What is a Rattlesnake Roundup - Alamogordo, New Mexico

A snake pit in Sweetwater, Texas. Event organizers claimed there were about 3,000 rattlesnakes in this pen, which measured only 12 feet in diameter. Photo: John Hollister

Public butchering in Sweetwater, Texas. Snakes are often decapitated and skinned while adults and children watch. Photo: John Hollister

Rattlesnakes in the wild are unique and ecologically important. Rattlesnakes at roundups are reduced to body parts in buckets. Photo: John Hollister

Rattlesnake roundups have been in existence since the 1920’s and currently take place in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Alabama, and Pennsylvania. For these events, “hunters” collect as many rattlesnakes as possible and sell them by the pound to roundup organizers who, in turn, sell them for their skins, meat, gall bladders, heads, and rattles. However, before many of the snakes are slaughtered, they are often piled on top of each other in “snake pits” to be gawked at by spectators. Rattlesnake “handlers” then exaggerate the dangers of such creatures while harassing them, forcing them to strike, picking them up, and using them for tricks.

It is not unusual for rattlesnakes at roundups to be handled inhumanely. The treatment of snakes at roundups in Texas, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania has been documented by herpetologists Fitzgerald and Painter.1 Various forms of mistreatment have been noted. Snakes are often shaken out of containers, falling several feet to the floor. They are handled roughly while being stretched out for measurement. Overcrowding is a big problem in the pits, and some snakes are crushed under the weight of others. In addition, over half of the injuries documented at roundups are thought to occur prior to the event. Rough handling, stockpiling, and inappropriate transportation of snakes by the hunters are all likely causes.

Snakes at roundups are slaughtered by decapitation. Due to their slow metabolism, this method of killing reptiles is not approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association.2 A snake’s head and body can remain alive for over an hour after they are separated. In addition, snakes at roundups are often decapitated and skinned in public. This sends a disturbing message to the public, including children, that it is acceptable to treat wildlife so callously.

Unfortunately, “daredevil shows” at roundups do even more to send the wrong message to the public about them. These presentations usually exaggerate the dangers associated with such snakes while saying nothing positive about these unique and ecologically valuable animals. Not only do they prey upon disease-carrying rodents, but they are also a food source for hawks, roadrunners, and other animals.

1 Fitzgerald, L.A. and C.W. Painter. 1994. A critical evaluation of rattlesnake commercialization: roundups and the rattlesnake trade. A final report submitted to World Wildlife Fund/TRAFFIC (USA). 58 pp.
2 American Veterinary Medical Association. 2001. 2000 Report of the AVMA panel on euthanasia. Journal of AVMA218(5): 669-696.