Massachusetts police save endangered Rat Snake

[AEthelred]

https://www.recorder.com/Need-a-lift-Gr ... e-56983045

[nhherp]

Pet trade pressure the #2 threat..
I wonder when the government agencies will begin to correctly list the threat to animal populations -

1- Habitat Loss due to residential and commercial building
2- Roadway Barriers ( & mortality)
3- Use of chemical treatments on lawns and roadways
4- Intentional destruction of wildlife by the public
5- Animals as a trade commodity
5a ) Pets
5b ) Academia
6- Legislation which prohibits the public from pursuit of keeping animals and developing a deep interest in animals and ecosystems.

-N-

[AEthelred]

The eastern Rat snake which in New England is called the Black rat ,very endangered ,it may bounce back unlike Rattlesnake ,bnecause the Timber Rattlesnake only gives live birth every other year and people kill them.The Black Rat has a chance to make it some say

[nhherp]

Sad, I should clarify that I was not doubting the endangered status of the species, only the prioritization of threat.

Who would have thought black rats would be that state.
A future is hard without habitat and acreage which provides safe means of mobility to find food, mate and thrive.

Suburbs, faux rural homes with acres of mowed lawn. Aestheticallly kept "woodland" which lacks sufficent space, hiberniculum or places that eggs can be laid to hatch.

People see whitetail deer and think "of we live in a natural landscape" nieve to the fact that the deer just adapted to an unnatural habitat

-N-

[AEthelred]

Sad, I should clarify that I was not doubting the endangered status of the species, only the prioritization of threat.

Who would have thought black rats would be that state.
A future is hard without habitat and acreage which provides safe means of mobility to find food, mate and thrive.

Suburbs, faux rural homes with acres of mowed lawn. Aestheticallly kept "woodland" which lacks sufficent space, hiberniculum or places that eggs can be laid to hatch.

People see whitetail deer and think "of we live in a natural landscape" nieve to the fact that the deer just adapted to an unnatural habitat

-N-

A good point on snakes and especially a town like Greenfield which has a urban and suburban areas but also has heavely wooded areas too.And a snake does not know the difference and wonders into town or may be killed on a road.Or into a yard and killed by a person.In the 60's the black bear in Massachusetts was confined to a small area and now there so many that Masschusetts is in the top five states for bear density per mile.
Snakes are not doing as well ,the copperhead is on life support and Timbers have not increased in 30 years of strict protection.
Honestly to save the Timber rattlesnake or copperhead we would need an outside introduction from from West Virginia or something.
About 5 years ago a there was a proposal to take about 20 Timbers from a zoo in Rhode Island and put them on a Island on a lake but locals stonewalled the proposal and it was nixed.
The black rat may fair better because it lays eggs and is non venomous ,time will tell I guess