Like Father Like Son Like Daughter

[LittleM]

My son just completed his second year working for NJDEP ENSP working with snakes.  He's just off to his sophomore year of college. 

 

My daughter being trained to handle venomous snakes.

 

She's a natural, just like her brother and her father.

 

It's all about conservation of endangered species.  My kids know that snakes are not evil and will someday work to protect them as well as other rare species.  Someone needs to watch out for them. I don't know if either of my kids will work with snakes - my son wants to  work with mammals and my daughter is just  figuring it out, but I started them young and they know have an appreciation for the natural environment.  Now, if I ever post a picture of my wife handling a venomous snake, I'll really have done my job ........................

[BowhunterNJ]

You all are nuts! :rofl:

Very cool pics and great job all around on the conservation efforts!  

[Axiom]

 

snakes are not evil

 

  For the most part I agree.. I grew up collecting snakes and kept many as pets.. Caught just about every kind found on the east coast..Heck, even now if I see one I get this uncontrollable urge to catch it, Identify it, inspect it, then let it go.... However, whenever I run across a poisonous one, its toast.. IMO poisonous snakes NEED to be endanger for the sake of public safety ( kids mostly ) though not extinct..

[Bucksnbows]

Thanks for all you do!  I spent the last two days "sweeping" a river to make sure no state threatened wood turtles were in the way of a river channel restoration project I helped coordinate.  While I didn't find any, it was good to spend some time looking.  You see so many other critters in the field when you're focused on a single species.  Several years ago, the DEP was worried that my work in restoring rivers might threaten wood turtles and other T&E species such as freshwater mussels.  Now they rely on me to protect the wood turtles and are training me to ID freshwater mussels.  It feels great to help protect our T&E species while simultaneously restoring their habitats and gaining the trust of the Division biologists.      

[Axiom]

 

wood turtles

 

 

wow.. Speaking of wood turtles, I caught one of them a couple weeks ago..

 

 

 

[Bucksnbows]

  For the most part I agree.. I grew up collecting snakes and kept many as pets.. Caught just about every kind found on the east coast..Heck, even now if I see one I get this uncontrollable urge to catch it, Identify it, inspect it, then let it go.... However, whenever I run across a poisonous one, its toast.. IMO poisonous snakes NEED to be endanger for the sake of public safety ( kids mostly ) though not extinct..

 

Sorry, I can't agree with that in any way.  Forget for a moment that there is no such thing as a poisonous snake here in NJ (poison is swallowed while venom is injected).  Snakes like copperheads and timber rattlers never go out of their way to bite someone.  They only do so as a last resort, and often when they do, they do not inject any venom.  They play an important role in the natural order of things and need our protection.  Public safety?  How many NJ citizens have died from snake bites this year?  In the last 10 years?  Today, 3 motorists died on I-80 alone.  Unfortunately, I was at the scene or at least a few moments after the accident.  Let's ban all cars and send them to the scrap yard because they are a clear danger to kids and adults alike.  

[Axiom]

Public safety?  How many NJ citizens have died from snake bites this year?  In the last 10 years?  Today, 3 motorists died on I-80 alone

 

 

 Well, That will be a fair comparison when Autos and traffic become endangered like Rattlers and other not so common "VENOMOUS" snakes.. That aint happening anytime soon sooo.....

[Rusty]

Wow, now that's cool.  

 

She looks like a natural.

 

Will you adopt me??  I want to play with snakes too.

 

Back in college I worked as a lab tech and was responsible for taking care of the snakes.  To get one of the Rattlers to eat I would have to soak the dead rats in hot water to get them warm and then dance them around the tank by the tail like they were alive.  If the snake didn't strike the rat as if it were alive he wouldn,t eat.  

[BowTechExperience]

I just have a natural fear of snakes....

 

Cool pics though

[Ms Grit]

You've done well LittleM and have raised 2 children who will always have an appreciation for nature and conservation no matter where life takes them.

[LittleM]

First - I don't even entertain anybody's narrow views regarding killing snakes, especially on the internet.  Although its part of my responsibility to educate, and while I can usually sway peoples opinions towards the positive regarding snakes, some folks just don't get it and I have no use for those folks.  How is it that a little girl is not afraid of a big rattlesnake?

 

Regarding wood turtles - I have done a fair amount of work with them, as well, but I can't seem to give up the rocky ridges for the riparian lands, so I usually only find them crossing roads.  I do find a fair amount of eastern box turtles, though, and as they are listed as a Species of Special Concern, they should be reported as well.

 

Regarding the adoption...............  Well I am still looking for somebody rich to adopt my family so we can just volunteer on the fun projects.  But, If you ever want to talk a walk sometime, let me know.  I'm still politicking for the kayak trip.

[Rusty]

Regarding the adoption...............  Well . . . .  

 

Oh well, it was worth a try. 

 

But, If you ever want to talk a walk sometime, let me know.

 

I just might take you up on that, of course I will probably have a bunch of students tagging along.    

 

We will be hiking the AT from the Water Gap to Camp Mohican this fall.  Is that in your neck of the woods? 

 

 I'm still politicking for the kayak trip.

 

Hope it works out, but don't mess up any plans for your anniversary.  Of course your entire clan is more than welcome to come along.  

[LittleM]

We will be hiking the AT from the Water Gap to Camp Mohican this fall.  Is that in your neck of the woods?

 

It sure is.  Maybe no snakes when you go (depending on how late in the fall you go), but there should be plenty of raptors migrating along the Ridge.

[Rusty]

It sure is.  Maybe no snakes when you go (depending on how late in the fall you go), but there should be plenty of raptors migrating along the Ridge.

 

Nice, I am planning to do a hike in October and another in November.  I'll let you know the dates as soon as I see my son's rugby schedule.

[redsquirrel]

I have always had a fear of snakes since I was surprised by one as a little kid.  Lately I have been seeing so many snakes and surprising myself by stopping to investigate and even getting closer to take pictures.  I even saw my first rattler about a month ago.  Thanks for sharing all of your knowledge with us, everytime I read it or see photos I think it helps me a little bit!