Rattlesnake Roundups Should Be Banned

Rattlesnake roundups are considered fun family events. Along with the rattlesnake events there are carnivals, parades, and concerts. While people are enjoying themselves, the rattlesnakes are suffering and dying. The collection of these snakes are abusive, they’re handled extremely rough when used during events, and these roundups are communicating a disturbing message to children. These roundups should be banned and made illegal.

In order to have a rattlesnake roundup, you need to have snakes of course. However, the collection of these snakes are very abusive. In Document 2, it states, “Collection methods include spraying gasoline into the snakes' hiding places and using poles tipped with fish hooks to extract snakes.” This hurts the snake severely and can lead to them dying. Snakes are also being treated harshly after they are collected. According to Document 2, it says, “They are typically stockpiled, often for months, without food or water, in unhygienic conditions. The snakes may be kept in crates, trash cans, or other cramped containers in which they crush or bite each other.” This results in the death

of snakes because they are being starved and cramped.

Other than rattlesnake roundups, the snakes are used in events like “Catch and Release” events and “Sacking” Contests.

In a Catch and Release event, people race to safely capture snakes for money using non-toxic chemicals but this leads people to catch the snakes illegally. In Sacking Contests, people race to stuff snakes into a bag and whoever has the fastest time gets a prize. In Document 2, it states, “Extremely rough handling is common during sacking events, including ‘whipping’ the snakes into the bag or folding them nearly double to force them into sacks.” This is very abusive towards the snakes, especially since this event happens multiple times a day with the same snakes. In rattlesnake roundups, snakes are “..beheaded, gutted, and skinned,” (Document 1) while wide-eyed families watch on. All of these things are done while the snake are still

alive.

Although rattlesnake roundups might be a fun family event, they often communicate disturbing messages towards children. In Document 1, the author writes, “For shock value, Ray takes a freshly killed snake's still-beating heart and gulps it down. Other rattler shows feature dangerous stunts such as men wriggling out of sleeping bags filled with snakes.” Children don’t need to see this gory event and it might even send the message that these events are safe. In Document 2, the author says, “At one roundup, handlers in the slaughtering area allowed children to touch the tails of restrained rattlesnakes, which were then brought to the block for decapitation. The handlers then displayed the still-beating hearts of the snakes to the children.” Children aren’t learning anything from this display and they might be taught that if this is okay to do for snakes, it might be okay for them to do this for other animals.

In conclusion, rattlesnake roundups are cruel to the snakes involved. The collection of them is abusive, they’re handled roughly at events, and they teach disturbing and unwanted messages towards children. They should be banned and made illegal so the snakes are protected.