Rattlesnake roundups are steeped in tradition yet remain controversial. These events provide tourist dollars to host towns but negatively impact local rattlesnake populations. Environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Coastal Plains Institute and Land Conservancy, and One More Generation, have sent a letter to Georgia wildlife officials urging enforcement of existing laws designed to protect animals and people at these roundups.
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, these contests involve hunters capturing rattlesnakes, milking them for venom, and butchering them for meat and skin. Georgia hosts two annual roundups: one in Whigham during January and another in Claxton in March. In their letter, the groups requested that individuals possessing wild rattlesnakes obtain a “wild animal license” from the state’s Department of Natural Resources, as mandated by law. They also called for law enforcement to ensure event sponsors have appropriate insurance and treat snakes humanely before and during the roundups. Collette Adkins Giese, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, emphasized that possessing wild rattlesnakes without a license is illegal in Georgia and stated, “The state needs to make the law real by enforcing it.” She added, “The best way to stop animal abuse, prevent injuries, and save the eastern diamondback from extinction is to cancel these roundups. The bottom line is, they’re cruel. The environmental groups argue that roundups are significantly reducing the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake population (Crotalus adamanteus). Data analysis from four roundups shows a steady decline in both the weight and number of captured snakes. Besides hunting pressures, habitat loss and road fatalities contribute to their decline. The eastern diamondback rattlesnake, a venomous species, ranges throughout the southeastern United States from North Carolina to Florida, southern Mississippi to Louisiana and Georgia. Its habitats include forests, swamps, woodlands, and prairies. As the largest rattlesnake species, it averages 3.5 to 5.5 feet in length and preys mainly on rabbits, rats, other rodents, and certain birds.
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