- Opinion
Even Snakes Have Friends—One More Reason Not to Slaughter Them
The thousands of rattlesnakes that will die at a Texas roundup this weekend have complex social lives that we're only just starting to understand.
This weekend the town of Sweetwater, Texas, will hold what's billed as the world's largest rattlesnake roundup.
In recent months, hundreds of rattlesnakes have been captured, pulled from their dens with hooks or flushed out with gasoline, then stored in barrels. On the big day, they will be tossed in a pit, displayed to a cheering audience, and then slaughtered.
It's the largest of dozens of roundups held each spring across the southern U.S., events that are roundly condemned by animal advocates for diminishing snake populations, upsetting local ecosystems, and generally encouraging cruelty toward wildlife.
But there's another, less appreciated concern: Rattlesnakes are more like us than we think. (See "They Kill. They Joust. They Heal. Reptiles in 10 Awesome Photos.")
Ongoing research reveals the reptiles are more advanced than we ever imagined—for instance, a recent study has shown that
