Killing dogs is bad, but killing snakes is funny?

Tonight on CNN there is a story posted about a man killing a neighbors dog, and it makes front page on an international website. People are outraged, and everyone is understandably upset.
www.cnn.com...

A few days ago, there was a story posted as an "oddity" that a neighbor killed a mans snake, and the guy proceeds to whip the neighbor with it, and everyone thinks its hilarious.
abclocal.go.com...

Dave barry even has a humor blog on it:
weblog.herald.com...

People seem proud to kill snakes, and love to say that when they see a snake then immediately look for a pitchfork to kill it. If I said when I see dogs or cats, I kill them, people would freak out, and I'd have the local police on my doorstep.

Why is it okay to kill and torture one kind of animal, and not another?

Why do people think its so funny and great to kill snakes?

I dont think its funny AT ALL.

Well, with snakes...it might be because of the whole Adam & Eve thing.
The hatred of the snake goes way back. If a dog gave Eve the apple, it might be a different story.

In this case though...the guy was trying to let it in someone's house?

Originally posted by ZeddicusZulZorander
In this case though...the guy was trying to let it in someone's house?

The original article I read said that the snake was appearing to go towards the guy's house, and the neighbor was just over hanging out, so the other guy stomped it to death.

If it was a dog that was trying to get in the house, people would still be freaking out not laughing about it.

People get a kick out of killing snakes in general, it seems.

I think the behaviour of fearing snakes is in our genes.
And it has to be unlearned. Carl Sagan mentioned this, in his book
"Dragons of Eden"

Think about it, if you really want someones attention, what do you do?

PSSSSSSST......

a reptile sound, that gets attention...!


No animal should be killed for the fun of it..EVER....

i don't think it's "funny" to kill anything. but for the record...i don't like dogs or snakes. however, a pet is a pet, dog or snake and it isn't funny to kill anything that someone loves.

Humans seriously have none.

www.restaurantguideatlanta.com..." target='_blank' class='tabOff'/>
Porky says eat me.

Does he? Is that what Porky says? :shk:

I hate people.

Originally posted by spacedoubt
Think about it, if you really want someones attention, what do you do?

PSSSSSSST......

a reptile sound, that gets attention...!

Heh.. I'd never thought of that. Interesting point.

Black snakes, and many others make no sounds at all The closest one of mine comes to hissing is blowing air out of pits on her face and its a hollow low airy sounds like blowing air out of your nostrils.

Her name is Eve, and you'd be amazed how many people don't get the reference. --

Killing a snake, or any animal is just plain wrong (unless it's trying to kill you).

I'm sick of all the superstitions that surround snakes. They are our friends - they get rid of pesky rodents around our houses and gardens that would otherwise, possibly, spread disease. The snake has a place, just like all of Earth's creatures.

Reptiles rule! :-D

Originally posted by EmbryonicEssence
I'm sick of all the superstitions that surround snakes. They are our friends - they get rid of pesky rodents around our houses and gardens that would otherwise, possibly, spread disease. The snake has a place, just like all of Earth's creatures.

I dated a guy once who hated snakes. Sharp guy, but I asked him why he hated them so much, and he said "I grew up in a farming community." I said "Okay, but then I would think you'd like snakes because they eat mice?" "Oh no!," he tells me, "they eat the crops!"

I thought I would die laughing. He thought these evil vegetarian snakes were out sucking ears of corn off the stalk, and downing cabbages and squash.

We didn't last much longer

Eats crops, oh I see. Gardner snake.

Originally posted by SpittinCobra
Eats crops, oh I see. Gardner snake.

Yeah That's it! They eat gardens.

My other snake is called a 'corn snake'. He is usually found in barns around corn crops where all the mice hang out. The little guy would freak out and hide if I slipped an ear of corn in his cage.

Originally posted by RedBalloon

Originally posted by SpittinCobra
Eats crops, oh I see. Gardner snake.

Yeah

That's it! They eat gardens.

My other snake is called a 'corn snake'. He is usually found in barns around corn crops where all the mice hang out. The little guy would freak out and hide if I slipped an ear of corn in his cage.

Thats just to funny. He would bite you if you gave him corn.

I really think the bible has give the serpent a bad name.

REdballoon,

I used to have Hog-Nosed snakes.
Pretty Docile, but they mimic the Copperhead in appearance..
They also do something cool..They play dead, like a possum.
They roll on their backs and just lie still..Until you roll them back over, then
they immediately flop again to their backs...BUSTED, your' not dead!

Some Black snakes DO make a noise..its a rattler imitation..They vibrate their
tails, amongst the leaves..Spooky..

I have a 8 foot redtail boa and a few other reptiles.

LOL spacedoubt: those are fun. We have them around here, and do a damn good job of looking dead. One I ran across even had his tounge hanging out and to the side.

My corn snake rattles like that too when he thinks I'm after his mouse. Slaps and vibtates his tail against the cage liner and substrate. First time I heard it really shocked me, and it did what it was meant to - I took off quick. They don't make the PSSSt or SSSSS sounds though.

t doesn't matter what kind of pet it is, if someone loves it, they are going to fight for their pet! I have rats and tarantulas besides dogs, cats, ferrets, fish, degues, and an iguana I love them, they are my pets!! Killing anything is not funny, and only a sick individual sees it as such. The worse is when you get some double digit that says "I killed it, it was gross and ugly" or, "I'm scared of it, so I killed it" I'm sorry but "gross and ugly" or "I'm scared of it" simple isn't valid reasons to kill something, to take it's life away from it! Now before I get a bunch of nay sayers at me, I am an intelligent woman, I know very well, that there are cases where you must kill things, such as food (it needs to be humanely though, which our food industry does not do) and things killing your trees or harmful to you in some way. I simply do not see anything that us nature, as ugly! I may not want it on me, or around me, but I'm not gonna kill something harmless because of it. And the killing of anything IS NOT reason to laugh

I don't think people have a genetic fear of snakes. I think it's cultural training. Snakes can be dangerous to people, of course, but the fear is fed by ignorance. I've heard:

Snakes eat corn cobs
Snakes are slimy

But mostly that snakes are 'just bad.'

Then we have these famous photos floating around the Internet for everyone to see how giant pythons suck people down left and right.

Originally posted by taibunsuu
Snakes can be dangerous to people, of course, but the fear is fed by ignorance.
...
Then we have these famous photos floating around the Internet for everyone to see how giant pythons suck people down left and right.

A 5 foot black snake or corn snake poses ZERO danger to people, though, and those are the snakes people kill so often around here because they are the ones living in the garage or in the barn.

You don't see too many giant pythons in the states or Europe slinking around swallowing people

You're very right with the cultural training point. So many people have no idea why they hate snakes, just that they are to be hated.

i had a black snake and a coral snake for a pet....i just don't like 'em. they aren't fun pets. i've had many dogs.same thing. LOVE CATS!!!! but still...U SHOULD NEVER KILL SOMEONE's PET!!!!