DAN EATHERLEY - Consultant and Writer

  • HOME
  • INVASIVE ALIENS
    • Media Coverage
  • BUSHMASTER
    • Blurbs
    • Media coverage
    • Blog
  • CONSULTANCY
    • Client testimonials
    • Projects
    • Publications >
      • Technical writing
      • Popular writing
  • TV Presenting
  • Events
  • Contact

 500 snakes destroyed close to New York City (1934)

29/1/2015

5 Comments

 
Picture
The Hudson River Valley today (©Dan Eatherley)
Eighty-one years ago today, the New York Times revealed that five hundred snakes including ‘rattlers, some of which measured twelve feet’ were destroyed by U.S. Government workers in the Hudson River Valley.  

On January 29, 1934, the Times described how described how the snakes were killed by CWA squads while ‘clearing forests and building roads … near Morristown’ and ‘at Stony Point up the Hudson.’  

In the same issue, Raymond Ditmars told the Times that the blacksnake, the rattlesnake and the water moccasin winter in the same rock ledges year after year. “The serpent clan,” said Ditmars, “is particularly tolerant or passive about the “changing of position, arrival or departure of other members.” He has seen “bevies of heads of the three “kinds peering from the crevices in the Spring”. 

Note: The CWA (Civil Works Administration) was an expensive - and hence short-lived - government initiative to create jobs during the Depression winter of 1933-4.  

Picture
Northern black racer (Coluber constrictor) - another snake of the Hudson Valley (©Dan Eatherley)
5 Comments
Snake Facts link
4/2/2015 09:14:26 am

Really sad even if it was decades ago, snakes must be protected.

Reply
Crocodile facts link
30/5/2016 04:16:18 pm

Yeah i agree.

Reply
Horse names link
30/3/2017 02:44:25 am

Nice article very informative,
Thanks for sharing.

Reply
Ava link
26/4/2019 04:58:56 am

Love your blog Dan!

Reply
Dan
18/4/2021 03:25:43 pm

Thanks

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Dan Eatherley

    British naturalist, writer and environmental consultant

    Archives

    January 2016
    November 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed