I'm up at my mom's hanging out. We had dinner in Morris at the Rattlesnake Roundup. They only rounded up 11 snakes so far, whoopty-doo. Apparently they only collect male snakes, at one time they used to collect the venom from the critters for anti-venom, but I think that was at a time when they could count on collecting 400 snakes, but not anymore.
ETA: The rattlesnake roundup has been going on for (I was told this morning) 53 years and it's a big fund raiser for the Morris Township Fire Department. People go out and collect only male rattlers, there's a yellow and black variety of the snake. They get measured and whatnot, are tagged and released back where they are found. Besides the snakes, there are bands, food, softball games, people selling huge amounts of junk - very flea market like. It's basically a reason to get together, eat funnel cake, and catch up in the community.
So here are some close up of the buggers. Two of the four snakes they had there this evening were shedding their skin and looked a little uglier than usual, that's for sure.
When I made it up to my mom's place this afternoon it looked a little sunnier than usual since a good portion of their pine trees lost their tops when the tornado hit on Tuesday. Luckily the tree debris missed the barn, the house, and the sheds! They were so lucky.
Wow. Tornado damage shocks the eyeballs. We rarely get that kind of weather here (last time was in a town just south of me, maybe 1990 or so), but once in a while get some swath cutting damaging winds. Those scare me, especially for the rabbits. Being in the path of an actual tornado - I don't even want to consider it. I'm glad your mom didn't get hit with the kind of total devastation that can happen.
Why do they round up rattlesnakes and what happens to them?
Posted by: Chris | June 15, 2008 at 08:11 AM
Wow. I'm so glad she's alright and that her property is in such good shape.
Posted by: bea | June 16, 2008 at 09:49 PM
The strange things the people do....
It is pretty bad that they used to get 400 snakes, and now only get 11 (or so)
And the tornado devistation is pretty bad! I'm gla dthat I ma not in tornado territory
Posted by: jackie | June 23, 2008 at 09:17 AM