The Sweetwater Jaycees will be hosting their 50th Annual Rattlesnake Roundup this weekend (March 6-9, 2008). The roundup, held in Sweetwater, Texas, is the world’s largest such event. The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalusatrox) is one of the larger Rattlesnakes common to the Southwest. Its size ranges from about 10 inches at birth to around 60 inches when full-grown. The snake generally feeds on rodents, rabbits, birds and lizards. Western Diamondbacks account for more serious and fatal snake bites than any other reptile in North America. Rattlesnakes have hemotoxic venom, which attacks the bloodsystem. Cattle and horses, which abound in towns such as Sweetwater, are often the victims of 
Western Diamondback bites. Roundups help to keep the population in check and protect other wildlife. In addition to this benefit, the Jaycees, in cooperation with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, collect biological data and other pertinent information about the snakes. Despite the complaints raised by some animal welfare advocates, the Jaycees will oversee the collection of about 20,000 snakes this weekend.
See you there!
For whatever it’s worth, just north of the FL/GA border, there was an annual rattlesnake roundup in Whigham, GA. It’s a big community event for the small town that effectively causes the population to increase by around 5 times for one day.