World’s largest rattlesnakes are dying off, but Columbia’s zoo is trying to save them
The world’s largest rattlesnakes can be found in South Carolina, but the eastern diamondback’s population is declining.
While this might seem like good news to people afraid of snakes, officials at Riverbanks Zoo disagree.
In fact the Columbia zoo is teaming up with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to help stave off the trend and better support remaining eastern diamondback rattlesnakes.
The zoo said it is collaborating with DNR to conduct research on diamondback rattlesnake populations in South Carolina.
The goal of the study is to learn about the biology and natural history of the snakes, according to the zoo. That would allow researchers to better manage the remaining populations, and prevent eastern diamondbacks from dwindling to the point of extinction, zoo officials said.
While the population is dwindling, the rattlesnakes are in the category of “Least Concern,” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List for threatened species.
Still, the zoo contends the declining population is a threat to “our natural heritage, and a potentially important component of the long-leaf pine ecosystem.”
The snakes are valuable to humans because they are natural exterminators that preys on household pests, the Florida Museum reported. Their prey includes rats, mice, rabbits, squirrels and birds, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.
The snakes are threatened by indiscriminate killing in rattlesnake roundups, widespread loss of habitat from development, and hunting,” according to National Geographic. Agriculture and changes in forestry practices have also been a factor in the population decline, according to the zoo.
The eastern diamondback is found in the Southeast, from North Carolina to south Florida, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In South Carolina, the rattlesnakes are most commonly located from the eastern Midlands to the coast, including the Lowcountry and Grand Strand regions, the organization said.
The snake’s average length is between 3 to 6 feet, but some grow as large as 8 feet, according to the Smithsonian.
The rattlesnake can strike as far as two-thirds of its body length, and it “tends to release a lot of venom with each bite, making it a very deadly snake,” the Smithsonian said.
The bites are “extremely painful and can be fatal to humans,” according to National Geographic.
According to the University of Florida’s Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, the odds of dying from a snake bite in the U.S. are 1-in-50 million, which is about five or six deaths a year. More people die on an average annual basis from spider bites; dog attacks; hornet, wasp or bee stings; and lightning strikes than snake bites, the university said.
In spite of those statistics, at least two Southerners died after snake bites in May this year.
Oliver “Chum” Baker was an Alabama man who died days after he was bitten by a snake over Memorial Day weekend, The State reported. The 52-year-old was unconscious minutes after he was bitten by a copperhead, according to The State.
Georgia resident Priscilla Meridith died in June, weeks after a Timber rattlesnake bit the 62-year-old as she attempted to sit down in a garden, The State reported.
In 2016, Columbia-area conservationist Wayne M. Grooms died after suffering a rattlesnake bite at a Clarendon County wildlife preserve, according to The State. Grooms died within 15 minutes of the snake bite at Santee National Wildlife Refuge.
While there is mixed reaction to the snakes, feedback on Riverbanks’ posts have been supportive of the effort.
“Keep up the great work, Riverbanks! Despite not being a fan of snakes, I completely understand their importance to the environment and appreciate what you are doing to help them,” one comment said.
Another person said “Thanks, Riverbanks, for all you do to keep these handsome guys in our lives!”
Eastern diamondbacks are on display at the zoo’s Aquarium Reptile Complex. Other snakes housed there include king cobras and green mambas.
This story was originally published December 30, 2019 at 12:34 PM.
