Snake Tales

“A 15 foot Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake – the largest ever caught on record,” declares the latest e-mail we received forwarded from a friend.

In fact, even though the dead rattlesnake pictured appeared taller than the man extending it, further inspection revealed that it was merely an optical illusion created by clever photography.

Repeated E-mails

This same e-mail has appeared on our computers several times in the past four years from different people, accompanied by photos to “prove” the claims. Other e-mails also circulate announcing equally false allegations, but many recipients are willing to believe embellished whoppers such as these primarily out of fear and ignorance.

Rattlesnake Exaggeration

Another e-mail declaring that a king snake in Arizona was eating a Goanna lizard (monitor lizard) was accompanied by pictures to “prove” it. The fact that a Goanna lizard is found in Australia, not in the U.S., red-flagged this as a fake. And the “king snake” in the picture was eventually identified correctly as a black-headed python, a species also native to Australia.

Distortions Vs Facts

Those who feel justified in believing outlandish claims often will not consider evidence or statistics demonstrating actual snake behavior and facts. For some reason, it’s easier to believe distortions and exaggerations presented in these messages, in movies, and in the media in general.

One way to confirm rumors and falsehoods is to log onto:  www.Snopes.com.

For more legends about snakes, log onto:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/snakes/Animal_Folklore_Snakes.htm.

Verify

Verify snake tales that appear bizarre and incredible. They could be misleading merely as a joke to cause a stir!

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