Reptiles and humans
From our earliest days on Earth, humans have interacted with nearly all species of reptiles. Some aspects are considered positive, but the relationship has had a largely detrimental impact on reptiles, frequently affecting survival. Today there is a perception that reptiles are an inexhaustible natural resource. When populations are reduced, however, it becomes readily apparent that reptiles have a significant role in the stability of nature's convoluted web of life. It is difficult to comprehend this topic fully without reference to the broader subject of conservation.
Reptiles as food
There is no doubt that many reptiles have the necessary skills and physical characteristics to protect themselves, but generally they are more sedentary and lethargic and less intelligent and aggressive than large birds and mammals. From prehistoric times these qualities have made them vulnerable to human predation. Reptiles remain important food items for isolated tribes in developing countries throughout the world. Human foragers fulfill their need for scarce animal protein with reptiles when the opportunity presents itself, and in certain situations they actively hunt some taxa. In the developed world, turtle, crocodilian, and rattlesnake meats have found their way into a variety of unusual recipes.
Resources
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Rubio, Manny. Rattlesnake: Portrait of a Predator. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998.
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Auffenberg, Walter. "Notes on the Feeding Behaviour of Varanus bengalensis." Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 80 (2): 286–302.
Fewkes, J. W. "Tusayan Snake Ceremonies." Sixteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution (1894–1895): 273–312. ——. "Tusayan Flute and Snake Ceremonies: Part 2." Nineteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution (1897–1898): 273–312.
Grove, Noel. "Wild Cargo: The Business of Smuggling Animals." National Geographic (March 1981): 287–314.
Speake, D. W., and R. H. Mount. "Some Possible Ecological Effects of 'Rattlesnake Roundups' in the Southeastern Coastal Plain." Proceedings of the Annual Conference of Southeastern Game and Fish Commissioners 27 (1973): 267–277.
[Article by: Manny Rubio]
