularly humans. They have evolved a rattle that functions as a warning device when an enemy approaches to close.

Nearly all potential human- rattlesnake encounters are prevented when the rattlesnake shakes its tail, giving humans a chance to move away. I have encountered more than 1,000 rattlesnakes in my life, and only once did a rattlesnake not rattle before it struck at me. I was not watching where I placed my feet and shoved my boot into its side. Its fangs caught my pant leg but not me!

Each year, a handful of people in the United States die from venomous snakes bites. Of these deaths, most involve keepers or researchers that regularly handle venomous snakes.

By contrast, dozens of people die as a result of attacks from their pets (particularly dogs), hundreds die from honeybee stings and many thousands as a result of reckless drivers.

In the grand scheme of things, the threat posed by a wild rattlesnake is almost nonexistent. The average outdoor enthusiast is 1,000 times more likely to die from a lightning strike than from a rattlesnake bite.

If destroying something is based upon the threat it poses to our well-being, no matter how minor the threat might be, then we might as well destroy everything we see, hear or touch.

Frankly, the man who wanted to pick up the rock and smash the rattlesnake in front of his three sons scares me a lot more than even the largest rattlesnake.

James Cornett is the author of “Rattlesnakes: Answers to Frequent Questions.”

Link (It’s a PDF)

A very informative document from the New Mexico Game and Fish Department.

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In my book the lowest people on earth are individuals who mistreat children. Just a step above such trash are those who mistreat animals..

As for the latter, though, there is a difference between humankind and lower animals. Humans are, for the most part, carnivorous, which means that the flesh of certain animals is an acceptable item of nourishment.

It was wrong to slaughter the buffalo just for the sake of slaughtering the beasts. Not only was the buffalo a prime source of food for many Native Americans, but also they used the bones for their tools and the pelts for clothing and shelter. There was nothing wasted.

The conflict between humans and lower forms of animal life spawned the endangered species act.

Like too many acts established for good reason, this one also can get ridiculous. One would think that rattlesnakes might be exempt from endangered status, but a few years ago that assumption was wrong. It didn’t include all rattlers, just the Western Prairie Rattler.

When the first Europeans arrived in North America, they encountered a unique creature, the rattlesnake. Some type of rattler can be found in every one of the 48 contiguous states. It even became a national symbol of sorts, with  “Don’t Tread On Me,” with the cut-up image of one used to promote “Unite or Die” as interest grew to separate the colonies from Britain. But all forms of rattlesnakes can be quite hazardous with a most powerful venom.

A majority of healthy people who suffer a rattler bite do not die, especially if they receive prompt first aid and good medical treatment. Nevertheless, a rattlesnake bite causes serious injury to a human and some do die from the venom. Those who survive  often have a life long problem.

The Western Prairie Rattler is one of only two types of rattlesnakes currently considered endangered. The other is the masaqua, smaller snake. This means it is against the law to kill a either of the twoi species unless the snake is actually attacking an individual. In other words, if you see one in the back yard where your kids play regularly, you cannot kill it unless it is actually attacking. The law apparently considers the snake more endangered than your kids playing and sharing space with one of the pesky varmints in the backyard. That is plain bovine effluvia. While one should not traipse in the woods to kill where there are no humans in peril there is a definite danger of one in the back yard whether or not it is attacking at the time.

I suppose one could go over and provoke the snake to coil and threaten to invoke its natural form of protection, but that is not a wise move. In some such cases the snake has been known to win.

One of the most erroneous and dangerous misconceptions about rattlesnakes is that they always give audible warning before striking.

If that was true, rattlesnakes would starve to death, since most animals that make up the diet for the snakes have an inherent knowledge of the danger involved when they hear a rattler shaking its tail. Often when the snake gets around to rattling, the damage has been done.

Law or no law, if there is a rattlesnake in my yard, attacking or not, it is not only  endangered but dead.

In a way, all rattlesnakes are endangered in one sense. Rattlesnakes (with most other snakes) and people cannot live side by side, and in most people’s mind, human beings still take precedent over reptiles. The main reason the Western Prairie Rattler is losing out is because people have moved into the area. In the conflict between man and rattlesnakes, the eventual loser is the snake. That is the law of nature, which supercedes any law that can be enacted in any legislature.

When farmers clear and till the ground it is detrimental to the snakes and they soon die out in that area. When the former range of the snakes is invaded by human settlement, the snakes’ days are numbered. It is an important reason why people, including Real Estate agents trying to sell empty houses, should keep the grass mowed and weeds cut down in their living areas.

It is probably fortunate there was no endangered species act when the dinosaurs started to die out.
 

Trivia Time: What is the average number of annual deaths from rattlesnake bite in the U.S.?

Answer to last question. The 27th Amendment to the Constitution was proposed along with the Bill of Rites but was not declared ratified until 200 years later in 1991. It simply states that the pay of Representatives and Senators cannot be altered until the next election for Representatives. Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know this since it seems the folks in Congress apparently don’t either. 

Contact George Frasher at 337-238-3433, E-mail frasher@cebridge.net.

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Since Tornadoes can actually happen anywhere in the U.S., you should know what to do in case one touches down near you! Follow the link above for the full article.

Tornado Safety: Understanding Myths & Misconceptions about Tornadoes

By the Mother Earth News Editors

April and May are the prime months for tornadoes in much of the United States. A little knowledge about these deadly storms can go a long way toward guarding your safety. Here are a few tornado myths and misconceptions to watch out for…

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I had no idea. So now what should we carry to defend ourselves? Or should we just not worry about it?

Is Bear Pepper Spray Legal or Illegal to have in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

With more than 2 black bear per square mile and around 900 miles of hiking trails and roadways in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, your chances of having a bear encounter up close or from a distance are quite good. Because of this many hikers and campers carry cans of bear pepper spray they have purchased from either outfitters or online.

Regardless of what these stores or web sites are telling you, it is ILLEGAL to carry, posses or use any form of bear spray, pepper spray, mace or any other irritant gas spray in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. This is not just a “park rule” but a weapons law on federal property – not something you want to break at any cost.

Don’t kill the messenger as I was in complete shock when I learned of this through the kindness of a park employee who read on one of my web sites my recommendation to purchase and carry bear spray when hiking or camping in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

It’s pretty obvious to anyone who hikes or goes camping in the Great Smoky Mountains national park that it is against the law to have a loaded firearm in the park. There are signs at every trailhead and this general rule – make that law – applies to most national parks.

The fact that guns are prohibited from the Great Smoky Mountains national park also appears on the back of park maps, in written park literature, is stated in lectures given by both park personal and volunteers and on the parks web site.

What is virtually impossible for the average park visitor to find anywhere is the fact that you can not carry bear spray or on your person – that includes in your backpack while in the park.

Even more confusing is the fact that if you do a general search on theGreat Smoky Mountains national park web site under “National Park Service for the term “bear spray” it describes the use of bear spray in other national parks.

Yesterday I went to a handful of local outfitters or their web sites in the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville area and they all have bear pepper spray for sale. When I asked not one told me I could not carry bear spray in the park.

As a mater of fact one of the best known outfitters in Gatlinburg whose store is so close it is almost in the GSM national park has on their web site “Bear Spray & Personal Protection For A Safe Hike In Great Smoky Mountains National Park Or In Your Own Neighborhood”.

To be further confusing many other companies online, web sites, hiker forums etc all advocate the use of Bear Pepper Spray in national parks – often specifically referencing the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

As mater of fact it is also used as a reason why guns should not be needed against a bear attack in a national park. I myself recommended it many times as a viable non lethal alternative to guns with a far lower chance of serious collateral damage to others.

I see Appalachian Trail through hikers in the Great Smoky Mountains national park as a group unknowingly breaking this law quite regularly and since their travels take them through various jurisdictions with varying laws they are at a greater risk of being caught up in breaking this weapons law on federal property.

In case you are wondering what the exact law is and if it has been misinterpreted by me here it is:

TITLE 36–PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY

CHAPTER I–NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

PART 2_RESOURCE PROTECTION, PUBLIC USE AND RECREATION–Table of Contents
Sec. 2.4 Weapons, traps and nets.

(a)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section and parts 7 (special regulations) and 13 (Alaska regulations), the following are prohibited:
(i) Possessing a weapon, trap or net
(ii) Carrying a weapon, trap or net
(iii) Using a weapon, trap or net
Definition of a weapon is described below:

TITLE 36–PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY

CHAPTER I–NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

PART 1_GENERAL PROVISIONS–Table of Contents

Sec. 1.4 What terms do I need to know?
Weapon means a firearm, compressed gas or spring-powered pistol or rifle, bow and arrow, crossbow, blowgun, speargun, hand-thrown spear, slingshot, irritant gas device, explosive device, or any other implement designed to discharge missiles, and includes a weapon the possession of which is prohibited under the laws of the State in which the park area or portion thereof is located.

If you have purchased bear pepper spray through one of my web sites for use only in the GSMNP and you wish to return it, contact me through the site and I will arrange for you to be able to return it for a full refund.

If you own bear spray, don’t bring it into the Great Smoky Mountains national park and I suggest you call any other place you wish to carry it before you bring it there.

If you are not happy with the law banning the use of Bear Spray in the GSMNP, don’t harass the park employees, complain to your congressman or Washington.

As for my recommendation to the national park, I would consider adding a written notice that bear spray or any irritant gas device is illegal to posses in the GSMNP on:

• Park bulletin boards – the first one being at the beginning of the AT in Fontana.
• The black bear page on the parks web site
• Printing it on future bear, hiking and camping literature
• On the back of future issues of park maps where other park rules are located right next to where it says firearms are prohibited.

There are questions as to the effectiveness of Bear Spray and well as potential safety issues for those not properly trained in its use.

I also as that if you have a hiking or camping forum you post in, blog, MySpace or Facebook page you let others know about this law by linking to this page at:

http://yoursmokies.blogspot.com/2009/04/is-bear-pepper-spray-legal-or-illegal.html

As always comments are not only welcome but encouraged.

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Here’s a thoughtful defense of the breed. 

Here is what responsible owners have to say!

It is time to ban this breed?

The Province April 14, 2009

There is no doubt there are many wonderful pit bulls in the world. People familiar with the breed often talk about how social they are, that they love to play, and that they make great family pets.

Unfortunately, pit bulls have three strikes against them:

1.When they bite, they don’t easily let go and the damage to their victim is almost always severe.
2. They scare the hell out of people. Yellow Lab walks down the street with its owner and people smile. Pit bull walks down the street with its owner and people cross the street.
3. They don’t attract quality owners. That’s not to say all pit bull owners are questionable pet owners, just that an inordinate number of questionable pet owners are attracted to pit bulls.
On Friday, a pit bull savagely attacked a three-year- old in Surrey. No doubt the family is devastated by the incident. The father of the injured boy has accepted responsibility for not keeping a better eye on his son.”I can’t say it’s the dog’s fault,” the dad told Global TV.

However, in the end, it was the dog that did the biting and it was the dog that was euthanized.
There is no doubt there are many wonderful pit bulls in the world, but the time has come for jurisdictions like British Columbia to ban ownership of this breed for the safety of all.

What do you think? E-mail a brief comment, including your name and town to: provletters@theprovince.com

This is what we think:

NO it is not time to “ban this breed” it is time to stand up and hold the irresponsible OWNERS accountable for thier failer to house, train and socialize their dogs. Banning a breed doesn’t do anything but make the public FEEL safe, do you actually think that people who cant even follow a simple leash law are going to be able to follow a breed ban or the rules that would be implimented with BSL legislation.

WAKE UP, if only all provinces would follow in Alberta’s foot steps, Calgary has some of the best dog legislation in the WORLD and NO breeds are banned !

Proud owner and rescuer of the American Pit Bull Terrier

Here is an essay by one of the commenters on this weblog that I thought deserved its own post.

Last year I used Google Alert to get some insight on dog bites and attacks. For those of you that don’t know about this service, you give Google a topic and it e-mails you news releases on that topic.

So, for the last year I have been getting on average of, lets say, four alerts a day, and at least one report every day. Now, if I disregard the reports that are non relevant (articles that happen to have the words dog and bite or dog and attack in the story) then disregard the articles that are multiples of the same stories, I am still left with a staggering amount of violent incidences between humans and K-9’s.

Reading through every word of every article is not my cup of tea. My research skills are not great. However, I have trained myself to at least skim through all the articles to find the age of the human victim and the breed of the dog involved. Many of the attack releases are horrifying. Most involve young or small children, the dogs are (usually) known to the victim and of course “Pit Bull” is the news popular breed.

I am not writing this article to bash Pit Bulls. I would never own one, because I am not a Pit Bull “type”. Nor am I a Poodle or German Shepard “type”. I think for the most part this breed is getting its reputation because of irresponsible humans that have no idea how to manage a dog that has been bred to be a killer. Do Jack Russell Terriers not bite? We breed them to kill. No one wants to take the time to read a story about a ferocious JRT. But we do pay attention to the dangerous breed attacks. As well, we have to take into consideration the severity of a Pit Bull attack.

Part of my dog related business involves dog attack training for utility companies. These are the people that go to your house to read meters or to service equipment and it’s usually in the same place where many people STORE their dogs. I have labeled these dogs “backyard lawn ornaments”. The utility workers tell me their biggest fear is going into a fenced yard and seeing a dog on the end of a chain. They also tell me that some people will actually chain the dog to the meter, or build the dog run around the services to the house. The meter still needs to be read so there is usually some type of confrontation between the worker and the dog or the worker and the dog’s owner when asked to remove the animal from the area. It is easy to see that people that keep dogs this way did not get a dog for companionship. This dog is nothing more than a tool and eventually grows to be a social misfit. If it escapes or a child wanders into the yard the outcome is usually grim.
Dogs, like humans, are social animals. They need interaction with other living beings to be mentally stable. A dog that grows up on the end of a chain will not develop the social skills needed to suppress the attack or bite reflexes when confronted by another dog or human. Understanding pack mentality is crucial to raising a dangerous breed pup.

There are many other reasons why dogs develop aggression problems. Dogs are naturally aggressive. It is a survival instinct they are born with. The aggressive pup in the litter gets the most nutrition, warmth and affection. Once humans are in charge of the nutrition, warmth, and affection, care must be taken to insure that the pup knows its place in the human pack. The pup must be raised as a dog, not a human. Humanizing a dog will cause aggressive behavior. Issues can come from something as trivial as letting your dog on the furniture. Height is status in the pack. A dominant dog will stand over the submissive dog to show dominance. So letting your dog sit or sleep with the human pack members can give the dog a sense of authority that needs to be protected by aggression.

Not controlling the entrance to the house can cause aggression issues. If your dog charges the door at the sound of a knock or a doorbell, it is a dominant response to protect the pack. A stable dog will know to alert the pack by barking once or twice and let the pack leader deal with the intruder. When you take your dog for a walk, the dog should be the last one through the door. In fact the dog should sit at an open door until it is allowed to go out. These may seem like small details to humans, but in a dogs mind Alpha Status is everything.

If your dog is showing signs of aggression look for the triggers. What causes this dog to react violently? It may be something as subtle as a food dish by a door, or just being frustrated from lack of exercise.

Bill A

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Be sure to check the link, because there are great pictures and write-ups there.

13 of the Biggest, Strangest, and Most Devastating Sinkholes on Earth

April 13th, 2009

One day you’re feeling satisfied with the fruits of all your yard work. The next day, your lawn is a gaping pit of mud. That’s if you are lucky – it could have been your house, neighborhood or, say, local interstate. Sinkholes tend to appear suddenly, and while particular regions are famously prone to sinkholes they happen all over the world. It begins with an innocuous leak in a rusty pipe. The earth beneath your feet quietly erodes until one day…whoosh. Whole buildings have been sucked into sinkholes. Entire roads have been knocked out. Here are some of the biggest and baddest sinkholes in the world…

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IS THE GRIZZLY TROUBLE . . . OR ARE WE?

How would you feel about being mauled by a 500 lb Grizzly Bear?  Frankly, my memory would be flooded with the smell of the beast, the rush of my emotions as my body came into contact with his fur, the pain of his teeth on my head, and the cut from claws being raked across my flesh.

This is the forgiving attitude of Ron Leming, an Elk hunter from Wyoming.  He doesn’t blame the Bear for the attack.  Ron’s father had the presence of mind and the skill with the bow and arrow to put the Bear down before it killed his son Ron.  What an experience they had together while tracking Elk for their home’s wild life decor, wall trophy, and/or Elk steaks.

How do we respond?  Are Bear attacks on the rise?  Read about it in the Outdoor Life magazine, March 2009, pages 44-50.  Teddy Roosevelt would say that the Bear is the Spirit of America. 

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Great message board discussion of Mountain Lions.

Jim Lowery passes on info from a workshop on mountain lion biology, taught by tracking pioneer Jim Halfpenny who among other knowledge has the largest database about cougar-human interactions, resulting from more than 500 interviews. Here are a couple of highlights.

Cougars and dogs. In Boulder, CO, where mountain lions have been seen fairly often in recent years, it was discovered that among all of the interactions between cougars and people with dogs (for example, people jogging or walking with their dogs on local trails), the cougar was dominant over the dog in 67% of the cases, while the dog was dominant in only 11%. And, in 48% of the cases, the dog was killed! For those people who think that bringing their dog along will protect them, Jim reminds us that jogging with a dog in mountain lion habitat “is basically baiting the cougar.”

Deterrent behavior. Students often ask us whether you should avoid making eye contact with a mountain lion, and the answer is, you should make eye contact. It does not escalate an encounter by doing so, and like standing tall, raising a jacket up above your shoulders to make yourself look larger, and making noise, it lets the cat know what you are. Of course pick children up off the ground and hold them when you encounter a cougar. What has not deterred a cougar: foghorns or playing dead. In the latter, there have been instances in which a mountain lion has simply dragged off a person playing dead. A cougar may growl, moan or hiss without actually attacking. Make sure you stand tall and do not run, which may trigger an automatic chase response. The likelihood of a cougar attack increases with how fast you move.

Mountain lion range. In the East and Midwest, there have been increased sightings of cougars in recent years. Many “sightings” have been housecats, bobcats or dogs though. For the most accurate information, go to www. cougarnet.org, a website that shows specific evidence for verified sightings east of the Rockies. At the site, click on the “big picture” map and go to “confirmations.” By the way, I was surprised to discover that there are an estimated 12,000 pet cougars in the U.S., many of them illegally kept.

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A dog bite victim advocacy group. Interesting site.

Over 150 dog breeds populate the US. Studies show that two breeds account for nearly 70% of bites that end in death and serious injury. We must regulate these breeds or risk the safety of our families and pets

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Here’s a very thoughtful essay about the issue of dogs attacking children and what can be done to prevent it in the future.

Work together to solve dog attack issues

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Pits bulls again made the news. Now, before I go on, don’t think this is an editorial about pit bulls. All dogs bite. While bites have long been endured as a job-related hazard for utility and postal workers, for many cities the problem affects the entire community. Dog bites are serious public health problems that cause considerable physical and emotional damage to victims and incalculable costs to communities.

Following a severe attack, there is always an outcry to do something by citizens, and the something that is done often reflects a knee-jerk response. Typically, it’s an outcry to “ban the breed.” However, a knee-jerk response does not cure an ongoing problem. Of critical concern are the demographics of typical dog bite victims. Almost half are children younger than 12 years old, and boys 5 to 9 are at the highest risk. People more than 70 years old comprise 10 percent of those bitten and 20 percent of those killed. The costs of dog bite injuries are high. The insurance industry estimates it pays more than $1 billion a year in homeowners’ liability claims resulting from dog bites. Hospital expenses for dog bite-related emergency visits are estimated at $102.4 million.

A frequent question is what breed or breeds of dogs are most “dangerous.” This inquiry is generally prompted by a serious attack by a specific dog, or it may be the result of media-driven portrayals of a specific breed as “vicious.” Lately, it’s been pit bulls, but Dobermans, Rottweilers and German shepherds have all been targeted at some point. Singling out a breed for control can result in a false sense of accomplishment. Doing so ignores the true scope of the problem and will not result in a responsible approach to protecting the community’s most vulnerable citizens. In general, dog bite statistics do not give an accurate picture of dogs that bite. However, what is clear is that chained, intact (unneutered) male dogs are involved in 70 to 76 percent of reported dog bite incidents.

Total costs associated with dog bite injuries cannot be easily measured because so many intangible quality-of-life issues are involved. These costs include time spent by officials on animal-related issues, deterioration of relationships between neighbors, citizens’ concerns about neighborhood safety for children, concerns about being able to walk safely, homeowners’ insurance costs within the community and even animal shelter support for unwanted pets. These are quality-of-life issues that ultimately determine the desirability of a community to its citizens and contribute to feeling safe in our neighborhoods.

What can Abilene do to help prevent dog bites and attacks? Make responsible dog ownership and public education a priority. We have many programs already available in our community that could easily add a dog safety program.

To begin, we need Abilene animal control to enforce the ordinances and to let the City Council know if the current ordinances are ineffective in controlling animal problems. For your information, all animals in Abilene must have current rabies shots and be licensed; this makes the owners responsible for their animals. And, yes, this in turn helps fund programs. Offer reduced registration fees for neutering/spaying your pet. Many cities have passed ordinances requiring “breeder” licenses to help control overpopulation. Lack of enforcement regarding animal control ordinances in Abilene is a major safety concern of every citizen, young and old.

Dog bite injuries rank third only to bicycle and baseball/softball injuries as a leading cause of emergency admission of children to hospitals. Since every school child in Abilene goes through “Safety City,” add a short “safe pet” program for our children, sponsored by a local vet or another animal agency.

Parents, if you don’t know the safe dog rules, ask your school or child care facility to help sponsor a safe pet program. Always keep in mind that children are the most likely to be bit in the face.

And finally, to help the older victim of dog attacks, target the senior population through our senior centers and Meals on Wheels programs. Seniors are vulnerable not only because of mobility problems but underlying health issues that can turn a nip into an unhealed wound.

Responsible dog ownership is not only a good neighbor policy but a community responsibility. Abilene should be a safe and responsible community with safe neighborhoods. Unfortunately, until everyone is willing to take responsibility for their pets, it is up to Animal Control to enforce our ordinances.

Let’s put aside our differences about our “beloved” pets and work as a community to do our best to keep this tragedy from happening in Abilene.

Lydia M. Long, Ph.D., teaches criminal justice at Excelsior College and owns a Welsh corgi.

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Five poisonous snakes in North Central Florida

Published: Saturday, April 11, 2009 at 6:30 a.m.

Five poisonous snakes in North Central Florida

Cottonmouth water moccasin

Description: Juveniles are brightly colored with reddish-brown crossbands on a brown ground color. The dark crossbands contain many dark spots and speckles. The pattern darkens with age so adults retain only a hint of the former banding or are a uniform black. The eye is camouflaged by a broad, dark, facial stripe. The head is thick and distinctly broader than the neck, and when viewed from above, the eyes cannot be seen. The top of head in front of the eyes is covered with large plate-like scales.

Habitat: Any wetlands or waterway in the state. Cottonmouths can be found along streams, springs, rivers, lakes, ponds, marshes, swamps, sloughs, reservoirs, retention pools, canals, and roadside ditches. It occasionally wanders far from water, and has been found in bushes and trees.

Eastern diamondback rattlesnake

Description: A large, heavy-bodied snake with a row of large dark diamonds with brown centers and cream borders down its back. The ground color of the body is brownish. The tail ends in a rattle.

Habitat: often found in pine flatwoods, longleaf pine and turkey oak, and sand pine scrub areas. These habitats contain palmetto thickets and gopher tortoise burrows in which the Diamondback may seek refuge. Humans have invaded many of Florida’s pine flatwoods and scrub areas which now contain farms, homes and shopping plazas. As a result, the displaced Diamondbacks may be turn up in backyards, golf courses, and even parking lots.

Timber rattlesnake:

Description: The reddish brown stripe running down the center of the back is disrupted by a series of large, black, chevron-like crossbands on the pinkish gray or tan body. The tail is uniform black. The head is large and sometimes with a dark diagonal line through the eye or just behind the eye.

Habitat: Low botttomlands that are fairly damp, river beds, hammocks pine flatwoods, swamps and cane thickets.

Dusky pygmy rattlesnake:

Description: A small snake but very thick. The top of the triangular shaped head is covered with 9 large scales. The body color is light to dark gray. A longitudinal row of black or charcoal, transverse blotches disrupts a reddish brown stripe running down the middle of the back. Dark spots on the side line up with the blotches. The tail is slender and ends in a miniature rattle. The belly is heavily mottled with black and white.

Habitat: Common in lowland pine flatwoods, prairies, around lakes and ponds, and along the borders of many freshwater marshes and cypress swamps.

Eastern coral snake:

Description: Body ringed with black, yellow, and red; narrow yellow rings separating the wider red and black rings. The rings continue across the belly of the snake. From tip of snout to just behind the eye the head is black. The tail is black and yellow, without any red rings. The red rings usually contain black flecks or spots.

Habitat: Occupies a variety of habitats from dry, well-drained flatwoods and scrub areas to low, wet hammocks and the borders of swamps. They are quite secretive and are usually found under debris and in the ground, but occasionally they are found in the open, and have even been seen climbing the trunks of live oaks. Good numbers of them are turned up when pine flatwoods are bulldozed, particularly in South Florida.

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Informative article about snake safety in Florida.

Snakes: What you must know in order to adapt

By Cindy Swirko
Staff writer

Published: Saturday, April 11, 2009 at 6:01 a.m. 
Last Modified: Friday, April 10, 2009 at 8:57 p.m.

Ah, springtime. Love is in the air – even for snakes.

This is snake mating season and, combined with the warm weather and recent deluges after a lengthy dry spell, snakes will be slithering around woods, yards and across roads.

Snakes have a biblical evilness that still viscerally creeps out some people, but the creatures are beneficial in many ways and should simply be left alone if found – even venomous varieties, professionals say.

“Most people who are tuned into nature know that snakes are here. They are basically good guys – eating mice, crickets and lizards. Most people who are tuned into that and are out in the garden are fine with it,” said Wendy Wilbur, Alachua County extension agent. “But then we have a lot of folks who are just scared of snakes. For them the world is a scary place. My grandmother would kill an oversized earthworm, but I just can’t recommend that. Snakes are mostly good.”

Snakes are reptiles and reptiles are cold-blooded. The change of season recently to warm spring weather has revitalized snakes. The recent heavy rains will widen the pool for water snakes such as moccasins and may have strictly terrestrial snakes looking for higher ground.

All that activity means people are more likely to see snakes now when hiking, gardening or enjoying other outdoor activities.

“Certainly water snakes, including the cottonmouth, will have an expanded range when the water expands. Other types of snakes that are not particularly fond of water will be seeking out higher ground,” said Henry Cabbage of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Florida is home to 45 varieties of snakes, of which six are venomous, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. Of those six, five can be found in North Central Florida – the cottonmouth water moccasin, eastern diamondback, timber rattlesnake, dusky pygmy rattlesnake and eastern coral snake.

The only way to tell if a snake is venomous is to be able to identify it. Detailed descriptions and photos of venomous snakes can be found at http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/FL-GUIDE/Venomsnk.htm.

Experts say bites can be prevented with a few precautions.

One is to leave snakes alone – many people are bitten because they try to kill a snake or get a closer look at it.

People should stay out of tall grass unless wearing thick leather boots. People should also keep hands and feet out of areas you can’t see.

Snakes can be found in any yard, but Wilbur said some residents will specifically have a highly landscaped and manicured lawn because it is less of a natural environment for snakes, particularly venomous snakes.

“We don’t often see them in the urban environment,” Wilbur said. “It’s interesting when people put in ponds. They want the waterfall and they want to attract wildlife, which to them is happy wildlife – the birds and the frogs. They don’t bank on the fact that the snakes show up, too. We try to teach tolerance.”

Contact Cindy Swirko at 374-5024 or at swirkoc@gvillesun.com.

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One thing this article is missing is the use of pepper spray. If you’re hiking in an area where dangerous wildlife is common, its best to have that handy.

ANIMAL ATTACKS – AVOIDING AND DEALING WITH THEM

 

Wild animal attacks are not common. Dogs that live among us are a much more common danger. But there is something about being attacked by a wild animal that is especially disturbing. Of course, we want to avoid this nightmare, and if unavoidable, we want to survive it. Some tips on doing both follow.

Moose Attacks

More common than bear attacks, moose attacks can be just as dangerous. A bull moose can weigh over 1500 pounds. Attacks in the fall, during the mating season, are most likely. Winter is the second most common time – they are just pissed off because of all the snow and lack of things to eat.

Be especially watchful during fall and winter then to avoid an attack. When you see a moose, watch closely. Do its ears fold back, or the hair on its neck stand up? Does it clench it’s teeth? These signs show that it is upset and may attack you.

Go behind something big, like a boulder or tree. If possible, run and get into a stand of trees, but be sure they are not too bushy – you need room to maneuver, in case the moose continues the chase. The good news is that most moose attacks are “bluff attacks,” which end shortly after they begin.

Mountain Lion Attacks

These animal attacks are not normally a bluff. Fight with everything you’ve got, using rocks, your walking stick, a knife – anything. A jogger in Colorado successfully got a cougar to let go of his head (it was in the animal’s jaws) by sticking his thumb into the cat’s eye. You have to convince the mountain lion that you’re too not the easy meal he thought you were.

Before an attack – when you and the cat are looking at each other – your goal is the same. Let him know you’re trouble, and look big, by standing tall with your jacket opened up. Yell, and slowly back away while looking for a weapon. Whatever you do, don’t turn and run or crouch down – these behaviors will trigger the mountain lion’s instinct to attack.

Bear Attacks

These come in two forms. The classic bluff attack is meant to scare you away, but may also kill you due to the size and strength of most bears. You can often survive by curling up on the ground and holding your hands around the back of your neck (to protect it).

The animal attacks when you surprise or threaten it – or its cubs. Bears in these circumstances make a lot of noise and may charge you repeatedly, stopping before contacting you. Avoid eye-contact and back away slowly.

The other type of bear attack is predatory. These are rare, but both black bears and grizzlies occasionally prey on humans for food. Such attacks are quieter. The bear will have its head down and come straight at you, watching you closely. He is assessing whether you are an easy meal or not.

In this case, don’t play dead or you will be dinner. Yell, make noise, and look for a weapon. In a worst-case scenario, you might have to fight for your life. Fortunately, most adult grizzly bears can’t climb trees, so if there is a lot of space still between you (these bears are fast), you can try climbing to safety.

Various Other Animal Attacks

Elephants may swing their trunks, kick up dirt and hold their ears out before an attack – and make noise. Get yourself behind a large rock or tree. If that isn’t an option, run downhill – elephants are slower going downhill.

Snakes usually are just warning you, so step away slowly. It is very unlikely that a snake will chase you. Avoid the problem to begin with by watching the trail carefully and probing with a walking stick before stepping over logs.

Get between mother baboon and her baby, and the whole troop may attack. Back away, while shouting and clapping. Drop any food you have in your hands, and don’t yawn or stare – these are signs of aggression to baboons.

Don’t feed wild animals, or provoke them. Learn to use the zoom function on the camera instead of getting closer to dangerous animals. Basically, just use common sense to avoid animal attacks, and the rules above to deal with them.

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While I agree with the premise of this essay – I think the books and websites about bear attacks are due to the fact that they are intriguing even if rare. Nobody thinks that bears are hunting us humans down. But the potential, however small, does exist.

Truth and lies about bear attacks in the U.S.

It doesn’t take bear spray and jingle bells – avoiding bear attacks is easier than most think

Lenore Perconti

THE DAILY EVERGREEN

Published: 04/03/2009

We stuff ‘em, cuddle with them, associate them with Theodore Roosevelt and Valentine’s, and say “awww” when we see them at the zoo. The first thing out of most people’s mouths when I tell them that I camp and do multi-day rafting trips in the wilderness for my summer job is, “what about bears?” Most people are concerned about bear attacks when it comes to the outdoors, but is this fear justified?

We, as Americans, are obsessed with bear attacks. There are fliers, Web sites and even entire books written on the subject of deadly bear attacks and how to avoid them. Specific weapons such as bear spray and deterrents, like the bear whistle, have been made to protect people against this horrible creature. All this information, products and media attention just adds fuel to the fire, inflating our fear of bears.

I remember hiking through Glacier National Park as kid on high-traffic trails with my family. My parents made sure to purchase the well-marketed “bear bells.” Both my brother and I were suited up like reindeer with these bells, all for the prevention of bear attacks.

Here are the facts about bear attacks. According to Stephen Colbert, bears are the No. 1 threat to Americans. However, on average, there are only three deaths per year in North America from bear attacks according to the WSU Bear Center Web site. You are more likely to be killed falling down stairs, getting stung by a bee, getting attacked by a dog or drowning in your bathtub.

The North American Bear Center explains perfectly that bear “attacks are rare and excessive warnings about them create unnecessary fear.” Obsession with getting mauled by a bear has been inflated not by false information, but by the irrational proportion of fear-driven articles compared to those who are more realistic about the subject. Because of liability matters, national parks and outdoor centers are required to publish information explaining that bear attacks are possible and how to prevent and survive an attack. Authors and media venues then emphasize this information for the scare factor. And as always, when a fatal or close call bear attack does occur, the media makes a big deal out of it because it sells big with audiences.

For the most part, bears try to avoid humans. Bears do not recognize humans as a potential item on their dinner menu, just like we don’t look at a hamster and think “yum.” Bear Researchers in Yellowstone National Park have done studies on how bears react to human presence. When a researcher approached an area with a bear that is radio-tagged, 90 percent of the time, the bear would evacuate the area. The other 10 percent of the time, the bear would stand and make aggressive noises toward the researcher. Some would even bluff a charge, but all bears would eventually turn and leave.

All maulings and attacks on humans have come from startling a bear, or when oblivious hikers come between cubs and their mother. Bears will attack when they feel threatened. Keys to avoiding these attacks are to be aware of your surrounding area. Before hiking, check in with a forest ranger. The Forest Service keeps track of bears and will tell you if a bear has been spotted in any area of the forest. Also, keep your food and garbage locked up or put away. Bears who come into camp or follow hikers have been conditioned by others who have left their food out or have dropped food on the ground while hiking.

All national parks and wildernesses that serve as homes to bears will have detailed information on what to do if you encounter one. I suggest reading this before doing any hiking or outdoor activity. Bears should be respected as potentially dangerous creatures, but an understanding of their behavior and the limitation of human-bear interactions will make the outdoors more enjoyable for everyone.

Link

Considering how little danger bears actually pose to people, and how few people there actually are in Alaska… I really don’t support any plan that allows hunters to take down large amounts of the small populations of bears that live there.

Under recent scrutiny for their wolf hunting and seal bashing practices, Alaska is now on the chopping block of condemnation for its eradication of the black bear.

In what some are calling the “predator-control toolbox,” recent board and state government decisions over certain species of wildlife in Alaska are causing a landslide of negativity not only for the outsiders, but from the local perspective as well. 

A report in the Alaska Dispatch, a small and recently established online news source developed due to thestate’s unheard voices, explained a recent decision made by a group whose purported role is to protect all wildlife: 

The Board of Game and Department of Fish and Game aim – or at least hope – to kill up to 60 percent of the 2,500 to 3,000 black bears (in a particular region)

Alaska, whose square mileage is touted as being the largest state in the United States at 663,268 sq mi 
(1,717,854 km²) and yet the least densely populated, with under 700,000 human inhabitants, it is safe to say that the abundance of wildlife and natural beauty present is far from a shocker. However, The Department of Fish and Game, in the name of protection, support the removal of many of those species because they pose a “threat” to other animals deemed more important. 

For instance, they host bear trapping clinics to teach individuals 16-years-old and older the art of that which is illegal and most states with bears. In 2004, the initiative to ban bear baiting lost out by a relatively narrow margin of 46% for the ban and 54% against it. Many hunters in Alaska, according to the Department of Fish and Game, do not support bear baiting. Black bears are a trophy hunt and are also used for their meat. 

Mistakes in both baiting and killing could serve to negatively impact other more protected species such as the accidental killing of another wildlife animal or even the protected brown bear due to similarities: 

brown bears can range from near black or dark chocolate along the coast to the “blonde” phase often seen in interior grizzlies. Black bears can vary in color from jet black to white, but black, brown (or cinnamon), and blue (or glacier) are the three most common color phases. Black is the color encountered most frequently across the state, but brown or cinnamon bears are sometimes seen in Southcentral Alaska and on the Southeastern mainland. Cinnamon-phase black bears are also common in the Interior, so be sure to look at the other characteristics of any brown-colored bear at your station

What about the “collateral damage” trapped in snares intended for the blacks only? 

In defense of the program, black bears are the biggest nuisance to humans due to their curious natures, however, they are by far the least dangerous of all three types of bears indigenous to the area and prefer to take flight rather than fight. Black bears attack when cornered, injured or protecting their cubs. In the wild, browns have been known to wipe out their black brothers in certain reported cases due to the timid nature of the black. Black bears also do not regularly engage in violent behaviour with wolves, and are typically the loser when it comes to fights over a kill. 

In the article, it was further explained the Board’s decision to now open up killing the Grizzly Bear, once considered an “untouchable,” in a certain area: 

Board decided in Monday’s meeting to allow the snaring and killing of both black bears and grizzlies in the McGrath control area. Apparently not even grizzlies maintain the “untouchable” status they once enjoyed in Alaska’s predator-control programs.

They also allowed a legal number of what is considered “collateral damage” of ten brown bears, that is mistakenly snaring or the lethal harvest of the so-called protected browns. And if that weren’t enough, the Board voted 4-2 to allow children aged 10 to 15 to join the experienced hunters in the black bear slaughter. 

Public outcry was tempered by the assurance that snaring of bears, whether black or Grizzly and of course the gassing of wolf pups also approved as part of the thinning out of the population process, was a humane practice, corroborated by “experts.” Snaring, however, is a relatively unregulated practice with little or no boundaries for operation. For the “general trapper,” the rules of killing a wolf as set forth in the 2008-2009 regulations specifically prohibit the use of helicopters in the transport (pdf version of regulations in the you may not section). 

In Alaska, the Alaska Science Center completed an analysis of the encounters with all bears in the state over the past one-hundred years. In the report, it is estimated that the total black bear population in the massive state at the time of the report was around 110,000. And yet, 86 percent of bear attacks were from the treasured brown, not black. If you go to the official fish and game site, they would have it appear that blacks are dangerous and unpredictable killers as they lump their threat level into a general “bear” categoryon a wildlife description page specified for the black bear, although the black responsible for 12 percent of bear attack fatalities, with the much lesser population of brown absorbing an 86 percent kill rate. On the description of the brown, there are no references at all to the high rate of aggression or danger posed by the much smaller population. As for the blacks, the low incidence of attack is not to say they are your fuzzy pet friend, just they aren’t posing a serious danger to the general population, human or endangered species. 

The ADF&G is run by the Alaska state government. 

So is the recent eradication process to eliminate a potential danger or an attempt to get rid of the black bear because it is an annoying animal, posing a “potential” problem for a non-endangered species of a moose population that is allowed by law to be harvested at an annual rate of 7,000 for its 175,000 total numbers. How about stopping the harvesting instead? Moreover, the alleged threat of wolves to specific populations, the caribou, in the state and the recent controversy over the mass killing and even the recently approved gassing of puppies has left the largest state in the nation looking a little blood thirsty happy these days. Caribou are not on the endangered list, with over a million of them pouncing around on the open land of Alaska, outnumbering the human population of the state and the balance between the wolf and the caribou as a natural predator/prey relationship is an important part of nature. Wolf attacks, whether by a gray or red, on humans are very rare, especially unprovoked, where they left to the wild or in cases where wolves did not have rabies. Fatal attacks are even more rare with wolves, especially when compared to a one year analysis of fatal dog attacks in the United States alone (note Alaska’s number). 

Gassing of animals is considered inhumane in 12 states, where a ban on the practice is already in place. Six other states have recently set forth attempts to have the practice banned because of its potential outcome: 

“During the process, which can take 30 minutes, panicked animals may gasp for breath, try to claw out of the chamber, and even attack each other.”

The support of hunting is one thing. The support of ethnic cleansing is another.