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  • From: Duncan Murrell <dvmurrell AT nc.rr.com>
  • To: RTP-area local music and culture <ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: OT: "NCWRC News Releases:" Snakes On A Plane
  • Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 16:28:36 -0500

The necessity of this press release, which I don't doubt, has left me feeling despondent. The ascendance of pop culture to omniculture, the ruin of irony and ironic gesture through repetition and the credulousness of spittle-sucking Americans. It all crashes together. I feel faint.

d

p.s. Or, maybe they're just having fun over there at the Wildlife Resources Commission's press office. This _is_ one of the most interesting press releases they've issued in awhile, a break from the monotony of mercury warnings, the occasional new green sunfish record (which has gone from half a pound to nearly two pounds in two years, since people realized there _was_ a green sunfish record), and announcements of wildlife officer promotions.

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Bower, Michelle" <michelle.bower AT ncwildlife.org>
Date: August 21, 2006 3:19:52 PM CDT
To: "Cantrell, Geoff" <geoff.cantrell AT ncwildlife.org>
Subject: "NCWRC News Releases:" Snakes On A Plane

Media contact: Sarah Cross,

Statewide Herpetologist

(919) 218-1886


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


"Snakes on a Plane" Is Movie Fun, Not Wildlife Reality


RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 21) - There's a lot of attention being paid to snakes lately, thanks to a Hollywood thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson.


The movie "Snakes on a Plane" and the phenomenon surrounding it have inspired blogs, a book, songs and merchandise. State wildlife officials hope it doesn't inspire any mistreatment of snakes.


"Most people won't confuse the entertainment value of the movie and the reality of snake behavior," said Sarah Cross, the statewide herpetologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. "However, there are a few people who consider snakes as threatening creatures and they shouldn't. Snakes are a beneficial part of the environment and they generally pose no danger unless they are threatened."


In the movie, snakes are living weapons, wreaking havoc and mayhem onboard an airline flight from Hawaii to Los Angles. It is an exciting plot device.


"Actually, snakes are no more aggressive than squirrels or birds," Cross said. "A squirrel would probably bite you if you grabbed it. A bird might dive bomb you if you approached its nest. The snake's defensive mechanism is to first avoid detection and then retreat if threatened. A snake bites only as a last resort."


The chances of being bitten by a snake in North Carolina are very low, said Cross, who added that North Carolina has only six venomous species: the copperhead, cottonmouth, timber rattlesnake, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, pigmy rattlesnake and eastern coral snake. Of these, only the copperhead is found statewide. The coral snake and the rattlesnake species are found so rarely that they are protected by law, she said.


The Wildlife Resources Commission, through its N.C. Wild Store, sells "A Guide to the Snakes of North Carolina," a 42-page book that features more than 150 color photographs and descriptions of the 37 snake species found across the state. The book tells about the important roles snakes play in ecosystems, presents maps that detail the ranges of different species and gives information on snake conservation efforts. For more information or to order a copy, go online to www.ncwildlife.org.


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[MEDIA NOTE: A color, high-resolution photograph to illustrate this release is available for free download at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Web site, www.ncwildlife.org.]


SNAKES SIDEBAR


SNAKES ARE BENEFICIAL

Snakes have been called nature's most efficient mousetrap. Farmers have long considered snakes as friends, since they are a deterrent to rodents. Some species of non-venomous snakes eat venomous species. Snake venom has been used to develop medicines that help humans.


SOME SNAKES ARE PROTECTED BY LAW

The diamondback rattlesnake and the eastern coral snake are endangered species, while the timber rattlesnake, pigmy rattlesnake, southern hognose snake, pine snake, Carolina water snake and Outer Banks king snake are species of special concern. Killing them is allowed only when they pose a clear and imminent threat to health and safety.


SNAKES ARE WILDLIFE: DON'T TOUCH!

There are six venomous, often called poisonous, snakes in North Carolina. The most common is the copperhead, found throughout the state except on the Outer Banks. Yet authenticated reports of fatalities from snakebites are rare, with only one death in the state being attributed to a copperhead bite, according to the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.


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