Rattlesnakes and black widow spiders are at the top of my list. Well all snakes and spiders really, but rattlesnakes and black widows in particular. Those two and anything that has the name Kardashian attached.
I'm not particularly crazy about sharks either, especially great whites. I'm sure that phobia has been a big motivator in keeping me from body surfing for the last 36 years or so, ever since the movie "Jaws" came out. Thanks a lot Spielberg.
A couple of other things that make the hair on the back of my neck stand up are alligators and crocodiles. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's the thought of any lizard getting bigger than I am. But living in this part of the country I really don't have to worry about running into any.
Luckily, I don't live in Southeast Asia. There, the saltwater version of the crocodile has been known to eat not only humans, but cattle, horses, and water buffalo. The largest one on record was recently captured outside Manila. It's 21 feet long and weighed in at a whopping 2,370 pounds. Now that's one big lizard. That's just a hair bigger than the largest Kardashian.
It is just one of the many varieties of crocodiles that inhabit that region. You would think that any reduction in the numbers of crocodiles, regardless of the variety, would be welcome. Unfortunately the people at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, don't agree.
You see, the IUCN are the folks responsible for putting together the Red List of endangered species. They believe one of the most critically endangered species out there is the Philippine crocodile. It doesn't matter how deadly they are, they must be protected! The IUCN sold the Philippine government on this notion and they have been breeding them in captivity for the last 24 years.
They now have over 7000 of these little buggers that are ready to be released back into the wild. You know, so they can be taken off the endangered species list. Unfortunately, none of the local officials want them in or around their towns. Really? They don't want any man eating lizards devouring their constituents? Imagine that.
Look, I am all for protecting an endangered species, well ones that can't make me ill with their bites, eat or kill me. If they fall into any of those categories, I'm sorry, but I don't really see any reason to keep them around especially in the wild. As far as the crocodiles, sharks and rattlesnakes go, I wouldn't shed a single tear if they were used to make a belt or a pair of shoes, or served up as an appetizer or entree . I hear that rattlesnake and crocodile taste like chicken, but if that's the case, I'll just stick with chicken. That is unless there is some species of killer chicken I don't know about.
To be honest, I don't understand why anyone would want them around outside of a zoo or a controlled environment of some sort. So I thought I would do a little internet search and see if there were any benefits to letting them roam free.
As far as the crocodiles go, they fulfill a niche as a top predator in the food chain, which by the way is the only benefit for great white sharks as well. The crocodile's eggs and hatchlings provide a food source for other predators, and they are occasionally used by scientists as bioindicators. That means they sometimes can give us indications as to the health and stability of the habitats they live in. Hey I think I can help the scientists out with that last one. Let's see. If there are crocodiles in the area, it is not safe. How's that?
Rattlesnakes are even less beneficial. The only thing they are good for is eating rodents and their young. While it does help keep the bubonic plague in check, they primarily live in desert areas. So unless we want to start releasing rattlesnakes in our cities and suburbs it's not really going to help us out much.
Like I said. I think I will stick with the chicken.
Bill Dunn has been a published opinion columnist for 14 years. Any comments can be sent to either our exalted editor at tmiller@beaconmedianews.com or to Bill directly at dunnsinferno@casegod.com You can also find Bill on Facebook at : www.facebook.com/WhenAllisSaidandDunn
