Conscientious co-existence

“I wish someone would just shoot him!” exclaimed the woman at the counter. “He’s a huge bear!” added her husband emphatically. Newly transplanted to a “home in the country,” the couple wrestled with their fear of a black bear that had taken to wandering through their yard occasionally at dusk. “He leaves giant footprints all over the place,” the wife added. I encouraged them to take a fresh look at this opportunity to observe a native inhabitant of their new home. “We have children! I just want him gone.”

And so it goes with many of the non-human species we encounter, as swiftly increasing numbers of humans make the tri-state region their home. A new development can spell disaster for a native population of timber rattlesnakes, for example.

The much-maligned Crotalus horridus, whose very name is chilling, strikes fear into many of us who know little or nothing about the Timber Rattlesnake. This snake is experiencing an ongoing decline in numbers due to killing, collecting and habitat loss. It preys upon chipmunks, squirrels, mice and small mammals. As such, it plays an important role relative to these species’ populations and overall fitness. This rattlesnake congregates in ancestral dens and is considered non-aggressive unless provoked. Its venomous bite is serious, but rarely fatal.

Though startling, meeting up with a Timber Rattlesnake doesn’t require that you run for a weapon, as one overly anxious homeowner did when he discovered this snake in his yard. Rather, we should focus on finding ways we can each live our lives. For starters, we can minimize encounters by maximizing awareness and avoidance of places where snakes are often found: near fallen logs, in wood and brush piles, in and around rock walls and ledges. Seal openings at the base of buildings and keep yard debris to a minimum. Get involved in local land use and planning decisions that affect the habitat needs of native species. Learn all you can and practice respect for these creatures simply striving to exist.

In part, I love living here precisely for this challenge to co-exist as peacefully as possible with the creatures who called this region home before humans did. I recently found myself cleaning up the mess left by our local bruin, who snatched a bag of garbage from under our porch and trotted off down the driveway with it dangling from his jaws. And, I’m trying to figure out how to co-exist with ticks, mosquitoes and those nasty biting gnats. The point is not to eliminate everything that causes us discomfort, fear or aggravation. For a reminder of how deadly that attitude can be, grab a copy of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” and revisit the results and implications of our war on insects.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, which oversees the welfare of PA’s reptile populations, offers the following perspective: “In the name of progress, we have drained wetlands, cut down trees, dug up the land, used rivers to carry away our wastes, dammed rivers and straightened streams, paved this and that. We’ve destroyed habitat, fouled water supplies, spread chemicals and contaminated the air.... We seem to forget that all forms of life and their environment share a close and necessary relationship. Whatever affects a living thing or its environment ultimately can affect all others, either directly or indirectly. Therefore, as thinking and responsible human beings, it is incumbent upon us that we be stewards of the land and its inhabitants.”